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Abby Elizabeth

Biography

artist abby elizabeth dgallerie art gallery st petersburg

One of her earliest crafting memories was making a heart shaped pillow for her mom on mother's day. She was pretty young, and didn't have access to a sewing machine so she used staples to stitch her pillow together.  After this came years of handmade gifts, clothes, and accessories. To no surprise she ended up as a crafts major at the University of the Arts in Philly. In the crafts department, they were  always reminded of the importance of form and function. That idea is still very present in her work, even though she does not make functional objects, necessarily. But she likes to think that her art has purpose, it has a mission, and the individual aesthetics of a piece are just as important.

Her process is strongly tied to the materials she uses. She wants her materials to inform the subject matter creating space for both to thrive, thus elevating the intensity and symbolism captured in a work. She uses a lot of non-traditional materials so yard sales, flea markets and grocery stores are often when she finds supplies. Her process is somewhat labor intensive. She can spend weeks or even months on a single painting,  doing the same repetitive motion hundreds of times. She likes to think of her process like meditation. With her physical form engaged in a single task, her mind is quiet. You could say creating doubles as therapy for her. It gives her purpose and she gets to work with her hands, which is both satisfying and rewarding. Focusing on subject matter that is meaningful to her allows her to share her viewpoints with an audience while giving her space to reflect on the challenges facing our society. Making art grounds her. It gives her direction. Her pieces are a reflection of her thoughts.  These thoughts often become obsessions, which is when she knows she is on the right path in creating new works. There is a lot of injustice in the world, a lot of suffering.  She makes art that attempts to sort out the narrative of chaos and confusion that is so permissive in our culture.

Education

  • 2011 • University of the Arts • Continuing Education: Adobe Illustrator

  • 2000-2004 • University of the Arts • Philadelphia, PA • BA of Fine Arts • Crafts

  • 1999-2000 • Philadelphia University • Philadelphia, PA • Fashion Design

Exhibitions

Individual 

 

 

  • 2015 • Subsidized Starvation • Paradigm Gallery+Studio • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2011 • Play • Paradigm Gallery+Studio • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2009 • Waxed • Area 919 • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2008 • Art Around Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

 

Collective

 

  • 2017 • Pieced Together • Sulfer Studios • Savannah, GA

  • 2017 • Center for Emerging Artists: Members Exhibition • Philadelphia, PA 

  • 2017 • SUPERFINE • New York City, NY

  • 2016 • SPECTRUM • Rising Artsists • Miami, FL

  • 2016 • AQUA • Square Foot exhihibition/showing with Projects Gallery • Miami, FL

  • 2016 • Motif: RAW Arts • The Globe Theater • Los Angeles, CA

  • 2016 • Agriculture Exhibition • Noyes Museum of Art • Hammonton, NJ

  • 2016 • Heads of State • Hamilton Street Gallery • Bound Brook, NJ

  • 2016 • Dock Street Brewery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2016 • Over The Bridge • Wheaton Arts Gallery of Fine Craft • Millville, NJ

  • 2016 • Signature: RAW Arts • The Trocadero • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2016 • Breaking The Mold • Cape Cod Museum of Art Dennis, MA

  • 2015 • Killing The Cure • The Random Tearoom • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2014 • SCOPE • showing with Paradigm Gallery • Miami, FL

  • 2014 • SCOPE • showing with Five Gallery • Basel, Switzerland

  • 2014 • Reflection/Reconnection • University of the Arts • Philadelphia PA

  • 2013 • Select Fair • showing with Paradigm Gallery • Miami, FL

  • 2013 • Art Unleashed • University of the Arts • Philadelphia PA 

  • 2012 • Confidence is NOT a four letter word • Paradigm Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2011 • Repetition • Rowan University Art Gallery • Glassboro, NJ

  • 2011 • Art is Ageless • New Cortland Education Center • Germantown, PA

  • 2011 • Innovations in Fibers • Cheltenham Arts Center • Cheltenham, PA

  • 2011 • Art Unleashed • University of the Arts • Philadelphia PA  

  • 2010 • Inside Twelve • 175 Gallery • Seoul, South Korea

  • 2010 • Art Unleashed • University of the Arts • Philadelphia PA

  • 2009 •13 months • Area 919 • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2009 • Expo 50/50 • University of the Arts • Philadelphia PA 

  • 2009 • Its All About Art Juried Show • Bucks County Gallery of Fine Art • Newtown, PA

  • 2008 • Skylofts Gallery • Baltimore, MD

  • 2008 • Winter Fine Art and Craft Exhibition • Cheltenham Arts Center • Cheltenham, PA

  • 2008 • Absolutely Abstract • Philadelphia Sketch Club • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2007 • Redbull Art of the Can Juried Exhibition • Fuel Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2006 • Emerging Artist Juried Exhibition • Limner Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2006 • Nancie Mattice Juried Exhibition • Dangenart Gallery • Nashville, TN

  • 2004 • Annual Spring Student Exhibition • Hamilton Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2004 • Identifying Now: Senior Crafts Thesis Exhibition • Nexus Gallery • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2003 • Shadow and Illumination: Annual Crafts Banquet • Dorrance Hamilton Hall • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2002 • Seven Deadly Sins: Annual Crafts Banquet • Dorrance Hamilton Hall • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2001 • Coney Island of the Mind • Annual Crafts Banquet • Dorrance Hamilton Hall • Philadelphia, PA

  • 2000 • Spring Annual Juried Exhibition • Philadelphia University • Philadelphia, PA

Awards

  • 2016 • Art Kudos International Competition  • www.ArtKudos.com

  • 2016 • Cape Cod Museum of Art "Recognized for Breaking the Mold by Mim Brooks Fawcett • Dennis, MA

  • 2009 • Bucks County Gallery of Fine Art “Outstanding Artist Award” • Newtown, PA

  • 2006 • Dangenart Gallery “Nancie Mattice Emerging Artist Award” • Nashville, TN

  • 2000-2004 • University of the Arts “Promising Artist Award” • Philadelphia, PA

Publications

  • 2016 • “Mixed Media Works Take On The American Food System” by Diana Shi
    (http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/mixed-media-pointillist-art-on-american-food-system) 

  • 2015 • Mitchell, Casey. “With Food, A System Critiqued” The Temple News Vol. 94  Issue 7

  • 2015 • Barbara. “Subsidized Starvation: Art From the Heart” www.GMOFreeNJ.com

  • 2014 • “Abby Elizabeth Schmidt.” Studio Visit Magazine vol.27 2014: 176 -177

  • 2011 • Breweron, Don.  “Play. Works by: Abby Schmidt” www.SideArts.com

  • 2009 • Hospedales, Sherri. “Waxed.” Philadelphia Citypaper 18,25

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