Pamela Wilson has built a reputation for works of art that transcend the commonplace to enter the realm of the sublime and otherworldly. She develops haunting images that evoke moods, dreams, and memories inspired by real life, and which create a remarkably compelling narrative. The physical and emotional isolation of her characters has emerged as a hallmark of her work. She explores abyss that opens when you seek to understand the place of the human in modernity. The people in her paintings are often called “lost, odd, mad,” or similar terms denoting something out of alignment with ordinary reality. She believes that letting ourselves explore the inherent “distortions” in reality is part of what gives us heart, and balance.
Addressing “beauty” in a painting feels too passive, and what she is seeking is a psychological moment, a different kind of beauty. She has much to say of the dark and hilarious absurdities we must often endure…while we are creating ourselves.
Pamela received her MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was awarded a Regents Fellowship, the Abrams Project Grant, and a Regents Award for her Thesis Exhibition. She is currently Mentor Faculty at Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna, CA, as part of the MFA Program.
Exhibiting consistently since 1992, her work has been the subject of eighteen solo exhibitions, including shows in New York City, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, and California. She has been included in many museum exhibitions, including the National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington DC, and a solo exhibition at the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY. Her work is included in many prestigious collections, including Tom Skerritt, Joe Panteleone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Howard Tullman..
Primarily a figurative painter, Wilson has worked in many other mediums, including photography, printmaking, and assemblage. She received her MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was awarded a Regents Fellowship, the Abrams Project Grant, and a Regents Award for her Thesis Exhibition. She is currently Mentor Faculty at Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna, CA, as part of the MFA Program.
EDUCATION
1992 MFA Painting, Photography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
1990 BA Art Studio, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
1983 Fine Arts, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
1980-1983 Fine Arts, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
1982 Brigham Young University Study Abroad Program, Florence, Italy
1981 Brigham Young University Study Abroad Program, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
AWARDS
2015 1st place Portrait Society of America Member’s Only Competition Category : Outside the Box
1991-92 REGENTS FELLOWSHIP, University of California
1992 ABRAMS PROJECT GRANT, University of California, Santa Barbara
1992 REGENTS AWARD/ THESIS EXHIBITION, University of California
1991 HUMANITIES RESEARCH GRANT, University of California
1991 CONTINUING GRADUATE STUDENT GRANT, University of California
1980-1983 TALENT SCHOLARSHIP, Fine Arts, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
TEACHING
2010-14 Mentor/ MFA Program, Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Beach, CA
1990-92 Graduate Student Teaching Assistant (Painting, Printmaking), University of California, Santa Barbara
EXHIBITIONS
2017 The Girl Next Door, RJD Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
2015 Recollections & Realities | A Figurative Focus, Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2015 Women Painting Women, Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2015 Skin | Deep, Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2015 ArtSouthampton, Southampton, NY
2015 Monochromatic, Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2015 A Magical Menagerie RJD Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2015 Solo Exhibition, Ventura County Museum (TRAC Tour), Ventura, CA
2015 Lollipop Guild, Lovetts Gallery, Tulsa, OK
2015 The Dirty Show, International Erotic Art Exhibition, Feature Exhibition, Detroit, MI
2014 Running with Scissors, Kwan Fong Gallery, California Lutheran University
2014 Edge of Temptation, RJD Fine Art Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2014 Women Painting Women, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2014 Re-Presenting The Nude III,, Curated by John O’Hern, Evoke Contemporary Gallery
2013 Low Flying Dream Girls (solo), Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2013 ELECTRIC SUGAR (solo), Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA
2013 Pamela Wilson (solo), Sarah Bain Gallery, Brea, CA
2013 Holiday Show, Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2012 Interlopers Works on Paper, Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2012 Twin Peaks/ Fire Walk With Me,, David Lynch Production, Copro Gallery, Santa Monic, CA
2012 ART LA- Modern & Contemporary, w/ Sarah Bain Gallery
2012 From What I Remember / From What I Forget, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2011 Birdshot (solo), Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2011 Decadence, Curated by John O’Hern, Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2011 Houston International Art Fair, w/ Sarah Bain Gallery
2011 Wandering the Dreamfield Pulse Gallery, San Diego, CA
