Artist's Statement / Bio
2023 Annual Fall Juried Exhibition, Dulles State Building, Watertown, NY,
North Country Arts Council, Watertown, NY, Nov-Dec
2023 Portrayed: d’Arts: Third Annual Juried Exhibition of Portraiture, d”Art
Center, Norfolk, VA, July
2023 Solo Exhibition, Crary Art Center, Warren, PA, August
2021 Schweinfurth Art Center (Auburn, NY), Made In NY, June-August.
2021 Baltimore Watercolor Society (Baltimore,MD): 2021 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition, June-August.
2021 Lake Placid Center For The Arts (Lake Placid, NY): Scenes From A Book: The Mind's Eye Juried Exhibition, Honorable Mention Award, January/February.
2020 Lake Placid Center For The Arts (Lake Placid, NY): Open Juried Show, 3rd Place Award, Sept.-November.
2020 Annmarie Sculpture Garden (Solomons, MD): She: An Expression Of Womanhood, February 14-September 27.
2019 Annmarie Sculpture Garden (Solomons, MD): Ebb & Flow,The Power Of Water, May-September.
2019 Alfa Art Gallery (New Brunswick,NJ): Watercolor Mixed Media, November/December.
2019 Artsy Shark: Featured Artist, Online Juried International Competition.
2019 Manhattan Arts International: Herstory, Online Juried International Exhibition, July. Curator’s Choice Guest Artist Award.
2019 Adirondack Artists Guild (Saranac Lake, NY): Ghosts In Saranac Lake Painting Series) July.
2019 Historic Saranac Lake (Saranac Lake, NY): Ghosts In Saranac Lake Painting Series, Feb.
2018 Manhattan Arts International: New Beginnings, Online International Juried Exhibition, Jan-Feb.
Featured Artist Award Winner.
2018 Santa Cruz Art League (Santa Cruz, CA): Spoken & Unspoken, National Juried Exhibition, Jan/Feb.
2018 Light, Space & Time Gallery (online): All Women 2018 Online Juried Exh.
2018 Frederic Remington Art Museum (Ogdensburg, NY): International Juried Exh. Sept-Jan.
2017 Manhattan Arts International (NYC) Online International Juried Exhibition: The Healing Power Of Art, Nov/Dec.
2016 Frederic Remington Art Museum (Ogdensburg, NY): International Juried Exhibition, Nov-Jan, 2018.
2016 The Spring Street Gallery (Saratoga Springs, NY): The Gun Show: Invitational Exhibit, April-May, 2016.
2015 Adirondack Artist’s Guild (Saranac Lake, NY): Solo Exhibition: Passing Through. Dec-Jan, 2015-2016.
2015 Manhattan Arts International (Manhattan, NY): Hot Topics - Bold Expressions. August-October, 2015. Award of Excellence and Award of Merit.
2015 Manhattan Arts International (Manhattan, NY): The Healing Power Of Art online Juried Exh. April-June, 2015. 2nd Place Award.
2014 Visual Arts Center At Clarington, Ontario, Canada : Crossing Borders I. July/August.
2014 Adirondack Artist’s Guild (Saranac Lake, NY): Solo Exhibition: “Closer To Home.” Nov.
2014 Lake Placid Center For The Arts (Lake Placid, NY): ADK Juried Exh. Sept./Oct. Honorable Mention Award.
2014 Pouring Light Gallery (Malone, NY) Solo Exhibition : “The Ghost In My Machine”. Nov.-Jan.
2013 Lower Adirondack Region Arts Council (Glens Falls, NY): Stories Untold - 3 Artists. June-August.
2013 The Local Fringe Gallery (Saranac Lake, NY): Solo Exhibition. Feb-Apr.
2011 XL Gallery (Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY): Stone Canoe Publication Exhibition. Feb.
2010 Bond Street Gallery (Brooklyn, NY): The New Americana Invitational Exhibition. Sept-Oct.
2010 Fredericksburg Center For Creative Arts (Fredericksburg, VA): For & About Women International Juried Exh. Feb.-Mar.
2010 Vanderbilt Divinity School (Nashville, TN): Protest Art, National Invitational Exhibition. Feb.-Mar.
2009 Hollingsworth Gallery (Palm Coast, FL): The Art Of Fright, National Juried Exhibition. Oct.-Nov.
2009 Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria, VA): The The Flesh II, International Juried Exhibition. Jul.-Aug.
