Bio

Born in Palestine in 1946 of Armenian descent, Hasmig Vartanian grew up in Beirut Lebanon until immigrating to the US with her family in 1956. She holds a BFA degree in Fibers from University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 1977, and an MFA in Painting and drawing from Washington State University, Pullman, WA. 1980. Teaching includes Loyola University, Public Schools of St. Tammany Parish, Talented Art Program and Southeastern University in Hammond where she is currently adjunct instructor in drawing.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“I use the processes of construction and destruction in my art so that the final work becomes similar to an archaeological site revealing the stages of creation in layers. My choice of materials includes, wood, paper and cloth either in combination or alone, creating an inner vision.The process of creation is central to the art's existence as a person's experiences and history is to their own. Environment is crucial to my work and over time, the intensity of the Louisiana climate, the wildness of nature and vibrant colors; have influenced my life and work in a way which could not have been possible in less than over forty years; atleast that is how long it has taken me to know and see Louisiana: The State I’m In”.

RESUME:

EDUCATION
1980 M.F.A. , Washington State University, Pullman,Washington
1977 B.F.A., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee,Wisconsin
1964 William Horlick High School, Racine, Wisconsin

TEACHING:
1/2018 to present
Adjunct instructor, Basic Drawing, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA

1/97-5/2015
Visual arts instructor, Special Education Program, Talented Arts Program, St.Tammany Public School System

8/93-12/96
Adjunct instructor, Basic Design, Basic Drawing, Advanced Painting Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana

8/88-5/93
Full time instructor, 2 and 3-D Design, Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana

8/87-8/88
Instructor, 2 and 3-D Design, Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana

6/85-7/87
Instructor, Basic Drawing,, Watercolor,University College, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, LA

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2024
Louisiana: The State I'm In", Solo, Cole Pratt Gallery, New Orleans
"Beyond Alberti's Window", Carrol Gallery, Tulane University, NOLA

2020-23
Faculty exhibits, Southeastern LA University Art Gallery;
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA. Invitational

2019
"Hasmig Vartanian and Douglas Brewster", University of New Orleans
Gallery, NOLA
"In And Of Itself", group exhibit, Barrister's Gallery, NOLA
New Work, solo exhibit, Cole Pratt Gallery, New Orleans
"Artists of St Tammany", Invitational, Covington Art House, LA
Group exhibit, southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA

2018
Faculty exhibit, Southeastern Louisiana Univ.,Hammond, LA

2017
"Labor of Love", Carroll Gallery, Newcomb Art Department, Tulane University, NOLA
"Abstraction", Invitational, St Tammany art Association, Covington, LA

2016
Hasmig Vartanian, recent work, Cole Pratt gallery, NOLA
La Femme, NOLA, Professional Women Artists, New Orleans

*2014"
American Academy of Arts and Letters, Purchase Prize Exhibition, New York
American Academy of Arts and Letters, Invitational Exhibition of
visual Arts, New York

2013
"The Opposite Gaze", Three Women Exhibit, Howard Scott Gallery, NY.
Special Artist Exhibit, Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival, Alexandria, LA
"Passion: The Art of Collecting": From the collection of the Georgia
Museum of Art, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA

2012
New Work, Solo exhibit, Cole Pratt Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2010
St Tammany Art Association, Group Exhibit, Covington, LA

2008
“St. Claude Collective” Prospect I, New Orleans, LA
“A tribute To Cole Pratt”, Gallery Artists Group Exhibit, New Orleans
Museum of Art, NOLA
“Giving Form to Faith”, Group exhibit, St Vartan Armenian
Cathedral, NY
“Recent Works”, solo exhibit Howard Scott Gallery, New York

2007 “New Works”, Cole Pratt Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2006 “Small Works on Paper”, group exhibit, Galerie Claudine Hohl, Zurich, Switzerland
"White II", An Exhibition of White Paintings, group exhibit, Howard Scott Gallery, NY

