Lowcountry Water Halos: Works by Lisa Shimko

Exhibit dates: October 13 – December 6, 2016

Local artist and Redux Studio Alumni Lisa Shimko was named the 2016 Griffith Reyburn Award winner, a competitive annual prize administered by the Coastal Community Foundation for a visual artist “during the creation of a work of art that reflects or depicts “the look and feel” of the Lowcountry.”

Shimko, a Pennsylvania native who has made her home in the Lowcountry, was named this year’s winner by a panel of seasoned artists and arts administrators. She has created a new body of work entitled Lowcountry Water Halos.

While Shimko is relatively well-known inside the tight-knit art community, this award brings great recognition for her tireless artistic pursuits, not only in creating thought-provoking and engaging artwork, but contributing to the community and actively participating in local art shows and initiatives.

Lisa M. Shimko enjoyed her childhood in York County, PA, where she spent most of her time collecting rocks and exploring the terrain of forests and farms. Colors, forms, and textures from nature and the simple designs of Pennsylvania German folk art infused the foundation of her
artistic aesthetic.

In 1990, she earned a BFA in Painting with a minor in Art Therapy from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The urban landscapes of the Northeast supplied a different kind of nature for her to explore, from architecture, social issues to history and all the music in between. Hilton
Head Island became Lisa’s home in 2000 where the terrain of the coastal south added a new chapter to her aesthetic book.

Childhood memories intertwined with the urban to rural Lowcountry experiences initiated her call to explore environmental issues. She researches topics ranging from endangered animals and
insects to agri-business and climate change. Her paintings reflect the influence of new research, old memories and daydreaming.

She has called Charleston her home since 2006, where she creates in her downtown studio and shows her work at Mitchell Hill Gallery. For more information visit shimkoart.com.

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