14. DEBORAH RUBIN
Studio at 143 Flat Hills Rd, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
413-253-7922 deborahrubin@comcast.net
www.deborahrubin.com
Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Illinois, 1970
Graduate study in painting, University of Minnesota, 1971
Solo Exhibitions
R. Michelson Galleries, Northampton, MA, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005,2007
Coconut Grove Galleries, Miami, FL, March 21 – April 16, 2002, October 28 – November 11, 2004
Office of State Senator Stan Rosenberg, December 1 – January 15, 2003, Boston Statehouse, MA
Loring Gallery, Sheffield, MA, July 19-August 9, 1997, 2000
Capricorn Galleries, Bethesda, MA, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995
Museum of Fine Arts, Sales and Rental Gallery, Springfield, MA, “Garden Varieties”
April 10–June 14, 1992
Sync Gallery, Northampton, MA, April 6–May 13, 1989
Zimmerman-Saturn Gallery, Nashville, TN, December 5, 1986–January 10, 1987
Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MD, September 23–October 13, 1985
Quadrum Gallery, Chestnut Hill, MA, June 11–25, 1982
W. P. A. (Washington Place Artists) Gallery, 715 Broadway, New York City,
April 16–May 10, 1981
Burnett Gallery, Jones Library, Amherst, MA, June, 1980
Bibo’s Gallery, Peoria, IL, February, 1978
Springfield Art Association, Springfield, IL, November, 1977
Someplace Unique Gallery, Monticello, IL, October, 1977
Juried Exhibitons
Insight Suburbia, Sage College, Albany, NY; Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN,
September 7 – February 17, 2008.
Masters of Watercolor, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA, September 28 – December 31, 2006
15. Allied Artists, National Arts Club, New York City, November 9-26, 2002
American Watercolor Society, Salmagundi Club, New York City, April, 2000
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe 102nd Exhibition, National Arts Club, New York City,
October 9-30, 1998, 2003, 2004
Springfield Art League National Exhibition, Springfield (MA) Museum of Art,
1985, 1988, 1994, 1995
Ridgefield Guild of Artists 11th Annual Show, Ridgefield, CT,
November 18–December 4, 1988
“Works on Paper,” Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, October 9–31, 1982
New England Watercolor Society, North American Open Exhibition, Federal Reserve Bank, Boston, May
October 9-30, 1998, 2003, 2004
Springfield Art League National Exhibition, Springfield (MA) Museum of Art,
1985, 1988, 1994, 1995
Ridgefield Guild of Artists 11th Annual Show, Ridgefield, CT,
November 18–December 4, 1988
“Works on Paper,” Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, October 9–31, 1982
New England Watercolor Society, North American Open Exhibition, Federal Reserve Bank, Boston, May
10–June 24, 1988, 1998, 1999
36th New England Exhibition of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture, Silvermine Guild Center for the Arts, New
Canaan, CT, May 25–June 21, 1985
“Elements of Landscape,” Boston University Art Gallery, Boston,
November 17–December 17, 1983
“Works on Paper,” Greenfield (MA) Community College Art Gallery,
November 17–December 9, 1983
National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic Annual Exhibitions, National Arts Club, New York City,
1982, 1983
Audubon Artists Award Winners Exhibition, Lotus Club, New York City,
April 27–May 11, 1982
Audubon Artists Annual Exhibitions, National Arts Club, New York City 1980, 1981, 1982
National Academy of Design 157th Annual Exhibition, New York City,
February 28–March 28, 1982
Kentucky Watercolor Society Aqueous Exhibitions, Kentucky Art Center, Louisville, KY, October 18
16. -November 21, 1980; Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, KY, 1981, 1986
Berkshire Art Association Exhibitions of Painting and Sculpture, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, 1979,
1980, 1981, 1998
Butler Institute of American Art Annual Midyear Show, Youngstown, OH,
1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989
Watercolor USA, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO, 1981, 1987
Valley Women Artists Annual Exhibitions, Hampshire College Gallery, Amherst, MA,
1980, 1981, 1983
Danco Art Gallery Open Juried Exhibition, Northampton, MA,
December 1, 1980–January 4, 1981
23rd Annual Chautauqua National Exhibition of American Art, Chautauqua, NY,
June 20–July 13, 1980
Springfield Art League 61st National Exhibition, G. W. V. Smith Art Museum, Springfield, MA, April 20–May
18, 1980
1st Annual Spring Art Exhibition, Wistariahurst Museum, Holyoke, MA,
April 12–May 10, 1980
Milwaukee (WI) Art Museum, Cudahy Gallery Spring Show, Milwaukee,WI, April, 1979
“Four Counties Exhibition,” Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI,
February–March, 1979
Limited Group Exhibitions
“Blue Plate Special”, Gallery 137, Indian Orchard, MA, June 2007
“Transportation Cues”, National Association of Women Artists Gallery, New York, NY, April 2006
