Mary Michael Shelley
Folk Art Americana Painted Wood Carvings
Specializing in one of a kind and original art work.
News and Updates, last updated February 10, 2010
Latest email sent to those signed up for my email list updates.
Press Release:
Solo Show Retrospective at the Cayuga Museum, Auburn New York. February 13, 2010 to April 11, 2010
Folk Art Mary: A Mary Michael Shelley Retrospective, 40 years of Carved and Painted Pictures
Cayuga Museum of History and Art, February 13 – April 11, 2010
Auburn, New York – February 1, 2010 – The Cayuga Museum of History and Art will exhibit the work of Ithaca folk artist Mary Michael Shelley in the second floor galleries from February 13 through April 11, 2010. This retrospective show will display carved paintings from each of the four decades of Shelley’s artistic career. Shelley describes herself as a “self-taught folk artist, a painter and a wood carver.” Working from her Ithaca, NY studio, she uses art to explore the world around her, her life and feelings. Her work often illustrates themes familiar to those living in central New York. Shelley’s work has been featured in publications nationwide, and can be found in major public and corporate collections including the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Museum of American Folk Art.
For those who wish to meet the artist, Shelley will give two guided tours of the exhibit on Saturday March 27, at 1 PM and 3 PM.
This exhibit is the second consecutive art exhibit to fill the Museum’s second floor galleries. Through these art exhibits, the Museum hopes to introduce visitors to new styles and forms of art and to raise awareness of the many artists working in Central New York.
Contact: Lauren Chyle, Curator, 315-253-805
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Voices, the Journal of New York Folklore society, has published a piece written by me called Carving Out a Life, Relections of an Ithaca Wood-Carver.
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Find me at the Winter Farmers' Market, at the Women's Community Building, Saturdays in January and February 2010. 11 to 2 PM. The Women's Community Building is located on the corner of Cayuga Street and Seneca Street, downtown Ithaca, NY
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See the FOLK ART MARY BLOG to see what I'm working on now.
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American Folk art by Mary Michael Shelley - become a FAN at FaceBook
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You can also find my work at:
The Heritage Shop at Fenimore Art Museum (Cooperstown, NY),
Riverbank Arts (Stockton, NJ),
The Duff Lindsay Gallery (Columbus, Ohio),
Sea Hag Soap and Art Mercantile (Brackney, Pa, near Binghamton, NY)
Frank Miele Gallery (NYC, NY).
Belle Melange (Ithaca, NY)
Put it on your Calendar to visit me at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market, Summer 2010!
Once again I'll be carving in my outdoor summer studio booth at the Ithaca Farmers' Market. I carve at the market May through September, 9 AM to 3 PM. It's a Farmers' Market and far more. Take a boat tour of the lake, listen to live music, eat exotic food. Plan a trip to the beautiful Fingerlakes area of central New York and visit our market. Utne Reader (fall 2002) noted the market as one of the"sixty best places in America to hang out." http://www.ithacamarket.com
GREATER ITHACA ART TRAIL 2010-11.
49 artists, 54 studios all open on the same days and times. October 9-10 and October 16-17, 2010, all studios open 11 Am to 5 PM. Art Trail is a self guided tour of 50 or so Ithaca and Tompkins County, NY artists' studios. Remember, if you're in the area, you can make an appointment to see my studio or any other artists' at other times of the year. The Greater Ithaca Art Trail Website is www.arttrail.com.
New Inspiration.
Sheep Sheep Sheep. I've done about 5 sheep pictures this year. I continue to work on my "Guard Dog" series. Protective dogs, people sleeping/dreaming. The stars and moon up overhead. While I'm inspired I like to do several pieces about the same theme, each one different, but with the same feeling. So many ideas, not enough time. Check out the bottom of my website home page to see some text describing this new guard dog series.
Email Newsletter.
Sign up to receive email announcements of events in my career and shows. Sign up by pressing the contact link at the bottom of this and other pages on my website. Why sign up? Because I only send eight emails per year, and promise to never give your email address to anyone else. Getting my emails may be your best way to see what I'm up to. For example, I hope to have at least one show at my in-home gallery winter 2008, and the only way I send out announcements is to people who are on the email list.
Tell me if you see my work!
Please let me know if, where and when you see a mention, review or picture of my work. Lots of times I never would know that my work has been on display unless someone tells me that they saw it. Thanks, Isabel, for telling me this summer that there was an article in The New York Times (July 30, 2007) about the New World of Coca-Cola Museum, with a picture of the bottle I did for Coca Cola shown from the back. And then, recently, a call from Martha saying "did you know your bottle is promininently displayed in the lobby of the museum?" The answer is "No I had no idea until you told me." So thanks.
Why the Waitress on my stationary and Website?
She's really me. She serves food with a smile on her face, even though her feet hurt. Artists serve food too, a different kind of food. For your information, my first job was as a waitress. In the 36 years I've been carving/painting I've made perhaps 200 pictures of diners. After all that standing up and carving, now my feet hurt too.