ARTIST STATEMENT

The sculpture of Susan Ferrari-Rowley is highly individualistic, born through her personal evolution over the past 30 years.

Ferrari-Rowley’s work is characterized by linear and planar elements that define and imply the organization of space. The individual forms express the personification of relationships and needs. Volume can be actual or implied as the interiors and exteriors of the piece are equally stressed, being equally important. Negative space, or the lack of tangible material, is integral to the totality of the work — what is left out is as important as what is there.

Upon scrutiny, the forms present paradoxes to the viewer. The forms do not always possess what is expected of them. Lines are left out. Voluminous forms balance precariously, and planes cantilever improbably. Ambient light also plays a role, accentuating reality and creating illusion within the sculpture.

Paradoxes are also present in the selection of medium, which include yielding and non-yielding elements. Taut coverings of translucent polyfiber blur the lines within, acting as a foil to the shadows that are as critical as the actual lines.  The aluminum structure has a random uniformity to its ground surface. The works’ minimalism has the craftsmanship needed for expression and no more.

The processes for Ferrari-Rowley’s sculptures also meld two techniques. The aluminum portions are welded, and the fabric portions are hand-sewn. The combination of the two, address emotional issues, being confrontational in their large scale, yet lightweight and airy in  overall appearance.

 

CURRICULUM VITAE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SUSAN FERRARI ROWLEY

DEGREES

MFA, MST, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

Graduate Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

BA, State University College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY

AA, Nassau Community College, Westbury, LI, NY

 

EMPLOYED: SUNY Monroe Community College: Fine Arts, Sculpture and 3D-Design

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2012-2013 OK Harris Gallery, Manhattan, NYC, December/January

2012            White Gallery, Connecticut, October/November

2012             AXOM Gallery, Rochester, NY, October/November

2010             OK Harris Gallery, Manhattan, NYC. April/May

2007             OK Harris Gallery, Manhattan, NYC.  March/April.

2007             Renaissance Gallery, Rochester, NY. September/November.

2006            Wells College, Auburn, NY. September/October.

2004            The Chaney Gallery, Maryland Hall,  Annapolis, MD. April/May

1997              MyungSook Lee Gallery.  New York, NY.  September.

1997              Synesthesia Gallery, Ltd.  Rochester, NY. July/August.

1996              Art Association of Harrisburg Galleries.  Harrisburg, PA.  March/April.

1995              14 Sculptors Gallery.  New York, NY.  February/March.

1992              Dawson Gallery. Rochester, NY.  February/March.

1991               55 Mercer Street Gallery.  New York, NY.

1991               Roberts Wesleyan College.  Rochester, NY.

1990              Fota Gallery.  Alexandria,VA.  July/September.

1990              SUNY Geneseo. NY.  October.

1990              101 Wooster Street.  New York, NY.  January/April.

1990              Wells College, Aurora, NY.  April.

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2010               Davison Gallery, Roberts Wesleyan College.  Three-person invitational.  September.

2006              B.J. Spoke Gallery.  Selected by Adrian Sudhalter, Curatorial Assist. Of the Dept.

of Painting And Sculpture, MOMA, NYC.  Mar./Apr.

2005-2006   Burlington County College Sculpture Garden Exhibition. Juror: Susan

Davis, Director, Fine Arts Pgm. Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia.

2003-2004  James Madison University Outdoor Sculpture Invitational.  October/August.

2002              International Juried Show.  New Jersey Center For Visual Arts. Juror: William

Zimmer, Art Critic/Journalist for the ‘New York Times” since 1981.   January/March.

2001- 2002  Contemporary Sculpture at Historic Forest Hills Cemetery.

Curator:  Rebecca Reynolds, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. September 2001/August 2002

2001              Selected as first alternate for exhibition at BJ Spoke Gallery by Dana Miller, Assist. Curator, Whitney Museum of

Art,  New York, NY.

