THERESA (TRACY) SPADAFORA
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EDUCATION
1995                   M.F.A., State University of New York, New Paltz, NY.
                           Area of Concentration: Painting.
1989                   B.F.A., Boston University, Boston, MA.
                           Major: Painting  Minor: Art History
 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
 
1997-2022          Instructor, private studio instruction in drawing, painting, and encaustic painting techniques.
              
2001-2022          Instructor, Quincy College, Quincy, MA.
                           Courses:  Line, Color & Design, Basic Drawing, Advanced Drawing, 
                           Basic Painting, Advanced Painting, Fundamentals of Visual Art, Survey of
                           Art History I & II, and Art & Society.
 
2020-2022          Instructor, Whitney Place & Willows Assisted Living, Westborough, MA.
                           Painting classes for seniors.
 
2020-2022          Instructor, Brookdale Cushing Park, Senior Living, Framingham, MA.
                           Painting classes for seniors.
 
2009-2014          Instructor, Danforth Museum School, Framingham, MA.
                           Courses:  (Adult)  Basic Design, Basic Painting, Intermediate Painting, Basic Drawing, Intermediate                                   Drawing, and Pastels.
                           (Youth, ages 8-18)  Drawing from Observation and various Summer Art Camps.
                          
1997-2012          Instructor, School of the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA.
                           Courses:  (offered for Becker College and Quinsigamond College credit)
                           Life Drawing,  Painting I & II,  Drawing I & II,  Portrait I,
                           and Drawing for the Adventurous, and various youth classes.
                                                                       
1997-2012          Instructor, DeCordova Museum School, Lincoln, MA.
                           Courses:  (Adult)  Encaustic Painting.
                           (Youth, ages 8-18) Studio Foundations, Painting, Portfolio Preparation, and various summer arts camps.                                                                                                                                                                         
2006-2007          Instructor, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA.
                           Courses:  Basic Drawing.
                                                      
2000-2005          Instructor, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI.
                           Courses:  (Youth, grades 11&12)  Foundation Drawing and Basic Design,
                           Pre-College Program.
     
1998-2002          Instructor, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA.  
                           Courses:  (Youth, grades 11&12)  Oil Painting, Summer Studios Program.
                                                              
1998-2005          Instructor, South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA.
                           Courses:  (Adult)  Painting I and Encaustic Painting.
 
1997-2001          Instructor, Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington, MA.
                           Courses:  (Adult)  Oil Painting,  Painting Techniques,
                           and Drawing & Painting the Figure.
 
1997-2001          Instructor, Creative Arts, Reading, MA.
                           Courses:  (Adult)  Drawing I, and Intermediate Drawing
                           Courses:  (Youth, ages 6-12)  Art Basics I & II, Advanced Drawing,
                           Cartooning, Drawing & Painting Studio I, and Theater Arts Camp.
                                        
1995                   Graduate Instructor, State University of New York, New Paltz, NY.
                           Courses:  Introduction to Drawing and Design.
                                         
ENCAUSTIC PAINTING WORKSHOPS:  Intensive 1-5 day, hands-on workshops including technical & safety information, demonstration of techniques, and slide presentation showing  historical and contemporary examples.
 
2021-2022          Two-Day Encaustic Workshop, Concord Center for Visual Art, Concord, MA.
2014-2019          Montserrat College of Art, Summer Immersives Program, Beverly, MA.
2017                   Providence Art Club, Providence, RI.
2012                   6th Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA.
2010                   4th Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
2009                   3rd Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
2008                   2nd Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
1997-2012          The School of the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA.
1997-2012          The New Art Center in Newton, Newtonville, MA.
2003-2005          The New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH.
2002-2003          Seastone Papers, West Tisbury, MA.
2000-2004          Peter’s Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ.
2001-2005          The Sharon Art Center, Sharon, NH.
1999-2005          The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA.
1998-2000          Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT.
1997-2005          DeCordova Museum School, Lincoln, MA.
1996-2000          R&F Handmade Paints, Inc., Kingston, NY.
1998-2005          South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA.
1997-2003          Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale NY.
1999                   Art New England Summer Workshops, Bennington, VT.
1997                   The Art League of Long Island, Huntington, NY.
                     
