Claudia DeMonte
Born1947 (age 76–77)
Astoria, New York
Alma materCatholic University of America
Known forMixed media art, Sculpture, Installations
SpouseEd McGowin (m.1977)

Claudia DeMonte (born 1947) is an American mixed media artist known for her exploration of "contemporary women’s roles" and world cultures through her eclectic sculptures, collages, digital prints, and installations.[1][2][3] Her work is influenced by growing up Catholic and the lavish trappings and rituals of Catholicism.[4] Other significant interests and themes in her work include outsider art, "globalism, identity politics, feminism, and social responsibility," which have been shaped by her world travels as much as her awareness of social issues.[5][6][7]

Early life

Claudia DeMonte was born in 1947 in Astoria, New York.[7] She was raised in an ethnically diverse neighborhood where she had a traditional Italian upbringing and strong Catholic education.[7] Her father was an insurance broker and honorary mayor of Astoria before becoming a city councilman.[7] DeMonte's mother, Ammeda Heiss DeMonte, was an assistant buyer and "Miss Hub" for the Hub department store in Baltimore before she married and moved to New York where she became a community activist and vice chair of Community Board One.[7]

Education

DeMonte received her Bachelor of Arts in art history from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore in 1969 and her MFA from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1971.[8] During her time at university, DeMonte was influenced by art historian Ruth Watkins and textile artist Nell Sonnemann as both women were independent, well-traveled, tall, and had no children.[7]

The College of Santa Fe conferred an Honorary Doctorate on DeMonte in 2006.[6]

Personal life

DeMonte married Ed McGowin, a fellow artist, in 1977.[9] She currently lives and works in New York City and Miami, Florida.

Career

DeMonte became interested in conceptual art early in her career and was so impacted by Art Povera that she wrote a letter to Germano Celant asking to study with him.[9] While at college, she was expected to focus on creating traditional types of art. Instead she conceived interactive exhibits, in which she traded T-shirts with her name based on the Delmonte logo, hand-decorated photos of herself, and objects that she collected.[9] Requiring audience participation in order to work, her trading shows proved highly successful with her exhibition at the Baltimore Museum breaking an "attendance record at the time."[9] Her first major break came when she was included in Jane Livingston's Liberation: Fourteen American Women Artists show that toured in Europe and Five Plus One, in which DeMonte was the "Plus One" as she was the only non-painter in the show.[9]

In 1976, DeMonte returned to "using [her] hands" and began to make dolls.[9] Her work was always "autobiographical" and "personal" as it often dealt with her family and growing up. That same year, DeMonte moved back to New York with McGowin after coming to the realization that the art scene in Washington, D.C. was not held in the same high regard as politics and was often seen as less than or "secondary".[9] As a New Yorker, she also missed the "excitement" and "anonymity" that the city provided.[10] While she had made connections, garnering interest and support in her work from the likes of gallerist Ron Feldman and Doug Davis after her one-person show at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, she struggled to gain a foothold in the New York art scene.[11] There was a prevalent attitude that only New York museums and galleries carried any weight which DeMonte had not anticipated.[9]

In 1977, returning to Queens, DeMonte rented a studio at P.S. 1 that furthered her connection with the New York art world.[12][13] Her first significant press coverage came in the summer of 1980 after she had a reproduction in a group show.[9] Determined to succeed in the New York art scene, she continued to take part in group shows that were often held at "alternative spaces".[9] DeMonte's breakthrough finally came in 1983 after she joined Gracie Mansion’s successful new art gallery that was supportive of what she was trying to accomplish.[14]

By the mid-1980s, the East Village art scene was flourishing and DeMonte was exhibiting her work nationally and internationally.[9] During this time her artwork took on a new "universal" dimension while maintaining its deeply autobiographical qualities.[9] This artistic development was facilitated by the extensive travel DeMonte undertook with McGowin. In a 1991 Smithsonian interview with Liza Kirwin, DeMonte stated that during the proceeding ten years, they had visited 50 countries and that a trip to the Deep South around 1985 furthered their interest in folk art and influenced her work and the materials she used.[9]

DeMonte took on several notable projects in the 2000s. In 2000, she curated a collection of female artist works from 177 countries whose artwork depicted their personal understanding of what "woman" meant. Women of the World: A Global Collection of Art resulted in a 22-venue tour and a book published by Pomegranate.[15] From 2000-2007, DeMonte's touring exhibition Real Beauty: A Celebration of Diversity and Global Culture, a collection of 140 traditional, handmade dolls by woman artists from around the world, explored the beauty standards and broader culture of each artist as well as the impact of globalism and mass-production on such objects.[16][17]

Pomegranate released Claudia DeMonte in 2009 to accompany a retrospective tour of her work.[18] The career monograph contained an essay by Eleanor Heartney, a contributing editor to Art in America and art press. The foreword was by president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art, Agnes Gund.

Teaching

DeMonte taught at the University of Maryland for 33 years. During her tenure, she was a recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award in 1997 and the Students Award for Excellence in Teaching.[19][20] She was named professor emerita when she retired in 2004.[21] From 1980 until 1990, DeMonte was also in charge of the Art Workshop program at the New School for Social Research.

