ABOUT
Ann Gargotto grew up painting. At a very early age she started studying art with her godmother, a very successful Chicago artist. Together they spent countless hours painting and studying art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Ann remembers being heavily influenced by such masters as Andrew Wyeth, Degas and Rembrandt. Moving to San Francisco in her teens afforded her the opportunity to continue her studies at the Sausalito Arts Center with California artist Edie Davis.
After receiving her college degree, Ann settled in Denver where she had the good fortune to mentor and study with a very prestigious group of Colorado artists through the Art Students League of Denver, including Quang Ho, Ron Hicks, Andrea Kemp, Kevin Weckbach and Kim English. Ann’s primary focus is representational oil painting, and her subject matter ranges from figures and portraits to still life and nature. She currently exhibits and is represented by Abend Gallery, and has been included in numerous group and two person shows. Her work has received numerous awards, is in many private collections, and has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine.
“I find myself attracted to strong compositions and inspired by beautiful subject matter, whether that be a flower arrangement, still life, the figure or compelling street scene. I see art as a commitment to mastering the fundamentals but interpreting a subject with passion and originality. I find endless joy in the artistic journey of self-expression, and very much feel that which Robert Henri so beautifully stated, “The object isn’t to make art, but to be in that wonderful state that makes art inevitable.””
Ann currently resides in Denver, Colorado.
Recent Exhibitions/Awards:
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Named “Artist To Watch” by Southwest Art Magazine, February 2011
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Represented by Abend Gallery, Denver, Colorado, 2010 – Present
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Oil Painters of America Annual National Juried Exhibition, 2014
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Oil Painters of American Annual Western Juried Exhibition, 2012 & 2015
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Oil Painters of America Juried Salon Show, 2013
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Denver Plein Air Arts Festival 2010 – Honorable Mention
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Denver Plein Air Arts Festival 2011 – Southwest Art Magazine Award, Meininger Award and Honorable Mention
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Abend Miniature Shows 2009 – Present
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Abend All Gallery Shows 2010 – Present
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Selected by Denver Art Museum’s Friends of Painting and Sculpture for Annual Benefit Auction 2016
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Invited and donated to many local fund-raising activities over the years, including Children’s Hospital, Cancer League of Denver and Art For Life
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“Windows To The Divine” Artist 2016
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“Windows To The Divine” Artist 2018