About

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I am a painter living in the suburbs north of Philadelphia by way of the magical countryside of Kempton, Pennsylvania. I make work trying to please myself, but I hope that it eventually pleases you. I mostly draw and paint, dabble with printmaking, and sometimes sculpt. My subjects are my immediate surroundings, including my partner, dog, and objects within my home. I am deeply moved by light; how it cuts and sweeps across floors, forms, and fields. My work has one aim, and that is to convey the intangible feeling I experience when I am fully present with my subjects. I hope that by stating what is true to me, you will find something true to you.

If you are interested in my process and seeing my works in progress please visit my Instagram account.

For questions about available artworks or other inquiries please email me at abigailsynnestvedtart@gmail.com.

Education

2023 MFA in Studio Art. Northern Vermont University. Johnson, VT.

2015    BFA and Certificate of Painting. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), Philadelphia, PA. 

2011 Fine Art Studies, The Barnstone Studios, Coplay, PA.

Grants and Residencies

2023 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT.

2022 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT.

2018    Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Montreal, Canada.

2014    Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant, Montreal, Canada.

Solo Exhibition

2023 Devotions - MFA Thesis Exhibition, Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Johnson, VT

Group Exhibitions

2023 Tiny Fireworks, Minėmå Gallery, Johnson, VT
2023 Spring Show, Midnight Gallery. Schnecksville, PA. 

2022 Cadeaux, Eclipse Center for Creative Community. Landsdale, PA. 

PAFA Fellowship Alumni Show, juried by Audrey Flack. Anne Bryan Gallery, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA.

NVU Johnson - MFA Invitational, Julian Scott Memorial Gallery, Northern Vermont University.

Johnshon, VT. 

OHO Projects Guston Response Takeover, Boston Museum of the Fine Arts, Boston, MA.

2019    In Plain Sight, Two Person Exhibition with Lauren Kindle, Lauren Kindle Studio, Easton, PA.                                                                                       

2017    9th Annual Juried Competition, Group Exhibition, Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY, Juried by Stuart Shils 

    Wet Paint Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA. Juried by Harry 

Cooper, Senior Curator and Head of Modern Art National Gallery of Art, Washington

2016  Fame 2016, Group Exhibition, PAFA Alumni Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Juried by Erica F. Battle, 

    Curator of Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

   Out of the Academy, Group Exhibition, Waverly Heights Gallery, Gladwyne, PA. 

2015    114 Annual Student Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Samuel Mv Hamilton Building PAFA, 

Philadelphia, PA

Emerging Artists Exhibition from PAFA, Group Exhibition, Oxford Art Alliance, Oxford, PA.

2014     Now Look Here, Group Exhibition, Gallery 128 PAFA, Juried by Ron Wyffels and Kevin Richards,

    Philadelphia, PA.

Convergence, Group Exhibition, Gallery 128 PAFA, Juried by Neysa Grassi and Bill Scott,

    Philadelphia, PA

2014    113 Annual Student Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Samuel Mv Hamilton Building PAFA,

Philadelphia, PA.

Public Collections

Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Boston, MA.

Awards

2015 The Faculty Award, PAFA

       The Arthur De Costa Painting Prize, PAFA

       The Simone C. Titone Prize, PAFA

        The Benjamin West Prize Special Notice, PAFA

        The Frances D. Bergman Memorial Prize Special Notice, PAFA

      The Charles Toppan Prizes Non Curriculum, PAFA

       The Eleanor S. Gray Prize for Still Life, PAFA

       The James O. Dumont Prize, PAFA

2014    The Franklin C. Watkins Memorial Grants, PAFA

       The Benjamin West Prize Special Notice, PAFA

       The Earl T. Donelson Figure Painting Award First Prize, PAFA

       The Arthur De Costa Painting Prize, PAFA

      The Sylvia G. Wexler Memorial Award, PAFA

      The Edna Pennypacker Stauffer Memorial Prize, PAFA

2013    The James P. Bonelli, Jr. Memorial Prize, PAFA

2012    The Ramborger Prize, PAFA

           The James P. Bonelli, Jr. Memorial Prize, PAFA

Scholarships

2014     The Lucille Sorgenti Scholarship, PAFA

2014     The Silvia S. and Miron M Walley Memorial Scholarship, PAFA

2014     The Ruth and Ben Wolf Scholarship in Honor of Peter Paone, PAFA

2011      The Caldwell Scholarship Honorable Mention, PAFA

2010     Academy Merit Scholarship, PAFA

Features and Publications

2019     Blog: www.laurenkindle.com/blog, Choosing Life as an Artist: a Guest Blog Post by 

Abigail Synnestvedt