Art League of Marco Island, Marco Island, FL, Feb. 3- 27, 2003
Ralls Collection, Washington, D.C. July 20 – September 15, 2002
Pen and Brush Club, New York City, July 13 – 27, 2002
Springfield (MA) Museum of Fine Arts, “Still Life for the ’90s,” June 26–Sept 22, 1996
8th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation,
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA,
November 13, 1995 – February 28, 1996
New England Watercolor Society Members’ Show, Attleboro, MA, 1988, Boston, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2000,
2001, 2002 Kennebunkport, ME, 1993, Rockport, MA, 1995
17. “Sightlines,” Double Door Gallery, Islesboro, ME, August 23–September 3, 1994
“Getting Real: 20th Century American Realism from the Philip Desind Collection,” South Bend (IN) Regional
Museum of Art, July 31–Sept 11, 1994; Fitchburg (MA) Art Museum,
January 29–March 26, 1995
“Facing Reality,” Sharon Arts Center Invitational Show, Sharon, NH,
June 19–July 31, 1994
“Styles, Strands, and Sequences: American Realist Paintings and Drawings from the Philip Desind Collection,”
University of Florida–Gainesville, October 5–November 4, 1990; Deland (FL) Museum of Art, May
10–June 16, 1991; Tampa (FL) Museum of Art, July 12–Sept 13, 1992
“From the Garden,” R. Michelson Gallery, Amherst, MA, April 5–30, 1991
Sync Gallery, Northampton, MA, “Family and Friends,” April, 1990
Sync Selects Seven, Sync Gallery, Northampton, MA, September 15–November 15, 1988
“Watercolor Now,” Watercolor USA Honor Society Membership Exhibition, Springfield (MO) Art Museum,
November 1–December 27, 1987
“Mainstream America: The Collection of Philip Desind,” The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown,
OH, March 1–April 5, 1987
“Spring Landscapes,” Thronja Gallery, Springfield, MA, April 5 –May 3, 1986
“The Past 100 Years,” Karen Sprague/Esther Griswold Art Center, American International College, Springfield,
MA, September–October, 1985
“Painting on Photographs/Paintings from Photographs,” Project Community Arts Center, Cambridge, MA,
March 25–April 19, 1985
“Women Artists in the Community,” in conjunction with International Women’s Week, Herter Gallery,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, March 1–16, 1983
University of Massachusetts Student Union Art Gallery, Amherst,
February 22–March 8, 1982
Zone Gallery, Springfield, MA, Valley Women Artists Group Invitational
June 13–July 14, 1981
Milwaukee (WI) Art Museum, “Two-by-Two Invitational Show,” December, 1980
Lane-Blackbourn Gallery, Janesville, WI, April, 1979
Wisconsin Fine Arts Association Exhibit, Ozaukee Art Center, Cedarburg, WI, March–April, 1979
Evanston (IL) Art Center, April, 1974
18. Permanent Collections
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Easthampton Savings Bank, Easthampton, MA
Harvard University Graduate School of Business, Cambridge, MA
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Bridgestone, USA, Nashville, TN
Cabot Corporation, Boston, MA
Citizens Bank, Boston, MA
City Savings Bank, Pittsfield, MA
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Boston, MA
Employers Mutual of Wausau, WI
Farm Credit Bank of New England, Springfield, MA
Fidelity Investments Management Corporation, Boston, MA
Marine Bank of Milwaukee, WI
Marriott Hotel Corporation Headquarters, Washington DC
Massachusetts Financial Services, Boston, MA
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA
Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Springfield, MA
Savings Bank Life Insurance, Woburn, MA
MBNA Bank, Camden, ME
Citizens Bank, Boston, MA
Forbes Library, Northampton, MA
Awards and Honors
Artist-in-Resident, Acadia National Park, ME, May 9 – 29, 2004
Edgar A. Whitney Memorial Award, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe 107th Annual Exhibition, 2003, 2004, National
19. Arts Club, New York City
Henry Gasser-Moses Worthman Memorial Award, Allied Artists Exhibition, Nov. 9 – 26th, 2002, National Arts
Club, New York City
Two Honorable Mentions, Pen and Brush Club, NYC, July 13 – 27, 2002
Painting used for St. Stephens Arts & Craft Festival, Coconut Grove, FL, February 2000
Bronze medal, New England Watercolor Society Members’ Show, Guild of Boston Artists, Boston, January
1999, 2000, honorable mention 2002
“Best in Show” Award, Springfield (MA) Art League 75th National Exhibition,
April 10–May 15, 1994
WGBY–TV, public television in Springfield, MA, featured artist for the Annual Art Auction; Gallery 57
catalogue cover, February 11-12, 1994
The New York Art Review, 1990 Reference Book
Marquis Who’s Who of American Women
First Place in Pastel, Ridgefield Guild of Artists 11th Annual Show, Ridgefield, CT,
November 18 - December 4, 1988
New England Watercolor Society $200 Merit Award, North American Open Exhibition, Federal Reserve Bank,
Boston, May 10 - June 24, 1988
