Artist Statement

I love color and paint and surface. I work primarily in wood. My process is to build and to carve out my compositional spaces first, and later to respond with paint.

The process of working out visual ideas in series becomes a self-generating engine. I have yet to feel that I have exhausted an idea. At some point I move on, inventing a new vocabulary of forms, shapes, surface treatment, use, materials, reference, or any or all of these.

My process flows most freely when I keep my work somewhere within the bounds of abstraction. Referencing, though never engaging representation to the point of realism, my work over the years has been interpretive to varying degrees. I like to search out relationships between the natural world and a more personal world of human experience. Often considering the wall as my compositional space, a portion of my work speaks as installation, spanning large spaces when these are available.

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Biography

Born and raised in New York City, Kathran Siegel attended Bennington College, where she studied painting with Jules Olitsky and Paul Feeley, sculpture with Anthony Caro and David Smith, and printmaking with Vincent Longo. She worked towards an M.F.A. at the University of New Mexico, but at the invitation of Newton Harrison and Paul Brach, (shadow wives: Helen Harrison and Miriam Shapiro) stopped her studies to help develop the program for a new art department at the University of California at San Diego. Following these experiences, Siegel moved to a loft in N.Y.C. where she continued to paint. After a few years, she moved to Gainesville, Florida, where she taught at the University of Florida.

While working on an MEd., Siegel took a woodworking class, which led her into 25 years of making studio furniture and other carved and turned objects. Until her retirement from teaching in 2011, she combined her studio practice with teaching art in Florida and in and around Philadelphia, where she currently lives. Her work is in several regional museum and public art collections. She was awarded an NEA Ventures Grant and later an Andy Warhol Foundation Grant. She has published a monograph on the artist, Mildred Thompson, as well as articles on the arts and arts education. Siegel is currently a member of Muse Gallery in Philadelphia.

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Education

1972 - 1974
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
M.Ed and Post Graduate Studies

1966 - 1967
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
MFA program

1966
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
BFA

1962 - 1965
Bennington College, Bennington, VT
BFA

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Awards and Honors

2015 - 2016
Artist Residency, Mt. Airy Custom Furniture, Inc., Philadelphia, PA

2005
Philadelphia Art and Education Partnership (PAEP)
Grant Exhibition Have A Seat, Helen Millard Children’s Gallery, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA

2004 - 2005
Philadelphia Art and Education Partnership (PAEP) 
Grant, Teaching Artist working with 6th grade students in Philadelphia Public School

2003
First Place Award In Sculpture, Annual Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Juror: Janet Fish

1998
Andy Warhol Foundation Grant
Selected by Carter Ratcliff to be part of a group of 4 writers to read, discuss and write art critical works

1993 - 1995
Artist-In-Residence, Grant recipient, Based in Duval County Schools. Funded through the Arts Assembly of Jacksonville, FL

1990
Art Ventures Grant, Jacksonville Community Foundation/NEA Co-funded



1987
Educator Award, "Special Recognition, Excellence in Education," presented by Arts Assembly, Jacksonville, FL


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Professional Experience

2003-2004
Adjunct Faculty Department of Art Education, Supervisor, Practicum Experience, Moore College Of Art And Design, Philadelphia, PA

2000 - 2002, and 2003
Adjunct Art Faculty, Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

2001 - 2011


Art Teacher, Philadelphia District Public Schools, Philadelphia, PA

2000
Instructor, Design II for Wood, Bucks County Community College Newtown, PA

2000 - 2001
Adjunct Faculty, Survey of Media and Design, Art Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

1989
Adjunct faculty, Art History, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL

1982 - 1988
Visual Arts Head, Bartram School, Jacksonville, FL

1973 - 1978
Adjunct faculty, College of Education, University Of Florida, Gainesville, FL

1969
Adjunct Faculty, Fine Art Dept., University Of CA at La Jolla, San Diego, CA

1968 - 1969
Fine Arts Faculty appointment, University Of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Exhibitions

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Solo

2023
Solo Series: Kathran Siegel, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA

2022
Thinking With My Hands, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2016
Nature Walks (feature exhibition), a series of relief sculptures, Persimmon Tree, on-line arts magazine, Summer Issue, 2016

2015 - 2016
Captured Animals, Mt. Airy Custom Furniture Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2005
Still Life/Real Life (A Second Look, Pfundt Gallery, James A. Michener Museum of Art, Doylestown, PA

1996
Authenticity: Truth Or Fiction?, Duncan Gallery, Stetson University, Deland, FL

Inside-Out/ Recent Work of Kathran Siegel, Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL

1993 - 1994
Authenticity: Truth Or Fiction?, Amerika Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