2001              Northshore Sculpture Park, Skokie, IL. Invited and funded for extended loan.

1999              Juror/Invitational Exhibitor: Sculpture of The Spirit.  Outdoor site-specific. Forest     Lawn Cemetery. With D.

Shultz/Director, Albright Knox Art Gallery, and Dr. K. Grant, Dean, State University of NY, Buffalo.  Acquired for

Permanent Collection. June/October.

1998              Art of The Spirit. Outdoor/site specific.  Forest Hills Cemetery, Forest Hills Educational Trust,

Boston, MA.  Purchased for Permanent Collection.  Jurors: Rebecca Reynolds and Jonathan Fairbanks, Curators

20th Century Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. April /October.

1995              Invitational:  Memorial Art Gallery of The University of Rochester(Museum).

Rochester, NY.  June/September.

1994              International ‘94. New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts. Juror: Robert Buck/Brooklyn Museum. March.

1994              Unbound.  Maryland-National Capitol Park/Planning Commission,  Fort Wash, MD.  June/August.

1994              66th Juried Exhibition.  Art Association. of Harrrisburg, PA.   First Prize/Sculpture from Frank Gettings, Hirshhorn

Museum.  Washington DC.  April/May.

1993              National Exhibition.  Cooperstown Art Assn.  Juror: Ivan Karp, OK Harris Gallery, NY.

1993              Invitational: Dimensional Women.  SUNY Geneseo, NY. September/October.

1992              BASF Exhibition.  Dalton, GA.

1992              Alexandria Museum of Art.  Alexandria, LA.  September.

1992              Invitational.  St. Louis, MO.  July.

1992              North American Sculpture Exhibition.  Golden, CO.  May/June.

1992              Prix D’Art Urban.  Maubeuge Fine arts Museum, France.  June/July.

1991               Sculpture’91. Highland Park, Rochester, NY.  June-October.

1990              Excellence 90.  Sculpture.  Dallas, TX.  July.

1990              National 90.  Adams Memorial Gallery, Dunkirk, NY.  July/August.

1990              Invitational.  Art Connections.  Bethesda, MD.  April.

1989              Artitudes International Competition. New York, NY. Certificate of Excellence.

1989              International.  Pittsburgh Center  for the Arts, PA .  Award.  September/October.

1989              Materials:  Hard and Soft.  Center for Visual Arts.  Denton, Texas.  September/October.

1989              8th Annual September Competition.  Alexandria Mus. of Art, LA.  Benezra, Curator Painting and Sculpture.   Art

Institute of  Chicago.  August/September.

1989              New Art/New Material.   North Carolina State University.  Jury:  Bloomer/Yale.  Buic/Czechoslovakia,

Hinman/USA.  September/November.

1989              Chautauqua 32nd National Exhibition of Amer. Art.   NY.  Juror:  R. Williams/Metropolitan Museum of Art,   Best of

Show.  Purchase for permanent collection.  June/July.

1989              Conference ‘89.  Anchorage, Alaska.  June.

1988              International Art Competition. Jurors: Messinger/Metropolitan Art Museum, Satz/Whitney Museum  of

American Art, Little/Art in America.

