Jenniffer Omaitz
Artist Statement
Painting can be a transformative practice, sensitive yet violent, temporal, contemplative, bold and transformative. As a process it can move both fast and slow, be impatient yet kind, be tense and poetic—all the while performing a crafted cadence of oppositions. In my recent work, fold gesture and shifting planes present a twist on illusion and perception. Forms such as a Necker cube, simultaneous figure ground relationships, and illusionistic tropes filter the viewers sense of space and time. Sometimes the work feels balanced, but there is a movement that alters absolute security. Over the course of the last 16 months of the pandemic my sense of space, time, and feeling grounded was turned upside down. The world that we know can shift abruptly, giving a vertigo like feeling. Trying to find a new balance in both life and studio work became a central focus to this collection.
Often my paintings are investigations into gesture and its ability to encapsulate time and psyche, to fuse internal and external, and to record conceptual changes in solid form. In my paintings I explore ideas of fold, gesture and movement. Color announces changes in spatial order that appear fractured or fragmented, or bold and utopic. These states either remain calm or subdued or reconfigure the coherence within a painting. I am interested in the connection between a fold as it relates to architecture or design and gesture as it relates to aspects of drawing, calligraphy and 20th century painting. Through this series tries to define beauty, exploring abstraction as incident and artifact. The process in which paint is applied, exposes interior and exterior spaces that may or may not coexist or unfold.
Selected Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Forthcoming solo show at Mount Union Collage, Alliance, OH
2019 Intersections, Lissauer Gallery, Shaker Historical Society, Shaker, OH
2018 Constructions, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH
Folds, Gesture, Movement, KSU Conference Center, Kent, OH
2015 Shifting Spaces, Hinterland Artspace, Denver, CO
Folding Gesture, 1point618 Gallery, Cleveland, OH,
2014 Other Geometries: Works by Jenniffer Omaitz, Denver, CO
Solid Movement, 1point618gallery, Cleveland, OH
2012 Above Ground, Beneath the Surface, 1point618 Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2011 Above Ground, Beneath the Surface: Recent Studies”, YSU, OH
Shadow Structures, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH
2009 Architectonic Gestures: MFA Thesis Exhibition, Kent State University, Kent, OH
2008 Noise, 1point618 Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2007 Quality of Light, Sandy Carson Gallery, Denver, CO
2006 Hypnotica, E. Gordon Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2005 Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Boettcher Hall Denver, CO
Electric Pulse, Double Daughters, Denver, CO
2004 Synthetic Light, The Assembly, Denver, CO
TWO PERSON SHOWS
2018 NEOtectonic; Artifice and Persuasion, American Greetings Gallery W, Westlake, OH
Illustrious Decay (with Arabella Proffer), CWAL, Cleveland, OH
2016 Hypothetical Constructs & Translucent Boundaries, Andy Curlowe and Jen Omaitz, Klemm Gallery, Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI
2009 Amy Casey and Jen Omaitz, Arts Collinwood, Cleveland, OH
GROUP SHOWS (Selected)
2021 Geometry and Gesture: Recent Work, SPACE Gallery, Denver, CO
More is More, Akron Art Museum, Akron, OH
2020 With Devotion, Curated by Jeffery Courtland Jones, The Contemporary Dayton, Dayton, OH
Parts to the Whole, Curated by Michele Waalkes, The Art Hub Factory, Canton, OH
Art Made in the Shutdown, Curated by Liz Mauguns , YARDS, Cleveland, OH
Womans XIII, Curated by Mary Urbas, Lakewood Community College, Lakewood, OH
Cause for Environmental Change, Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2019 There’s no basement at the Alamo, Curated by Courtenay Finn, Reinberger Gallery,
Cleveland, OH
2018 CAN Triennial, 78th Street studios, Cleveland, OH
Geometrification, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2017 Fresh Paint Biennial, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
Winter Soulstice: Inaugural Exhibition for Akron Soul Train Residents, Akron, OH
Greenery, Troppus Projects, Kent, OH
Waterloo Arts Juried Exhibition, Juried by Anderson Turner, Waterloo Arts Gallery, Cleveland, OH
MAS Group Show, WPCA Milwaukee, WI
Come Along With Me, curated by Richard Fletcher, Riffe Gallery, Columbus, OH
2016 Unreal: Abstract Painting Today, Summit Artspace, Akron, OH
2015 Fresh, Juried show won first place, Summit Artspace, Akron, OH
2014 19, Red Space, Cleveland, OH, Curated by Dana Depew
The Big Show, Zygote Press, Cleveland, OH, Curated by Per Knutås
Fiction (with only daylight between us), Dayton, OH, Curated by Jeffery Cortland Jones traveling show
2013 Everything All At Once, Cleveland MOCA, Cleveland, OH, curated by Liz Mauguns
2012 A Tale in Two Cities, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH, curated by Bruce Checefsky
2011 Dislocation, Bruce Gallery, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, PA
Feminine Influence, Flash Gallery, Denver, CO Curated
2010 Objectophilia, curated by Lauri Lynnxe Murphy for the Biennial of the Americas in conjunction with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, CO
