BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Diane Richey-Ward is a practicing visual artist from Northern California, USA. Her Bachelor Degree was attained at CSU East Bay, and her Master’s Degree in Studio Art from California State University, Sacramento included working with nationally renowned painter Oliver Jackson. She soon began exhibiting her large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings in Sacramento, San Francisco and later at the Center for Contemporary Art and the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. Diane worked as a full-time Professor of Art at American River College since 1999, teaching Drawing and Art History courses. In 2008 she was hired to teach Study Abroad semesters in Paris, London, Florence and Barcelona.
Every year for nearly 20 years Diane participated as an Artist-in-Resident in Costa Rica, Canada, US and Europe. In 2015 she was awarded a 3-month fellowship with the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, China, culminating with a multi-media exhibit, “Intimate Migration”. drawing, photography and video. Over the past several years she continued to create large-scale drawings, photo-drawing combinations and video installations in Malaga, Lisbon, and Venice, Italy.
CV
DIANE RICHEY-WARD
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION:
Master of Arts Degree, Studio Art:
California State University, Sacramento, California
Bachelor of Arts Degree: California State University, Hayward, California Academy of Art College, San Francisco, California
EXHIBITIONS:
Selected One or Two Person Exhibitions:
2022 Open Studio, American Can Factory, New York, New York
2020 “Becoming” Taita Studio Residency, Malaga, Spain
2019 “”Machination” Atelier Holcernova, Lisbon, Spain
2018 Diane Richey-Ward/Mick Sheldon, E Street Gallery, Sacramento, California
2017 “Exit Sharply”-Open Studio, SLAK Ateliers, Arnhem, Netherlands
2017 “Merging Forces” Artspace 1616 Gallery, Sacramento, California
2016 “Seeking Coalescence” Standard Galleria, Independent Museum of Contemporary Art, Valencia, Spain
2015 “Intimate Migration”, Swatch Art Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China
2015 “Drawn from Abstraction”, SMUD Art Gallery, Sacramento, California
2014 “Locomotion”, Draw International, Caylus France
2014 “La Vitesse de LʼIdee” Union Hall Gallery, Sacramento, California
2013 “A Fleeting Grasp”, Kaneko Gallery, Sacramento, Calfornia
2012 “Suspended Animation”, Obras Exhibition, Renkum, Netherlands
2010 “Attitude” Skinner/Howard Gallery, Sacramento, California
2009 “Drawings-Zoetermeer”, BaZtille , Den Hague, Netherlands
2008 “Drawings-Arnhem”, Artistiek Gallerie, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2008 “On the Move” Center for Visual Arts, Arnhem, Netherlands
2007 Residency Exhibition, CʼAt Art , St. Columbe Sur Lʼers, France
2006 “Drawing Now”, Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, California
2005 “Recent Work” Exploding Head Gallery, Sacramento, California
2004 “Cinétique Procession” Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, California
2003 “Cinétique Procession” (collaboration with Jiayi Young) Camac Organization, Paris, France
2000 “Ten Year Survey” Kaneko Gallery, American River
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
2019 Taita Studio Artist Residency, Málaga, Spain
2019 Venezia Contemporanea Art Residency, Venice Italy 2018 Atelier Holcnerova, Lisbon, Portugal
2017 SLAK Atelierbeheer Artist-in-Residence, Arnhem, Netherlands
2016 “Estudio Galleria” Independent Museum of Contemporary Art Residency, Valencia, Spain
2016 “Obras” Art Residency, Estramoz, Portugal
2015 “Swatch Art Peace Hotel” Shanghai, China
2014 “Draw Internationalʼ, Caylus, France
2012 Obras Artist-in-Residence, Renkum, Netherlands
2012 Sucre Sol Artist-in-Residence, Barcelona, Spain
2011 Ondarte Artist-in-Residence, Akumal, Mexico
2009 BaZtille Artist-in-Residence, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
2008 SLAK Guest Artist-in-Residency, Arnhem, Netherlands
2007 Cʼat Art Artist-in-Residency, St. Columbe Sur LʼHers, France
2005 Kanaal 10 Guest Artist-in –Residency, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2004 David and Julia White Artistʼs Colony Residency, Costa Rica
2003 Banff Centre for Art Residency, Banff, Alberta Canada
2003 Camac Organization Artist-in-Residence, Paris, France
2002 Camac Organization Artist–in-Residence, Paris, France
2000 The Brydcliffe Artist in Residency, Woodstock, New York
1995 Studios Midwest, Galesburg, Illinois
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
1994- 2015: Full-time Professor of Art, (Drawing and Art History) American River College Sacramento, California
Teaching Abroad: Professor of Art, NCSAC, Drawing and Art History. Semesters taught: Paris, (2008), Florence (2009) and London (2010). Barcelona (2012).
STATEMENT
Artist’s Statement:
My recent series is called “Chasing Vase Light”, and investigates the traditional still- life as it relates to movement and abstracted space. In the past year I have been examining notions of how one’s journey affects their perception of reality and how a visual photographic memory is altered when superimposed with mark- making.
I wish to integrate drawing into an expanded practice: combining photographic elements with the naked mark of charcoal and pastel. By layering elements of architectural and natural forms, in both transparent photographic layers and drawn images, I search for dynamic formal configurations and mutations. This process seems to allow me to tap into a level of investigation where entirely new form presents itself. As the photographer Diane Arbus once said, “It’s what I’ve never seen before that I recognize”.
The process is quite simple, but combines a projected photographic image with a large-scale charcoal/pastel drawing. This system produces unlimited possibilities of merged images and expressive potential.
As with my charcoal drawings, my goal is to retain a certain mystery and a sense of kinetic movement. Ideally an immediate transference of a certain energy occurs, an insistence in retaining a rhythmic presence.
Exposure to novel experiences through travel has afforded new ways ofseeing and many new avenues of discovery.