LECTURES / DEMONSTRATIONS
 
2022                   Zoom Demo, Bedford Arts & Crafts Society, Bedford, MA.
2020                   Zoom Demo, Franklin Art Association, Franklin, MA.
2019                   Chelmsford Art Society, Chelmsford, MA.
2017                   Watertown Art Association, Watertown, MA.
2016                   Clark University, painting seminar, Worcester, MA.
                           Hits on Wax, guest artist, Danforth Museum, Framingham, MA.
2015                   9th Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA.
2012                   6th Annual  International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA.
                           Newton Arts Association, Newton, MA.
2011                   5th International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA.
                           Bedford Arts & Crafts Association, Bedford, MA.
                           Mass Wax, New England chapter of the International Encaustic
                           Artists, Somerville, MA.
2010                   4th  International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
2009                   3rd  International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
                           Blick Art Store, Boston, MA.         
2008                   2nd International Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA.
2007                   The Chelmsford Art Association, Chelmsford, MA.
2006                   The Needham Art Association, Needham, MA.
                           Somerville High School, Painting Dept., Somerville, MA.
2004                   The New England Art Therapy Assoc., Lesley College, Cambridge, MA.
                           Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, CT.
                           Eastern Connecticut State University, Willamantic, CT.
                           School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
2003                   Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable, MA.
                           Jerry’s Artarama, West Hartford, CT.
2002                   Lexington Arts & Crafts Association, Lexington, MA.
2001                   The Groton School, Groton, MA.
1999                   The Somerville Museum, Somerville, MA.
                           Framingham State University, Framingham, MA.
1997-1999          Rhode Island School of Design Bookstore, Providence, RI.
1998                   Art Institute of Boston, Boston, MA.
                           Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA.
                           Gallery Talk, Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY.
1997 - 1998        Boston University School for the Arts, Boston, MA.
1997                   Pearl Art & Craft, Cambridge, MA.
                           Charrette Art Supply, Cambridge, MA.
                           CAA Conference, New York, NY. 
1996                   CAA Conference, Boston, MA.
                        
 
RELATED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
 
2012-2016          Co-owner, Out of Line Studio for Art & Design, Westborough, MA.
                           Responsibilities included:  Scheduling and teaching art programs for youth, teens, and adults.                                             Advertising / promoting classes, hosting art shows, coordinating visiting artists workshops.
 
1993-96             Technical Consultant, R&F Handmade Paints, Inc., Kingston, NY.
                           Responsibilities included:  Assisting in the production and packaging of high
                           quality, handmade, encaustic paint and pigment sticks.  Consulting in product
                           development.  Providing technical support to customers.  Assisting in the
                           organization of exhibitions for the Gallery at R&F.  Assisting in teaching
                           encaustic workshops.
                                               
1994                   Activities Assistant, State University of New York, New Paltz, NY.
                           Responsibilities included:  Assisting Portfolio Review Committee,
                           coordinating studio models, and giving tours of the visual arts department and
                           facilities to prospective students.
                                               
1991-93              Graphic Designer, Advanced Medical Graphics, Boston, MA.
                           Responsibilities included: Designing graphs, charts, and technical illustrations
                           for medical textbooks using Macintosh programs, Illustrator and Photoshop.
 
1990-93              Staff Photographer, KLM Communications, West Quincy, MA.
                           Responsibilities included:  Photographing monthly assignments for
                           Campus Calendar, Boston Nurse News, and the Nantucket Travel Guide.
 
