MILWAUKEE.- Bellevue Arts Museum presents Sherry Markovitz: Shimmer, Paintings and Sculptures 1979 - 2007, a mid-career retrospective of the renowned Seattle-based, mixed-media artist. On view through September 7, 2008, the exhibition is comprised of 41 pieces: 29 sculptural works (10 dolls, 5 gourds, 14 animals) and 12 paintings.

Distinguished for her evocative beaded assemblages, drawings and paintings, Markovitz intricately weaves through various themes and materials in her multi-dimensional work. The artist is perhaps best known for her beaded, richly-adorned papier-mâché animal head trophies and dolls, which explore the realms of human expression, art and craft, life and death, and metaphors of gender and identity. Her prominent use of beads as a form of expression crosses cultural boundaries, touching on their historical and symbolic use – functional, ceremonial and spiritual – around the world.

In a recent interview, Markovitz expresses, “I can’t get away from the beads and the many other small items I attach to cover the surface of an object. There is a latitude but consistency to beadwork. Age and transformation are implicit in their shiny brilliance and beauty. Opacity, cut edge, sheen, transparencies, tones, and variation all come into play. Beads on the taxidermy forms brought craft and sculpture together for me.” As she explains, “The magic enters through the sensuousness of the materials.”

An Artist Talk with Sherry Markovitz will be held on Friday, July 11 at 6:30 pm as part of Bellevue Arts Museum’s newly launched Free First Friday Lecture Series.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Markovitz received her BA in Ceramics and Art Education at the University of Wisconsin, and a MFA in Printmaking from the University of Washington. Markovitz’s works are featured in numerous public and private collections, including: The Corning Museum of Glass, NY; American Craft Museum, NY; Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI; Seattle City Light 1% for Art Collection; Junior League, Seattle; Seattle Art Museum; and Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA; among others.

Sherry Markovitz: Shimmer, Paintings and Sculptures 1979 - 2007 has been organized and distributed by the Museum of Art/Washington State University, Pullman, WA. The accompanying book to the exhibition, Sherry Markovitz: Shimmer by Chris Bruce and Josin Ianco-Starrels, is available in all major bookstores.