Bio – Berenice Pliskin
Artist Statement
My love of color and light and the spontaneity that the silk painting medium provides, gives me the unique opportunity to fully express myself. It persuades my imagination to retrieve new images and transfer them onto the silk surface. The impression left by the resist and the dyes leads me to further invention. The idea that I never know what will be coming next is a powerful incentive to my work. I sometimes draw from my life experiences, and memories and work directly onto the silk. At other times I develop a set of imagery and work in watercolor and collage before using dyes. The medium is always playful and unpredictable. My basic interest is the rendering of color onto a two dimensional surface and the developing of ideas and imagery which work as an abstraction even though my work is figurative. I owe a debt to Henri Matisse, whose paintings I have loved since childhood. Other strong influences include Romare Bearden, Jasper Johns, Elizabeth Murray, Stuart Davis and prehistoric cave paintings.
Selected Juried Exhibitions:
Solo Exhibit: Rye Arts Center Gallery “Works of Berenice Pliskin” a collection of silk paintings. March 6-April 19th 2024, Artist Talk April 13th 2pm
Three paintings from the”Latino and Latina Day Laborer” series will be displayed in the Conference room of the International Labor Organization in NYC from June 24th -September 30th 2019. The ILO is an agency of the United Nations.
Group Show: Fiber Now: Textile Artists on the Cutting Edge: Rye Arts Center Gallery: March 14th-April 27th, 2019
Rye Art Center, Rye NY, Group Exhibit “Figurative Interpretations” 2/24/18 – 3/10/18
SIA Gallery, Peekskill NY, Group Exhibit, “Nothing Is As It Seems” 11/11/17 – 1/7/18
Flat iron Salon, Peekskill NY, “Mainly Maine” Group Exhibit” 12/1/17 -!2/31/17
SIA Gallery, Peekskill NY, Group Exhibit, “Spaces & Places” 4/29/17 – 6/11/17
SIA Gallery Peekskill, NY, Group Exhibit “The Art Of Peekskill” 5/14/16 – 6/12/2016
The Gallery at Eastern Hay, Pawling, NY, Group Exhibit “Spring Fever” 3/11/16 – 4/16/16
SIA Gallery Peekskill,Group Exhibit “Collaged from the Heart” 2/6/16 -3/6/19
Wilton Library “The Winter Show”-Six Women Artists, 1/15/15-2/27/15
Paramount Theater, Hudson Valley , Group Exhibit 2014, 2015
Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY, A Group exhibition to celebrate Hispanic History Month, including eight paintings of the Latino Day Laborer series, September 7, 2013-September 29, 2013
White Plains Library Museum Gallery, An Exhibit of art and photography Berenice and Bob Pliskin, “Silk and Paper” Oct. 14, 2012 – Nov.16, 2012
ArtsWestchester, White Plains, NY “A Spin On Green” June- July 2011
The silk painting “At the Opening”, has been chosen to be on exhibit at The Katonah Museum of Art, from February 28th – June 13th 2010. She is the present featured artist of the Katonah Museum Artist association.
“Interiors”, an exhibit of area artists will be at the Paramount Center for the Arts, through February 2010. “Conversations” a silk painting is included In this exhibit.
Hiram Halle Memorial Library, Pound Ridge NY Solo Exhibit March 8th – April 18th, 2009
Katonah Museum Tri-State Exhibit, “Contemporary Confrontations”, Juror
Nan Rosenthal: Curator of Modern Art in the Metroplolitan Museum of Art 1/25/09 – 2/22/09
“The Majestic Hudson”, A group exhibit of paintings by area artists, Paramount Center For The ARTS.
