Artist Bio: I am an artist first and secondly, was a retired art teacher for one year, but I am back to teaching at an all girl's Catholic School in Manhattan. Painting is my passion. I feel free when I paint; instead of being constrained in normalcy, it allows me to express who I am physically with paint and color. I am normally fairly quiet (not if I know you), but painting changes me and challenges me to think more abstractly with color and brush strokes and allows me to say something that I usually keep inside.
I went back to school to study art when my youngest daughter was in first grade. I went to Portland State after taking many painting courses at PCC. I graduated from Portland State in 2003 with my degree in Painting, Drawing and Printmaking.
I had my own studio at Sequoia Gallery and Studios until 2014 and was there for 7 years as one of the founding members. When I left, I was in charge of hanging the shows and I was the Vice President. I was a featured artist at least once a year with 2 other participating artists from Sequoia. Every First Tuesday, I opened my studio to the public for them to come through and see what a working artist does and see how a studio works.
My work is in private collections across the country, hung in Hillsboro at the Library, City Hall and is hung at Pacific University.
Professional Experience:
2022 The Painting Center, Art file: https://www.thepaintingcenter.org/rebecca-buchanan
2021-2023 Brooklyn Collective, Columbia St, Brooklyn NY 11231 2021 Hillsboro Civic Center, Hillsboro OR 97124
2017 National Art and Writing Scholastic Awards Art Residency through a partnership with the Golden Arts Foundation:
I was one of three artists selected Nationwide based on my paintings to participate in a 2 week painting art residency. I painted in my own studio, had an apartment like setting in an amazing revamped barn with all the meals provided, travel expenses paid and all the Golden Art materials I could use along with a $1000 spending account. It was a fantastic experience where I learned technical information from specialists while I painted for 2 plus weeks with my new found artist friends, one from Boston and the other one from Manhattan, NY.
2016 Kansas City Art Institute Painting with Robert Bingamon
I was juried into the painting program to participate in a one week painting intensive with Robert Bingamon. He worked all of the participants to create a painting/art practices program so we do not forget what is important to us in our lives, showing students that we also struggle for ideas, but if we work on our practice of painting every day, then we will stay creative.
2013-2014 Part of a team of 5 writing the Oregon Art Standards
I worked with 4 other people to help write the Oregon Art Standards. We met for months and months, fine tuning every portion of the standards.
2012 TICA program Chicago, IL
I had to submit my artwork for jurying to get into the Art Institute of Contemporary Art for teachers to paint in a 2 week intensive program. There were approximately 10 of us selected where we had famous artists come in and work with us in our art practice for the first week and the second week we worked in a studio setting painting and creating new work.
2011 Art 21 Teaching Cohort 2 New York, New York
Selected in a team of 3 art teachers, we were selected to go to New York and work with the Art 21 crew and artists and create lesson plans based on the Art 21 series. We worked with themes, our students and worked very hard for over a year video-taping our lessons, meeting with our colleagues in a Ning environment and this literally changed my life in my teaching practices. Instead of having lessons based on everyone doing the same project, the project is using the same materials, but putting the ideas of What is Home, Ritual, Connections, etc. to the students, creating individual projects.
2021-2004 Every year I have taken courses in art to enhance my practice as well as my students work when I was teaching. I now continue to learn new things via the internet, due to Covid and the pandemic.
Juried Art Shows:
2021 The Hillsboro Civic Center Jurors: The Cultural Art Center staff, Hillsboro, OR 2018 The Painting Center Juror: Jim Walsh Chelsea, New York 2017 Cascade Aids Project Jurors: Jessical Nickel,Daniel Peabody of Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Amy Caplan of Caplan Art 2017 Portland Community College Juror: Prudence Roberts of the Helzer Gallery, and Theo Downes-Le Guin of Upfor Gallery. 2016 Cascade Aids Project Juried show 2014/15 Walters Cultural Center Hillsboro, 2 person show Double Occupancy 2013 Beyond the Demos VIII Juror: Steve Tilden 2012 Beyond the Demos VII at PNCA Juror: Mac MacFarland 2011 Beyond the Demos VI Jurors: Danielle Knapp (McCosh Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Contemporary Art), Tina Rinaldi (Program Manager, Arts & Administration Program, University of Oregon), and Rick Williams (Dean, Division of the Arts, Lane Community College) October to Jan. 2011 Intel, Jones Farm 5 Campus December, January 2011 Sequoia Gallery and Studios September 2011 Montinore Vineyards July & August 2010 Beyond The Demos V November 2009 Beyond the Demos IV November 2009 Hillsboro Police Department January to May 2008 Sequoia Gallery and Studios August 2007 Carnegie Art Center BtDemos III November 2007 Hillsboro Cultural Center January 2006 Kathrin Cawein Gallery and Pacific University August 2006 Carlton’s Walk in the Park August 2005 Carlton’s Walk in the Park August 2003 Chalk Art September 2002 Pacific University December
Permanent Collections: 2015 City of Hillsboro, Mayor’s Office and Main Library 2013 City of Hillsboro, City Center Building 2006 Pacific University, New Hillsboro Building
Awards: 2009 Finalist, Plein-Air Juror: Robert Gamblin 2008 Finalist, Plein-Air Juror: Scott Gellatly 2007 Finalist, Plein Air Juror: Robert Gamblin
*I quit entering the plein air competition when the time got extended to paint for several days, as I love to work fast.