Karen Santry
Modern ■ Contemporary ■ Experimental
Photo by Casey Kelbaugh for The New York Times
KAREN SANTRY
Illustrator, Fine Artist, Associate Professor
Education:
BS Studio Art Skidmore College, MFA Painting University Pennsylvania
THE HABITAT GIRL (A Master of understatement) Karen Santry is a Manhattan based contemporary fine arts painter, fashion illustrator and Associate Professor of Art at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Born in Frankfurt, Germany am Main of American parents. Having grown up partially in Holland and New Canaan, Connecticut, her love of the Dutch masters Rembrandt and Vermeer resulted in her lifetime passion: painting of the figure in costume with dramatic lighting.
CURRENT
Her current work involves life size oil paintings of Japanese Kabuki actors on rosewood cutouts that function as larger than life-size installations. She recently received permission from the Japanese Government to paint the Kabuki in this highly realistic style as the Kabuki subject matter is considered one of the countrys national treasures. Karen left teaching in the Art Department at Yale to glean greater visual access to the Haute-Couture extreme evening-ware seen on the runways of fashion week in Manhattan and to be closer to the painting scene. She with Artist Janis Salek are the only two artists who are given permission to draw annually the people and runway models during fashion week for Fern Mallis and are sponsored by Mercedes- Benz.
CLIENTS
Nokia
lord & Taylor
United Technologies
Papyrus
Target
Yves Saint Laurent
Chanel
Pottery Barn
Fabrice de Villeneuve
Hollander
Andre van Pier
At&t
Random House
Brostol Myers Squibb
New York City Ballet
Alexander Mqueen
Puff Daddy
Montefiore / Mount vernon
Sunrise
Fashion Institute of Technology
Akar
John Galliano
Yamamoto
U.S Ariways
Business Week
Janssen - Johnson and Johnson
Citicorp
Cartier
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Sharp
NYU Langone Medical Center
Health First
Simon and Schuster
Readers Digest
Smuckers
Oxford University Press
Montefiore Medical Center
Darla Olsen Historic Preservation
Westport Country House
Ai-Ap
Christian Lacroix
Westbeth
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
Macmillian
Glamor
Scherin- Plough
Planned Parenthood
People
Parents
The New York Times
Medical Economics
General Electric
General Foods
Doubleday
Columbia University Medical Center
Five Star Publications
Habitat
Prime Finish
Cardstore.com
Tyrus Books
Berkely Prime Crime
Graphic Artist Guild
Morgan Sign
Westinghouse
W Hotels
Bantam Books
Shell
Weddinds Magazine
Harper Collins Publishers
St. Martins Press
CBS
SONY
Psycology Today
Penguin
Pfizer
Westport Country Playhouse
Kensingtion
Isi Art
Patricia Field
Aberdeen Bay
Society of Illustrators
United States Environmental Protection
AWARDS
Two NEA grant Design art awards. Connecticut Commission on the arts grant. Sabbatical Fashion Institute of Technology.
FILMS
Documentaries shown in museums speaking as self.
Painters Painting Murals.
Speaking of Art.
Survival of a Small City,
Kenneth Paul Block panel,
Remarkable Women of America.
In the Center of the Sea.
Artists speak on /11
Westbeth Home of the Arts. 13 Artists.
EXHIBITIONS
Allan Stone Gallery, over 157 galleries and over 16 museums including the Flinn Gallery, Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts, Louis Meisel, Rotunda of the White House, Solomon Guggenheim, The Whitney Museum store gallery, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Smithsonian Institute, Aldrich Museum, DeCordova Museum and the society of Illustrators.
Represented Allan Stone gallery 25 yrs. Sid Buck for books Fashion Art Bank fashion illustration.
Whitney Museum Biennial . Got An Art Problem? with Nayland Blake, Drawing, NewYork, NY, 2022
Musee Maison . 16 Exhibitions, curated by Luis Da Cruz, NewYork, NY 2018-2022
Art in a Box . Oil Paintings. Viridian Gallery 548 W 28 Street, NewYork, NY December 2017
Sizzle Fashion Illustrated . Sphira & Ventura. 4 West 43 Street, NewYork, NY September 2017
Art Fusion . Oil Paintings. Musee Maison 523 W 148 Street, NewYork, NY June 2017
Highline Open Studio Exhibition. Large installation Paintings, Sponsors: "Public Art Squad", "Art Bridge" Westbeth Artist Housing Summer 2016.
New Views" The John E Reeves Great Hall. Large Drawing. Fashion Institute of Technology. New York City March 2016
The Painting Center. Painting. Chelsea Manhattan 2016
Westbeth Annual Art Exhibition Painting December 2015
The Highline Open Studio exhibit. Chelsea NYC Large Paintings 2015
Skylight Gallery. Group Exhibition. Painting, Chelsea NYC, Large paintings 2015
Cheryl Pelavin Gallery. Painting group show. December 2015
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC 2014
Westbeth Artist Housing Sculpture Annex Touched by Sandy Large Drawings, Photos Dec- Jan.2014
New Harlem Musee Maison Museum. Exterior Building Installation Kabuki. Sept 2013
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC May 2013
New Harlem Musee Maison Museum. Kabuki Installation 10. September 21-October 21,2012
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC December 2012
26 West 17th Street A Change of Climate. Group exhibition Large Paintings May 19, 2011
Hotel Times Square. Living Room Lounge. NYC. Painting exhibition. March, 2011
Flinn Gallery. Greenwich, Conn. Installation large Kabukis. February, 2011.
