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Artist Statement:
NEWS: Ann has been chosen to
participate in the 2007
Biennale in Florence, Italy,
and has been invited back for
the 2009 exhibition.
."The sixth edition of the
Florence Biennale will take
place from 1 to 9 December
2007 in the historical
Fortezza da Basso. In 2001 The
United Nations recognized the
Florence Biennale as an
official partner in the
program “Dialogue Among
Nations”. The artists of the
Biennale, despite their
differences of language and
faith, found a common language
in art to communicate their
cultural values, illustrating
Kofi Annan's statement: "Art
opens new doors for learning,
understanding, and peace among
people and nations".
The sixth edition of the
Biennale of Contemporary Art
will take place at the
historic location of the
Fortezza da Basso from 1-9
December 2007. The 2005
edition, closed with a large
public attendance and a happy
presence of 768 artists
worldwide. Christo and
Jeanne-Claude and Richard
Anuskiewicz who were awarded
with the maximum recognition,
the Lorenzo il Magnifico award
for the career, were
protagonists of unforgettable
days, with conferences that
attracted an impressive number
of enthusiasts, artists and
visitors."
PRINTS OF SELECTED WORKS ARE
NOW AVAILABLE. CLICK ON AN
IMAGE FOR MORE ...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
Ann has been chosen for the
2nd year to be in the 2006
American Art Collector. This
time her painting Floating
Head will be featured.
Ann's work, Harry in Venice,
has been accepted into the
American Art Collector's
Juried Competition of New Work
2005. "This presents a juried
...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Deborah DeFazio~Lyons Studio &
Gallery, Carmel Arts & Design
District, Carmel, IN...
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Collections:
University of Evansville,
Evansville, IN
Amy Ahlersmeyer, Zionsville,
IN
Munawar Ali, Chicago, IL
Kyle Blevins, Chicago, IL
Dr. & Mrs. Timothy Burrell,
Bloomington, IN
Ms. Anne Doran, Indianapolis,
IN
Mr. & Mrs. Larry Downing,
Indianapolis, IN
Ahmed Fayed, Cairo, Egypt
Lynn Gardner, Tucson, AZ
Margaret Glover, Westfield, IN
Mr. Kenneth Keene,
Indianapolis, ...
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Commissions:
Mrs. Kelli Waggoner,
Brownsburg, IN: family
portraits
Windrose Medical
Properties~Corporate Offices,
Indianapolis, IN
Heartland Film Festival
Auction 2003, Indianapolis, IN
University of Evansville,
Evansville, IN: Presidential
Medal Box
Ms. Anne Doran, Indianapolis,
IN: pet portrait
Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Klipsch,
Carmel, IN: Tuscan mural
Mrs. Frederick Klipsch,
Carmel, IN & Orlando, ...
Further Information
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Reviews for Ann Mc Griffin:
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Indianapolis Sunday Star, January 2004
http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/110305-1542-047.html
Healing Art~
Local artist's work helps friends deal with illness and loss.
Ann McGriffin
• Background: Fine Arts degree (with Highest Honors) in Woodworking from Indiana University's Herron School of Art.
• Quote: "My degree is in woodworking, but I've never gotten over my fear of the table saw."
• Current works: Likes creating aged Pompeiian, Italian Baroque and Tuscan landscapes.
• Works available: www.mcgriffinstudios.com or 1-317-847-9524.
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By T.J. Banes
tj.banes@indystar.com
January 11, 2004
Hidden deep within a woodworking creation in the living room of Ann McGriffin's Morgan County home is a letter of forgiveness and understanding written in memory of her father, Jim McGriffin.
The table is adorned with 55 hand-carved thorns, representing the 55 years her father lived before dying of heart complications.
More than once in her life, McGriffin, 52, has turned to art for self-expression.
"Art as a form of healing was self-prescribed for me. I'm not that verbal, and art helps me convey my feelings," said McGriffin, who left a corporate job with Ameritech a decade ago to complete her degree at Herron School of Art.
Two pieces in her collection were created in honor of friends with the HIV virus. One acrylic is titled "Stop Crying." The other is a series of clay tablets with descriptive words attached to the acronym "HIV."
As McGriffin struggled to complete her schooling and maintain her personal life, she composed a gloomy picture of a body in a trench. The piece is titled "In a rut."
"Ann is so unselfish. When she paints, she thinks of others and spending time with them to help them through difficulties," said Nich Logsdon, a jewelry artist and friend. "Her spirituality and her art are one in the same. I truly don't think she would have progressed in her career without her strong spirituality. That gave her the strength to quit a lucrative job and start art school. She's so at peace with herself and realizes it's important to leave an impact on the world through her art," said Logsdon.
Last year, McGriffin married John Campbell, a high-school friend, after the two became reacquainted at the funeral of a friend. Both were previously married and had experienced the emotional trials of divorce. Together they refurbished a country home where McGriffin creates her work in an upstairs studio.
She graduated with honors from Herron with a fine-arts degree in woodworking. Her work has been displayed in juried exhibitions throughout the Midwest, in Atlanta and in private collections in the United States, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.
She describes herself as an "emotional and spiritual archaeologist."
Raised as an only child in a country home, McGriffin said she was always digging in the dirt, creating things from nature and talking to the animals. When she was young, her mother, Pat McGriffin, a Carmel decorator, took her to The Children's Museum to view an Egyptian mummy exhibit. "That was the first time I realized I could dig in the dirt and find treasures and make them into something," said McGriffin.
A few years ago, she took that childhood curiosity to the Yucatan where she taught art to Mayan children. Some of them had never before seen a crayon.
"Since I was a child, I thought everything had a conscience. I talked to everything," said McGriffin, who is now working on a series of portraits depicting old Italy. She will spend a month this spring painting an Italian Baroque mural in a Carmel home. Her works range in price from $300 to $2,000.
Recently, when McGriffin's friend Anne Doran lost her longtime pet, Ted, McGriffin turned to her art to help Doran heal from the loss. Mixing ashes from the dog's cremation with acrylic paints, McGriffin created a life-like portrait.
The 13-year-old stray who found its way into Doran's heart and home, was one of six friends Doran, 49, lost last year, including Gov. Frank O'Bannon.
"It's been a rolling grieving process," said Doran, a public affairs specialist for Ice Miller Legal Advisors. "Ted was my most constant companion." She laughs as she describes the dog's fondness for "surfing" in the driveway on a red brick. "It was a classic David Letterman stupid pet trick," said Doran.
Doran and McGriffin met three years ago during a trip to Italy. Doran also loves art and owns a private collection representing Indiana artists. On Doran's first visit to McGriffin's studio, she sealed the friendship when she purchased one of her friend's paintings for her collection.
"You meet people you know you'll know for a while and those you know you'll know the rest of your life. Ann is someone I know I will know for the rest of my life," said Doran.
The piece McGriffin painted of her friend's pooch shows the dog's best features -- his eyes and his smile, said Doran. "It gives me a tremendous amount of comfort."
The gray ashes give the portrait a luminous veil, making it appear as if the dog is looking through stars.
"I felt good about this piece, like my art was finally doing what it is meant to do," said McGriffin. "Art should be thought-provoking, whether that's helping someone heal or inspiring them."
Tigger, resident cat at the McGriffin house, stands on the artist's "healing surgery chair." The table next to it is dedicated to Ann McGriffin's father and has a letter inside. -- Frank Espich / The Star
Call Star reporter T.J. Banes at 1-317-444-6815.
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