ABOUT
Photo by Jean Ross
Shirley Crow
"I’m inspired by questions about a hidden reality, an energy. What is the truth? Where have we been? Where are we going? Science can give us some of the answers. Art can help us explore these mysteries.
Through my work, I want to encourage viewers to feel a sense of wonder and awe about the universe."
- Shirley Crow
BIOGRAPHY
Shirley Crow grew up in a tiny farming community in Missouri. Despite remembering no exposure to art, reproductions or artists, she knew from an early age she wanted to be an artist…why is a big mystery to her. An English teacher encouraged her to go to the University of Missouri, where she graduated with honors and a B.S. in art education. After college, she taught art in public schools for three years, then moved to Wilmington, Delaware, and studied painting under Warren Rohrer. She next lived in Houston, Texas, where she studied painting and assisted the director at the Lowell Collins School of Art, for three years.
Back in Wilmington, she exhibited in many locations, including the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art and the Delaware State Arts Council, plus the American Embassy in Belgium. During this time, she produced work featuring the human form in interiors. She worked in a variety of media, including pastel, oil pastel and oil. In 1987, she won the Individual Artists Fellowship Award from the Delaware State Arts Council.
In 1999, she moved to Santa Fe and found herself painting landscapes, because she was so moved by the beauty of the high desert. They included flying humans, which, she later realized, were expressions of her joy about being free from long-time back pain. Gradually her work became less personal and reflected her curiosity about the mysteries of reality. Her exhibits during this time include: Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas; Forsyth Center Galleries, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; University of New Mexico Medical Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Zane Bennett Gallery in Santa Fe.
EDUCATION
University of Missouri, B.S. Art Education, Scholarship Student, Graduated with Honors
Academic Honors, Delta Phi Delta, Sigma Epsilon Sigma, University of Missouri
William Rohrer, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington DE
Lowell Collins School of Art, Scholarship Student and Assistant to Director
MUSEUM and
ALTERNATIVE SPACES EXHIBITIONS
2020 “Now and Then/Shirley Crow,” One Person Retrospective, Macey Center Gallery, NM
Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM
2019 “Frontiers of New Mexico,” Los Lunas Museum of Heritage & Art, Los Lunas, NM
2018 “Energy,” One Person Show, Macey Center Gallery, New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology, Socorro, NM
2016 "Life Energy," One Person Show, Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2015 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2011 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2010 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2009 "Dia de los Muertos," International Cultural Center, Lubbock, TX
2008 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2008 "Images for a New World," One Person Shows
Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
Forsyth Center Galleries, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX
University of New Mexico Medical Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2008 "Vote Art," Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE
2007 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2006 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2005 "Celebracion," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX
2003 "All Decked Out," Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1985 "Delaware Art Museum Invitational Exhibit," Wilmington, DE
1972 "Gallery 72 Show," Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2022 to 2023 Solo Exhibition, Gerald Peters Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2017 “Energy,” Studio Gallery, benefit for New Energy Economy, Santa Fe, NM
2005 "Paintings: Light, Energy, Motion," Read-Johnson Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, NM
2004 "Being Alive," Tyble Davis Satin Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2003 "Alive," Studio/Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2002 "Celebrations," Carolynn Roberts Gallery, Wilmington, DE
2001 "In The West," Studio/Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1992 Delaware State Arts Council, Wilmington, DE
1989 Artists Space Gallery, Wilmington, DE
1988 Delaware State Arts Council, Wilmington, DE
1987 "Inner World, Outer Expression," Exhibition and Seminar, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
1985 Wilmington Arts Commission, Wilmington, DE
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Group Show, “Art as Inquiry”, SciArt Santa Fe at Vital Spaces Gallery Santa Fe, NM
2022 Group Show, “Beneath the Surface”, SciArt Santa Fe at Vital Spaces Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2010 "Group Show," Zane Bennett Contemporary Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2010 Pop-Up Boutique, Jay Etkin Gallery, Santa Fe Railyard
2006 Group Show, KCK Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2005 "Other Women," Farrell Fischoff Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2004 "sElections," Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM
2003 "Runoff," Santa Fe Watershed Association, Santa Fe, NM
2002 "Collect," Plan B, Santa Fe, NM
"Celebrating the Beauty of Life," Gallery Zipp, Santa Fe, NM
"Paper Moons and Other Illusions," Gallery Zipp, Santa Fe, NM
1999 "Celebrating 25 Years of Art," The Art Store Gallery, Charleston, WV
1992 "From Abstraction to Realism: Contemporary Images By Women Artists In Delaware," Delware Women's Conference
Two Person Show, Community Gallery, Lancaster, PA
1991 "Ten Years of Excellence, Visual Arts Fellowship Recipients," touring show of work by Visual Art Fellowship Recipients, Delaware State Council, DE
"Invitational," Penn State University, Media, PA
1990 "Contemporary Women Artists of Philadelphia-International," American Embassy's Cultural Center, Brussels, Belgium
"Witness to Nature," Delaware Nature Association, Hockessin, DE
1987 "Invitational," Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts and Wilmington Arts Commission, Wilmington, DE
"Two Person Show," Delaware State Arts Council, Wilmington, DE
1986 "Showing Our Best," The Art Store, Charleston, WV
"Group Show," Aperio Gallery, South Miami, FL
1985 "Delaware Paper Works Show," Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
AWARDS
1987 "Individual Artists Fellowship Award," Delaware State Arts Council, Wilmington, DE
COLLECTIONS
Numerous private and public collections.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
The Magazine, Santa Fe, NM
Greenville News, Greenville, DE
Wilmington News Journal, Wilmington, DE
Expression: First State Journal, Wilmington, DE
SELECTED LECTURES
INTERVIEWS and WORKSHOPS
2014 Creativity Workshop, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM
2008 Lecture "How my Life Experiences have Affected My Work," Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX and Texas A&M, College Station, TX
1991 Lecture "Art and Spirituality," First Unitarian Church, Wilmington, DE
1987 Interview "What My Art Means To Me," WXDR Public Radio, University of Delaware Honors Department
1986 Lecture "How Personal Experiences Have Affected My Work," University of Delaware Honors Department
PDF LINKS
CATALOGS
2008 "Images for a New World"
1992 "Exhibit 1992, Friends of Tim Mark Endowment," Penn State University, Media, PA
1989-1990 "Contemporary Women Artists of Philadelphia," American Cultural Center, Brussels, Belgium
1990 "Witness to Nature," Delaware Nature Society, Wilmington, DE
PHOTO CREDITS
Art studio and portrait: Jean Ross | Art work: Ed Crow