B I O G R A P H Y

Graceann Warn's inspiration is driven by a deep sense of life, she describes it as "[being] everywhere. It’s a wall, or a word. It’s in books. It’s the entire city of Rome. It’s remembering a morning row on the Huron River. Inspiration is whatever I am obsessed with at any given time. A subject I return to again and again is science, especially as it relates to space."

Graceann was raised in the 60’s where the absolute wonder and awe of space exploration had a great impact on her life.

She is also inspired by architecture and archaeology and these frequently drive the look of her paintings; "I love the look and mythology

associated with broken down buildings, abandoned factories, and forgotten places."

Graceann's formal education was in landscape architecture and classical archaeology which provides structure to artistic flights of fancy that always seem to revolve around some form of revelation: the attempt to unearth an object or solve a mystery, uncovering/covering, leaving a trace, a vestige, a palimpsest. Frequently the painting takes shape as she works it. It is rare that she knows exactly what a piece will look like before beginning therefore it’s a very active, conscious process that evolves over time.

Although Graceann Warn’s academic background is in urban design and classical archaeology, she decided to take a leap of faith in 1985 to become a full time artist. She started out as an oil painter but throughout the 1990’s became best known for her assemblages. A few years ago, a 16 month long commission to design sets for a major opera production, Orfeo ed Euridice led to a shift in medium (as well as scale) in her studio work. Since that time she has primarily been painting on wood panels using oils and encaustic. The present work reflects the structural logic of her architectural beginnings as well as her abiding interest in archaeology and science. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in the collections of Yale University, Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY, US Embassies in Nairobi and Sarajevo, Pew Charitable Trusts and many others.

E D U C A T I O N

2001-2002 University of Michigan, Theater Design, coursework

1990- 1993 University of Michigan, Classical Art and Archaeology, coursework

1983-1984 University of Michigan, Landscape Architecture, graduate studies

1973-1978 Michigan State University, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Recipient ‘Certificate of Honor’, American Society of Landscape Architects Various professional workshops in bookbinding, papermaking, metalwork, prop building

S E L E C T E D E X H I B I T I O N S

SmithKlein Gallery, Boulder, CO 2015-Present

Jen Tough Gallery, Solo Show, Santa Fe, NM June 2024

Water Street Gallery, Solo Show September 2023

Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet, MA July 2023

Culture Verse, Ann Arbor, MI 'Root' December 2022

Calloway Fine Arts, Washington, DC Two person Show October 2022

Next Step Gallery, Ferndale, MI: Spring Happening, June 2022

Left Bank Gallery, Wellfleet, MA, August 2020

Water Street Gallery, Douglas, MI, June 2020

Architectural Digest, March 2020

Modern Arts Midtown, Omaha, NE, 'Origins' January 2020

SOFA Chicago, November 2019

Bennett Galleries, Knoxville, TN: New Work, October 2019

C O L L E C T I O N S and C O M M I S S I O N S

Four Seasons Troon, Scottsdale, AZ

Texas Tech University, Health Services Center, El Paso, TX

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH

MNP LLC, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Yale-New Haven Hospitals, New Haven, CT

Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY

US Embassy, Sarajevo ‘Arts in Embassies Program

Peter Sparling Dance Company/UniversityMusical Society, Set designer Orfeo ed Euridice

Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN

US Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya

Royal Carribean Cruiselines

Rand McNally, Chicago, IL

Pew Charitable Trust, Philadelphia, PA

Bell-Atlantic Headquarters, Philadelphia, PA

Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, VA

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