Artist Statement
Natural forces serve as a starting point for my paintings about space and energy. The paintings are about a search for balance between chaos and structure. They speak about boundaries—between representation and abstraction, between man-made and natural. Improvisation is at the root of my practice—responses to the way a particular color or mark leads to another decision in the painting.
Solo Exhibitions
2012 Jane Deering Gallery, Santa Barbara CA
2011 California State University, Stanislaus
2010 Adler& Co Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2009 Prince Street Gallery, New York City
2009 Adler& Co Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2009 Mondavi Winery, Vineyard Gallery, Napa, CA
2007 Prince Street Gallery, New York City
2006 Monty Stabler Galleries, Birmingham, AL
2005 B.Sakata Garo Gallery, Sacramento CA
2004 Mondavi Winery, Vineyard Gallery, Napa, CA
2003 Prince Street Gallery, New York City
2001 Prince Street Gallery, New York City
Monty Stabler Galleries, Birmingham, AL
1998 Prince Street Gallery, New York City
1995 Monty Stabler Galleries, Birmingham, AL
1994 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
Dupont Gallery, Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
1993 Monty Stabler Galleries, Birmingham, AL
1992 Maier Museum of Art, Lynchburg, VA
Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
Congress Square Gallery, Portland, ME
1989 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME
Gallery 127, Portland, ME
1986 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ
1985 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
1983 College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME
1982 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
University of Maine, Farmington, ME
1981 Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME)
1980 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
Group Exhibitions
2012 ‘Between the Quotes: Work by UCDavis Art Faculty,’ Pence Gallery, Davis CA
2009 ‘Fourth of July Show,’ Jancar Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Artists in Residence”, Yosemite Museum, Yosemite, CA
“The Nature of Landscape”, San Francisco Studio School Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008 “Surface and Substance” San Francisco Studio School Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008 “Cool and Austere”. Jancar Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Plein Air Abstraction”, curated by Peter Frank, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
Gallery artists group show, Adler and Company Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007 “Landscape, Observation and Abstraction”, Wiegand Gallery, College of Notre
Dame de Nur, Belmont, CA (catalogue by Mark Van Proyen)
2006 Columbia University, “From Postwar to Postmodernism” curated by Jerome Neuner, Noah Fischer, Garth Graeper,and Gareth James (catalogue)
John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA, “Sacramento Valley Landscape Show”
2005 New York Studio School, “The Continuous Mark: 40 Years of the New York Studio School”, curated by Jennifer Samet
John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA, “Sacramento Valley Landscape Show”
2004 Gallery C, Hermosa Beach, CA, “See California Now”, curated by Peter Frank with illustrated brochure
John Natsoulas Gallery, “Sacramento Valley Landscape Show”
2003 John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA, “Gone West”, curated with catalogue by Peter Frank
Woodland City Hall, “Pieces of the Puzzle”, curated by Melissa Chandon
2002 Birmingham Art Museum, Birmingham, AL, “Art Afficionado”
1999 Washington Art Association, Washington, CT (3-person)
1997 Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
1996 Karl Drerup Fine Arts Gallery, Personal Views: Four Painters and Landscape, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH
1995 New York Studio School, Thirty Years of Drawing,
1994 Site 250, Fairbanks, AK
Pennsylvania School of Design, Lancaster, PA, curated by Ruth Bernard
1991 Art Institute of Boston, Contemporary Landscape, curated by Martin Mugar
1989 Gaumann-Cicchino Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Landscape Revisited, traveling
to Philadelphia, Washington and New York City, 1989-91 Area Gallery, Portland, ME,
Visions of the Southwest
1987 Gallery 127, Portland, ME, inaugural group show Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, ME,
Artists Who Teach in Maine, curated by Sarah Fawcett
1986 Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, NY, faculty invitational College of William and Mary,
Williamsburg, VA, Landscape
1985 New York Studio School, New York City, juried alumni show, University of Maine, Farmington, ME,
Painters Who Look at the Environment, curated by Tom Higgins
1983 Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, ME, juried show Barridoff Galleries, Portland ME,
Contemporary Gallery Artists
1982 Joan Whitney Payson Gallery, Portland, ME, Drawings from Nature,
curated by Judith Sobol, Director.
1981 Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, ME, juried show.
