Artist's Statement I’ve been an artist since I was three years old and drew a picture of my ear ache. I don’t remember a time when art was not exciting for me. I knew I wanted art to be my profession, but I clearly remember the day the fire of my passion for creating art began burning, taking over my life for good. I was twenty and doing clay sculpture. In 1977 I moved from New England to Tucson. I continued to do sculpture, but the vibrant color of the landscape, the culture, and the people inspired me to work with color. I began with oil pastel and eventually started to paint in oils. In 2001 I saw the movie “Pollock” and had an epiphany. I went home and began a painting of trees. Then I let my mind go free with the colors and the feel of the work - a kind of stream of consciousness painting. Perhaps abstraction is the purest form of expression in painting, but I find it works better to infuse emotion into my work if I keep representation a part of it. Besides, I especially enjoy rendering. I love the act of creating a work of art - the essence of paint, of clay or paper. I love the way the color, the form, the texture and composition, create an emotion you can’t explain in words. My work is about aesthetics. I’m not making statements with my art. I’m not making social comment. Rather, I wish to arrest the viewer with a visual feast. Mary Theresa Dietz Biography
Jan. 1954	Born in San Francisco, CA
ONE PERSON SHOWS
1984-2007	Café Olé, Epic, Bentley’s, Shane House Gallery, Artist of the Month Gallery-Tucson, AZ; Renaissance Café, Main Street Café- Bisbee, AZ
1991, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007	Tucson Public Library (Main)-Tucson, AZ
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Sept. 1976	Annual Friends of Hopkin’s Center Art Exhibition, Hanover, NH
Nov, 1984-Jan.1985	Juried competition (Juror: Fritz Scholder) at 60th Shreveport Art Guild National Exhibition, Shreveport LA
1985, 1989, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006	Café Olé, Studio 222, Bentley’s, Womankraft- Tucson, AZ; Metamorphosis- Patagonia, AZ
1996-Present	TADP Open Studio Tour twice yearly, Tucson, AZ
2000, 2006, 2007	“People-Watching”, “Flap”, and “Animals,Animals, Animals!” Tucson International Airport- Tucson, AZ
Spring 2003	“Animals del Pueblo” art festival Tucson, AZ
2003, 2004	“Pollos del Pueblo”, “Orange Alert” Alamo Gallery- Tucson, AZ
June-Sept. 2004	“XXXL Summer Show” Studio 180 Tucson, AZ
Aug.-Sept. 2004	“Monsoon” Flash-Tucson, AZ
Oct.- Nov. 2004	“The Eerie Show” First Light Stone Avenue Gallery-Tucson, AZ
2005, 2007	“Le Salon des Refusés” Dinnerware Gallery- Tucson, AZ
December 2006 - February 2007	With Elizabeth Criger Alamo Gallery- Tucson
GALLERIES
1974-2007	Gallery 2-Woodstock, VT; Contemporary Christian Art Gallery NewYork, NY; Artworks, Tucson Cooperative, Knox-Campbell, Modern Hand, Womankraft, Phantom Galleries, Studio 180, Flash, First Light Stone Ave.Gallery, Dinnerware Gallery, Shane House Gallery, Alamo Gallery, Artist of the Month Gallery-Tucson, AZ Metamorphosis-Patagonia, AZ
AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS
1972, 1973	Second prize-sculpture Lebanon Arts and Crafts Ass. Lebanon, NH
1972-1976	Member Lebanon Arts and Crafts Ass. Board of Directors, Lebanon, NH
1973-2004	Commissions in sculpture, portraits murals, pastels, oil paintings
July 1984	First prize drawing Congress Street Art Festival, Tucson, AZ
Feb. 2000	Among eight finalists City of Tucson’s Portable Art Collection
COLLECTIONS
1973-2005	Tucson, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Patagonia AZ; San Simon, AZ; Boston, MA Woodstock, VT; North Troy, VT Rye, NH; Hanover, NH; Lebanon, NH Los Angeles,CA; San Francisco, CA NewYork,NY; Seattle,WA; Ambler,PA York, PA; Chicago,IL; Tokyo, Japan Saudi Arabia; Leeds, England
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Summer 1971	Apprenticed in clay sculpture and wheel-throwing under Armand Henault, Queechee, VT
June-July 1972	Studied wheel-throwing and clay technique at Haystack-Hinckley School of Crafts, Hinckley, Me
July-August 1972	Taught clay technique as an assistant to Betty Kodess at the Recreational Center, Woodstock, VT
March 1976-1983	Participated in life drawing classes at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH and University of Arizona, Tucson
2005, 2006, 2007	Gave workshops in oil stick painting and monoprint/reverse-glass at Womankraft School of the Arts, Tucson
2004-2006	Modeled for nude drawing classes under Michael Cajero
Sept 2005 & March 2006	Gave demonstrations in Monoprint/reverse-glass painting for Southwestern League of Fine Arts & Pima Paint Club- Tucson
May & June 2006	Taught oilstick painting, Pima College Community Classes-Tucson
VOLUNTEER WORK
2002, 2007	Donated musical instrument sculpture to Tucson Symphony “Art of Music” fundraiser auctions
Spring 2002, 2004	Donated paintings to TADP “Urban Picnic” fundraiser
Spring 2002	Helped organize Amory Park Neighborhood Art Show for Amory Park Home Tour
Fall 2003	Donated painting to Tucson Jewish Community Center’s “The New Party” fundraiser
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007	Donated paintings to Dinnerware Gallery’s fundraiser art auctions
Copyright © 2004-2007 by Mary Theresa Dietz, all rights reserved