Biography
Artist Shelly Wierzba has been creating art in various media for 35 years. She studied art and design intermittently throughout her educational years, but did not paint full time until after retirement from a career as a family practice Physician Assistant. She lives in Oregon with her husband, Joe, “Grammy Pat”, and Sam, their Portuguese water dog.
“I believe that passion for the subject is the prerequisite for a successful artwork. An artist’s passion is always quite obvious. A painting is not about a realistic impression of a subject, but rather about capturing the essence. It’s about revealing the emotion within the human heart. I love to help others discover their creative self and share in their excitement. Anyone can learn to produce works of art if they enjoy the process. We all have a creative voice even if it has been dormant for awhile. Teaching art one on one, or in small groups, is like watching doors fly open to a gift that can last a lifetime.”
Wierzba is an active juried member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon. Her work has been exhibited throughout Oregon in solo and group shows and hangs in private and corporate collections across the United States. She received an award for artistic achievement in the Northwest Watercolor Society 2005 national juried show. She is the resident artist for Tu Tu’Tun, a four star lodge on the Rogue River. She is represented in Oregon by Biscuit Fine Arts Gallery, Rogue’s Gallery in Gold Beach, and Words & Pictures Gallery in Brookings.
Shelly Wierzba is a juried member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon, and past president of Curry Arts Association in Curry County, Oregon.
Solo Exhibitions of Wierzba’s emotional series titled “In the Realm of Child Abuse and Neglect” have been shown in Portland, Coos Bay, Brookings, Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and Gold Beach Oregon from 2002 to 2005.
Featured Artist exhibitions include the Biscuit Gallery, Gold Beach, Oregon, September 2005 and Cottonwood Gallery, Coos Bay, Oregon in March 2003.
Juried exhibitions and awards (highlights)
2006 Curry Arts Association Spring Show – First and Second Place Awards
2005 North West Watercolor Society national juried show – Artistic Achievement Award.
2004 Watercolor Society of Oregon juried show.
2003 Watercolor Society of Oregon juried show.
2003 Coos Art Museum Regional Juried Art Show.
Group Exhibitions include 2005 “The Gold Beach Four” exhibit, Brookings library, OR.; the 2001 Association of the University of Women Art Show, Gold Beach, OR, and Artists Respond (to 9/11 terrorist attack) Community Art Show in December 2001, Gold Beach, Oregon.
Corporate Collectors include Gold Beach Books, Inc., Gold Beach, Oregon and Integrated Medical Arts, Inc., Bath, Maine. Additionally her work is in many private collections across Oregon and the United States.