2005 Group Exhibit, Howard Scott Gallery, New York
New works on paper and wood, St.Tammany Art Association,Covington,LA

2004 Works on paper and wood, solo exhibit, Howard Scott Gallery, NY
"Faculty+", Visual Art Department and Visiting Artist Exhibition,
Clark Hall Gallery, Southeastern LA University, Hammond, LA

2002 Works on paper and wood, Galerie Claudine Hohl, Zurich, Switzerland

2000 "Constructions", solo exhibition, Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, LA
1999 "Living In Louisiana", 1981-1998 Artist Fellowship Invitational, Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria, LA
1999 “1981-1998 Visual Arts Fellowship Invitational” , Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
1998 St. Tammany Artist's Annual Juried Competition, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
1998 "New Work", Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, LA
1997 "Entergy Louisiana Open", Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
1997 "Take a Seat", Invitational Group Exhibition, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
1996 "The Louisiana Story--The Next Generation", group exhibition curated by Edward Lucie-Smith, Delfina Studio Trust, London, England
1996 "Women in Abstraction", invitational group exhibition, Clark Hall Gallery, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA
1995 “Paintings and Constructions”, McIntosh Gallery, Atlanta GA
1993 Paintings, solo exhibition, Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans, LA
1993 Paintings and Constructions, solo exhibition, Clark Hall Gallery at SLU Hammond, LA
1992 "Architectonic Reflections on a Sense of Place", installation, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
1992 Group Invitational, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ilinois
1992 "Ceremonies of the Spirit: Explorations and Interpretations", Invitational, Schick Art Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
1992 "Just Plane Screwy: Metaphysical and Metaphorical Tools", Invitational, Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, WI
1991 "Artists on War" exhibition, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans
1991 Paintings and Constructions, solo exhibit, Still-Zinsel, New Orleans, LA
1990 Fine Arts Museum, Permanent Collection Exhibition, New Orleans, LA
1990 "Paintings, Constructions", group show, Still-Zinsel, New Orleans, LA
1989 "Selections 8", group exhibition,University of New Orleans Fine Arts Gallery, New Orleans, LA
1988 "A Tribute to Excellence, Fellowship recipients of Louisiana Division of the Arts Grants, Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA
1988 "Louisiana Abstraction",Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans
1988 Southern Arts Federation Traveling Exhibition to eight southern states
1987 "Painted Screens & Constructions", Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans
1985 "Hasmig Vartanian & John Scott", Galerie Simonne Stern, New Orleans

AWARDS, PUBLICATIONS, COMMUNITY SERVICE
2011 Artist in Residence, Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Bethany, CT
2007 Visual Arts Fellowship Panelist, Division of the Ats, Baton Rouge, LA
2006 Guest artist lecture/presentation, Southeastern LA Univ., Hammond, LA
2005 Visiting Artist, "Collage Methods, SurfaceEmbellishments", NOCCA, NO
2004 Juror, "An All Media Competition and Show", LSU Union Art Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA
2004 Panelist for selection of artists for A Studio In The Woods, New Orleans, LA
2003 Artist's Mini Grant, Division of the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
2003 Panelist for selection of works for Covington Courthouse, Covington LA
2002 Louisiana State Grant in Painting, Division of the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
2001 Visual arts participant, "New Horizons for a New Era", Louisiana Conference for the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
2001 "Art in America", May 2001, PP.184-185, Janet Koplos
2000 Artist's Mini Grant, Division of the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
1998 1st Place, St. Tammany Artist's Annual, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
1995 Edward Albee Foundation residency Grant
1995 1st Place in Mixed Media Art Exhibit, Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell, LA
1994 Panelist,94-95 Division of the Arts Visual Arts & Crafts Panel, Baton Rouge, LA
1992 Loyola University Faculty Research Grant in Painting
1987 Louisiana State Grant in Painting, Division of the Arts, Baton Rouge, LA
1986 Southern Arts Federation, NEA Grant in Painting, Southern Arts Federation, Atlanta, GA.
1987 Work reviewed, "Art in America", September 1987, p. 185
1986 Work reviewed, "Art News", January, 1986, p. 113