Artist's Statement
I have returned to a lifelong passion after many years away from a studio. My approach to art is to interpret the world around me, not to recreate Nature's beauty but to explore and evoke emotional responses to it and to events that occur.
Much of my work emanates from my photography, another interest and pursuit. With deliberation, I look for the abstract aspects within an image and focus on those. I extract from, and add to, such images as my mind's eye is as important as my actual sense of seeing.
I work primarily in acrylic, water pastels, and collage on canvas as these mediums allow for both spontaneity and flexibility. I work with brushes, palette knives, as well as paper towels. Color and texture are essential elements in all my work. There is also a specific energy within each of my works that reflects on the emotional and psychological energies within me during the creative process.
I want the viewer to be drawn into my work, while allowing individual interpretation and response, good or bad.
Featured Piece
Mixed Media
& Monoprint
Acrylic
Photography
"Consistency is not constant
if one questions and explores.
Emotions so excruciatingly painful
also exquisitely reassuring"
About Ann.
Graphic Designer turned Philanthropy Professional returned to Artist.
Experience
Experience
Private Philanthropy
Involved with and knowledge of all facets of grantmaking, serving as a senior program officer, grants administrator, and consultant to private grantmaking foundations, pursuant to years of work in development and communications
Marketing & Public Relations
Managed significant marketing and public relations programs in food industry and publishing. Work included major restaurant openings and trade show exhibits.
Community Volunteer
Many years of commitment to myriad civic, cultural, education and health care organizations. Activities have included board memberships, precinct work for passage of local propositions, involvement in elementary, intermediate, and high schools
Education
Education
1967
1965 & 1966
B.S. in Design, Minor in Journalism
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, School of Architecture and Design
Various summer courses at University of the Americas, Mexico City, Radcliffe College, Cambridge, MA and the Kansas City Art Insitute, Kansas City, MO
Positions
Positions
1973-80; 1997-2006
Program Officer/ Grants Administrator
George Frederick Jewett Foundation
San Francisco, CA
1981-87
Senior Program Officer
W.M. Keck Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
1987-2014
Program Consultant
William M. Keck Jr. Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
-
Program Consultant
J. Philip & Jennifer DiNapoli Foundation
San Jose, CA
-
Development Advisor
Tech Museum of Innovation
San Jose, CA
-
Assistant Director
Southern California Association for Philanthropy
Los Angeles, CA
-
Director of Development
San Francisco Ballet Association
San Francisco, CA
-
Public Relations Supervisor
Natural Restaurant Chain
San Francisco, CA / Chicago, IL
-
Exhibits Manager
Oxford University Press
New York, NY
Civic Involvement
Civic Involvement
Teaching
Instructor
Graduate Certificate Program in Arts Administration
Golden Gate University
San Francisco, CA
Art Docent
Let's Look at Art education initiative
San Jose Museum of Art
San Jose, CA
Seminar Leader
Emerging Institutions Program
California Arts Council
CA
Panelist
numerous conferences on myriad aspects of private philathropy
sponsored by national and regional associations
Boards
Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
Chair of Civic Beautification
Barrington Garden Club
Barrington, RI
Population Resource Center
Washington, D.C.
The Carrver Foundation
Woodside, CA
Montalvo Arts Center
Saratoga, CA
Foundation for OB/GYN Research and Educators
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles Children's Museum
Los Angeles, CA
South Bay Friends of Planned Parenthood
Los Angeles, CA
Writing &
Public Relations
Wrote & edited monthly newsletters
elementary & high schools on Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
Chair of Promotion and Publicity committees
health care and social service agencies
Designed & wrote quarterly newsletters
City of Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Developed fundraising materials
various nonprofit organizations
Bio: Art Education and Background
Despite studying art and design at the University of Michigan, I pursued very different fields during my professional career. I began in publishing in New York City before heading west and pursuing public relations and private philanthropy as a program officer for several major grant-making foundations in California where I lived for more than 40 years with my husband (of now 47 years) and our two beautiful and talented daughters. When time permitted during those years, I enrolled in myriad of painting classes at the Palos Verdes Art Center in southern California, a private studio in Menlo Park, California, and at RISD. After living in numerous U.S. cities, our family settled down in Barrington, RI.
As a member of the Providence Art Club since January 2017, I have enrolled in regular classes every semester and love being surrounded by the talent and wonderful human beings with whom I interact with here. My recent work has been displayed in group shows at PAC and in the community. In January 2018 I received two Recognition Awards and Imago Fine arts in Warren, RI, as well as positive notice of three monoprint collages by Channing Gray in his Providence Journals review of that community show. I had a solo show of 32 pieces at St. John's Church in Barrington, RI. In August, 2018, one of my monoprint collages was accepted into the Abstract/Avant Garde juried show at the Wickford Arts Association. During college, I was awarded a painting prize and my layout design was selected for the University of Michigan School of Art's Sesquicentennial commemorative book.
My husband and I have been avid collectors of contemporary art since we were married and have always enjoyed regular visits to galleries wherever we live or travel to appreciate the breadth and depth of artistic expression that surrounds us. In addition to art, both making and collecting, I'm also passionate about writing, floral design, horticulture, travel, and sports.
C o n n e c t
Ann Dinsmore Gralnek
thegral1 @ yahoo.com