SOLO / TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS  (2001 – 2022)
 
2022                “Tracy Spadafora: Left Behind”, ArtsWorcester solo-exhibition selection, The Franklin Square Salon at the                           Hanover Theatre, Worcester, MA.
2021               “Traces of Existence”, Tracy Spadafora & Claudia Ruiz Gustafson, Concord Center
                         for Visual Art, Concord, MA.          
2020                 Tracy Spadafora & Michael Seif, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA.
2017                “Tracy Spadafora: Work from the DNA Series”, Aidron Duckworth Museum,
                         Meriden, NH.
2016                “Systematic Abiguity”, Tracy Spadafora & Carrie Crane, Fountain Street Fine Art, Framingham, MA.
2013                “Work from the DNA Series”, Cabot Science Library, Harvard University,
                         Cambridge, MA.
2010                “A Natural Affinity”, Tracy Spadafora & Joyce Utting Schutter, two-person exhibition, Cahoon Museum of                             American Art, Cotuit, MA.
2009                “Nakayama/Spadafora”, two-person exhibit, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA.
2008                “Tracy Spadafora and Laurel Hughes”, two-person exhibit, New England Bio Labs, Ipswich, MA.
                         Tracy Spadafora: Paintings from the Persistence of Nature series, Gallery at James Gate,
                         Jamaica Plain, MA.
2004                “Tracy Spadafora;  Encaustic Paintings”,  Perrin Gallery, Brookline, MA. 
                        “Paintings from the Persistence of Nature Series”, Sasaki Associates, Watertown, MA.
                        “Faculty Feature”, paintings by Tracy Spadafora, South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA.
2002                Tracy Spadafora; Paintings from the Persistence of Nature series, Winfisky Gallery, Salem State College,                          Salem, MA.
                        “Landscapes by Cindia Sanford & Theresa Spadafora”, two-person exhibition, The Peck Gallery,                                         Providence, RI.
2001                “The Persistence of Nature: Recent Paintings by Tracy Spadafora”,
                          Christopher Brodigan Gallery at the Groton School, Groton, MA.
 
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS  (2001 – 2022)
 