1993
Authenticity: Truth Or Fiction?, Galerie Art Form; Frankfurt am Main, Germany‍

Still Life/Real Life, Jacksonville Art Museum, Jacksonville, FL

1989
Kathran Siegel, Art & Architectural Design, Baltimore, MD



1986
Kathran Siegel, Ann O'Brien Gallery, Washington, DC



1983
Kathran Siegel, Jacksonville Art Museum, Jacksonville, FL




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Group

‍2024
The Naked Show, InLiquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Juried Exhibition, featuring works by 15 Gallery Artists

2023
1st Street Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Curator: Phyllis Floyd for Zeuxis

2023
Crafting Nature, InLiquid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Juried Exhibition

2023
Inspired By Nature, Shen Gallery, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Invitational

2022-2023
Works In Wood, New Hope Arts Center, New Hope, PA
Juror’s Award

2020-2021
RIVERFRONT 20/20, as part of Abstraction, The Delaware Contemporary (Art Museum), Wilmington, DE

2020
Subversion, DaVinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA

2018
Texas National, SFA Art Galleries, Nacodoches, TX
Juror: Jed Pearl

2014
Woodmere Museum Annual 73rd Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA
Juror, Sarah McEneaney

1997
The Chair Show II, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Folk Art Center, Asheville, NC

1995
Southeastern Fine Crafts Biennial Invitational Invitational Exhibition, Gulf Coast Art Center, Belleair, FL
Exhibition also traveled to DeLand Museum of Art, DeLand, FL

1986
Murray State University, Clara M. Eagle Gallery, Murray, KY
Plus one year traveling

1986
ART + ARCHITECTURE, The Public Art Trust, Washington, DC
Director, Elena Kanavier

1985
ANIMALS, The Public Art Trust, Washington, DC
Director, Elena Kanavier

1983
DESIGN U.S.A., Kjarvalsstadir Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland

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Exhibitions Curated

2008
Made in Italy: Il Chiostro, Broome Street Gallery, New York, NY

2007
Made in Italy: Il Chiostro, Broome Street Gallery, New York, NY

Solo Exhibition of Mildred Thompson, Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL
(catalogue)

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Public Collections

2024
MOCA Jacksonville, University of North FL, Jacksonville, FL
Stationary Screen Donated from the collection of the late Mary Ann Bryan of Jacksonville Beach, FL by her family

2002
James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA
Gallery Bench purchase/commission to be utilized in museum gallery

2001
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Vanitas, permanent collection

1996
City Hall of Orlando, FL

Studio Break maquette

1995
Florida Gulf Coast Art Museum, Belleair, FL
Afternoon Table, permanent collection moved to another location

1994
Jewish Community Alliance, Jacksonville, FL
Commissioned sculpture for lobby

1993
Art in Public Places, City Hall of Orlando, FL
Studio Break

1984
Jacksonville Museum of Art, Jacksonville, FL
2 miniature sculptural paintings/pins added to permanent collection

1980
Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
Purchase award, carved Walnut Vessel

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Commissions

2002
Installation of Commissioned Gallery Bench, James A. Michener Museum Of Art, Doylestown, PA
Bruce Katsiff, Museum Director

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Bibliography

"Curated Section by Guest Curator, Bridgette Mayer," Create Magazine, Issue 3, 2017, pages 148-149

“Kathran Siegel, Carving A Life." Persimmon Tree, Summer Issue 2016

Annual 73rd Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA, 2014, pages 19-21
(catalogue)

Moser, Grant “Wood you like to learn woodcarving at Woodmere.” Chestnut Hill Local, July 5, 2012

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Published Writings

2023
Review pgs 8-9, “Armor Gallery Book Louise Freshman Brown,” Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts, Florida State College at Jacksonville, FL

2010
“How the Arts Lay a Foundation for Learning,” EDUCATION WEEK, Nov.3,2010 article in print and web editions

2001
Furniture Studio Two, “Art Furniture,” examining the compromised union of two traditions, Winter Ed. Cambium Press, Bethel, CT

1999
Furniture Studio Two, Fall edition, “A Bridge Between Art and Life,” Cambium Press, Bethel, CT

1997
“Mildred Thompson: Deep Space,” A Monograph, The Jacksonville MOCA, Jacksonville, FL

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Publications

Siegel, Kathran, “How The Arts Lay a Foundation For Learning.” Education Week, November 3, 2010

Aimone, Steven, Design!: A Lively Guide to Design Basics for Artists & Craftspeople, Lark Books, A Division of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. NY, 2004

Siegel, Kathran, “Art Furniture,” Furniture Studio Two, Winter, 2001

Siegel, Kathran, "A Bridge Between
 Art and Life." Furniture Studio, Cambium Press, Bethel, CT, 1999