Musee Maison Art Fusion, group show, NYC, September 2011
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC. NY. December, 2010
Westbeth Gallery. Holiday Painting Exhibition. 6 oil paintings “Shelly Dinhofer’s Hats” January 2010.
FashionWeek. Exhibit drawings in Tent of models, runway and attendees. January, Fall Winter 2009
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC. NY. December, January 2009.
Spectacular Views. Group Exhibition. One Brooklyn Bridge Park. Santry one room installation Kabuki. May-June 2009
Louis Meisel Gallery. Group Exhibition. NYC, NY. January 2008
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition. NYC, NY. December, January 2008.
Westbeth Gallery. Painting exhibition. Group show. December-January 2008
Bryant Park. W. Hotel Fashion Week Tent Exhibition. 80 Drawings Editors, designers, models of top events at Olympus 2008
FashionWeek. Exhibit drawings in Tent of models, runway and attendees. January, Fall Winter 2008
Office of the Prime Minister Dominica. One-person exhibition. Commissioned series of portraits and landscapes Featuring former Prime Minister Oliver LeBlanc. January-April,
2008
Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts. Group Exhibition .NYC. NY. December, January 2007.
FashionWeek. Exhibit drawings in Tent of models, runway and attendees. January, Fall Winter 2007
Anthology Film Archives. “Happy Birthday Dada.” Dance of the Shells”. Santry painted set and costume Design. NYC, NY, July 5th 2007.
FashionWeek. Exhibit drawings in Tent of models, runway and attendees. January, Fall Winter 2006
Rotunda of the White House. Fashion Illustration inaugural gowns, Andre Van Pier Collection. Portraits of the daughters and First Lady. March 2005.
Philip J Steele Gallery. Drawing Exhibition. Lakewood, CO. Sept-Oct 2005.
Kendall College of Art & Design Gallery. Grand Rapids Michigan. Painting. Dec-Feb 2005.
The UCSC Woodbury Art Museum. Utah Valley State College. Painting. November 2004
Rochester Institute of Technology Gallery. Rochester, NY. Illustration. Group Show September- October 2004.
The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles Gallery. Painting. Sept-Oct., 2004.
The Main Art Gallery. California State College-Fullerton. Paintings. Fullertown, CA. February- March 2004.
Lavon Art Gallery. 12 cut out oil paintings. Marlboro, New Jersey. July- august 2003.
VTC Gallery. Montgomery College. Paintings. Rockville, MD. November-December 2003
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The Convergence of Art and Poetry. Old cutout installation, NY, NY. Aug- Sept .2004.
The Fashion Art Bank. “20 fashion Illustrations by Karen Santry” 521 Fifth Avenue. NY, NY. September 2003.
Office of the President, Fashion Institute of Technology. Painting Marcelle Marceau. NY, NY September 2003.
Javits Center World Licensing Exhibition. Fashion Art Bank. 10 Fashion Illustrations and paintings. NY, NY. May 2003.
The Landmarks Gallery. 15 Oil Paintings. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. July 2003.
The Hudson River Gallery. !2 Oil Paintings. Nyack, NY. June, 2003.
The Midday Gallery. 10 Oil Paintings. Englewood, New Jersey. May 2003.
Rochester Institute of Technology,” GROUP SHOW SCENES FROM FILMS Rochester, NY. January 2003
Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Painting Exhibit, Faculty show. NY, NY. Sept 2002.
Central Missouri State University. Paintings. Warrensburg, Missouri. November-December, 2000.
Allan Stone Gallery. Paintings. Group show New York, NY, September 2001.
The World Licensing Exhibition. Jacob Javits Center. Paintings, Fashion Illustrations. Fashion Art Bank. NYC, NY May 2001.
Brooke Alexander Gallery. Group show. 0. I. A. Exhibition. Painting. New York, NY, November 1993.
Art Initiatives. Group show. Installation. Tribeca, New York, NY, 1993.
Wiesner Gallery. Group show. New York, NY. August 1992.
The French Connection Show Room. 10 painting installations. One-person show. New York, NY, May 1992.
Palals de Beaute. Group show. High-Tech installations. New York, NY, December 1990.
MARS. High-Tech installations and cutouts. New York, NY, December 1990.
Whitney Museum of American Art. Invitational Inaugural Store Show. Anodized metal, Formica and rubber High-Tech Ties. New York, NY, 1988.
Ateller Nishlnomiya. Works on paper. Large figure cutouts. Hyogo, Japan. 1988.
Allan Stone Gallery. Large paintings. Group show. New York, NY. 1987.
Smithsonian Institute, Renwick Gallery. Group show. Formica and vinyl designs with oil paint. Washington, D. C. April-May 1987.
The Solomon Gallery. Formica and vinyl designs. London, England. August-September 1986
The Royal Exchange. Formica with oil paint and cutout designs. Manchester, England, November-December 1986.
The Scottish Gallery. Formica and vinyl designs. London, England. August-September 1986.
Allan Stone Gallery. Paintings. New York, NY, September 1986.
The Aldrich Museum. “Contemporary Images in Drawings.” Connecticut. 1980.
Allan Stone Gallery. Paintings. New York, NY, December 1980.
The DeCordova Museum. Large drawings. Massachusetts. 1980.
New Britain Museum of American Art. Group show. Drawings and paintings.Connecticut,1980.