Bio

Dori graduated with a BFA in painting and art history from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1987. After college she lived on the road in a vintage motor home, selling her artwork at outdoor festivals around the country, where her miniature oil paintings gained popularity and recognition. After three years of traveling she chose to settle in Birmingham, Alabama, a favorite place encountered in her travels. More about Dori's travels.

She exhibited her paintings in museums and galleries across the country and abroad, including a solo show at the Birmingham Museum of Art in 2000. Sherry Frumkin Gallery in Los Angeles hosted 5 sell-out shows of her work from 1996 through 2002. Her work has been featured in national newspapers and magazines, and she has won over 40 major exhibition awards.

Dori is now co-owner of Red Dot Gallery in Birmingham. Red Dot is a teaching space, art gallery, and working studio. Her paintings have evolved into large, iconic mixed media panels that combine oil painting on wood and copper with handmade ceramic tiles. in 2007 she received the Alabama State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, which inspired her current body of wrk, Exhibit A, Paintings of Alabama Places. The series will exhibit at the Mobile Museum of Art April through August of 2011.

  

Statement

My work brings together various layers of ornamental imagery, inspired by influences ranging from botanical illustration, Mexican tile mirrors,  and ceramic surfaces throughout history to Origami paper, crazy quilts, and Tibetan mandalas. I have a fascination with patterns of all kind -- especially in nature.

The iconic presentation of my work recalls the composition of religious and spiritual imagery throughout the world down through the ages. I am fascinated with the resemblances in design and format used by society that never came in contact with each other.

Although the contrasts and proliferation of imagery can be busy and overwhelming my challenge is to bring continuity to the chaos. The process itself-making tiles, researching and painting multi-cultural expressions is for me a celebration of the human desire to decorate, embellish, and generally make things beautiful.

 

I moved to Alabama 12 years ago, amazed by the historical and natural wonders that are largely overlooked by Alabamians. I received the Alabama State Council on the Arts Individual Artists Fellowship for 2006-07 which inspired a series of paintings in my usual format based on some of my favorite Alabama Places, organizations, or cultural attractions. More about Exhibit A.

   

Education

Born 1963, Steamboat Springs, CO.

1987

BFA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, Double Major - Painting, and Art History

Solo Exhibitions

2011

Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile Alabama

2007

The Grammer of Ornament, Sherrie Gallery, Columbus, OH

2005

Many Splendored Things, Red Dot Gallery, Birmingham, AL

2003

Drive by L.A., Frumkin Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

My Babies, Bare Hands Gallery, Birmingham, AL

2002

Road, Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, TX

Wiregrass Museum, Dothan, AL

The Freeway, Frumkin Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2001

Normal, Montevallo University, Birmingham, AL

2000Artspedition, Frumkin Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

          Traveling performance/installation including exhibitions at:

          Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN

          Dayton Institute of Art, Dayton, OH

          Harwood Art Center, Alburquerque, NM

Yourworld, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL

Games, Vices & Addiction, Bare Hands Gallery, Birmingham, AL

1999

Harry and Martha, Frumkin Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

1997

In the Privacy of, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

1996

Other Voices, Other Rooms, Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

1990Mr. and Mrs., Spark Gallery, Denver, CO

Selected Exhibitons

2009

Celebrating the Arts in Alabama, Johnson Center for the Arts, Troy, AL

2008

Oka Kapassa Festival, Tuscumbia, AL

2007

Alabama Originals: Expanding Perspectives, Alabama Artists Gallery, Montgomery, AL

2006

Just A Head, Alabama Clay Conference, Montevallo University, AL

2005

Beyond Dolls, Dairy Barn Arts Center, Athens, OH

2003

Limn Gallery, San Fransicso, CA

2002

Art Aficionado, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL

Biennial Invitational Art Auction, Montgomery Art Museum, Montgomery, AL

2001All Things Small and Beautiful, Greater Reston Art Center, Reston, VA

Familiar Reality-A Celebration of Alabama Artists, Montgomery, AL

2000

Patterned Flowers, George Billis Gallery, New Your, NY

Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, TX

Art Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

Nall Musuem, Vence, FranceChateau Museum, Tourettes Sur Loup, France

Ken Elias Gallery, Best Palm Beach, FL

Coplan Gallery, Boca Raton, FL

1999

Story Tellers, Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna Beach

1998

Maralyn Wilson Gallery, Birmingham, AL1995

Brigitte Schluger Gallery, Denver, Co

Agnes Gallery, Birmingham, AL

1992

Hassel Haeseler Gallery, Denver, CO

1991

Dunbar Morss Gallery, Boulder, CO

Bibliography

2004    Black and White (Birmingham)

2003    Los Angeles Times

             Black and White

2002    New American Paintings             Denver Post

             Westword (Denver)

2001    The Artists Magazine

             Birmingham Post Herald

             Birmingham News

2000    Los Angeles Times

             Santa Monica Mirror             Albuquerque Tribune

             Dayton Daily News

             Channel 13 News, Birmingham

             For the Record, Alabama Public Television

             Black and White

             Birmingham News

1999    Black and White

             Aura Literary Review

1998    New American Paintings

1997    Birmingham Magazine

             Artscene (Los Angeles) January and June issues

1996    Birmingham News

1995    Denver Post

1994    Orlando Sentinel

Collections

Leonard Nimoy

John Elway

Joyce Maynard (Author of To Die For)

Charles Gaines (Author of Pumping Iron)Pactricia Richardson (Actor, Home Improvement)

Kim Abeles (Artist)

Nall (Artist)

Gail Wellington (Director of the Simpsons)

Todd Holland (Director, The Larry Sander's Show and Malcolm in the Middle)

Xavier Roberts (Inventor of the Cabbage Patch Doll)

Henry D. Varnell lll (Owner of Sysco Corporation)Jim Dicke ll (Owner of Crown Equipment Corporation)

Gail Trechsel (Director, Birmingham Museum of Art)

Laura Hull (Editor, Metropolitan Home)

Susan Haynes (Editor, Coastal Living)

Andrew Maass (Director, Mississippi Museum of Art)

JSC Boggs (Artist)

Riverchase Country Club, Birmingham, ALRob Burton (Owner of Hoar Construction)

Awards

2006 

Alabama Council on the Arts Individual Artists Fellowship

1994-2003Over 40 major awards at the top outdoor art festivals in the US

   

for more information, call (205) 870-7608 or email dori@reddotgallery.com.

 

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                              Red Dot Gallery • 1001 Stuart Street • Birmingham, Alabama 35209 • Telephone (205) 870-7608
                              Gallery Owners: Dori DeCamillis and Scott Bennett. All images copyright Red Dot Gallery © 2005.