Charlene Marsh

Art in the Classroom Installation 1994-95
Knory Hall of Technology, Room B-16

Artists Statement for "Purdue University / West Lafayette"

After visiting the Purdue campus and West Lafayette, I decided to create a "tufted, wool painting" incorporating the buildings and landmarks of the area, the indigenous, wildlife, and the animals from Wolf Park. The tapestry is created with metallic thread and hand dyed wool that is tufted onto a cotton backing. Working from the backside of the stretched cotton, the yarn is punched through to the front creating a "pile." Two and Three layers of yard are worked into the backing fabric before the piece is finished.

The current direction of my work has often juxtaposed civilization and wilderness, polluted and pristine environments, and, ultimately, good and evil. Recent Tapestries explore the struggle to balance a healthy, loving, spiritual lifestyle with an increasingly maddeningly fast-paced, destructive, materialistic world. I decided upon a long, horizontal format with the animals dominating the foreground and the man made structures nestled quietly and unobtrusively between rolling hills, with just a hint of encroaching civilization. Swirling, glowing stars fill the night sky. Hope, beauty, love, infinite possibilities, dreams, and the inter-connectedness oft the universe are the dominant themes.

Vita 1994

Eduacation:

  • Bachelor of Art, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. English: 1979, Fine Arts: 1986

Grants

  • 1993/94 Arts Midwest/NEA Regional Visual Arts Fellowship.
  • 1993/94 Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artists Master Fellowship.
  • IAC/Bloomington Area Arts Council Re-granting Program, 1993 and 1991.

Gallery Affiliations:

  • Ruschman Art Gallery, 421 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.
  • Bellevue Gallery, 104 1/2 E. Kirkwook, #11, Bloomington, Indiana, 47408. Member, Board of Directors.

Lecturer

  • "The influences and development of my textile art."
  • University of Indianapolis, Indiana Artists-Craftsmen,
  • Indianapolis, Indiana, scheduled, 1995.
  • "Contemporary Tufted and Hooked Textiles."
  • University of Indianapolis, Indiana Artists-Craftsmen,
  • Indianapolis, Indiana, scheduled, 1995.
  • "Inspirations and Development of Hooked and Tufted Textiles."
  • Bloomington Spinners and Weavers Guild, Bloomington, Indiana, 1995.

Teaching Experience:

  • Art Instructor, John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992-94.
  • Art Instructor, Brown County Creative Learning Center, Nashville, Indiana, 1994,
  • Substitute Teacher of fine art and other subjects, kindergarten through twelfth grade. County School Corporation of Brown County, Indiana. 1994, 1992, 1989, 1988.
  • Muncie Community School Corporation, Indiana, 1981. Fresno Unified School District, California, 1980.

Selected Collectors

  • Gary Anderson, Bloomington, Indiana
  • Gwyn Anderson, Salinas, California
  • Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana
  • Nikki Harris, M.D., Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Francis and Lisa Henke, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Gerald Izenberg, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Nalini Joshi, San Francisco, California
  • Padmini Joshi, Muncie, Indiana
  • Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, Indiana
  • Lenita Newberg, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Cleon Stutler, A.I.A., Portage, Indiana

Selected Bibliography

  • Finkelstein, Lydia. "Hettenhouse, Marsh, Featured in State Fiber Art Exhibit." Bloomington Herald Times, April 25, 1993, p. D4, cols. 1-6.
  • "Regional art scene coming alive again." Bloomington Herald Times, August 21, 1994, p. D4, cols. 1-2.
  • "Fiber, Form and Infinity." Indianapolis Star, September 15, 1991, p. G-9, cols.2-5.
  • Marsh, Charlene. "Driftnets." A Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs II, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, c. 1992.
  • "Interconnections." Rug Hooking Magazine, Summer 1992, pp. 46-49.
  • "Portfolio." Arts Indiana, November, 1993, cover and pp. 28-29.
  • "Raindrops on a Pond." A Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, c. 1991.
  • "Season of Dread." A Celebration of Hand Hooked Rugs III, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, c. 1993.
  • Mills, Kathleen. "Nature's Soldier. Marsh puts her spirit into tapestries." Bloomington Herald Times, July 29, 1994, p. Al, col. 1, p.D1, cols. 2-4, p. D8, col.1
  • Nussio, Dana Corbit. "Rugs with More than a Walk-on Role." Columbus Republic (Indiana), January 10, 1992, pp. A1, B4, cols. 1-5.
  • Robertson, Jean. "Infinity of Form: Indiana Fiber Art." Fiberarts Magazine, March/April 1992, pp. 57 and 61.

