Debra Van Tuinen
Artist Statement
Light Revealed
From my first romantic realization that I wanted to be an artist, my life path has been set on a single course. In a career spanning more than forty years, this path continues to evolve in response to my personal landscapes.
These literal and metaphorical landscapes, my desire to create, and the skills I have diligently honed along the way, have combined to shape every aspect of my life, especially my art.
The origins of my creative desire had more to do with the process than the product. As a child, I loved to draw and paint because of how it made me feel. Even today, I find that when I hold fast to this motivation, my work is the most authentic.
Thus I find my new collection to be my most satisfying yet.
“Light Revealed” is the organic evolution of my previous work into a new flowing form. In these pieces, I have opened up my relationship with paint and canvas, allowing myself a greater freedom to explore the movement and the sensual aspects of my work.
E.E. Cummings wrote:
“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
It can be a curse to define your true north from such an early age, forsaking other conventional pathways that are more financially sound, but for me it has been a blessing that has nurtured my belief in myself and allowed me to take more risks and cultivate them in my creative process and thereby reflect an undaunted human spirit to all of those who enjoy my work.
Artist Bio
Van Tuinen’s career has spanned 40+ years as a painter, printmaker, teacher and art advocate. Her vision and innovative use of materials has been recognized by private, corporate and public collections throughout the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. She was invited to the Florence Biennale in 2004 and selected for Art in Embassy 2009-2011 and 2016. Her work was recently published in the 100 Artists of the Northwest and included in the Seattle Art Fair, Aqua Art Miami 2018, Art Boca Raton, the NYC Red Dot, Palm Spring International, Affordable Art Fairs in NYC and LA and Prints Fairs in NYC and Boston.
Selected Exhibitions
EDUCATION
MFA, University of WA Seattle, WA
Double Major: Drawing Norman Lundin Printmaking Glen Alps and Bill Ritchie
BFA, Hope College, Holland, MI
Byam Shaw School of Art London, England
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Artworks #we5women – Vancouver BC
Ledger Law – Tacoma WA
2016
Spectrum Miami Basel – Miami FL
Goodwin Fine Art -Denver, CO
2015
Christine Klassen Gallery – Calgary AB
2014
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
2013
Christine Klassen Gallery – Calgary AB
New Art Center – NYC NY
Petley Jones Gallery – Vancouver BC
2012
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
2010
Van Tuinen Art – Olympia WA
2009
Butters Gallery – Portland, OR
Artworks – Vancouver BC
Washington Center – Olympia WA
2008
Summit Fine Art Banff – Canada
Artworks- Vancouver BC
2007
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Summit Fine Art Banff – Canada
Artworks- Vancouver BC
2005
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
2004
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Kimzey Miller Gallery – Seattle, WA
Gallery Gora – Montreal, Canada
2003
Artworks Gallery – Vancouver, BC
Elizabeth Edwards Gallery – Palm Springs, CA
2002
Butters Gallery – Portland, OR
Kimzey Miller Gallery – Seattle WA
2001
Kimzey Miller Gallery – Seattle WA
Elizabeth Edwards Gallery – Laguna, CA, Palm Spring, CA
2000
Butters Gallery – Portland, OR
1998
Santa Fe Contemporary Art – Santa Fe, NM
1997
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
1996
Kimzey Miller Gallery – Seattle, WA
1995
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
1994
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
1992
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
1990
Phillip Brock Gallery – Seattle, WA
1989
Paccar Corp. – Bellevue, WA
1988
Marianne Partlow Gallery – Olympia, WA
1986
Pacific NW Bell – Seattle WA
1984
Lynn McAllister Gallery – Seattle WA
1980
Hope College – Holland MI
1979
Grand Valley State College – Grand Rapids MI
1978
Muskegon Community College – Muskegon MI
1977
Kalamazoo College – Kalamazoo MI
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2019
Aqua Miami Basel Stiedel Contemporary
2018
Goodwin Gallery Denver, CO
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Art Boca Raton
Art Palm Beach Miami FL
Steidel Contemporary – Palm Beach FL
Seattle Design Center – Seattle WA
Christina Klassen Gallery – Calgary AB
2017
ACA – Steidel Fine Art – Austin TX
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Denver Central Library – Denver CO
Petley Jones Gallery – Vancouver BC
2016
Christine Klassen Gallery – Calgary AB
Butters Gallery Print Show – Portland OR
Petley Jones – Vancouver BC
2015
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Petley Jones – Vancouver BC
2014
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
Christie Klassen Gallery – Calgary Canada
2013
Petley Jones – Vancouver BC
2012
LA Affordable Art Show – January
Weiss Gallery – Calgary, Canada
2011
Projects Gallery – Philadelphia, PE
Petley Jones Gallery – Vancouver BC
Elevations Gallery – Canmore AB
2010
Broadway Gallery – New York City, NY
Miami Basel Show – Nina Torres Gallery – Miami, FL
