The Leominster Art Center & Gallery will serve the community by engaging and enlightening people through art to further enhance our community's educational, cultural and economic development goals. The Leominster Art Center & Gallery will foster an ability in local artists to promote and displaytheir artistic talents in a variety of creative mediums. From our strong base, we will strive to extend our sense of community and dedication to all forms of art beyond our city borders.
Colette A. Shumate-Smith was raised in Seattle, Washington and received her BFA at the University of Washington. She then found her way to Massachusetts where she received her MFA at Boston University and she studied with J. Lawrence, P. Warashina and H. Kottler, to name a few. She continues her studies and exhibits at many shows, galleries and museums including, but not limited to, Muralist MA Cultural Council Roster Artist since 1993; One Women Show, Bridgewater State College; Gadsden Museum of Art; Mosaic Artists of New England. You can experience her work in February 2010 at both the Cape Cod Art Museum and The Book Chapter Art and Spirituality.
Colette works from memory. “My work is personal, spiritual and figurative... As an artist, I believe the choices we make will define our future. The artist is an observer… a silent watcher. Our choices define our future.”
Colette’s emotionalism and art are expressed in her abstractions. Be it in clay, paint, or raku her hidden images float between reality and abstraction. Colette feels that the process of rebuilding new forms from the shards of yesterday is a timely endeavor, a response to events out of her control.
Colette Shumate-Smith
Colette was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Seattle. Her mother and Swedish relatives were Artists. She decided early to peruse art, and apprenticed, with Mrs. Mary-Anne Shumate who graduated Johns Hopkins, as a Medical Artist she worked for The Bob Hope Heart Institute pioneers in the field of heart surgery. At twenty one Colette’s early sculpture traveled the world. Her Bachelors of Fine Art in Ceramics was from the University of Washington Seattle. A student of Jacob Lawrence, Painting, Howard Kottler, Bob Sperry, Patty Warashina, Ceramics, George Tsutakawa, Sculpture and Sumi Painter, and Glen Alps the inventor of Calligraphy printing, Colette had many influences.
Boston University gave her scholarship to The Program in Artistry a three year MFA program. Her Masters of Fine Arts was influenced by Chris Gustin, Richard Hirsh and Nancy Smith. She is also a certified Art Specialist and taught middle school art. An Artist in residence with the Massachusetts Cultural Council State Artist Roster she has many large Murals in the region. Her most Complex are at Squannacook Elementary School in Townsend and North West School in Leominster.
At Boston University she met David L. Smith. After graduation they married, stayed in New England to raise two children and continued their art together. Colette’s work is very unique as she knows how to paint yet continues to break all rules of painting with her Ceramic Raku Art. It does not fit a current art movement, yet seems to comment on all art movements at one time. Cubist, Impressionistic, and printed painting collages are Surreal and speak to the subconscious memory of a time yet to come. Her themes are commenting on the state of the world yet her color choice is sweet and mysterious. She is recognized by her community and the nation with this list of her recent shows.
National and Regional Exhibits Murals, Awards:
Sitka Creations Show and Gala 2014
Leominster Art Association Annual Show 2010, 2012, 2014 third place award
Worcester Center for Crafts Innovational Spring Show 2012, 2014,
Leominster Art Center and Gallery 5 years’ Experience BOD and First Friday Planner
Director and Exhibiter: Art Around the Town Exhibit Downtown Leominster 2013
Munson Art Association Annual show, 2012
Concord Art Association Annual Show 2013
Artistree Gallery/Montachusett Regional Planning Commission
Fitchburg Art Museum Invitational Tales from a Test Tube 2012
Fitchburg Art Museum 75th Regional 2010 & 2011 & 2012
Worcester State Collage Window Display’s Downtown 44 Front St. 2010, 2011
Worcester First Night 3D Painter with Tracy Lee Stum www.tracyleestum.com 2010
Worcester Art Museum Juried Then and Now Show 2010
University of Mass. Dartmouth Swain Alumni Show, The Next Generation, 2010
MOC Chair Show, Auction for a Good Cause 2010
Gloria Kennedy Gallery www.ceramicsregistry.com/ceramics NY, NY 2009 And Miami West Palm Beach Love, Peace and Beauty 2010
Muddy Myers Studio Santa Anna California. 2010 Polaroid of Raku 2010
Axion Gallery, Riders on the Train Project 2010, www.axiomart.org/Show with Poem
Cape Cod Art Museum Feb 2010, Chapter in a Book on Art and Spirituality
Gadsden Museum of Art 2009 www.gadsdenmuseum.com/ Second Place Ceramics 2009, 2013
Somerville Art Museum Mosaic Artists of New England Juror’s Choice Award 2009
Lexington Art and Craft Society The State of Clay www.LACS.com 2009
Rhonda Scheller Studios NY, NY, Stories We Tell Ourselves Show Chelsea West 27th
Bridgewater State College One Women Show 1990 The Domino Effect
NCECA: National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Boston