Greeting Card Design

  • Lorraine M. Farrell, Vice President, Creative Services, Bloomington, Indiana: Sunrise Publications, Inc. 1991.

Juror

  • Awards juror for the Fourth Street Festival of the Arts, Bloomington, Indiana, 1994.
  • Selected students for admission into the Gifted and Talented Art Program, The Country School Corporation of Brown County, Nashville, Indiana, 1988.

Honors and Awards

  • Helen V. Surovek Memorial Award of $2,000.00: 51st Annual Salon Show, Northern Indiana Arts Association, Munster, Indiana, 1994.
  • Nominated for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Prize: By John Streetman, Director of the Evansville
    Museum of Arts and Science, 1993.
  • Purchase Award and Second Place Professional Division: Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show and Sale, Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, Indiana, 1993.
  • Third Place: 6th Annual Fiber Arts Competition and Exhibition, BASF Fibers and the Creative Arts Guild, Dalton,Georgia, 1993.
  • Mature Woman Art Award: National League of American Pen Women, Indianapolis Branch, 1993.
  • Third Place:Silent Auction Benefit, John Waldron Art Center, Bloomington, Indiana 1993.
  • Honarable Mention: Honorable Mention: Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, Indiana, 1993.
  • Second Place Professional Division: Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show and Sale, Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, Indiana 1992.
  • Best of Show: Silent Auction Benefit, John Waldron Art Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992.
  • Popular Choice Award and Honorable Mention: Paper/Fiber XV, The Arts Center, Iowa City, Iowa, 1992.
  • Youngstown Area Weavers Guild Award: Fibre Concepts Now: A Regional Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, 1991.
  • Jo Ritz Memorial Merit Award:31st Annual Mid-States Craft Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1991.
  • Best of Show: Underfoot National Exhibition, Textile Art Centre, Chicago, Illinois, 1990.
  • Honorable Mention: Great Outdoor Art Contest, "plein aire" painting competition, T.C. Steele State Historic Site, Brown County, Nashville, Indiana, 1990.
  • Merit Award: 40th ILMOIAIN Juried Art Show, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois, 1990.
  • Chautauqua Art Association Open Award and Catalog Cover: 32nd Chautauqua National Exhibition of America Art, Chautauqua Art Association Galleries, Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, New York, 1989.
  • First Place: Brown County Humane Society Logo Competition, Nashville, Indiana, 1989.
  • George S. Olive and Company Purchase Awards: 28th Annual Mid-States Craft Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1988.
  • Martha Ryan Merit Awards: 25th Annual Mid-States Craft Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1985.
  • Jurors Choice Award:Indiana University Textile Department Exhibition, Bloomington, Indiana, 1984.
  • Best of Show and First Place Art: Daviess-Martin Art Festival, Loogootee, Indiana, 1981.

Solo Exhibitions

  • Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, Indiana, scheduled, 1996-97. University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, scheduled, 1995.
  • John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1994. Bellevue Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, 1993 and 1991.
  • Campus Community Art Center, Indiana Memorial Union, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 1991.

