Kirby Fredendall
Contact Information
Studio & Gallery
New Hope, PA
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.
Gallery Representation
LAA Art Collective, Wayne, PA
Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
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Painting
Archived Work
Artist's Biography
Kirby Fredendall was raised in Bucks County amidst the vibrant arts culture that has defined the area since artists first arrived to establish residence on the old farms and in the eclectic river towns. Among her first memories was falling to sleep to the pianist Anna Ward, married to artist Charles Ward, as Anna practiced in her home across the street. Later, she remembers times shared swimming in the pool and marveling at the stacks of wood on George Nakashima's remarkable property with her friend, his granddaughter, Maria.
These memories, along with being raised by artists, forged deep ties to the arts for Fredendall who attended Duke University to study Art History, first in North Carolina and then in London. Following her studies in London she attended the Cordon Bleu, later to work as a pastry chef while she obtained her master's degree in Art Education and Painting.
Becoming a painter was a natural progression for Fredendall who had been drawing and painting throughout her life. Her first exhibitions were local, followed by numerous national group shows in Philadelphia, Hartford, Wilmington, Harrisburg, and later New York. Solo shows followed, including one at the Michener Art Museum. She received the honor of the Rauschenberg Foundation's "The Power of Art" grant.
Her most recent work explores her relationship to a lake in the Adirondack Mountains. While the paintings can be most directly defined as landscapes, they can be more accurately described as representations of the constantly changing energy of our relationship with not only ourselves, but also with those around us and with our environment. They examine the unbreakable but changeable connections that exist between forces both within us and without.
Artist's Statement
Myriad conditions of light created by the time of day and the weather illuminate textures in the water, patterns in the clouds, and juxtapositions of color that richly vibrate with one another to form the visual experience of the landscape. The morning light slowly eases up over the horizon, gently lighting the clouds, and later seen from the same vantage, the evening fire of the sunset races through the darkening sky. These dynamic combinations of light, shape, pattern. and color inspire my work.
I enjoy the manipulation of materials and how process in itself contributes to the life and form of the final image. Dramatic, gestural lines describe the play of light and wind across the water, while softer marks add life to the slow movement of rain laden clouds. Areas of sky, water, and land are knit together with brushstrokes to represent their seamless interaction under the common conditions of weather and time. In my recent acid etched tin pieces, areas of watery marks are left visible to further suggest the underlying layers of the landscape.
John O’Donohue speaks about experiences in life that allow you to “...swerve into rhythm with your deeper nature and presence, (where) you do not have to go outside yourself to come into real conversation with your soul and with the mysteries of the spiritual world. More than striving to create the particulars of landscapes that inspire me, I paint to capture the timelessness of the elements of light, weather, and geometries that inform them. My work is not about how the landscape looks as much as about how the landscape makes me feel. My goal is to create an image that allows the viewer to engage with it in such a way as to invite similar introspection. As John O’Donohue so eloquently states, “Landscape is not all external, some has crept inside the soul. Human presence is infused with landscape.”
These are the landscapes that I seek to create in my work.
Selected Exhibitions
Solo
2021
Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
2020
Horizons Lines, InLiquid at Archer Law, Philadelphia, PA
2019
Impressions of Water, Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
Water Meeting the Sky, Welcome Gallery, Main Line Arts Center, Haverford, PA
2016
Balance of Light, Bazemore Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2013
Kirby Fredendall: New Work, Reinboth Gallery, Lambertville, NJ
2011
Add Sugar & Stir: Cookbooks in the Lives of American Women, Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
2010
Kirby Fredendall: New Work, Reinboth Gallery, Lambertville, NJ
2009
Kirby Fredendall: Paintings, Reinboth Gallery, Lambertville, NJ
2007
Add Sugar and Stir: Cookbooks in the Lives of American Women, Peggy Lewis Gallery, Lambertville, NJ
2002
Kirby Fredendall: Paintings, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
Conversations, Soul Works, Furlong, PA
2001
Kirby Fredendall: Paintings, Emerald City Fine Art, Seattle, WA
1998
Kirby Fredendall: Paintings, Multiple Choice Gallery, Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA
Two & Three Person
2018
Landscapes: Kirby Fredendall and Mirjam Seeger, InLiquid at Crane Hall, Philadelphia, PA
2015
Kirby Fredendall & Alex Damevski: A Dialogue, A Space Gallery, New Hope, PA
1997
Modern or Post-Modern? Three Abstract Painters, Nancy Moore Gallery, New York, NY
1996
Two Painters, Union League Club Art Gallery , New York, NY
Group
2021
The Woodmere Art Museum Annual 79th Juried Exhibition: Seeing the Story, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2020
LAA Art Advisory, The Gallery at Main Line Coop, Wayne, PA
Philadelphia/Tri State Artist's Equity Annual Juried Show, Philadelphia, PA
Juror: Bridgette Mayer
Gallery Artists, Bluestone Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Professional Member's Show, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Member’s Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
New Hope Arts Salon, New Hope Arts League, New Hope, PA
2019
Professional Member’s Show, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Gallery Artists, Bluestone Fine Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Really Big Group Show, Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
Transitions, Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
2018
Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Benefit Exhibition for the Friends of the Rail Park, Philadelphia, PA
American Visions, Michener Museum, Doylestown, PA
Summer Show Gallery Artists, Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
51st Art of the State, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Pictures at an Exhibition, New Hope Arts Center, New Hope, PA
Viewpoints 2018, Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ
Professional Member’s Show, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2017
Winter Show Gallery Artists, Candita Clayton Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
Member’s Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
National Juried Show, Larkin Arts, Harrisonburg, VA
Water Ways: A Greater Philadelphia Region Artist Installation, Freemans Art Gallery, Wayne, PA
Fresh Hues, Media Arts Center, Media, PA
154th Exhibition of Small Oils, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
Spring Gala Exhibition and Benefit, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2016
215/610 Contemporary, Delaware County Community College, Media, PA
New Hope Arts Member’s Salon, New Hope Arts League, New Hope, PA
New Hope Historical Society Art Show, New Hope Arts League, New Hope, PA
49th Art of the State, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
West Chester Arts Walk, Blank Canvas Gallery, West Chester, PA
5th Annual Juried Show, Artists of Yardley, Yardley, PA
2015
Annual Show, New Hope Art League, New Hope, PA
Annual Show, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA
2014
Mixed Media & Photography, Bucks County Project Gallery, Doylestown, PA
Annual Show, New Hope Arts, New Hope, PA
2013
Annual Show, InLiquid, Philadelphia, PA
2009
Summer Gallery Artists, Ocean Gallery at Barnegate Light, Barnegate, NJ
2008
Gallery Artists, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
2006
Gallery Artists, Trimbur Henry Gallery, Doylestown, PA
2005
Works on Paper, Perkins Center for the Arts, Moorestown, NJ
Gallery Artists, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
2004
37th Art of the State, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Gallery Artists, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
2003
Bucks County Artists: A Cross Section, Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA
2002
Gallery Artists, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
2001
34th Art of the State, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Gallery Artists, Morpeth Gallery, Hopewell, NJ
2000
Shaping the American Landscape, Unison Arts Gallery, New Paltz, NY
Beginnings & Endings, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
1999
32nd Art of the State, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Under One Foot, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
71st Annual Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
