DONNA DODSON: 2019

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

New work and recent press

Great interview with Michael Arthur on Forbes.com, December 8, 2019, about how to have a career as an artist featuring myself and Andy Moerlein plus the origin story of The Myth Makers, “The Trajectory Of Artists’ Careers, And What You Can Learn From Them”

Cindy F. Glanzrock, CEO of Glanzrock Curatorial Services, launched a new initiative celebrating women artists, supporters of the arts, and women in design and real estate development. I was very honored to have a Seat at the Table at the first event on November 19, 2019 along with Vinnie Bagwell – artist/sculptor who just received the Central Park commission for her work “Victory Beyond Sims” Alison Chernick – A documentarian who just premiered “Jackson Pollock: Blue Poles” at the International Hampton Film Festival, Liza Donnelly – Cartoonist/illustrator, Author of “Funny Ladies” Gisue Hariri – Accomplished American architect and designer, described as one of the most, progressive and out of the box firms, and Rita Kalimian – Owner /developer of buildings including the first building that was committed to launching the Chelsea Arts District “529 ARTS” at 529 West 20th St.

Great conversation with Jennifer Oladipo and Kate Fleming, for The Chord on October 24, 2019, "Artist makes art. Context makes meaning."

Remembering Marilyn Yalom, author of The Birth of the Chess Queen and inspiration for The Match of the Matriarchs.

New website for Donna Dodson, www.donnadodsonartist.com

New work @ Clark Gallery in Lincoln, Mass:

New works in bronze: L to R: Walking Rhino, Pregnant Kangaroo, Elephant Princess and Elephant Nun

New work in Alabaster: Cardinal Mother
Georgia Blue Gallery, Anchorage Alaska

Recent commission:
Steve, the South African Penguin

New work in Fiberglass: Mini Seagull Cinderella

Studio shot from Open Studios:

NEWS FROM THE MYTH MAKERS: DONNA DODSON & ANDY MOERLEIN

New website for the Myth Makers:
www.themythmakers.org

Recent Harvard Forest Seminar:
Working at the Intersection of Art and Science

Finalist presentation for A New View of Camden:
A Bloomberg Philanthropies public art project in Camden, New Jersey.

Seeking Higher Ground moved to the Art Complex Museum:

Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday season.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Open House And Visiting Scholar News

Join us on Saturday & Sunday September 28th & 29th from 12p-5p for a private Open Studio/ Open House event @ 123 Summer St in Maynard.

I have re-installed Match of the Matriarchs and recent work from Zodiac at home and in the studio, I have new works in bronze and fiberglass (Mini Seagull Cinderella in progress) while the monumental Tiger Mothers and the original Seagull Cinderella get some touch ups. Andy Moerlein has lots of work inside and out including recent sculptures and prints from his Scholar's Rock series and new birds on branches (ceramic and wood assemblages). Make a day of it in Maynard- stop by Artspace Maynard's Open Studios to see over 80 artists at work and stay for dinner at one of the many amazing restaurants in town.

Visiting Scholar Appointment at the Brandeis University Women's Studies Research Center

I am pleased to announce that on September 1st I began my appointment as a Visiting Scholar at The Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center. My research project will investigate the mythic and very real women who were portrayed in Ancient Greek and Roman Art and consider modern and contemporary Amazons in pop culture, such as Wonder Woman.

I was turned onto the idea of the Amazons after reading Madeleine Miller's two novels about Greek Mythology: "Song of Achilles" and "Circe." My preliminary research led me to the MFA and the Metropolitan Museum in NYC collections both of whom have fantastic examples of the legendary warrior women on pottery, gold rings, crystal beads and more. Two of my primary sources are "Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World" by Adrienne Mayor and "Postcolonial Amazons: Female Masculinity and Courage in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit Literature" by Walter Duvall Penrose Jr. This has led to a fruitful correspondence and lively discussion with these two renowned scholars.

I saw the movie "Wonder Woman" when it came out in theaters but only recently discovered "Professor Marston and the Wonder Women." I am currently devouring Jill Lepore's book " The Secret History of Wonder Woman." Note, the Addison Gallery of American Art has an upcoming show on the subject of Wonder Woman and Superman in pop culture: "Men of Steel, Women of Wonder" that is not to be missed, October 5, 2019 - January 5, 2020.

Update: Hand/Eye Magazine covered this story on May 22, 2019, "Match of the Matriarchs: A Maternal Chess Set." Jennifer Oldapio interviewed Kate Fleming and me for The Chord and posted the conversation on October 24, 2019, Artist makes art. Context makes meaning.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

A Creative Conversation

Georgia Blue Gallery

July 21, 2:00 pm

A Reception, A Reading,

A Conversation on Creative Practice

Donna Dodson

Andy Moerlein

Nancy Lord photo by Irene Owsley

Perry Eaton

Mara Kimmel

We all agree that more conversations need to take place. Join us for this stimulating conversation on the Creative Process with these artists.