Exhibitions

Claudia DeMonte has more than 100 solo and 500 group exhibitions. Her work is also held in numerous private, public, and corporate collections around the world.[22][23][24]

Select solo exhibitions

Select group exhibitions

Projects

Select public collections

Honors and awards

DeMonte has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards.[24][21]

Commissions

References

  1. ^ Heartney, Eleanor. "Claudia DeMonte: Everywoman with a Ponytail" (PDF). Claudia DeMonte. Pomegranate. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "More than 100 Works of Folk Art Gifted to Mississippi Museum of Art by Artists Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin". ArtFixDaily. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "Artist & Sculptor Claudia DeMonte Celebrates Her 70th Birthday with Exhibition: "Memento Vivire"". PRNewswire. April 23, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  4. ^ Kerwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Vigueras, Giulietta (February 20, 2020). "Binomial: Claudia DeMonte & Ed McGowin at Lowe Art Museum". Miami Art Guide. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Claudia DeMonte". Vogel 50x50. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  8. ^ "Profile". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  10. ^ Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  11. ^ Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archive of American Art. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. ^ Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
  13. ^ "National and International Studio Program". MoMA. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Kirwin, Liza. "Oral history interview with Claudia DeMonte, 1991 February 13- April 24". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "Women of the World". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  16. ^ "Real Beauty". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c "Claudia DeMonte Bio". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  18. ^ Heartney, Eleanor; Gund, Agnes (September 1, 2009). Claudia DeMonte. Pomegranate. ISBN 978-0764950971.
  19. ^ "Teaching". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  20. ^ "Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award Recipients". University of Maryland. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Consulting/Profile". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  22. ^ "Claudia DeMonte". June Kelly Gallery. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  23. ^ "Exhibitions/Collections". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  24. ^ a b c "Claudia DeMonte Bio". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  25. ^ "Upcoming Exhibitions". June Kelly Gallery. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  26. ^ "Binomial: Claudia DeMonte & Ed McGowin". Lowe Art Museum. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  27. ^ "The June Kelly Gallery opens an exhibition of sculpture and wall installations by Claudia DeMonte". ArtDaily. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  28. ^ "Partners Claudia DeMonte and Ed McGowin February 25, 2018 – April 22, 2018". Mattatuck Museum. November 30, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  29. ^ "Press Releases". Cape Cod Museum of Art. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  30. ^ "The June Kelly Gallery celebrates its 30th anniversary with a group exhibition of works by gallery artists". ArtDaily. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  31. ^ "The Art of Making the Invisible Visible: A Retrospective by Claudia DeMonte" (Newsletter). The Isom Report. No. Fall. Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies at The University of Mississippi. 2016. p. 4. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  32. ^ "Claudia DeMonte – La Forza Del Destino – Sculpture & Paintings Opening at the June Kelly Gallery – April 10th, 2014". Business Wire (Press release). March 18, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Torrington's Five Points Gallery Features 3 Artists". Five Points Gallery. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  34. ^ "Self And The Everywoman". Simmons University. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  35. ^ Thomas B. Harrison (May 30, 2010). "'Mapping Beauty' is 35-year retrospective for artist and world traveler Claudia DeMonte". AL.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  36. ^ Department of Art and Art History (2010). "Sarah Moody Gallery of Art" (PDF). No. Fall. The University of Alabama. The Loupe. p. 4. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  37. ^ "Claudia DeMonte "The Luxury of Exercise"". NY Art Beat. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  38. ^ "Real Beauty". Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  39. ^ "Women of the World". Global Fund for Women. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  40. ^ McCoy, Mary (October 31, 1992). "Galleries". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  41. ^ "The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States Catalog" (PDF). National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  42. ^ "Participating Institutions: Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art". Vogel 50x50. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  43. ^ "Journée internationale de la femme du 8 mars : conférences et événements culturels prévus à l'UNESCO". UNESCO. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  44. ^ "The World is a Handkerchief: A Travelling Project by Cecilia Mandrile and Claudia DeMonte". Centre for Fine Print Research. November 26, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  45. ^ "Claudia Demonte Bio". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  46. ^ "RxArt's Coloring Book: Between the Lines Vol. 5". RxArt. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  47. ^ "Untitled". emuseum.delart.org. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  48. ^ "Untitled | Flint Institute of Arts". flintarts.org. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  49. ^ "About the Collection". American University, Washington DC. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  50. ^ "AU Chosen to Receive Majority Share of Works from Corcoran Art Collection". American University, Washington DC. May 15, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  51. ^ "Artwork Collection from UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art". Artwork Archive. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  52. ^ "Claudia DeMonte". Mattatuck Museum. October 24, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  53. ^ "Exchange: Untitled (Woman)". exchange.umma.umich.edu. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  54. ^ Clary, Jordan (April 8, 2014). "Inside the Faberge Big Egg Hunt: Meet three of the egg artists". Sparkle. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  55. ^ a b "Claudia DeMonte". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  56. ^ "Sixteenth Annual Awards for Excellence in Design, February 3, 1998". NYC Design. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  57. ^ a b "Consulting/Profile". Claudia DeMonte. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  58. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Claudia DeMonte Bio". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  59. ^ Hudson, Terry (February 10, 2004). "We Are One scupture[sic] adorns Center's colonnade". The Courier. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  60. ^ "The Road Beckons: Best Practices for Byways". City of Las Cruces: Public Service Department. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  61. ^ "Museum Without Walls: The Wheel of Justice". CultureNOW. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  62. ^ "Claudia DeMonte". Atrium Gallery. Retrieved September 27, 2020.

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