2022                Fitchburg Art Museum’s 86th Regional Juried Exhibition of Art & Craft, Fitchburg, MA.
                        Danforth Art Museum Annual Juried Exhibition 2022, Framingham, MA.
                        “Grounded: Landscape Explorations in Wax”, three-person invitational exhibition, Bedford Free Public                                Library, Bedford, MA.
                        “Playing Games”, Arts Worcester member’s exhibition, Worcester, MA.
                         MassArt Auction, annual juried sale, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Boston, MA.
2021                “Inside Voices: A Member’s Exhibition”, Arts Worcester, Worcester, MA.
                        “Tenacious: Fountain Street Core Alumni Exhibit”, Boston, MA.                           
2019                “The Seventh Annual One”, Arts Worcester member’s exhibition, Worcester, MA.
                         Annual Frances N. Roddy Competition, juried exhibition, Concord Center for the Visual Arts,
                         Concord, MA.
                        “Exaggerated:  Not How I Remember It”, associate members’ exhibition, Fountain Street Gallery,
                         Boston, MA.
                        “Thrive”, invitation show, Gallery Twist, Lexington, MA.  
                        National Encaustics Exhibition, juried exhibition, University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT.
2018                “Recreating Nature”, associate members’ exhibition, Fountain Street Gallery, Boston, MA.
2017                “Yellow”, core members’ exhibition, Fountain Street Gallery. Framingham, MA.
                        “Encaustic Art in the Twenty-First Century”, invitation exhibition, Francesca Anderson Fine Art,
                         Lexington, MA.
                        “Color and Line: Expressive Traditions in Boston”,  Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts
                         at Endicott College, Beverly, MA.
                        “31 Women”,  invitation exhibit, The James Library & Center for the Arts, Norwell, MA.
2015                “A Pattern Language”,  three-person invitational exhibition, Lamont Gallery at Philips Exeter Academy,                                 Exeter, NH.
2014                “Multiplicity” core members’ exhibition, Fountain Street Fine Art, Framingham, MA.
                        “Off the Wall”, Community of Artists, national juried exhibition, Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA.
2013                “This to That”, invitational exhibition, Alpers Fine Art, Andover, MA.
                        “Off the Wall”, national juried exhibition, Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA.
                        “Red”, juried encaustic exhibition, A Gallery, Provincetown, MA.
2012                The Future of the Past: Encaustic Art in the 21st Century, national juried exhibition, Mills Gallery
                        at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA.
                        Three-person invitational exhibition, NKG Gallery, Boston, MA.   
                        Gallery A, invitational encaustic exhibition, Provincetown, MA.
                        School House Gallery, encaustic teachers invitational, Provincetown, MA.
2011                “Beyond the Surface: Biological Explorations in Wax”, invitation exhibition at Fountain Street
                        Fine Art in Framingham, MA.
                       “The Luminous Landscape”, group exhibition at McGladrey, Boston, MA.
2010               “The Luminous Landscape”, group exhibition at the Kensington-Stobart Gallery, Salem, MA.
                       “Preserve”, three-person exhibit, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA.
2009               “The Luminous Landscape”, group exhibition at Three Graces Gallery, Portsmouth, NH.       
                       “The Luminous Landscape”, group exhibition at the Montserrat College of Art, Beverly MA.
2008               “The Luminous Landscape”, group exhibition at the Dickinson Art Gallery, Weymouth MA.
2007                Arthouse Fall 2007, group exhibition, 230 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA.
2006               “Lucky Seven” - Somerville Arts Council 2006 Visual Arts Fellowship Award Winners,
                        Washington Street Arts Center, Somerville, MA.
2005               “Wax: Encaustic Techniques in Contemporary Art”, group exhibition, The Brush Art Gallery, Lowell, MA.
2004               “Wax: An Exhibition Exploring Wax as a Medium”, group exhibition, The Space at Alice, Providence, RI.
                        Arthouse Fall 2004, group exhibition, 230 Amory Street, Jamaica Plain, MA.
                       “Wax Works”, group exhibit, Somerville City Hall, Somerville, MA.
                       “Prints & Drawings”, annual invitation exhibition, MPG Gallery, Boston, MA.
2003               “Surface, Matter, & Artifice - Contemporary Works by Encaustic Artists”,
                       College Art Gallery, Dutchess County Community College, NY.
                       “The Way of Wax”, group exhibition, The Winfisky Gallery, Salem State College, Salem, MA.
                       “Women & Wax”, group exhibit, The Higgins Art Gallery, Cape Cod Community College,
                        West Barnstable, MA.
2002               “Nature’s Way”, group exhibition, The Melanie Cooper Gallery, Chicago, IL.
                       “Pigment & Wax”, group exhibition, The Sharon Art Center, Sharon, NH.
2001               “Encaustic Now”, group exhibition, Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
                       “Images in Wax: Contemporary Encaustic”, group exhibition,
                       The Karl Drerup Art Gallery, Plymouth State College, Plymouth, NH.
                       “Word, Text, Language”, juried exhibition, Claypool-Young Gallery, Morehead State University,
                        Morehead, KY.
                       “Prints & Drawings”, annual invitation exhibition, MPG Gallery, Boston, MA.
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 
2022                Stuart Foster, Community Advocate Summer Guide, May 27, 2022.
2021                Meredith Cutler, 10 Years. 11 Artists. 2 Galleries. Fountain Street Checks in with its Roots,
                        
