Department of Art Alumni
Karen Bartone’s, MFA '09
Website: www.karenbartone.com
Karen Bartone, MFA ’09, holds a BFA in Painting from Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and a BA in Psychology from Johnson State College. In the first summer of her MFA, she attended the highly competitive Chautauqua Institute on a Full Scholarship and received a Fellowship Award to the Vermont Studio Center. Upon graduation, she received an Art Grant from WCSU for a Purchase Award in Painting.
This series of oil paintings, “Hot Sexy Fruit”, is an investigation of the organic and geometric properties of form in both a two-dimensional and three-dimensional language. I am searching for balance and equality in art, by sculpting ephemeral linear subjects into circular volumes with a convex center. Once these transitory sculptures are complete, I consider their fundamental nature over time, and translate these figures into a two-dimensional expression of my perception. This work questions the canons of figurative art and reflects on the metaphor of fruit as a symbol of female sensuality. In choosing a still-life sculpture of bananas as my subject over the traditional female nude, further erotic clichés of art history surface in my work. From this effort, a lyrical dialogue of feminine imagery has emerged which is meaningful, playful and sometimes hilarious.
Karen is teaching drawing and design classes at Eastern CT State University. Karen says, "Teaching has given me a better understanding of my own processes."
Karen provided a
listing for her many accomplishments in 2011
Selected Solo Exhibitions 2011
Paintings, Alternate Space, City Wide Open Studios, New Haven, CT, October 29th and 30th, 12pm - 5pm, opening Friday October 14th 5 -8, Art Space
Paintings and Sculpture, Autumn Art Trail, Open Studio, Clinton, CT* , Oct 8th and 9th, 10am – 5pm, opening Friday October 8th 7 – 9pm Madison Old Town Hall
Installation, Vermont Studio Center, Open Studios, Johnson, VT, June 15th and June 29th
Selected Group Exhibitions 2011
First Street Gallery, Art for Clearwater, guest artist invitational, New York, NY*, December 8, 2011 – January 5, 2012, opening Saturday December 10, 2-5pm
Higgins Gallery, Groundbreaking: Looking Forward, WCSU Faculty and Alumni, Danbury, CT*, October 20th – December 1st, opening Thursday October 20th 5 – 7pm
Art Space, CWOS, New Haven, CT, October 14 -30th, opening Friday October 14th 5pm - late
Gallery One, All About Water VII, Old Saybrook, CT, Judith Osborne** , October 16th – November 6th, opening Sunday October 16th 3 - 5pm
AKUS Gallery, Double Time: Faculty Exhibition, ECSU, Willimantic, CT * , September 1st – October 17th, opening Thursday September 8th 4 -7pm
Gallery One, Eight Artists Exhibition, guest artist invitational, Old Saybrook, CT *, August 16th – October 14th, opening Friday September 9th 5 – 7pm
Hygienic Art Gallery, Sixth Crossing Exhibition, New London, CT **, April 23 – May 21, opening Saturday April 23rd 7-10pm
Real Art Ways, Step Up 2010 Slide Slam, Hartford, CT ** , Thursday January 20th, Slide Slam and Artist Talks
Teaching
2010-2012 Adjunct Professor of Visual Art, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT, Drawing I, Studio Art Introduction and 2-D Design Elements
2011-2012 Mentor Program, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Old Lyme, CT* (I am a mentor for a student who is a fine arts painting major.)
Professional Affiliations
2011-2012 Alumni Steering Committee, Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, Old Lyme, CT*
Awards 2011
3rd Place, Gallery One, All About Water VII, Old Saybrook, CT, Juror Judith Osborne**
Fellowship/Residency Award to Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT, attended, June (Invitational* and Juried**)