Grumbacher Inc Gold Medallion and $300 prize, Springfield (MA) Art League 66th National Exhibition, April,
1985
Member: Watercolor USA Honor Society; New England Water Color Society, National Association of Women
Artists
Semifinalist, Judith Selkowitz Fine Arts 1984 competition for “Realistic Works on Paper in a Series,” New
York City
Valley Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Hampshire College Gallery, Amherst, MA, Honorable Mention 1983
“Works on Paper,” $300 award, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, 1982
Audubon Artists Anniversary Award of $500, National Arts Club, New York City, 1982
Springfield (MO) Art Museum Cash Award at the Watercolor USA Exhibition, 1981
Watercolor USA Traveling Exhibition, October 1981 - October 1983
Anna N Mamonas Award for Watercolor, Berkshire Art Association Exhibition, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield,
MA, 1979
20. Merit Award, Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI, 1979
City Savings Bank Purchase Award, Berkshire Art Association Exhibition, Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA,
1979
Membership
New England Watercolor Society
National Association of Women Artists
Watercolor USA
Bibliography
Cover , New England Watershed Magazine. Summer, 2007
“Amherst Artist Shows and Tells at R. Michelson Galleries,” by Maggie Shader, Amherst Bulletin, July 1, 2005 ,
Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 7, 2005
Splash 8, Edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf, Northlight Books, 2004, p. 88.
Ordinary Into Extraordinary . Catalog of paintings with text by Laura Holland. Marcus Printing, March 2003
“Praise the Flag and Pass the Abstract,” Washington Post, Washington, D.C., July 18, 2002
“Bloom Still on Rose” by Christina Barber, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, MA, May 29, 2001.
“Artist, Potter Find Beauty in Everyday Objects” by Gloria Russell, Sunday Republican (Springfield, MA),
April 20, 1997
“Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” by Bonnie Wells, Amherst (MA) Bulletin, April 11, 1997
“Fresher Than a Daisy” by Fred Contrada, Springfield (MA) Union-News, April 10, 1997
“Exhibit a lush bouquet of botanical art” by Donald Miller, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
December 2, 1995
“Really real” by Alice Field, Keene (NH) Sentinel, June 23, 1994
“Art League’s 75th Exhibition Awash in Color, Style” by Gloria Russell, Sunday Republican (Springfield,
MA), May 1, 1994
“The Art of Watercolor” by Laura Holland, in Art New England,
February-March, 1994
“Flowers Drenched in Sunlight” by Christine Benvenuto, Amherst (MA) Bulletin,
November 5, 1993
Valley Optimist (Northampton, MA) cover illustration, November 2, 1993
“Art Views” by Patricia Wright, Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA),
21. April 23, 1992
“From the Garden II” by Jon Reed, Valley Optimist (Northampton, MA), with cover illustration, April 13, 1992
Styles, Strands, & Sequences: American Realist Paintings and Drawings from the Philip Desind Collection by
John Ward (Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1991), p. 18
“When Paintings of Flowers Are More Than Pretty Pictures” by Patricia Wright, Daily Hampshire Gazette
(Northampton, MA), April 18, 1991
“Her Flowers Bring Gardens to Galleries” by Bruce Watson, Amherst (MA) Bulletin,
March 27, 1991
American Artist magazine, selected work for article, “Preserving Our Natural Resources,”
August 1990
“Making the Ordinary Look Extraordinary” by Stanley Marcus Watercolor ’89, published by American Artist
Magazine
“Rubin Takes More Risks With Work” by Patricia Wright, Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA),
October 26, 1988
“A Flowering of Watercolor” by Maris Nichols, Amherst (MA) Bulletin,
November 23, 1988
“Arts Feature” interview with Jim Weinberg, WPLN Radio, Nashville, TN,
December 8, 1986
“Gallery showcases paintings” by Julie MacPherson, Nashville Banner,
December 9, 1986
“Seeing the familiar at close range” by Patricia Wright, Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA), October
9, 1985
“‘Art Scene’ series under way at museums,” October 6, 1985 and “Four artists show varied works with theme of
Spring,” by Gloria Russell, Sunday Republican (Springfield, MA),
April 20, 1986
“Four Artists, Four Views” by Nora Seton, Hampshire Life, Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA),
April 23, 1983
“Women Artists Play It Safe” by Robin Karson, Springfield (MA) Daily News, July 9, 1981
“Beyond Photorealism” by Nancy Stapen, The Villager, New York City, May 7, 1981
“Women Exhibit Artworks” by Robin Karson, Springfield (MA) Daily News, April 9, 1981
“Delicate But Different” by Lee Bramwell Roberts, Milwaukee Journal, April 8, 1979
22. From the Reviews
“The influence of the lush countryside is everywhere evident in her paintings, which are essentially graceful and
sometimes brilliant testimonials to the expressive potential of nature.
