Artist Statement – Gerri Young
January 2012
Gerri Young has studied a variety of mediums in Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia, Germany, France and Italy. She has worked in watercolor, oil, acrylic, fresco, clay, ink, pencil, stained glass, basketry, and textile. She has pieces in private collections in Germany, Virginia, New York, Texas and Ohio. She is a member of the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd, Va., Montgomery Museum of Christiansburg, Va., and of the Blacksburg Regional Art Association in Virginia. Gerri has studied with Rita Marlier, Jayn Avery, Kate Anderson, Narashamsa Isaya, Carolyn Deck, Carol Davis, Robin Poteet and Steve Mitchell of Virginia; Monica Perin and Annie Taillemite of France; and Monika Werle and Teresa Comeaux of Germany. Gerri worked for the Department of Defense in public affairs in Virginia and Germany for many years and retired in 2010, enabling her to concentrate on her art for the first time. While watercolor is her favorite medium, her curiosity for all things artistic drives her to experiment in many fields and many subjects. She is inspired by nature, texture, and detail, often painting renditions of stone and marble sculptures and ancient European streets, or using ink to capture the shapes and details of trees.
Exhibitions/Projects/Awards:
Oct. 2007 – Hitscherhof Festival, Germany
2008 – U.S. Air Force Annual Art Competition, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Nov. 2010 - Floyd’s View, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Floyd, Va.
Nov. 2010 - FloCoiMo, Floyd County Imagination Month, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va., and art and literature blog Adhominem, based in Hampton, Va.
Dec. 2010 - The Gift of Art, exhibition, CAIO, Blacksburg, Va., Blacksburg Regional Art Association
Dec. 2010 – Student Gallery, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va.
March 2011 – The REALLY Big Show, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va.
April 2011 –Weddings, exhibition, Blacksburg Regional Art Association, CAIO, Blacksburg, Va.
May 2011 - Abstraction, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va.
July 2011 - New Works, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va.
July 2011 - Expressions, Blacksburg Regional Art Association, VTLS Inc., corporate headquarters, Blacksburg
October 2011 - New River Art 11 Juried Biennial, Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd, Va.
Dec. 2011 - Montgomery Museum member exhibition, Christiansburg, Va.
Awards:
First place, "Amour et Psyche," fine arts category, U.S. Air Force AnnualArt Competition, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 2008
Third place, watercolor batik "Shadow Woman," "Expressions" exhibit, Blacksburg Regional Art Association, July 2011
Honorable mention, "The Model," New River Art 11 Juried Biennial, October 2011
www.artisticgerri.com
www.gerriblogs.blogspot.com
