Shari Urquhart
Bio
Shari Urquhart (1940-2020) was a lifelong artist and teacher, and despite almost touching meaningful artistic success while living through her inclusion in Marcia Tucker’s ground-breaking exhibition, Bad Painting at The New Museum in 1978, her works still remain widely unknown despite the feverish level of artistic production that consumed her life. Born in Racine, WI in 1940, Urquhart later attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, earning three degrees including a teaching certificate that she would make use of for rest of her life.
Like many aspiring artists of her generation, Urquhart moved to New York City to follow her dreams. In order to pay the bills in a new city, she took a full-time job in the fine art workshop for prisoners at Rikers Island Correctional Center from 1978 to 1982. This job eventually led her towards the St. Francis Residence in NYC, where she became the lead of the facility’s art program for more than 25 years. St. Francis offers permanent housing to one of the most vulnerable homeless populations, individuals living with severe mental impairments and illness. Urquhart was a generous and compassionate instructor and inspired many of the home’s residents to discover themselves as artists over the years, but her true passion was her own art career which explored the traditional craft of hooked rugs made using Persian wool, satin, mohair, chenille, yarn and occasionally her own dog's hair.
Exhibition History
EDUCATION
1967 MFA The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
1966 MS The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
1962 BS The University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
1958 Graduate of Mary Bradford High School, Kenosha, WI
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
The Spider, SHRINE, NY
2021
Shari Urquhart - Musn’t Touch: A Textile Retrospective. Exhibition in two venues: The Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art and The Warehouse Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2005
The Fuzzy Museum, Cheryl Pelavin Gallery, New York, NY
1999
Narrative Threads, South West Center for Contemporary Crafts, San Antonio, TX
1994
Zone One Contemporary, Asheville, NC
1994
The Hillwood Art Museum, Long Island University C.W. Post Campus, Brookville, NY
1993
The Hand Workshop, Virginia Center for the Craft Arts, Richmond, VA
1993
Rockville Art Place, Rockville, MD
1993
Narrative Tapestries, Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY
1984
The Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
1983
Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY
1981
Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York, NY
1979
Nancy Lurie Gallery, Chicago, IL *
1976
Madison Art Center, Madison WI *
1970
Madison Art Center, Madison WI
1970
University of Wisconsin, Janesville WI
1970
Main Gallery, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
1968
University of Illinois, Macomb, IL
Shikari, 1990, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 84 x 117 in
Dresser of Disdain, 1990, wool, hair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk flowers, 83 x 126 in
Praying Hands & Feet, 2003, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 65 x 48 in
Untitled (Floral Pillow 7), nd, pillow, wool, and acrylic thread, 13 x 13 x 6 in
It’s 10’O Clock — Do You Know?, 1982, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 71 x 107 in
Woman I Stage III, 1995, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 100 x 86 in
Untitled (Floral Pillow 5), nd, pillow, wool, and acrylic thread, 12 x 14 x 6 in
Musn’t Touch, 1978-79, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 94 x 72 in
Untitled (Rainbow Floral), nd, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 34 x 26 in
Untitled (Lady Sphinx), nd, wool, mohair, metallic fiber, acrylic yarn, and silk fibers, 49 x 62 in
Untiled (Floral Pillow 1), nd, pillow, wool, and acrylic thread, 13 x 12 x 6 in