Roberta Griffith - Abstract Expressionist Artist

Roberta Griffith (born 1937, Hillsdale, MI) BFA, Chouinard Art Institute (1960), MFA Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (1962), is an American ceramic and ceramic Installation abstract expressionist artist and painter. In addition to her degrees, Griffith Studied art at the university of Michigan (1955-1957), and at the Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico (1957-1958. Roberta has been making art throughout her life. She began painting with oils at 10 years of age, (1947), and working with ceramics at the University of Michigan (1956). As a Fulbright Grant recipient in Barcelona, Spain (1962-1964) , she was mentored by ceramist Josep Llorens Artigas at L'Escola Masssana School of Art and Design Barcelona, Spain. This period was during the height of his 30-year ceramic collaboration with painter Joan Miro.

After working as ceramic designer at Design Technics in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania (1965-66). Griffith taught all levels of ceramics and drawing for 42 years until she retired from teaching as Professor Emerita of Art (2008). In addition to teaching art, she was appointed chair of the department for 17 years (1973-1990. She was named permanently to the Arkell Hall Foundation Endowed Chair Professor of art (1979) untl her Retirement. Griffith continues to maintain art studios in Otego, New York and Princeville Kaua`i Hawai`i. Roberta Griffith was North American correspondent of Revista Cramica, Madrid, Spain (1975-2022). Her MFA Thesis, "Ramey Incised Pottery" was pulished in the Illinois Archaeological Survey Series,, Circular #5 (1981). She became a member of the International Academy of Ceramics based in Geneva, Switzerland (2017). Roberta Received the Albert B. Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who in America (2019) Her biography is included in Marquis Who's Who in America, 73rd edition (2020). Her artwork is included in art journals, art books, art museums, public and private collections in Spain, Mexico, Italy, England, Croatia, Sweden, Japan, and the USA.

Roberta Griffith has exhibited in 38 solo exhibition and over 290 invitational and juried exhibitions. She is best known for small and large mixed-media ceramic installation, and hand-built ceramic sculptures. The latter are developed in series, many based on variations of a form using wheel thrown shapes, hand formed bisque molds, or plaster molds. Since the 1970's, most of her ceramic series and installation have been evocative of her associations of places and their cultural manifestation encountered via research and travel, with an underlying theme reflecting mortality, universal shortcomings, and disasters, both natural and man-made. In addition, her colorful abstract paintings, and figurative paintings, drawings and prints have won significant awards. She was awarded the National Association of Daughters of the American Revolution American Heritage Award for Women in the arts in 2018 (24 awarded nationally) Roberta had a porcelain installation, Debris Contained", owned by the Honolulu Museum of Art included in the prestigious 21st Century Women (June 18 to December 15, 2019). A solo exhibition at the Yager Museum of Art and Culture, "Street Stuff-BUMP" was in the Betty Warren Herzog Gallery, Hartwick College (April 5 to October 21, 2022). She will have a solo exhibition in the Everson Museum of Art (September 16 to December 31), 2023). Griffith continues to produce and exhibit new artwork. To purchase artwork contact Roberta. To buy a publication, "Artists of Hawai`i 2013", "Roberta Griffith, A Retrospectve" (2003), "Roberta Griffith 1988-1998", Unpleasant Conversations' (2017), or a video, "Roberta Griffith, The Artist Within", by La Paloma Films, check out the sales page.