SYLVIA SCHUSTER

With a career spanning six decades, Sylvia Schuster, born in 1943, depicts in her work her deep understanding of the human form. As a young child roaming the corridors of the Museum of Art, Sylvia Schuster spent endless hours drawing torsos, Egyptian Mummies and African Heads. Early on she was recognized as a child with exceptional ability.

Sylvia says of her many drawings,“They are a part of me. I remember them. When I look through my drawings, I recognize them. I know when I did them. They are my friends.” Speaking of why most of her work is in black and white she relays, “I was forced to use black and white a lot because I just could not afford paints. Cadmium yellow, cadmium red and vermilion are very expensive paints. The earth colors were much cheaper. I could use inks. The inks were cheaper because they went further, but I spent $20-25 a day on ink, every day. I did big brown heads like this one with the sepia ink and burnt sienna ink, charcoal and brown. I just kept making more and more heads and doing collages and making prints. It was a wonderful experience."

Schuster attended L’Academia de Bella Arti in as a member of the Rhode Island School of Design. Ms. Schuster earned her B.F.A. from R.I.S.D. in 1965, and continued her studies in Italy on a Fulbright grant and a Prix de Rome scholarship. In 1967 she earned a M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Ms. Schuster also studied at Boston University at Tanglewood, the University of Iowa, Studio School, Creighton University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the University of Illinois.

Sylvia Schuster was invited to serve residences at the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, New York, Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York, and the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forrest, Illinois. In 1999, she was the artist in residence for the Summer Six Art Program at Skidmore College.

EDUCATION

1962-64 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 2 summers, Philadelphia, PA 1961-65 B.F.A. Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI 1964-65 L’Academia de Belli Arti, Rome, Italy, as a member of Rhode Island School of Design / European Honors Program 1965-67 M.F.A. Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI 1967 Boston University at Tanglewood, 1 summer, Lenox, MA 1967-74 University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 1974-85 New York Studio School, New York, NY 1990 Creighton University, “Artist at Large”, Omaha, NE 1991 University of Nebraska at Omaha, “Artist at Large”, Omaha, NE 1992-95 University of Northern Illinois, “Artist at Large”, DeKalb, IL

SCHOLARSHIPS

1961-65 Philadelphia Board of Education 1961-62 National Scholastic Art Award 1963-64 Carnegie Grant 1963-64 Ford Grant 1962-65 Rhode Island School of Design / Danforth Scholarship 1964-65 Rhode Island School of Design / European Honors Program 1964-65 Fulbright Grant (Rome, Italy) 1964-65 Prix de Rome (Rome, Italy) 1965-67 Cranbrook Academy of Art / Gordon Scholarship 1967 Boston University at Tanglewood Scholarship 1974-85 Fellowship: Study of drawing, New York Studio School, New York, NY 1976 Residency at The Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz, NY 1978 Residency at Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY 1987 Residency at Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL 1988-89 Grant: Study of watercolors at Singer Island/Riviera Beach/W. Palm Beach, FL 1999 Summer Six Art Program, Artist in Residence, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY STUDIED WITH:

David Aronson Garo Antresian Leonard Baskin Leland Bell Robert Bornheutter Byron Burford Gretna Campbell Nicholas Carone Miguel Condé David Driesbach Mario Dubsky Carl Fracassini Gil Franklin Juan Gomez Sy Gresser Walter Hamedi Mauricio Lasansky James Lechay Jack Levine Tom Majeski Mercedes Matter Michael Mazur George McNeil David Middlebrook Gabor Peterdi Milton Resnick Howard Rogovin Angelo Savelli Julius Schmidt George Spaventa Heda Sterne John Thein Jack Tworkov Ulfert Wilke

EXHIBITS

Ms. Schuster has done solo exhibits and lectures at: Messineo Art Projects and Wyman Contemporary, in Chelsea, NY(2008) The Tweed Museum of Art (from April 24-September 21, 2008), Grinnell College, IA (2004), Monmouth University,NJ (2003) Georgia Southwestern State University (2003) Vanderbilt University in Tennessee (2003) Skidmore College, NY (2002) Southeastern Indiana State University (2002) University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (2001) University of Georgia (2000) Messineo Wyman Projects, Chelsea, NY (2000) Guest artist at Prince Street Gallery, NYC (2000) 1960-61 Fleischer Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA