Laura Chenicek

My artwork addresses the social issues of domestic violence, child abuse and family interaction and dysfunction. Much of my artwork is based on intimate stories people have shared with me. I use a range of materials choosing the best combination to illustrate the concept I am developing. Text can contain adult language and content. I hope to bring attention to the fact that people hurt other people in many ways and more often than we care to acknowledge. I received a M.F.A. in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During my final semester I was granted a Fellowship from the Whitney Musuem of American Art in New York City to participate in their highly prestigious Independent Study Program. Since moving to Nashville in 2002, I have been showing my artwork in exhibitions throughout the Southeast. These include exhibitions at the Tennessee Arts Commission Gallery, one person shows at Hite Gallery, Unniversity of Louisville, Lousiville, KY; Sarratt Center Gallery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,TN and shows at the Centennial Art Center, Nashville,TN; Customs House Museum, Clarksville, TN; Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University, Tallahassee FL and the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL among others. My artwork is represented in private collections and major corporate collections including Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Schering Plough Pharmaceutical, Madison, NJ; Johnson and Johnson World Headquarters, New Brunswick, NJ and Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. During my career in the Northeast, I was an adjunct college art instructor at several colleges and universities. I served on the boards of Artists’ Equity Association (NJ) and Women’s Caucus for Art (NJ). In addition, I was a founder and board member of a New Jersey non-profit gallery for ten years, until my move to Nashville.