Group Exhibitions

  • Critic's choice: Painting Indianapolis Art League, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1994.
  • 51st Annual Exhibition Salon Show Northern Indiana Arts Association, Munster, Indiana, 1994.
  • Contemporary Art Exhibit Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993.
  • A Craftsmen's Christmas Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, Owensboro, Kentucky, 1993-94.
  • Breaking Textile Traditions John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1993.
  • To Tell a Story Alford House/Anderson Fine Arts Center, Anderson, Indiana, 1993.
  • Indiana Fiber Artists Indianapolis Art League, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993.
  • Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show Minnetrista Cultural Center, Muncie, Indiana, 1992 and 1993.
  • 6th Annual Fiber Arts Competition and Exhibition BASF Fibers and the Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, Georgia, 1993.
  • Three Rivers Juried Art Exhibition, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 1993.
  • The American States Arts Competition-1993, American States Insurance Companies, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993.
  • 25th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd Annual Mid-States Craft Exhibitions
  • Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1985, 1988-93.
  • December Group Show, Bellevue Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992.
  • North American Artists Invitational, Museum Without Walls, Bemus Point, New York, 1992.
  • Something New, Bellevue Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992.
  • Bloomington Area Arts Council Faculty Exhibition John Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992
  • Silent Auction John Waldron Art Center and Tri Kappa, Bloomington, Indiana, 1992, 1993.
  • Paper/Fiber XV Iowa City/Johnson County Arts Council, The Arts Center, Iowa City, Iowa, 1992.
  • Infinity of Forms: Indiana Fiber Art Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1991.
  • A Show of Hands Campus Community Art Center, Indiana Memorial Union, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana,1991.
  • By Hand Gallery Bloomington, Indiana, 1991.
  • Fibre Concepts Now: A Regional Exhibition The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, 1991.
  • Indianapolis Art League Regionals '87, '89, '91 Indianapolis Art League, Indianapolis , Indiana, 1987, 1989, 1991
  • December Group Show Bellevue Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, 1991.
  • 1991 Water Tower Annual Louisville Visual Art Association, Louisville, Kentucky, 1991.
  • Private Showing Bloomington Area Arts Council & Owens, Bryan, & Reed Realtors, Bloomington, Indiana, 1991.
  • Women Artists of America Chautauqua Art Association Galleries, Chautauqua, New York, 1990.
  • Underfoot National Exhibition Textile Art Centre, Chicago, Illinois, 1990.
  • 40th ILMOIAIN Juried Art Show Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois, 1990.
  • Silent Auction Waldron Art Center, Bloomington, Indiana, 1990.
  • Artists View The Human Form Clary-Miner Gallery, LTD.,Buffalo, New York, 1989.
  • 32nd Chautaugua National Exhibition of American Art Chautauqua Art Association Galleries, Chautauqua, New York, 1989.
  • Traveling exhibition to Jamestown, New York, 1989.
  • Annual Members Exhibitions Brown County Art Gallery Association, Inc., Nashville, Indiana, 1988-90.
  • 61st Annual Juried Exhibition Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1989.
  • Regional Show IV Southside Art League, Greenwood, Indiana.
  • American United LIfe Atrium Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1989.
  • Paper/Fiber XII Iowa City/Johnson County Arts Council, Iowa City, Iowa, 1989.
  • Artstravaganza Association for Visual Artists, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1989.
  • Intermountain Weavers Conference Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1989.
  • Fiber Arts-Partnership International Indianapolis Art League and Partners of the Americas, toured the United States and South America, 1987-88.
  • 40th Annual Mid-States Art Exhibition Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1987.
  • Fiber/Metal '87 Evansville Museum of Arts and Science, Evansville, Indiana, 1987.
  • Indiana University Juried Exhibitions Indiana University Fine Arts Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, 1983-86.
  • Indiana University Textile Department Exhibition McCalla School, Bloomington, Indiana, 1984.
  • Independence Day Celebration Indianapolis Academy of the Arts, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1983.
  • Art in Fashion Indianapolis Academy of the Arts, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1983.
  • Penrod Arts Festival Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1983.
  • Fair on the Square Columbus, Indiana, 1981, 1985.
  • Daviess-Martin Art Festival Loogootee, Indiana, 1981.
  • New Port Richey Art Festival New Port Richey, Florida, 1980.