Building Peers: An Exhibition of VATe Faculty and Alumni, Curated by Saul Ostrow,
Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2009 Touch and Scale, Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH
2008 Objects and Images: Selected work of Current and Graduating MFA Students, School of Art Gallery, Kent State University Kent, OH
2007 Toxic Color, Exit Gallery, Cleveland, OH
Come Closer, Wooltex Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2005 Small Works, Sandy Carson Gallery, Denver, CO
Disassemble, Koubou au Deux, Denver, CO
Quality, Space Gallery Denver, CO
Edge of Abstraction, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
En-capsule-ate, Pod Gallery, Denver, CO
2004 Organic Autumn, Breckenridge Colorado Performing Arts Center, Breckenridge, CO
2002 Student Summer Show, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH
Painter’s Unite: May Day Show, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH
Top Twenty Traveling Scholarship Finalist, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH
56th Annual Student Independent Exhibition, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH
2000 Exposition e Cole Des Arts Lacoste, Lacoste, France
54th Annual Student Independent Exhibition, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland, OH
Awards
AWARDS/ HONORS
2019 Ohio Individual Excellence Award
2017 Juried Award for Visual Art for Akron High Arts Festival, Akron, OH
Fellowship Award for Akron Soul Train Residency, Akron, OH
2015 First Place in 11th Fresh Juried Art Exhibit of Summit Artspace, Akron,OH
2014 Nesnandy & Swartz Visiting Curator Program, studio visit with Andria Hickey, Cleveland, OH
2012/13 Vermont Studio Center Artist Grant
2010 W2S Emerging Artist Solo Show, The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, OH
07-09 Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Kent State University, Kent, OH
2002 Sue Wall award for Painting for work in 56th Annual Student Independent Exhibition
2001 Joseph McCullough Painting Scholarship
2000 Lacoste School of the Arts Scholarship
George Clements Memorial Scholarship for study during the 2000 summer session at the Lacoste School of Art in Lacoste, France
1997 Cleveland Institute of Art Portfolio Scholarship Grant
Publications
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2020 “The Hub welcomes masked visitors to Friday opening”, Dan Kane, The Repository, Aug. 6,
visitors-to-friday-opening/42263135/
2019 Art Uncovered Interview: https://www.btrtoday.com/listen/artuncovered/jennifer-omaitz/
2018 “Worlds Apart:Illustrious Decay at CWAL”, Douglas Max Utter, CAN Journal Online Blog, http://canjournal.org/2018/10/worlds-apart-illustrious-decay-at-cwal/
“Things That Are In The News Right Now”: Painter Jen Omaitz Explores Natural
Disaster Through Assemblage”, Michael Gill, CAN Journal, Summer 2018. http://canjournal.org/2018/05/things-that-are-in-the-news-right-now-painter-jen-omaitz-explores-natural-disaster-through-assemblage/
2017 “Makers: Jenniffer Omaitz”, Brittany M. Hudak, CAN Journal Blog, Online link:
http://canjournal.org/2017/08/makers-jenniffer-omaitz/
2016 “Canvas Cleveland Magazine”, Carlo Wolff, May 18, 2016. Online link: http://canvascle.com/plane-speaking/
2015 Fresh Paint Magazine, Issue 7, April 2015. Freshpaintmagazine.com, Fresh Paint Magazine
online interview, June 17, 2015. http://freshpaintmagazine.com/?s=omaitz
“Geometric Abstraction Explored in 1Point618’s Latest Exhibition of Works by Jennifer Omaitz and Susan Squires,” Josh Usmani, Scene Magazine, November 24, 2015
2014 365Artists365Days.com, Frank Juarez Gallery, “Jennifer Omaitz – Kent, Ohio”, access date:
November 28, 2014. http://365artists365days.com/2014/11/28/jennifer-omaitz-kent-ohio/
“Around Kent Magazine”, Mark Keffer, Jenniffer Omaitz, Volume 3, p 36-37, 2014
http://issuu.com/aroundkent/docs/aroundkent_magazine_vol_3_2014-samp
2013 “Constantly Seeking Reinvention: MOCA Looks in its Backyard for Inspiration”, Joseph Clark, Scene Magazine, September 4, 2013
2012 “Mental Blocking”, Joseph Clark, Scene Magazine, April 11, 2012
2010 “Colorado artists featured at free exhibit during Biennial”, Kyle MacMillan, Denver
Post, July 11, 2010.
2009 “Students, faculty from KSU unveil art show at TAG,” Jordan Cohen, Vindy.com,
October 5, 2009.
2008 “Night Sifts: Jenniffer Omaitz Turns On the Lights At 1point618”, Douglas Max Utter,
May 7, 2008, Volume 15, Issue 53
“Painter Jennifer Omaitz brings in the noise for gallery exhibit”, Dan Tranberg, Sunday
May 4, 2008
“Rave Re-view”, Vince Grzegorek, Scene magazine, April 16
“From Spaces to Bonfoey, shows are popping up all over–Art Matters,” Dan Tranberg,
The Plain Dealer, Friday April 25, 2008.
2007 “Artists in Toxic’ exhibit create hybrid effect with color, pattern.” Dan Tranberg, Friday
August 3
Free Times, “Poisoners,” Volume 15, issue 12, July 25, 2007
2006 Free Times, “View from a Time Machine,” volume 14, issue 24, October 4, 2006
Free Times, “When it Rains it Pours,” volume 14, Issue 21, September 13th, 2006
2005 Westword, Art Beat: Brief sketches of what’s happening in the Denver art scene,
June 9, 2005.
Desert Living, April issue 2005, page 12 piece “Winter Sky” painting advertising Edge
of Abstraction show at Abend gallery in Denver, Co
2004 Southwest Art Magazine, August September issue, “21 under 31”, interview with
artist pages 40-41 and 132-33.
Colorado Modern, February, Vol. 1 issue 2. Painting “Pinball”, page 20
