Meet local artist, Tara Sharpe who is creating fascinating and colorful paintings, in addition to curating large scale multimedia art shows and directing a local nonprofit.
Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida she went on to study fashion, design, and art in New York, eventually making the move to Phoenix. Since moving to the valley she has successful created, curated and directed the enormously popular ARTELPHX for the last 4 sessions (2 years), bringing together performance and installation art to the public at the unique large-scale venue the Clarendon Hotel. Her previous experience of selling her artwork, creating art/fashion events and working with galleries as an employee and artist helped prepare her for the launch of ARTELPHX and the tools need navigate the relatively uncharted territory of a project of this scale.
As an artist Sharpe’s primary focus is on oil painting although she has recently been expanding into hand pulled prints and works on paper that are simply dazzling. Combining figurative painting with abstracted serpents creatingher latest series of work "Sirens and Serpents” resulting in mesmerizing nude female figures that represent entities rather than a specific person that look outward toward the viewer.Sharpe says that they are “Based on the idea of interacting with Oracles and Apparitions, it is up to the viewer's discretion to question how these figures interact with those observing them”.
{9} The Gallery is currently hosting Sharpe’s first Arizona Solo Exhibition entitled “Sirens and Serpents, The Art of Tara Sharpe”. {9} The Gallery is located in the heart of the Grand Avenue Arts District at 1229 Grand Avenue. Join the gallery this Saturday, October 10th from 5:00-6:30pm as they host “Tara Sharpe: Conversations with the Artists” more event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1628736534080990/. If you are unable to make this event then schedule an appointment with the gallery and experience Sharpe’s artwork for yourself, which is on display through October 14, 2015.
As the director of ARTELSHOW she has plans to present the next session in 2016, she went on to say, “I am grateful for the timing, opportunity, high caliber artists and community support that allowed ARTELPHX to incubate in Phoenix" that has transitioned into a wider reaching project now called the ARTELSHOW. Also she recently began working with Velnonart, a non profit founded by artist Dr. Chris Boyd as the Director of Strategy, Innovation and Development.
Tara Sharpe is busy planning upcoming exhibitions and projects, so stay tuned and be sure to follow her online at http://www.misssharpe.com and on twitter at @sharpevice.