LA Art Seen – Los Angles, CA
2009
Miami Red Dot Show (Butters Gallery)
Artprize – Grand Rapids, MI ( top 75 )
Robert Daniel Gallery Tacoma, WA
2008
Butters Gallery – Portland, OR
Miami Red Dot
2007
Art Works Gallery – Vancouver BC
2006
AAF – New York City NY
2005
AAF – New York City NY
Florence Biennale – Florence ITALY
2004
Palm Springs International – Palm Springs, CA
Gallery Ochi – Sun Valley ID
2003
Elizabeth Doyle Gallery – Maui HI
2000
Art 21 International Show – Las Vegas, NV
1999
Santa Fe Contemporary Art – Santa Fe NM
1998
Agart World Print Exhibition – Bled Slovenia
Facet Fine Arts Center – Taos NM
1997
SITE Santa Fe – Santa Fe NM
1996
Seattle Art Fair – Seattle WA
1995
Seattle Art Fair – Seattle WA
1994
Portland Art Museum – Portland, OR
1993
Butters Gallery – Portland OR
1992
van Straten Gallery – Chicago IL
1988
van Straten Gallery – Chicago IL
1987
Centrum Print Show – Seattle WA
Whatcom Museum of Art – Bellingham WA
1986
Shoshanna Wayne Gallery – Los Angeles CA
van Straten Gallery – Chicago, IL
WA State Pavilion Expo – Vancouver British Columbia
1983
Northwest Print Council – Portland OR
1976
Henry Museum – Seattle WA
1974
Joslyn Art Center – Omaha Nebraska
1973
Hope College – Holland MI
MUSEUMS AND CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Kansas State University
Paccar Corporation
Art in Embassy: 2016 Tashkent, Uzbekistan and 2008 Doha, Qatar
The Village Vancouver BC
L’ Hermitage Hotel Vancouver BC
U.S. State Department
Imperial Bank of Canada
Winsor Park Hotel, Taiwan
Nordic Research Group Vancouver, BC
Intrawest
Wiser Corporation
Keg Restaurant: Vancouver BC, Calgary, Montreal, Austin TX, Banff, Canada
Commonwealth Insurance Company Vancouver BC
PHSA Vancouver BC
Bonnevile Power Administration
Museum of Encaustic Art – Santa Fe, NM
Mit- subishi
Steelcase Corporation
American Art
Westinghouse Corporation
City of Grand Rapids, MI
Herman Miller
City of Olympia – WA
Tectonics Corporation
Hope College – Holland MI
Seattle First National Bank
Kaiser Medical
Association of Northwest Gas Utilities
Hilton Hotels
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Bank of America
Heritage Bank
Gannet News
Nordstrom
Paccar Corp.
Security Pacific
U.S. West
Burlington Northern
First Federal Bank of Detroit
Perkins Coie Law Firm
FILM INDUSTRY-SELECTED
Jake 2.0
FEIHT Productions ( Killer Instinct) Prior Offenses Production
I Robot
Smallville
L Word
Code Name-The Cleaner
COMMISSIONS FOR PUBLIC ART
2007 Centrum Artist in Residence / Centrum Press / Port Townsend, WA
2000 City of Olympia Portable Collection
1997 City of Olympia 1% for the arts / Outdoor Tile Mural
1987 Centrum Artist in Residence / Centrum Press / Port Townsend, WA
MUSEUM SHOWS
Portland Art Museum
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Whatcom Museum of Art
Henry Art Museum
Facet Fine Arts Center
SITE Santa Fe
Joslyn Art Center
FACULTY POSITIONS
1985 – 86
Pratt Fine Art Center – Seattle, WA
2D, Printmaking
1979 – 81
Kendall School of Design – Grand Rapids, MI
Printmaking, Design Print studio and Print studies, Color Theory, Drawing
1978
City High School (for exceptional students) – Grand Rapids, MI
Kalamazoo College – Kalamazoo, MI
Printmaking, 2D
Grand Valley State College
Printmaking, 2D
1977
Keiwa Gauken High School – Niigata, Japan
1972 – 73
Hope College, Print Making Department TA – Holland, MI
LECTURES/SEMINARS/PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES
1993-2013
Encaustic Instructor in USA and Italy
2010
Encaustic Class Elevations Gallery, Canmore, Canada
2009
Lectured on Art and Business Round Table, Olympia WA
2008-2009
Hollyhock Artist in Residence Physics of Wave Energy
2008
Banff Artist in Residence
2005-2008
Co-taught Art of Investing- Women’s studies, Olympia WA
2002-2012
Van Tuinen Art Gallery, Olympia WA
2005
Centrum Residency
Florence Bienalle Show and Lectures
Olympia Downtown Association (ODA) Board
1998
Olympia Public Art at Children’s Center
1996 – 1997
Commissioner, Olympia Arts Commission
1993
Collaboration with Dale Chihuly on etchings prepared for Seattle Opera Set up and organized his Seattle Printmaking Studio
1992 – 1993
Olympia Children’s Hands On Museum Board
1989 – 1992
New Century High School established Artist in Residence program
Studio Host for Gifted Students
1987
Centrum Artist in Residence / Centrum Press / Port Townsend, WA
1986
Set up WA State Pavilion, Vancouver BC Expo
1982
Lectures to Michigan colleges on my Work.
1980 – 1981
Developed print department and designed print studies at Kendall School of Design
1979
Community Artist Project, Grand Rapids, MI Headed team of 7 artists for a traveling art show and placing visiting artists in the public schools through Federal Grant.
Publications
100 NW Artists Book Schiffer Press December 2013
Artwit NYC Online Magazine April 2012
NY Arts Magazine Summer 2010
The Rocky Mountain Outlook May 2008
The Oregonian February 2007
Bienalle Internationale Dell’ Arte Contemporanea, Quinta Edizona 2005
Home and Garden Fall 2005
The Portland Mercury April 2002
Dream House Western Canada Magazine 2004
The Magazine Sante Fe, New Mexico 1998
ESSAYS
Doug Meyer, LA Art Critic
Ann Landi, NYC Art Critic
John Spike, Critic and Director of the Florence Bienalle
John Austin, Manhattan NYC