2011 Laguna College of Art & Design Faculty/Student Exhibition, Irvine Fine Art Center, Irvine, CA 2011 Dystopia beinArt Collective, Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2011 Tribute to the Masters,, Distinction Gallery, San Diego, CA
2010 Small Works, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2010 Crestfallen (solo), Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA 2010 GALLERY ARTISTS, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2009 Small Works, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2009 Awkward Soloquies (solo), Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2008 Small Works, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2008 Dispossed (solo), Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2007 Small Works, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA 2007 GALLERY ARTISTS, Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
2006 Between the Hermit and the Moon (solo), Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2006 What I Did on My Summer Vacation, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Disturbing Dolores (solo), Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY 2005 FUTURE PERFECT, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Earthly Delights, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Innocence and Insight, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2004 Disturbing Dolores (solo), Scope Art, Miami, FL 2004 ASYLUM (solo), Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2003 Gallery Artists, Claire OliverGallery, New York, NY
2002 The Story of Dick and Evie (solo), Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY 2001 Grand Opening, Group Exhibition, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY
2000 Thinking Outside the Box Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA 2000 NEW PAINTINGS (solo), Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA
1999 Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA
1998 Travel as Inspiration, National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
1998 The Humanists, Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, PA
1997 Addiction to Small Shames (solo), Sarah Bain Gallery, Anaheim, CA
1996 Pamela Wilson – Realist Narrative (solo), Claire Oliver Fine Art, Stuart, FL
1995 The Bastard- Paintings and Photographs (solo), Maya Polsky Gallery, Chicago, IL
1995 Vested Power- Icons of Domination, California State University, Fullerton, CA
1994 Pamela Wilson – New Works (solo), Maya Polsky Gallery, Chicago, IL
1994 Separate Visions, Sarah Bain Gallery, Brea, CA
1994 If You Meet the Buddha… South Bay Contemporary Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
1993 Pamela Wilson (solo), Stuart Katz Loft, Laguna Beach, CA 1993 REVOLUTION, The Works Gallery, Long Beach, CA
1993 Marti Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1992 Artists Choose Artists, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
1992 Seriously Sexual, BC Space Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1992 The Nuisance (solo), Gallery 1434, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
1992 Pamela Wilson – Recent Paintings (solo), Stuart Katz Loft, Laguna Beach, CA
1992 Animal Paintings Don’t Sell, Stuart Katz Loft, Laguna Beach, CA
1991 The First Fifty, Women’s Center, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
1991 Enquiry Into Nothing (solo), Gallery 1434, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
SELECTED MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY
National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL
University of California Art Museum (solo), Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (solo), Santa Barbara, CA (sharing forum with Yoko Ono) Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA
South Bay Contemporary Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA
SELECTED ART FAIR PARTICIPATION
ArtHamptons, Bridgehampton, NY
Art Southampton, Bridgehampton, NY
Houston Fine Art Fair, Houston, TX
Los Angeles Fine Art Fair- Modern and Contemporary Palm springs Fine Art Fair
ART Palm Springs
Art Miami, Miami, FL
Scope Art, Miami, FL
Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Art LA, Modern & Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA ArtFair Seattle, Seattle, WA
USArtists, Philadelphia, PA
Boston International Fine Art Show, Boston, MA Dallas Fine Art Invitational,
Dallas, TX
Texas International Fine Art Fair, Dallas, TX
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL National Museum for Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Howard Tullman Collection, Chicago, IL Whoopi Goldberg Joe Panteleone Tom Skerritt
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS/ PRESS
American Art Collector, Cover August Issue # 130, 2016
“The Figure in Art” AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR Magazine, John O’Hern, December, 2014
Pamela Wilson, POETS/ARTISTS Magazine, Issue 59 (COVER)
Pamela Wilson, “Timeless Dreams,” CATAPULT Art Magazine, 1212.v16, pp. 48-
57, Gracelee Lawrence, (COVER)
http://catapult-mag.com
Pamela Wilson Interview, CHURN Art, Music, Fashion, & Lifestyle Magazine, Issue #8, Spring Collector’s Edition, pp.90-6, Jeff Monji, 2013
Pamela Wilson, “Low-Flying Dream Girls,” AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR Magazine, John O’Hern, July, 2013 http://www.americanartcollector.com/issues.php
Pamela Wilson
1809 SanPascualStreet
Santa Barbara, California 93101 805.453.2620
Pamela Wilson, Guest Artist, SKETCHOZINE.COM MASTERS, Alexandra Manukyan, p. 76, 2012
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=338283482856819&set=a.