1988             BASF Competition.  Dalton,GA.  June/July.

1988             Materials:  Hard and Soft  Center for the Visual Arts.  Denton, Texas.  September/October.

1988             National Exhibition.  Center of the Arts.  UW Whitewater, WI.  July/August.

1988             The Wichita National.  Wichita Art Assn., KS.  September/October.

1988             Wyoming National Exhibition.  Nicolaysen Art Museum.  March/May.

1988             National Exhibition.  Rockford Art Museum, Il.  November/December.

1987             Invitational:  America House Gallery, NY.  March/April.

1987             American/Canadian Invitational.  Goldome Center, Buffalo.  July.

1986             Space Sails.  Midland, MI.  February/April.

1986             The Octagon National. Ames, Iowa.  December/January.

1985             National 85.  Access to the Arts.  Dunkirk, NY.  November/December.

1985             National Exposition.  Sands Point, NY.  April.

1984             Invitational.  Firehouse Gallery.  Nassau Community College, NY.  December.

1984             Invitational:  Six Plus Twelve.  Pyramid Arts Center.  Rochester, NY.  February/March.

• In 1977 the artist was one of 50 artists nationwide, selected for ‘Young Americans: Fiber/Wood/Plastic/Leather’, which was a competition held every decade by the American Crafts Museum to discover the future potential arts leaders under 30 years of age.  The exhibition opened at the American Crafts Museum (formerly) in Manhattan, NY, and again in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  The work was selected to tour the United States through 1979.

 

PUBLIC ART PROJECTS (selected projects and finals)

2009            The Glide Street Bridge. Design/Execution of four 9’-11’ side-panels. Rochester, NY.

2009            Erie Canal Greenway. Two 4’x11’ cast concrete panels with imagery.  Amherst, NY.

2006            Finalist:  East End Parking Garage Façade. Rochester, NY.

2005            Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum. Two aerial designs presented. No Funding. Rochester, NY.

2003            Jamestown Community College, Scharmann Theatre. Monumental

Architectural Sculpture for 70’h x 60’w outdoor wall.   Selected.  No Funding. Jamestown, NY.

2004           New York State Department of Transportation.

Design and execution of seven Noise Barrier Panels for the urban community for the Western Gateway, Rochester,

NY.

1999            Finalist: The Claude Pepper Center, Florida State University.

1997            The Gateway Pavilion. Three aerial works commissioned by the City of Rochester via a panel let by

Representative and Appraiser of Twentieth Century Art, Roslyn Bakst Goldman and Architectural Designer

Mary Valentine of the Sear Brown Group.  Award winning structure.

1995            The Greater Rochester International Airport. Suspended sculpture for three-story glass atrium.

Commissioned from private funds and approved by the airlines. Rochester, NY

1995            Finalist: Brookhaven College. Project canceled for lack of funds. Adelle M. Taylor, Dallas, TX.

1994            Finalist: The Greater Rochester International Airport.

One of five finalists for the rotunda.  Aerial design presented.  Rochester, NY.

1992            The Bucket International Dance Group. Suspended stagepiece for choreographed dance,

Night,Light,and Melanin.  Commissioned by Garth Fagan, Tony Award Winner for The Lion King.

1991             The Kirstein Building. Corporate Commission for seven stories of suspended art.  Rochester, NY.

1990            Citibank Headquarters. Wall piece.  Bushnells Basin, NY.

1989             The Falls Building. Mobiles commissioned through Lisa Kurts, Lisa Kurts Gallery, Memphis, TN.

 

OUTDOOR SITE SPECIFIC PROJECTS

2005-2006    Burlington County College Sculpture Garden Exhibition.  Aug.-July.  Juror: Susan

Davis, Director, Fine Arts Pgm. Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadephia.

2002 – 2004 James Madison University, Illinois.  Invitational Exhibition of Four. Oct.- Aug.

2002               Contemporary Sculpture at Historic Forest Hills Cemetery.  Sept. 15, 2001-Aug. 31, 2002.

Curator: Rebecca Reynolds, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

2001-2003     Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park, Skokie, IL  Outdoor/site specific.

1999                Juror/Invitational Exhibitor:  Sculpture of The Spirit.  Outdoor/site specific. Forest     Lawn Cemetery.  With D.

Shultz/Director, Albright Knox Art Gallery, and Dr. K. Grant, Dean, State University of NY, Buffalo.  June-October.

Acquired for Permanent Collection.