2009 Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria, VA): Fresh: Urban Contemporary Art. May.
2009 Art Cries Out Dayton International Peace Museum (Dayton, OH): Art For Peace International Juried Exhibition. Jan.-Mar. 1st Place Award Winner.
2008 State University Of New York At Potsdam (Potsdam, NY): Triennial Award Winners Exhibition. Mar.
2008 Booksmart Gallery (Rochester, NY): The Art Of Democracy National Juried Exhibition. Nov.
2007 Monkdogz Urban Art (Manhattan, NY): Damez: 6 International Female Artists. Apr.- June.
2007 The Foundry Arts Centre (St. Charles, MO): Work In On And Of Paper National Juried Exhibition. Jan.-Feb.
2007 Arts & Literature Laboratory (New Haven, CT): Loud, National Juried Exhibition. Jan.-Feb.
2006 Monkdogz Urban Art (Manhattan, NY): Inaugural International Exhibition, 10 Artists. mar.
2005 and 2004 The Figurative League (Woodstock, IL): Real People, National Juried Exhibitions. Aug. 2004 & 2005.
2004 Don O’Melveny Gallery (West Hollywood, CA): In America Now National Juried Exhibition. Aug.
2004 Plano At Association (Plano, TX): National Juried Exhibition. Apr.-May.
I create highly refined watercolor paintings that often explode with psychological resonance - with a sensitivity towards beauty and strength achieved through truth and honesty. My work is a continuing search for deep understanding of the human condition - fascinating in its capacity for great kindness and mercy yet also great malevolence. Throughout my body of work: children repeatedly symbolize vulnerability and an unfeigned soul, connections between past and present are examined through the manipulation of black and white with color, and realistic and fantastic images may be juxtaposed to fabricate a surreal certainty. I strive to give voice to difficult social and political subjects in an attempt to encourage thought, emotion and dialogue.
Born in 1963, Patterson grew up in Ogdensburg, NY, the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister and public school teacher whom she credits for her humanitarianism. “My father’s weekly sermons always had a well-crafted message, as do each of my paintings. Both of my parents, throughout their jobs and lives, modeled thoughtfulness and a belief in equality, social justice, compassion and tolerance.
An excruciatingly shy child, Patterson spent much of her time alone...thinking...and dreaming...and making art at home around the kitchen table with her Mom. However, her road to art had some bumps (One teacher she had for Elementary School Art nearly destroyed her interest in art). Fortunately, an inspiring art teacher in Junior High encouraged her and soon Valerie became proficient at pencil drawn portraits of famous people, eventually becoming known as “the class artist”.
After High School, Patterson attended the State University Of New York At Potsdam. She earned degrees in Art and Education and became an art teacher while spending most of her other time painting.
Asked when she decided to focus on art that conveys social and political messages, Patterson responded “It gradually evolved as I was creating art that was meaningful to me. Once I realized the tremendous power that images can have to make people comfortable or uncomfortable, happy or sad, settled or unsettled, I knew I had a voice. I decided to use my voice to encourage people to see, think and feel – something not always valued in our culture. Awareness replaces ignorance and opens up the possibility of change. If you can’t ignore it, then you may feel compelled to change it. I don’t recall any one thing prompting that decision. Just a strong need to communicate and share ideas and emotions.
And where do her seemingly endless stream of ideas come from?: “I believe that most of my ideas come through me, not from me. Sometimes, ideas simply pop into my head seemingly from nowhere. Other times, some political or social situation will appear in my conversations, in the news, in a movie or in many other ways — repeatedly, beckoning me to paint them”.
Patterson’s award winning watercolor paintings have been exhibited extensively throughout the United States in both group and solo exhibitions including The Bond St. Gallery in Brooklyn, NY , The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA and The Arts & Literature Laboratory in New Haven CT. Awards include 1st Prize in The Dayton Ohio International Museum Of Peace International Juried Peace Arts Exhibition.