“To say that Rubin is a photorealist, a watercolorist, a painter of foliage and flowers, is to state the obvious but
bypass the truth Those terms inevitably evoke myriad, sometimes deprecatory images, and in fact hold only a
fragmentary relationship to the visual meanings of these paintings While Rubin’s technical proficiency recalls
her photorealist concerns, the crystalline-yet-fluent quality of her images creates a depth of feeling and a strong
concern with content and symbolic meaning.
“Rubin chooses small moments in nature, filling her canvas with the multitudinous patterns of leaves, flowers,
twigs, and berries as they respond to the pristine light of dappled forest clearings Closer viewing reveals a
variety of soft and distinct focus, and varying intensities of value and hue, which in turn express a singular,
carefully chosen, and fleeting vision The concentration of that focus lends an extraordinary power to small
things, to that which is usually unseen and unobserved.”
— Nancy Stapen, The Villager,
New York City, May 7, 1981
“Deborah Rubin’s watercolors of flowers combine a spectacular large scale with brilliant light and meticulous
detail In one piece a row of yellow sunflowers marches across a five-foot expanse of blue sky, with every petal,
seed, stalk, and leaf illuminated by the glory of a late summer’s afternoon sun A similarly large-scale study of
narcissus becomes a fireworks display of foliage - stems, stalks, and blossoms explode up and out, while the
orange edges of the petals vibrate with neon intensity.
The influence of photography is clear in the cropped compositions, close-up imagery, attention to detail, and
conscious play with depth-of-field and focus Rubin has a flare for unusual angles that frame and thus define the
picture In more than one painting she chops off the tops of blossoms to make the tangle of greenery the subject.
..
The best (renderings) reveal a strong painterly eye and intention “Red Poppies” captures beautifully the sunlit
glow of colored petals in exquisite detail Yet the work also has a painterly, abstract quality in the patterned
blurring of the background and the stylized rendering of the shade and shadows The image is an orchestrated
series of visual contrasts: sunlight pierces shade; intense red petals flame from a jungle of myriad greens; sharp
lines edge against a soft blur of color; and above all, a photographic reality vies with the edited reality of the
artist’s eye that picks and chooses from the scene It is clear we are dealing with a carefully composed ‘art,’
rather than randomly focused fragments of ‘nature’.”
— Laura Holland, “Deborah Rubin: The Art of Watercolor,”
Art New England, February/March 1994
“Deborah Rubin has made her reputation, and it is national in scope, with images of flowers In these
watercolors she exchanges the traditional subtleties of poetic intimacy for the audacity of large-scale
photorealism. . .
23. “The huge “Provincetown Dock” is a virtuoso performance in trompe l’oeil rendering Ropes, ladders,
gulls, pilings, signs, a fishing boat alongside, ripples and sunbeams in the water all together perform the
illusion of actuality Just as remarkable is the portrait of a farmhouse, “White House with Red Door,” its
antique structure now fitted with cheap window screens and an air conditioner unit, with plastic bucket
and a garden hose reel. . .
Yet somehow or other, tug at our eyes and hearts as does these isolated bits of everyday life, they are
amusing more than sentimental Rubin’s close-up focus on the character of her subject, detaching the
motif from a wider panorama, gives access to a catalog of things; it serves to monumentalize the subject,
and to smile at the individuality and the fortitude dreary places can suggest, or at the very abundance of
stuff that crowds our field of vision, and that we take for granted.”
— Gloria Russell,
Sunday Republican,
Reviewing “Deborah Rubin:
A New Point View,” April 1997
Galleries
R. Michelson Galleries, Northampton and Amherst, MA
Coconut Grove Gallery, Miami, FL
Cavalier Galleries, Greenwich CT, Nantucket
Loring Gallery, Sheffield, MA
Jacqueline Becker Art Consultant, Newton, MA