1998              Art of The Spirit. Outdoor/site specific.  Forest Hills Cemetery, Forest Hills Educational Trust,

Boston, MA.  April -October.  Purchased for Permanent Collection.  Jurors: Rebecca Reynolds and Jonathan

Fairbanks, Curators 20th Century Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

1991                 Sculpture’91. Highland Park, Rochester, NY.  June-October.

 

AWARD

2011                New York State Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Arts

NOTABLE

Fall 2012:      Launching the first of a series of wearable-art bracelets based on her sculptural sensibility.  The project links Art

and  American Industry and is meant to aid in keeping manufacturing viable in our country.

COLLECTIONS

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY

Forest Hills Educational Trust, Boston, MA

Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY

Chautauqua Art Institute, Chautauqua, NY

RADIO AND TELEVISION

WXXI David Perlman Interview; Simon Pontin Radio Show.

CH 13 Rochester Morning Show.  Kristen Miranda Interview.

Charles Kurault.  Nationally televised spot.

The Charles Billings Radio Show.  Memphis, Tennessee.

P.B.S.:  The Artist and Her Work.

 

SELECTED LECTURES

2010 Roberts Wesleyan College, “Influences on My Art”.

2008 Monroe Community College, “Artist’s and Their Role in Society”.

2006 Wells College, “The Artist and Her Work”.

2006 MCC Leroy V. Good Library, “An Artistic Life and Process” for the Illumination Series.

2006 RCSD School #17, NYS DOT Noise Barrier Panel discussion (based on my public commission).

2006 Penfield Library, “Tracing the History of Her Work”.

2006 Rochester Institute of Technology, Graduate Seminar Lecture,“What Constitutes a Body of Work”.

2006 Rochester Women’s Art Group, Lecture with discussion and questions relevant to women in art.

2002 SUNY Brockport, “My Work and Its’ Relationship To Design”.

1999  Rochester Institute of Technology, “The Artist’s Work and CAD”.

1998,’99,’00  Artist in Residence Program, NYS, “Manipulated Fabric Forms”.

1998  Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, “The Artist and Her Work”.

1998  Rhode Island School of Design, “Three Dimensional Design”.

1997  Skidmore College, “The Artist and Her Work’.

1997  Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY,  Regional Program of Excellence, “Art as a Career”.

1997 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. “Art and Design.”

1996  University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. “The Artist and Her Work”.

1995  Chesterwood, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  Lecture, “Public Art Commissions”.

1995  Memorial Art Gallery(Museum), Rochester, NY.  “The Artist and Her Work”.

1995  Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY.  “Communicating Three Dimensionally”

1993  Wells College, Auburn, NY.  Critique of Student Work/Lecture.

1992  Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY.  “The Artist and Her Work”.

1990  Roberts Wesleyan College, Chili, NY.  Lecture-Workshop.

1990  SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY.  “The Artist and Her Work”.

1986  The Wendell Castle School, Scottsville, NY. “ Design as Surface Treatment”.

1982  Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY.  Week long workshop/Lecture.

 

WRITTEN COMMENTARY (brief list of publications/years)

Review: Abstract Art Online; New York Views; Joe Walentini (critic). 2007

Sculpture Magazine; Solo Exhibitions, 2007, 2010

The New York Times; 2006, 2000,1984

City Newspaper, Rochester, NY. Sept. 12, 2007, 1997, 1990

The Concrete Producer; 2004

International Cemetery and Funeral; 1999

Catalog Essay: Robert Morgan (author, critic); 1997

The Geneseo Compass; 1990

Monthly Crafts: Seoul, Korea, 1990

American Craft Magazine; 1991,1986,1985,1984

Fiberarts Magazine; 1991,1986,1985,1984

American Craft Magazine; 1991, 1986,1982

The Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester, NY; 2007, 1999, 1997,1992,1986,1983

The Times Union: Rochester, NY; 2004, 1991, 1986

The Buffalo News: Buffalo, NY

The Commercial Appeal: Memphis, TN; 1989

Upstate Magazine: Rochester, New York; 1989

The New York Art Review; 1982