1980 Bette Stoler Gallery, New York, NY, New Drawings.
1978 Barridoff Galleries, Portland, ME, Contemporary Gallery Artists Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY, juried by Irving Sandler.
RECENT REVIEWS AND REPRODUCTIONS OF WORK
Baker, Kenneth, "Werfel at Adler", San Francisco Chronicle, February 19, 2009
Baker, Kenneth, "Cheap Thrill" San Francisco Chronicle, January 18, 2009
Berlind, Robert, “Gina Werfel at Prince Street” Art in America, Nov 2007
Goodrich, John, www.exhibitionspreview.com, 2007
Cohen, David, The Continuous Mark: 40 Years of the New York Studio
School, New York Sun, February 17, 2005
Dalkey, Victoria, “Nature Untamed” Sacramento Bee, March 20, 2005
“Valleyscapes” Sacramento Bee, July 24, 2005
Katz, Vincent, “Gina Werfel” Art in America, May 2004
U. S. Art in Embassies Program, Anniversary Catalog, Reproduction, 2004
Sievert, Robert “Gina Werfel” Artezine Fall 2003
Munich, Suzanne, “Gone West” Davis Enterprise, February 2003
Sievert, Robert “Gina Werfel” Artezine, Spring 2002
Nelson, James R. Nelson, Birmingham News, October 9, 2001
Driscoll, John & Skolnick, Arnold, The Artist and the American Landscape,
First Glance Books, 1998.
Skolnick, Arnold, and Little, David, Paintings of Maine, New York, 1991
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2005-2007 International School of Art, Montecastello, Italy, Senior Artist in Residence
Yosemite National Park, Artist in Residence
2000 Connecticut Arts Commission Grant in Painting
Artist-in-Residence, Auvillar, France
Spring 1993 Yosemite National Park, Artist in Residence
Spring 1991 Rancho Linda Vista, Oracle, AZ (residency)
Summer 1986 Djerassi Foundation, Woodside, CA (residency)
Spring 1984 Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio, Italy (fellowship)
TEACHING/ ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
2000-present Professor of Art, University of California -Davis, Davis, CA
2000-2005 Chair of Art and Art History Department, University of California -Davis, Davis CA
1997-2000 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Professor and Head of Art and Art History Department
Summer 1998 Pont-Aven School of Art, France, Painting
1991-1997 Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Lynchburg, VA
Professor and Chair of Art and Ar t History Department
1980-1991 Colby College, Waterville, ME, Associate Professor of Art (tenured Fall, 1987)
Summer 1989 Chautauqua Institute, School of Art, Resident Faculty
1974, 1975 New York Studio School, Director, Paris Summer Sessions
RELATED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2011 Haverford College, Distinguished Visiting Artist, Brandeis University, Visiting Artist, Post-Baccalaureate Program
2009 UC Santa Barbara, Visiting Artist
Western Carolina University, Visiting Artist
2008 Visiting Artist San Francisco Studio School, San Francisco, CA
2007 Panelist , "The Value of Art" Peter Selz, curator Emeritus, Berkeley Art Museum, Frances Mill, director, Hackett Freedman Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2005-present Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art, Advisory Board
American University, Corciano ITALY, visiting artist, MFA program
New York Studio School, Dean´s MFA Advisory Committee
Pence Gallery, Davis, CA, Board Member
McLaughlin Reserve, Senior Bioregional Artist, Residency Program
2004-present College Art Association, Annual Conference Committee
2004 CAA Annual Meeting, Co-Chair Panel “Mirroring Landscape”
2001-2004 College Art Association, Nominating Committee- DistinguishedTeaching
Nov 2001 Hamilton College, External reviewer of Art Department
Apr 1998 Trinity College, Visiting Artist
Dec 1997 Dartmouth College, Chair, External Review of Art Department
Feb 1995 Hood College, External reviewer of Art Department
Summer 1994 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, Leader of painting workshop
Fall 1994 Agnes Scott College, SACS panelist for reaccreditation
Apr 1994 Haverford College, External reviewer of Art Department
Feb 1994 Washington and Lee University, Visiting Artist
EDUCATION
MFA 1979 Columbia University, New York, NY
1972-1976 New York Studio School, New York, NY (full-time study )
BA 1974 Hamilton College (Kirkland College), Clinton, NY
