The NAU Art Museum will be displaying a new exhibition, “Sherrie Wolf: Historyonics” from April 3 – June 2. The artist’s reception will be April 5 from 5-7 p.m.
Wolf self-identifies as a still-life painter, though figures and landscapes also make their way into her artworks. Her oil paintings have recently featured arranged objects, often whimsical and fun, in front of amazing recreations of old master paintings and are known for their smooth surfaces, a result of a fine glazing technique executed with precise brush strokes.
“I am especially moved by the magic of illusion, and drawn to complex layers of activity with in a painting. I want to exploit and to reveal, rather than disguise, the fact that art is artifice,” said Wolf in her artist statement.
“Ms. Wolf’s paintings reveal a deep understanding of European and American art history. Her canvases are beautifully crafted and argue convincingly for the continued relevance of painting in the digital age,” said Dr. George Speer, director of the NAU Art Museum.
“The show is called Historyonics because Sherrie’s work embraces the dramatic narratives of the masterworks and disrupts them with still life compositions that, in turn, do not “behave” like still lifes — her arrangements function more as characters and landscapes than as conventional objects in an interior.”
Wolf, who resides in Portland, OR, received a B.F.A. in Painting from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and a M.A. in Printmaking from the Chelsea College of Art in London. She has widely exhibited internationally and received many awards, most recently including Finalist for the Contemporary Northwest Artists Awards 2011, Portland Art Museum; Juror’s Choice Award at the Houston Museum of Natural Science; and Oregon Artist Fellowship Award.
The museum extends special thanks for the participation and logistical help of the Laura Russo Gallery in Portland, OR and its director, Martha Lee.
The NAU Art Museum is on the Historic North Quad (formerly McMullen Circle) in the historic Old Main building and is open from 12 – 5 p.m., Tues. – Sat. There is a $2 suggested donation.
Free parking is available in Parking Lot P3 and the designated stalls in Parking Lot P4. Please obtain a free guest parking pass available from the museum’s 2nd floor reception desk staff if visiting before 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
For more information about the museum, visit nau.edu/art_museum or call 928-523-3471. For more information about the artist, visit sherriewolfstudio.com.
Click here to see the Inside NAU TV Show story about Sherrie Wolf.