Was 2022 a good year for you?
2022 was another busy year with a full exhibition schedule!
What were some of the highlights in your art career?
I had several firsts this year: my first museum acquisition, multiple works included in the Peregrine Collection headed to the moon, and I was a finalist in the 6th Edition of the Boynes Emerging Artist Award. I also had a large solo exhibition in my hometown and was accepted into this year’s Painting the Figure Now exhibition at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, which is always a great experience.
What were some of the pitfalls?
My pitfall is a perennial one: time. I imagine most artists have many other time obligations. These do not prevent us from being professional artists but require planning and commitment. Mine is a full-time job and family. The risks, or pitfalls, are to allow myself to become overwhelmed and stop creating, put pressure on myself for every project to be exhibition worthy, and/or rush through projects in order to fulfill a quota in my mind or apply to every exhibition that interests me. My goal for 2023 is to put my limited time and energy into fewer, larger projects while allowing more time for experimentation and growth.
Did your art sell?
I sold several works online through 33 Contemporary Gallery, through my local gallery, and completed several commissions.
Were you included in any shows?
I exhibited in thirteen shows in 2022 including a solo exhibition of almost fifty paintings, and my first show in Ireland at Sol Art Gallery in Dublin. I won an award from the 98th Annual Hoosier Salon at the Indiana State Museum; an award from the 90th Annual Juried Exhibition of Indiana Artists at the Indianapolis Museum of Art; an award from the 29th Annual Juried Art Exhibition at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center; and just last week, two purchase awards from the 61st Mid-States Exhibition at the Evansville Museum of Art.
Were you published in any art magazines or periodicals?
I was published in four issues of American Art Collector (March, July, August, and December) in 2022 as well as in the inaugural issue of New Visionary Magazine.
What We Can Imagine, American Art Collector Magazine, December 2022
John O’Hern, Evocative Expressions, American Art Collector, August 2022
Alyssa M. Tidwell, In Perpetuity, American Art Collector, July 2022
John O’Hern, Women Artists: Dynamic Strengths, American Art Collector, March 2022
How has social media affected your daily practice?
Living in the Midwest, far from most art centers, social media helps me feel connected to a larger community of artists and art lovers. I can share what I am working on and stay abreast of others’ hard work- it helps keep my head in the game. Social media can easily be negative, but it helps me to assess where I’ve been and plan where I’m going, as long as I stay true to what feels right to me.
What are you looking forward to in 2023?
I am currently preparing two large works for a solo online exhibition in April. I will be working with a new model and incorporating plants and other still-life objects with the figure. My two paintings included in the Presence and Absence show through 33 Contemporary are a precursor for these new compositions. I cannot wait to get started!
Ellen Starr Lyon, b. 1974 in Columbus, Indiana. Ellen is a figurative painter focusing on modern portraiture that revolves around feminism, motherhood, and coming of age. She is a current member of PoetsArtists, Portrait Society of America, AWA, NOAPS, Indiana Artists (IN/A), Hoosier Salon, and Juniper Gallery. Lyon has shown at Abend Gallery in Denver, CO, Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH, Woman Made Gallery and 33 Contemporary both in Chicago, IL, WMOCA in Wausau, WI, and several online exclusives on Artsy through the 33 Contemporary Gallery. She has been published in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine highlighting artist self-portraits. Ellen has a BFA in Painting and a BA in Art History from Indiana University. IU has acquired several of her paintings.