Artist Statement
“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be” - Abraham Maslow
In my case, "must be" covers visual creativity. It is about recording some experiences in the language of painting, photography or whatever art style a particular situation evokes. For me, the art journey is not about the destination but rather about storytelling. I really enjoy the process of giving my own interpretation while creating a collage, painting or a photo story. And sometimes the truth isn’t really important at all but rather what I can make of it. My works are created in the form of a visual translation of what captured my attention. The inspiration can come from nature, other people experiences or my own, color or shape. When I decided that the works, which should display an exploration of color, texture, line, composition and more are ready, then I share my works hoping that someone, somewhere , who has similar experiences will enjoy it.
Artist Bio/CV
Iwona Lapczyk is an award-winning artist, painter and photographer. Her works were exhibited in Europe and the United States. She has shown works and been awarded in various juried local and national art exhibits, including Attleboro Arts Museum, Bristol Art Museum, New Bedford Art Museum, and the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts. Some of the awards she has received include: First Place at Warwick Center for the Arts “WCFA 2021 Photography & Digital Arts Juried Exhibit", First Place at Warwick Center for the Arts “Outside In" - Juried Exhibit 2022, Award of Excellence at Bristol Art Museum, "The Joy of Art" 2016 Members Juried Exhibit. Iwona received an MFA in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts, Gdansk, Poland in 1994. She was born in Poland and currently lives and works in Barrington, Rhode Island.
EXHIBITIONS
2024 "The 2024 National Watermedia Show", Juried Exhibit, RI Watercolor Society, Pawtucket, RI
2024 "Open Juried Photography Annual", Juried Exhibition, SCAA, Kingston, RI
2024 "Breadth and Depth: Earth, Water, Air, Fire", National Juried Exhibition, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol,RI
2024 "Open Juried All Media 1 Exhibition", Juried Exhibition, SCAA, Kingston, RI
2023 "Members’ Exhibition", Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2023 "A Small Point of Land", Juried Exhibition, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol,RI
2023 MEMBER'S INVITATIONAL,SCAA, Kingston, RI
2023 "Used", National Juried Exhibition, Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2023 "Proof", Juried Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol,RI
2023 "Members' Miniatures" Bristol Art Museum, Bristol,RI
2023 "Open Juried All Media 1 Exhibition", South County Art Association, Kingston,RI
2023 "Black + White", Juried Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum’s Extension Gallery at Rogers Free Library, Bristol, RI
2022 "Members’ Exhibition", Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2022 "2022 Holiday Small Works Show", Juried Exhibit, RI Watercolor Society, Pawtucket, RI
2022 "Small Works", Juried Exhibit organized by The Bristol Art Museum in partnership with the Rogers Free Library, Bristol, RI
2022"CAFA+PHOTO", National Juried Exhibition, The Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, CT
2022 "2022 TEXT Juried Show" Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Mill Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
2022 "14th Annual Pawtucket Foundation Show", Juried Exhibit, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Mill Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
2022 "A is For…", Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2022 "Open Juried Print, Paint & Drawing Annual", SCAA, Kingston,RI
2022 "Outside In", Juried Exhibit,Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2022 "Open Juried Photography Annual" - South County Art Association, Kingston,RI
2022 "Photography" Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2022 "Celebrating Color" Juried Exhibit, RI Watercolor Society
2022 "2022 Annual Member Show"Juried Exhibit,Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2022 "2021 Members’ Exhibition"Juried Exhibit, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA
2021 "35th Annual Rhode Island Open" Juried Exhibit, Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2021 "Poetry & Art"Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2021 "Fall Un-themed Show" Juried Exhibit, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Mill Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
2021 "Imagine Water" Juried Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2021 “Tales and Tails“ Juried Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum's Extension Gallery at Rogers Free Library, Bristol,RI
2021 "WCFA 2021 Photography & Digital Arts Juried Exhibit", Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2021 "A is For..." Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2021 "Back to Nature" Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2021 "2021 Annual Member Show"Juried Exhibit,Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2021 "Black ‘N White"Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2020 "Members’ Exhibition 2020", Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