Artscope Magazine, March / April 2021.
2018                Art & Life with Tracy Spadafora, Thought-Provokers Series, Boston Voyager Magazine, Aug. 2018.
2016                Cate McQuiad, Developing Ideas, The Boston Globe, June 14, 2016.
2015                Anne Lee & E. Ashley Rooney, Encaustic Art in the Twenty-First Century, Schiffer Publishing, 2015.
                        Raymond, David,  Review: New Hampshire, A Pattern Language, Art New England, 
                        September / October, 2015.
2014                McHugh, Christine, Some Like it Hot: Three contemporary artists push the limits of
                        the sizzling medium of encaustic, The Artist’s Magazine, May, 2014.
2013                Guest artist, Spirituality & Health Magazine, March / April 2013, page 27.
                        Nash, Catherine, Authentic Visual Voices: Contemporary Paper and Encaustic, ebook, 2013.
                        Womack, Linda,  Embracing Encaustic: Learning to Paint with Beeswax, Third edition,
                        eBook version, Hive Publishing, 2013.
2009                The Worcester Review, Worcester, MA, 2009  (Volume XXX, Numbers 1 & 2). 
                        Artscope Magazine, Centerfold Contest Winner, March / April 2009.
2008                Womack, Linda & William.  Embracing Encaustic,  Hive Publishing, 2008.
2007                Harrison, Holly.  Multi-Media Collage,  Beverly, MA; Quarry Publishers, 2007.
2004                “Encaustic Artists Wax Enthusiastic”,  Arts Media Magazine,  Boston, MA, March 2004).
                        “New City Hall works sealed in Wax..,”  Somerville Journal,  Somerville, MA, (Feb. 26, 2004).
2003                Holly Harrison & Paula Grasdal.  Collage for the Soul, Rockport, MA; Rockport Publishers, 2003.
2002               “Two Looks at the Land”,  The Providence Journal,  Providence, MA, (Jan. 31, 2002).
2001                Mattera, Joanne.  The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in
                        the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax. New York, NY; Watson-Guptill, 2001.
2000                “Building Art in Somerville and the South End”,  Boston Phoenix, Boston, MA, (Dec. 1).
1999                “Somerville Gets Eclectic”,  Somerville Journal,  Somerville, MA,  (July 8).
1998                “Artists Step into New World with Ancient Medium”,  Niagara Gazette, Niagara, NY,  (March 13).
1996                “New Paltz Regional Show..,” Daily Freeman,  Kingston, NY,  (July 12). 
1996                “Making Tracks”, Woodstock Times,  Woodstock, NY,  (June 13).
 
GRANTS / AWARDS / HONORS
 
2013                Quincy College, Faculty / Staff Professional Development Grant, Quincy, MA.
2011                Guest Curator for exhibition “Beyond the Surface: Biological Explorations in Wax”. 
                        Exhibited at Fountain Street Fine Art, Framingham, MA.
2006                Somerville Arts Council Lottery Grant in Visual Art, Somerville, MA.
2003                Frances A. Kinnicutt Award 2003, Worcester, MA.
2003                Co-curator, “Women & Wax”, The Higgins Art Gallery, Cape CodCommunity College,
                        West Barnstable, MA. 
2001                Blanche E. Colman Foundation Award, Boston, MA.
                        Somerville Arts Council Lottery Grant in Visual Art, Somerville, MA.
2000                Massachusetts Cultural Council Professional Development Grant, Boston, MA.
1999                St. Botolph Foundation, Grant-in-Aid, Boston, MA.
1999                Somerville Arts Council Lottery Grant in Visual Art, Somerville, MA.
1998                Guest Curator for exhibition “Contemporary Encaustic Painting: Exploring New Boundaries
                        in an Ancient Medium”.  Exhibited at Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY,
                        and Gibbs Gallery, Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington, MA.

COLLECTIONS
           
Bank of America, Boston, MA.
Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, MA.
Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA.
Meditech, Inc., Westwood, MA.
Various Private Collections.
 
COMMUNITY GROUPS
 
2019 – Present             Member of the Westborough Cultural Council, Westborough, MA.
2018 – Present             Member of the Arts in Common Festival Committee, Westborough, MA.
 
 
 

 




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  • Recent Work
    • Left Behind: Visual Histories
    • Monument Series
    • Whimsical Landscapes
    • Found
  • Work
    • DNA Series
    • Vestige Boxes / Sculptures
    • Evolve Series
    • Persistance of Nature
    • Installation Shots
  • Exhibitions / News
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  • About
    • Statement
    • Resume / CV
    • Press / Reviews
    • Videos
    • Community Projects
  • Contact