Peekskill, NY December 5th- February 28, 2009
Katonah Museum Artist’s Association Juried Exhibition at the Sculpture Barn, New Fairfield CT, Oct 12th-Nov.2nd 2008
A. I. R. Gallery, Generations “08, NYC, June 2008
National Association of Women Artists, NYC, 5/12/08-7/17/08
Katonah Museum, Day Laborer series to accompany immigration conference 10/12/07
Katonah Museum Artist Association 9/07-3/08
The Blue Hill Cultural Center, Pearl River NY, National Association of Women Artists, member exhibit: June-Nov. 2007
Biennial Exhibition at A. I. R. Gallery, NYC March 6-31, 2007
Juror: Connie Butler, Curator of Drawings and Prints, Museum of Modern Art
School House Gallery, Katonah Museum Artists Assoc.10/20/06-11/12/06
HVCCA, The Peekskill Project, Invitational show, Sept. 16 – 17, 2006
Westchester Biennial, Juror: D. Domenick Lombardi April 2 – June 18, 2006
Katonah Museum Tri-State Exhibit Juror: Benny Andrews, May – June 2005
Solo exhibit, Flat Iron Gallery, Peekskill, NY May, 2005
Smithtown Township Arts Council, Fiber Exhibit, July 2004
Katonah Museum Artists Assoc. W.C.C. Gallery, Juror, Dede Young, June 2004
A. I. R. Gallery, Generations .04, Invitational show, NYC March 2004
Flat Iron Gallery, Peekskill, NY, Dec. 2002, Feb, Sept – Dec. 2003,
Quiet Waters Gallery, Annapolis, Maryland Sept, 10, Nov 2, 2003
Union Station, Kansas City, Mo. Banner, June 2003
Katonah Museum Artists Assoc. NWCA, October 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005
Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland, September 2000
Westchester Community College Gallery,”Intimate Angles“ Oct. 1998
Grassroots, Hastings-on Hudson, 1994
Bronx Museum
Numerous Private Collections
Publications:
Express News: Sept.2012, featured Article
“Know Your Neighbor”, Berenice and Bob Pliskin, White Plains, NY
Spring 2009 Featured Artist for Katonah Museum Artist Association Newsletter, “Visions”
February 2009: Pound Ridge & Bedford Record Review Newspaper, Featured Artist “Taking the Silk Road in Pound Ridge
Peinture Sur Soie: A French magazine for silk painters, featured artist double page spread of Latino Day Laborers, July 2007
The Journal News: “Art Knows No Borders”, July 23,2006 The NY Times,Featured Artist, Review of Westchester Biennial, May7, 2006
The New York Times: “Living In” October 2005
The Peekskill Star: ”Spotlight” Pliskin’s Artwork Selected” June 2003
The New York Times, Westchester Section: Featured Artist Nov. 2001
Women’s News ,”Hello Peekskill Goodbye Soho” June 2000
Hudson Valley Magazine Artists Profile, “Taking the Silk Road” Aug. 2000
Longman Inc: Top 20 ESL Word Games Beginning Vocabulary Development Authors: Marjorie Fuchs, Berenice Pliskin: 1991-present, Barnes&Noble, Amazon.com
Longman Inc: Aventuras, Beginning Spanish, Text Book Authors: Brenda Stephens with Berenice Pliskin: 1989
Longman Inc: Top 24 French Word Game Hits– Masters for Beginning French Author: 1988
Longman Inc: Top 24 Spanish Word Game Hits– Masters for Beginning Spanish Author: 1987
Doubleday & Company, INC: A Trainload of Fun– A Doubleday Activity Book Author & Illustrator: 1981
Grosset & Dunlap: Cinnamon House Press: Dinosaur Activity Book Author & Illustrator: 1978
Grosset& Dunlap: Cinnamon House Press: Ringmasters Puzzles Author & Illustrator: 1978
Scholastic Magazine: Science World Magazine, Contributing Puzzle Editor Cartoonist & Puzzle Constructor 1970 – 1978
Commissions & Corporate Collections
“Diptych 1”, “Diptych 2”, “Night Heron”, “Spider Web” Ginsburg Development LLC, Chapel Hill, Peekskill, two silk paintings
Honors:
“Who’s Who of American Women” Surface Design Association Award-winning silk painting, “Digital Delights”
2003 Westchester Arts Council Arts Awards 2002: Education/Community Award for a significant contribution to the arts, “A Community Mosaic 9/11”
Art Organizations:
SPIN, Silk Painters International
National Association of Women in the Arts, Juried Member
Katonah Museum Artist Association
Textile Study Group of NY
Surface Design Assoc.
Education:
M. F. A. Painting, Lehman College, New York High School of Music & Art