2020 "34th Annual Rhode Island Open"Juried Exhibit, Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2020 "Abstract / Avant-Garde" Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2020 "Through the Window" Juried Exhibit, Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2020 "Art of the Ocean State" Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2020 "All Photography" Juried Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2020 "Fur, Feathers, Fins" Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2020 "March Into Art" Juried Exhibit, Wickford Art Association, North Kingstown, RI
2020 "Flora and/or Fauna", Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2019 "Members’ Exhibition 2019", Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
2019 "Members Jury Members Exhibit", Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2019 "Abstractions" Juried Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2019 "Les Petites Oeuvres en Été", Spring Bull Gallery & Studio, Newport, RI
2019 "Spring Show", New Hope Art Gallery, Cranston, RI
2019 "Open Your Mind", Annual Spring Open Show, DeBlois Gallery, Middletown, RI
2018 "Members' Exhibition 2018", Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro,MA
2018 "MEMBERS" Jury Members Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2018 "All Photography" Juried Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2018 "Strangers in a Strange Land", Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2018 "Flower Show", Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2017 "Faces & Figures" Juried Exhibit, Pawtucket Arts Collaborative Mill Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
2017 "WCFA Member Show", Atrium Gallery, Providence, RI
2017 "All You Need Is Love", Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
2017 "I am Rhode Island:The Fabric of Our Community",The University Of Rhode Island, Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery, Providence, RI
2017 "Flower Show", Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA
2016 "Members' Exhibition 2016", Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
2016 "Artists For The Bay", Save The Bay Center's Providence Journal Charitable Foundation Gallery
2016 "Nature's Gifts" Juried Exhibit, Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
2016 "The Joy of Art" Members Juried Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
2015 "Artists For The Bay", Save The Bay Center's Providence Journal Charitable Foundation Gallery
2014 "On The Streets"Juried Exhibit, Warwick Museum of Art, Warwick, RI
2013 "The Fabric of Our Community", The University Of Rhode Island, Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery, Providence,RI
2013 "Creative Feminisms: Art, Activism & Everyday Action", The University Of Rhode Island, Feinstein Providence Campus Gallery, Providence, RI
2005 "Fall-ing", IMAGO-Gallery of Art and Fine Craft, Warren, RI
2003 "Holiday Invitational Show", Station 29 Gallery, Newport, RI
2003 "Southern Exposure", Station 29 Gallery, Newport, RI
2002 C.Francis Gallery, Providence,RI
2002 "International Women's Day Festival", Monahassett Mill, Providence,RI
1999 "Contacts", Association of Polish Artists, Gdansk, Poland
1997 Exhibition and Interview for TVP Gdansk,The Sierakowskich Mansion Gallery, Sopot, Poland
1995 The National Art Competition "Ecology'95", Museum of Radom Village, Radom, Poland
1994 "Landscape in Modern Painting"Juried Exhibit, Academy of Fine Art, Krakow , Poland
AWARDS
2023 - Recognition Award - for the miniature photograph "Blue Bug" - Members' Miniatures Exhibition, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Mary Dondero - Professor at BSU, Art Curator at BAM and Imago
2022 - First Place - for "Cup of Coffee" photograph, "Outside In" - Juried Exhibit,Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
Juror - Sam Green, Artist Painter
2021 - Honorable Mention Award - for "Yellow Flowers" alcohol ink painting, "35th Annual Rhode Island Open" Juried Exhibit, Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
Jurors - Lois Harada and Karen Harris, Artists Painters/Printmaker
2021 - First Place - for "Sky Road" photograph, "WCFA 2021 Photography & Digital Arts Juried Exhibit",Warwick Center for the Arts, Warwick, RI
Juror - David DeMelim, Artist Photographer
2020 - Third Place - for “Shadows” photograph, “All Photography” Juried Photography Exhibit,Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Juror - Lindsay Elgin, Artist Photographer
2019 - Honorable Mention Award - for "Fish" art print, "Abstractions" Juried Exhibit, Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Juror - Michael Hubert, Artist Painter
2018 - Honorable Mention Award - for "His Silhouette" photograph, “All Photography” Juried Photography Exhibit,Portsmouth Arts Guild, Portsmouth, RI
Juror - Ronald Zincone, Artist Photographer
2016 - Award of Excellence - for "For The Joy Of Art" photograph ,"The Joy of Art" 2016 Members Exhibit, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Juror - Carol Strause FitzSimonds, Artist/Printmaker
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
1997 Painting Exhibition and Interview for TVP Gdansk,The Sierakowskich Mansion Gallery, Sopot, Poland
PUBLICATIONS
BAM 2021 Calendar - Bristol Art Museum's first printed calendar featuring members’ selected artwork.
https://www.bristolartmuseum.org/bam-printed-calendar-2021.html
The Joy of Art, Bristol Art Museum 2016 MembersExhibit https://www.blurb.com/b/7037993-2016-members-exhibit-the-joy-of-art-juror-carol-fi
EDUCATION
1994 Academy of Fine Arts, Gdansk,Poland
M.F.A. in Painting