9th Annual Exhibition, Lyet Gallery, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA
1998
National Juried Open Exhibition, The STAGE Gallery, Merrick, NY
Artsbridge at Prallsville Mill, Prallsville Mill Gallery, Stockton, NJ
Gallery Artists, Nancy Moore Gallery, New York, NY
Member’s Juried Exhibition, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
1996
Fin de Siecle, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
Summer Group Exhibition, Nancy Moore Gallery, New York, NY
Inside/Out, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
144” Square, Erector Square Gallery, New Haven, CT
Two Up, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
1995
Return to Beauty, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
Artist's Bibiography
2020
"Nature Study," Luxury Magazine, Spring 2020
2018
"Artwork with various 'ViewPoints' featured in new Montclair art exhibition", Newjersey.com, May 2018
2016
Brewster, Don, “New,” DoNArTNeWs, Philadelphia Art News Blog by Don Brewster, October 2016
English, M., “Plymouth Meeting dentist, wife to display photography, landscapes in upcoming studio show,” 21st Century Media Services, The Times Herald: Art Galleries, October
2016
“Art of the State” finalists dominated by Philly area, Stephen Salisbury, Philly.com, June 1, 2016
2015
English, M., “Shared exhibit at New Hope Gallery,” 21st Century Media Services, The Times Herald: Art Galleries, November 2015
2011
Stadd, Allison, “Add Sugar And Stir: Cookbooks And The Lives Of Women Is On Display At The Michener Museum In Doylestown Beginning March 19,” UWISHUNU, Philadelphia, March 2, 2011
2007
Collins, Shannon, "Blending a lyrical, New York School gesturalism with intense areas of pure hue, (Fredendall's) paintings are a celebration of the versatility of color and reveal the depth of human experience," LifeStyle Magazine, April 2007
"Town Topics," Women & Cookbooks Show at Peggy Lewis Gallery, March 2007
"Kirby Fredendall Serves Cookbooks in Art Exhibition," Bucks County Herald, March 2007
2002
Rivera, F.R., “Morpeth Gallery,” US 1 Art Review, September 2002
2000
"New American Paintings, Juried Artists," Open Studio Press, Spring 2000
1998
“Looking Ahead (Featured Artist),” Art Matters, Philadelphia's Regional Magazine of the Arts, Spring/Summer 1998
1997
Huntington, Richard, “The Persistence of Modernism and Other Tales From Delaware and Surrounds,” Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts Newsletter, Summer 1997
1995
Francis, Anna, “Exhibit Curator Calls for a Return to Beauty,” Art Matters, December/January
Publications
2020
Luxury Magazine, Spring 2020
Featured Cover Artist
2017
Create! Magazine, Spring 2017
Fragile Express, February 8, 2017
Fresh Paint Magazine, August 14, 2016
2016
“Kirby Fredendall,” Fresh Paint Magazine, August 14, 2016
2000
“Juried Artists Spring,” New American Paintings, Open Studio Press, Spring 2000
Professional Experience, Awards, and Collections
Professional Experience
Art Instructor, Solebury School, Solebury, PA
Awards and Honors
2020
Philadelphia/Tri State Artist's Equity Annual Juried Show, Philadelphia, PA
Third Place Award
2017
Spring Gala Exhibition and Benefit, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Honorable Mention
2016
Artists of Yardey
First Choice Bank 2nd Place Award,
2015
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation: The Power of Art
2000
New American Paintings, Juried Artists, Open Studio Press, Spring 2000
Collections
Kaufelt Collection, Murray’s Cheese, New York, NY
Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
Davis Enterprises, Mt. Laurel, NJ
Kettles & Smith Collection, Gr8 People, New Hope, PA
Denise Gindhart Consulting, Spring City, PA
Education
1992
Arcadia University, Glenside, PA
M.Ed, Art Education & Painting
1988
Duke University, Durham, NC
BA, Art History
1987
Boston University Abroad Studies Program, London, England
1986
Duke University Renaissance Arts Program, Florence, Italy
Recent Artist Member Mentions on InLiquid
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ViewPoints 2022
Studio Montclair is delighted to announce one of its largest and most prestigious exhibits–the 25th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, “ViewPoints … See Full Post
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Bridgette Mayer 2021 Benefit Exhibition: Hope & Possibility
Benefit Exhibition For EducationWorks & Tools For School Opening Reception: Thursday, October 7th, 5:30pm-8:00pm Location: 990 Spring Garden St, Ground … See Full Post
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Kirby Fredendall & Alex Damevski: Open Studio
Join Kirby Fredendall and Alex Damevski as they open their artists’ studio to the general public for the weekend of June 11th in New Hope, PA.
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The Woodmere Art Museum Annual: 79th Juried Exhibition Seeing the Story
Stories are a staple of life; they let us see ourselves. They unfold over time, from the briefest moment to … See Full Post
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Spirituality on Canvas- Artist Spotlight on Kirby Fredendall
What is spirituality? Perhaps it’s the felt experience of transcendence, of lifting oneself out of the mundane, everyday world … See Full Post