149200061765163.28880.100000255106451&type=1&theater
Masters- Pamela Wilson- Figurative Painter, December 2011
Enter The Dream: A Talk With Painter Pam Wilson, Paraphilia Magazine, Issue 12, p.121, by Lana Gentry http://issuu.com/paraphiliamagazine/docs/paraphilia_issue_12_-_august_25_final ArtistADay.com: Pamela wilson
http://www.artistaday.com/?p=11367
Pamela Wilson, Birdshot, AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR Magazine, John O’Hern, Sept., 2011
http://www.americanartcollector.com/issues.php
The Essence of Form, Collecting Figurative Art, AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR Magazine, p.70, 20ll
PAMELA WISON BirdshOt Interview, Empty Kingdom, September 2011 http://www.emptykingdom.com/main/featured/pamela-wilson-birdshot-interview/
EVOCATIVE AND DARKLY PLAYFUL, Chasing Santa Fe, C. Whitney-Ward, September 1, 2011 http://www.chasingsantafe.blogspot.com/
SIN BOLDLY, EVOKE Contemporary Launches the Provocative DECADENCE, Laurahitt,
Santa Fe Reporter, July 25, 2011
http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/blog-2871-sin_boldly.html
An Interview With Fine Painter Pamela Wilson, John Sebastian, The New York Optimist
http://www.thenewyorkoptimist.com/PamelaWilsonInterviewMay22_2011.html
Pamela Wilson Figurative Brilliance Painting At Its Best, John Sebastian,The New York Optimist Online Magazine
http://www.thenewyorkoptimist.com/PamelaWilsonApril19_2011.html
Churn Magazine, 2011
http://churnmagazine.com/?p=1392
Eclectix Interview #17: Pamela Wilson, Patricia Zemanek, eclectix etc. February, 2011
http://web.mac.com/eclectixp/Eclectix/eclectix_etc./Entries/ 2011/2/16_Eclectix_Interview_17:_Pamela_Wilson.html
EXPLORING THE ART, An Interview with Pamela Wilson, Zine-Scene, 2011 http://zine-scene.com/?q=issue2%2Fbonus%2Fwilsoninterview
FLESH, Eclectix Online magazine, January, 2011 http://web.mac.com/eclectixp/Eclectix/Flesh,_portrait_art,_Anatomy_art,_figurative_art,.html Grateful for Pamela Wilson’s Grim Fairy Tales, Eclectix Online Magazine, December, 2010 http://web.me.com/eclectixp/Eclectix/Eclectix.html
Pamela Wilson- A Compelling Narrative, Rodney Pike, November, 2010 http://rwpike.blogspot.com/2010/11/pamela-wilson-compelling-narrative.html
Feathered Hopes and Intriguing Dreams, Mark Reep, Ramshackle Review, 2010 http://ramshacklereview.blogspot.com/2010/09/feathered-hopes-and-intriguing-dreams.html
NORTHOGRAPHY, “An Inviting Abyss,” (Stimulus for Poetry), Norhography.com, 2010 Pamela Wilson: Awkward Soliloquies, IntheRealArtWorld.com, blog, 2009
Pamela Wilson’s Grim Fairy Tales, OC Weekly, Greg Stacy, 2008
Disturbing Dolores, Exhibition Catalog, John D. O’Hern, 2005
Los Angeles Art Show, Ninth Annual, Catalog Cover, 2003
Gallery of the Week: Claire Oliver, Columbia Spectator, Alisa Brem, 2003
Pamela Wilson: Exploring the Boundaries of Reality, Focus Magazine, 1999
The Humanist Tendency, Claire Oliver Fine Art, 1998
Artists on the Road: Travel as Source of Inspiration, Exhibition Catalog, National Museum for Women in the Arts, 1998
Women Artists’ Work Inspired By Travel, The Ithaca Journal, Donna Bloom, 1998
Eccentric Realism, Philadelphia Enquirer, Edward Sozanski, 1998
Contemporary Realists, Artweek, 1998
Sweet Indecision, Philadelphia Weekly,Ellen Rozenholtz, 1998
Pamela Wilson: The Realist Narrative, (hardcover) Gabriel P. Weisberg, 1997
Buzz Buzz: Annual Gala Offers More Than Art, The Seattle Times,
Robin Updike, 1997
Figure as Metaphor, ARTnews, Carol Kino, 1995
No Sacred Cows, Los Angeles Times, Cathy Curtis, 1994
No Brainers, Santa Barbara News Press, Michael Darling, 1994
Stuart Katz’ Loft, Stuart Katz Contemporary Art, Exhibition Catalog, 1994
Pamela Wilson, The New Art Examiner, Michael Bulka, 1993
Pamela Wilson: Paintings and Etchings, Douglas Deaver, PhD, 1993
Upstarts Invigorate Art Scene, Los Angeles Times, Cathy Curtis, 1993
Buddha: Intersections of East,West, Los Angeles Times, Cathy Curtis, 1993
Space Program- Stark Does Not Mean Empty in Pamela Wilson’s Paintings, Los Angeles Times, Cathy Curtis, 1992
Final Projects by Masters, Santa Barbara News Press, Joan Crowder, 1992
Artwork By Pamela Wilson, Praxis- A Forum for Social Change, 1992
Women Win Awards for Excellence in Art, Daily Nexus, Ross French, 1992
No Visual Twinkies Allowed, The Laguna Coastline News, 1992
Spotlight On: Pamela Wilson, Stuart Katz Contemporary Art/ Loft News, 1992
SELECTED VIDEO
PAMELA WILSON, A film by Carlo Zanella, Artist Profile Series, Produced by EVOKE Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM http://www.evokecontemporary.com/Artists/PamelaWilson-Video.html
