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Allison Massari's powerful, intimate, and boldly imagined artwork beckons the viewer - sometimes playfully, sometimes with sorrow - always with a poignancy that deeply touches the heart. The vulnerability and honesty expressed in her self portraits, the energy and life that flow through her collages, and the unflinching strength and intelligence that can be found in all of her work, show Massari's commitment to exposing herself in order to find the common thread that connects us as humans.
Massari's exuberance for creating is tireless and continuously evolving. Classically trained in the way of the masters, she received through her schooling the confidence to find her own artistic voice, one that speaks to the core of human issues - love, sorrow, triumph, & connection. As quoted from Valerie Ann Leeds, Phd., Adjunct Curator of American Art at the Flint Institute of Arts in Missouri and a former curator at both the Orlando Museum of Art and various exhibitions at the Tampa Museum of Art, "Allison Massari's expressive use of line and color in her emotionally-charged self-portraits surely was informed by (Fauvism and) the artistic aesthetic of Henri Matisse, along with the prominent masters of German Expressionism, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde, and Oscar Kokoschka."
Primarily a painter, Massari uses "whatever's necessary" to bring her work to life - an interdisciplinary mixture of painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and collage. Largely known for her self-portraits and her portrayal of the female figure, Massari offers, "The self-portrait is the most expeditious pathway for me to reach a vulnerability and an honesty to express myself spiritually, and to connect to universal emotions of the human condition."
After receiving her BFA from RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), Massari went on to receive an integrated masters degree by combining MFA programs from Parson's School of Design in painting, and the School of Visual Arts in illustration in New York City. Throughout the country, museum exhibitions and private art collectors have embraced Massari's work. Her art has earned prestigious honors and awards including exhibits in the Tampa Museum of Art and St. Petersburg's Museum of Fine Arts, an award from the National Arts Club Gallery of New York City, as well as commissioned paintings from numerous corporate and private collectors including Lockheed Martin, US Airways, AAA Motor Club & General Mills.
In 1998, Massari nearly lost her life in a fiery car accident, which has greatly influenced her life and her work. She views the accident as a tremendous gift, allowing her to find her strength, take charge of her beliefs, and live life by her own rules. She arose from the experience - literally a phoenix from the flames.
The same year of her accident, Massari founded an art camp for young teen burn survivors, "The Roger Pepper Adventure Camps" in Crested Butte, CO. Roger Pepper was the brave man who pulled Massari from her car, saving her life and risking his own.
More recently, Massari created and developed a jewelry line, which frames interchangeable miniatures of her artwork in stunning pendants and bracelets. The vision for this unique jewelry line stemmed from her belief that art should be more accessible. "Art should be a part of life, like music and poetry and food. It's about nourishing the whole being; using art to provoke, heal, and inspire."
Currently, Massari lives in Tiburon CA, where she is consistently creating artwork and living life with excitement, ferocity, and vigor. Her artwork and her life are a testimony to the opportunities that life gives us, if we are open to receive it's gifts.
Artist@MassariFineArts.com
To view the complete art collection by Allison Massari please visit: http://www.AllisonMassari.com
RESUME
Education
- School of Visual Arts MFA, Illustration. NYC. 1993.
- Parsons School of Design Fall Term - MFA Painting Program. NYC. 1991.
- Rhode Island School of Design BFA. Providence, RI. 1988.
- Chateau De LaNapoule Drawing/Painting Scholarship. France. 1987.
- Fine Arts Academy of Brugge, Belgium Painting. 1987.
- Vanderbilt University Liberal Arts. Nashville, TN. 1983-1985.
- Parsons School of Design Fall Term - MFA Painting Program. NYC. 1991.
Corporate
Private
Honors and Awards
- Artist-in-Residence. Anderson Ranch Art Center. 6 month award. 10/03 - 4/04. Snowmass, CO.
- Museum of Fine Arts. Second Place Award - All Mediums. Second Annual Fairly Lillith Celebration of Women in the Arts. St. Petersburg, FL. 2001
- Marquis Who's Who of American Woman 1998 - Millennium Edition, 2000-2001.
- Tampa Review University of Tampa Publication. #19 Fall/Winter Issue, 2000.
- Soble Purchase Award 1998 Art Festival Beth-El. St. Petersburg, FL.
- Smart Choices Grant FL State/City Grant. Mural Painted to encourage Peace. Participation included "At Risk Youth". Completed on the one-year anniversary of the 1996 riots. St. Petersburg, FL. 1997.
- Helena Rubenstein Scholar Parsons School of Design. NYC, 1991.
- Henry Clews Foundation Scholarship LaNapoule, France. 1987.
- Florida National Honors Society Art Exhibit, "Best of Show" Tallahassee, FL. 1983.
- Museum of Fine Arts. Second Place Award - All Mediums. Second Annual Fairly Lillith Celebration of Women in the Arts. St. Petersburg, FL. 2001
Selected Exhibitions
Museum Exhibitions
- Museum Of Fine Arts. The 2nd Annual Fairly Lillith Celebration of Woman in the Arts. Awarded 2nd Place. St. Petersburg, FL. May-June 2001.
- Tampa Museum. "Undercurrent Overview II" Tampa, FL. June - July, 1998.
- Kingdon Alan Gallery St. Petersburg, FL. 2004.
- Art Festival Beth-El St. Petersburg, FL. 1998,2001,2002,2003,2004.
- The Von Liebig Art Center Naples Art Association. "Refiguring the 90s". Naples, FL. October - December, 1999.
- Dragonfly Gallery Martha's Vineyard, MA. June, 1998.
- Gallery 421 "Chakras". Fort Lauderdale, FL. April - May, 1998.
- Cervenka - McLaughlin Gallery Gulfport, FL. April, 1998.
- Salt Creek Art Gallery "Art Attack". St. Petersburg, FL. October, 1997.
- Sarasota Visual Arts Center Sarasota, FL. September - October, 1997.
- MMC Gallery "Marvelous". NYC, November-December, 1995.
- SVA Gallery NYC May-June, 1993.
- N.Y.C. Art Director's Club. September, 1992.
- Gallery 1792 Winter Park, FL. January-February, 1991.
- Bennett Gallery "Art's Future". Orlando, FL. April, 1990.
- Wood's Gerry Gallery "The Indignant Eye". Providence, RI. January, 1989.
- National Art's Club, NYC 89th Annual National Watercolor Exhibition. NYC. May, 1988.
- Art Festival Beth-El St. Petersburg, FL. 1998,2001,2002,2003,2004.
Performance Art
Teaching