Nancy Lord will do a short reading of her writings related to birds, a frequent theme in all three of the artists' work. Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein will present new sculptures. Perry Eaton will be in the gallery as a guest artist, talking about his work and career. Mara Kimmel, Anchorage Museum Deputy Director will moderate.

Creative Process. How does a writer begin with the blank page? How do the artists address a block of wood? What is the process that drives each of these internationally known creators to success in their respective careers? What are the commonalities within each of their inspired paths?

This is a short talk intended for a broad public with an enthusiasm for creative activity, regardless of medium or professional ambition. The artists are each inspired speakers and exceptional practitioners of their craft. After the short reading and informal conversation there will be a reception and the opportunity to speak with each of the artists and the moderator.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Zodiac

FULLER CRAFT MUSEUM PRESENTS Donna Dodson: Zodiac February 2 – May 19, 2019
Opening Reception: Sunday, February 3, 2:00 – 5:00 pm

Aquarius

Donna Dodson: Zodiac Zodiac presents acclaimed woodworker Donna Dodson’s two sculptural series referencing all 24 animal characters associated with the Lunar or Chinese calendar and the Sun signs of Western astrology. With such charming creatures as a lion, a bull, a ram, a penguin, a beaver, and a falcon, Dodson’s carved wood menagerie is sure to delight and inspire audiences of all ages.

Dragon

Donna Dodson has been carving images out of wood for nearly 20 years. Her sculptures explore feminine beauty and evoke humor and playfulness but also grace, power, and emotional strength. Her unique vision responds to the relation of animals to the human spirit that have existed since ancient times. Her figures are almost always female and range in size from intimate to larger than life. She has been honored with solo shows nationwide for her artwork. In addition, her monumental works have been exhibited internationally in sculpture parks and art museums.

Gemini

In 2011, Dodson participated in the Verbier 3D Foundation’s Artist Residency and Sculpture Park in the Swiss Alps. In 2015, Donna participated in a residency in Cusco Peru at the Escuela de Bellas Artes that culminated in an exhibition at Museo Convento de Santo Domingo Qorikancha with the Boston Sculptors Gallery. In 2016, she had her first solo museum show of “mermaids” in 2016 at the New Bedford Art Museum. In 2017, Dodson's solo show Zodiac began a national tour.

Rooster

The following exhibitions are also opening at Fuller Craft Museum on Feb 3rd from 2p-5p:
Felt: Fiber Transformed
Elizabeth Potenza: “Look up,” she said, “there is more color than you ever imagined”
Mano-Made: New Expression in Craft by Latino Artists
Tom Kiefer: El Sueño Americano – The American Dream

I will be speaking about my work in the Tarlow gallery from 3p-3:30p.

Update: Robert Whitcomb covered this story for New England Diary on Jan 7, 2019, Sculptural signs of the zodiac. Sampan covered this story on Jan 14, 2019, Donna Dodson presents Zodiac at Fuller Craft Museum, Feb. 2 to May 19. Holly Camero covered this story for the Beacon Villager on Jan 23, 2019, Zodiac, by Maynard sculptor, opens Feb. 2. Scott Reedy covered this story on Jan 30, 2019 for the Metrowest Daily News, WINTER ARTS PREVIEW: Here’s the cure for cabin fever. John Carroll covered this story for Campaign Outsider on Feb 11, 2019, Dead Blogging ‘Donna Dodson: Zodiac’ at Fuller Craft. On March 13th, The Patriot Ledger covered this story, "At the Fuller, ‘Zodiac’ celebrates women through wooden sculptures."

Artist Statement

‘My artwork celebrates the mystical relationship between human beings and the animal kingdom. Because there were no icons of women in the church that I grew up in, my vision is to create them. Through hybrid female-animal forms that I sculpt in wood, I flesh out sensuality, sexuality and soul with a well-proportioned figurative vocabulary. The natural grain of the wood interacts with the form and shape of my sculptures in a descriptive way, suggesting nostrils, and nipples or garments and fabric textures. I often stylize each piece to enhance the girl, woman, princess, queen or goddess within. The mouths, or in some cases beaks, are closed symbolizing the mysteries they embody. These figures are sculpted in sizes ranging from the intimate to the monumental. I use color in both subtle and bold ways to activate each piece. My inspiration comes from ancient iconography and mythological imagery.’

About

Donna Dodson has been carving images out of wood for nearly 20 years. Her sculptures explore feminine beauty and evoke humor and playfulness but also grace, power and emotional strength. Her unique vision responds to the relation of animals to the human spirit that have existed since ancient times. Her figures are almost always female and range in size from the intimate to the monumental.

