MARY DONAHUE

 

Born. Durante, OK, USA, 1943

 

Donahue holds a BFA in ceramics from the University of Tulsa, and has independently studied primitive pottery-making methods for thirty years. Over the years she has used her artistic talents in book illustration and commercial art, as well as ceramics. At present she is a full-time, studio ceramic artist. Since 1996 the focus of her work has been on creating works in clay, which have been exhibited in public and private art centers and galleries, throughout the Southeast.

 

She has taught pottery making methods at several art centers and presents workshops, and lectures in primitive pottery making methods at her studio, Shiva D Pottery, in Tallahassee, FL.

 

¡°Somehow, the image of Shiva, the Hindu god of disillusion and new creation, dancing in a ring of fire, seemed an appropriate inspiration for my ceramic studio. . . . My clay work has always been about the beginnings of human creativity. The images and vessels that I create are influenced by prehistoric and primal art. I feel my clay work is a visualization of the spirituality I¡¯ve found in the early works made by our ancestors.¡± MD

 

Education in the Arts:

University of the Philippines, Art History, Painting             1961

Oklahoma State University, Painting and Ceramics             1962-64

University of Tulsa, BFA in Ceramics                       1971

Rhode Island College                                                            1974 - 76

Graduate Program in Art Education

Teaching Certification K-12, Rhode Island             1976

  Florida 1979.

 

Teaching Experience:

Art Teacher K-12, Rhode Island Public School

Relief Tiles and Low-fire Decoration, LeMoyne Art Foundation, in Tallahassee, Florida

Primitive Ceramics Studies, LeMoyne Art Foundation, in Tallahassee, Florida

Burnishing and Smokefiring, Mount Dora Center for the Arts, Mount Dora, Florida

 Colquitt County Art Center, Moultie, Georgia

Surface Decoration with Smokefiring, Penland School of Crafts, Studio Assistant, Penland North Carolina

Individual student and group workshops at the artist¡¯s studio,

Shiva D Pottery, Tallahassee, Florida

 

Recent Exhibition Experience

 

Solo Exhibitions

1999 - Mysteries and Magic - Choosing the Right Path, solo exhibition of ceremonial vessels - Window On Gaines Gallery Tallahassee, FL

 2003 -Other Places Other Times - A Rediscovery of Ourselves in Ceramic Sculpture and Vessels - 621 Gallery of Tallahassee, Fl

2005 – Illuminations – NCECA National Conference, Aurura Gallery, Annapolis, MD

 

2 & 3 Artists Exhibitions

1997 - Waiting to Transcend -  M.Donahue, E.West. LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, FL

2000 - Evoking Encounters - ceremonial vessels by Donahue, photos B Press. Mount Dora Center for the Arts,Mount Dora, Florida

2001 - Ornamental Spirit  - Mary Donahue, Sam Nicely, Greig Hubbart, Colquitt County Art

Center,Moultie, Georgia

2002 - Illuminations - Lighted Ceramic Sculpture & Spirit  Vessels, M Donahue & Y Tucker                                             LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, Florida

 

Group Exhibitions & Publications

1999 - Contemporary Craft/Art of North Florida, FAM University

1999 - ¡°Up Front¡± Photo and Article - Ceramics Monthly

2000 - Big Shoe Show - St. Louis City Museum, St. Louis, Missouri

2000 – Sea Vision – Mary Donahue, Paul Walker, Artzania Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

2001  - Chain of Parks, Art Fair, Second Prize LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee,

2001 - Clay Rocks - state wide ceramics show Florida Craftsmen Inc., St. Pertersburg

2002 - Florida Craftsmen Invitational, Northern Spectrum, Gadsden County Art Center, Quincy

2002 - Penland School of Crafts, summer session Clay Studio Coordinator with Yvonne Tucker

- presented workshop in smokefiring

2003 - Wonder, The Human Condition - Invitational, LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee

2003 - Florida Craftsmen 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibition ,DeLand Museum of Art -Juried Members of Florida Craftsmen.

2003  - Art Fair  - FSU Art Museum , members show Artists League FSU Art Museum , Tallahassee, FL

2004 – Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, FSU Artists League Show,Gadsden Art Center, Quincy, FL

2004 - Florida Craftsmen 50th Anniversary Traveling Exhibition , University of Florida Gallery, Gainville, FL

2004 - LeMoyne Art Foundation 40thAnniversary Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL

2004 - Juried Fair  Mount Dora Center for the Arts, Mount Dora, FL, Prize for excellence.

2004 - Chain of Parks, Art Fair, Second Prize LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee, Florida

2004 -  ¡°Gallery¡± Photo of ¡°Birds of Egypt¡±, Installation, Clay Times.

2004 – Synergie,  Artists League FSU Art Museum, Tallahassee, FL

2004 – Breaking Up  Is Hard To Do, 6 Women Artists, Group Showing, 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

 

Gallery Affiliations

LeMoyne Art Foundation, Tallahassee , FL

621 Gallery, Tallahassee,  FL

Colquitt County Art Center,Moultie, Georgia

Artzania Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

FSU Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL

Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL

Sea  Oats Gallery, St. George Island, Florida

Eclipse Gallery, Ashville, North Carolina

Round Tree Gallery, Sea Side , FL

Explorer¡¯s Club Gallery, Tallahassee, FL

Nomads  Gallery,Tallahassee, FL

Window On Gains, Tallahassee FL

Gadsden Art Center, Quincy, FL

2004  - Florida Cultural Resources Commission,  Artist¡¯s Directory at www.netcrc.org/exhibit.html

2004 – exhibiting artist,Young Gallery on the Web at - younggallery.org