Dodson’s pre-med studies and her passion for Egyptian art led her to study wood and stone sculpture. African sculptures and Native American totems also influence her work.

She uses logs of osage orange wood from her grandfather’s farm in Illinois, and ash, cherry, locust and maple from New England.

Dodson has worked in a series using an elephant headed goddess to explore female figureheads in positions of power. Recently, Dodson created large scale outdoor pieces, engaging in a public dialogue about her work. The site became a more prevalent theme. Today, Dodson has returned to creating statement pieces such as a cardinal goddess for the women of the Catholic Church who aspire to be ordained and Madam President- a monument to the first female president of the USA.

Bio

Donna Dodson is an American sculptor who has exhibited her artwork around the world. Dodson has completed successful residencies in Verbier Switzerland, Cusco Peru, Keelung Taiwan and Ringkoebing Denmark. Donna is currently a Resident Scholar at the Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center and a Visual Art Fellow at the St Botolph Club in Boston. Dodson’s recent show, “The Amazons Among Us” at the Boston Sculptors Gallery was met with critical acclaim. Donna was a 2022 Fulbright US Scholar at Q21/MuseumsQuartier in Vienna Austria working as an artist in residence with her host institution Tricky Women/Tricky Realities, the world’s only animation festival for women. Dodson has won grants from the Puffin Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New Hampshire Guild of Woodworkers and the George Sugarman Foundation. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Provincetown Art Museum, the Art Complex Museum and the Fuller Craft Museum in Massachusetts, The Noyes Art Museum in New Jersey and the Davistown Museum in Maine. Donna's work has been reviewed in the Boston Globe, Sculpture Magazine, The Daily Beast, Hyperallergic and Artnet. She is a member of the Boston Sculptors Gallery, the nation’s only sculpture cooperative that maintains its own gallery space. Dodson is a graduate of Wellesley College. She enjoys public speaking, and has been a guest speaker at conferences throughout North America. Donna is a freelance writer whose articles in newspapers, magazines and blogs demonstrate the economic impact and global reach of the arts sector. Her recent paper, “What do we call courageous women” was presented at the Society for Classical Studies annual meeting in 2022 and is pending publication in a special issue of the Journal of Lesbian Studies, Queering the Amazons.

Inspirations

"There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

-Leonard Cohen

"... I think one's art goes only as far and as deep as [one's] love goes..."

-Andrew Wyeth

"art is valuable because it challenges, inspires, and enables us to see ourselves in much more interesting ways"
-Mickey Cartin

" the thing that I had to do was to ... work super hard in the hope that someday it would pay off. And in using that term I don't mean necessarily money, but just the fact that I would have more depth and dimension both as a human being and as an artist."
-Ed Paschke

“Fashion is what seems beautiful now but looks ugly later; art can be ugly at first but it becomes beautiful later.”
-Steve Jobs

"...remember that collecting art is an act of love. It isn’t about what you pay for a work, or how rich (or not) you become when you one day sell it, but the depth of your enjoyment in the time you live with it."
-Abigail R. Esman

"[Patronage] is a gift, in the form of money, in exchange for [my] gift, in the form of music."

-Amanda Palmer

"Art is the crucial interface between the imagination and reality, the thing that makes life deeper and broader than what it might be without such insight."

-Todd Levin

"If they hadn't told me I was ugly, I would never have searched for my beauty."

-Gabourey Sidibe

"Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where your backbone ought to be."

-Clementine Paddleford

Great artists “must be shaken by the naked truths that will not be comforted. This divine discontent, this disequilibrium, this state of inner tension is the source of artistic energy.”

-Humphrey Trevelyan

"Life should be lived so vividly and intensely that thoughts of another life or of a longer life are not necessary."

-Marjory Stoneman Douglas

“When people say that poetry is a luxury, I suspect that the people doing the saying have had things pretty easy. A tough life needs a tough language - and that is what poetry is.” Jeannette Winterson

Artistic Process

When I start a piece of work I need to evoke such a strong feeling about each piece that I can dare to listen to the piece, to make mistakes - to just create. It is the emotional investment in the act of creation that crystallizes the work for me.

Sometimes the idea or concept comes first, and I imagine what the piece will be when completed. More often I work from intuition. Once completed I see the intentions behind the piece, or the desire from which it is born. Artists who inspire me include Jessica Stockholder and Katharina Fritsch. Stockholder uses color as a transformational visual device, changing the way we see form. Fritsch creates sculptures of sacred figures that become pop-icons through her use of color. In the same way I work with various kinds and grains of wood accented by color.

My artwork is about self expression, autobiography, and self redemption. Each sculpture is independent and heroic, but each is connected to the body of my total work. Each is made greater and honored by its association with those that have preceded it, but keeps its own sacred identity. Each reflects my realization that I am a self-made woman.

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