Alberta Cifolelli: A Retrospective

Stamford Museum and Nature Center

Stamford, CT

203.322.1646

Alberta Cifolelli: A Retrospective

Two Ways, 1992, 36 x 42 inches, pastel

"Alberta Cifolelli: A Retrospective" will be on exhibit at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center from May 2 through July 4, 1999. Cifolelli's paintings, pastels, and drawings portray an invented world that is both beautiful and psychologically haunting.

Evident in this retrospective is that Cifolelli's work reached a high level of competency at an early age, as the numerous awards and exhibitions granted her during the 1960s can attest. It also reveals a pattern of growth, tempered by the many issues and art movements which enveloped and swallowed many artists of her generation, particularly women artists, who faced many social and professional barriers. From a talented student, to a talented teacher, to a professional artist Cifolelli continues to produce artwork that speaks to the depth of her experience and facility. She has been able to bring this high level of proficiency to each transition and phase of her career. The changes in style, motif, and scale move seamlessly, because each was driven by an inner need for development rather than the forces of fashion. Cifolelli's current use of nature as a symbolic or metaphoric form allows the viewer to escape the confines of scientific and canonical approach to nature, and exerience natural imagery as it examines issues of femininity and introspection.

Cifolelli, a resident of Westport, Connecticut, studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and received a B.S. in Art Education from Kent State University and an M.A. in Video and Communication from Fairfield University. Her work is in many public collections including the National Museum of Women in the Arts and The Smithsonian Institution, both in Washington, D.C. In addition she is included in over 100 corporate collections.

She has exhibited nationally in over 50 one-person shows - many in New York City at the Noho, Kaber and Reece Galleries. The catalogue for the retrospective includes an essay by Donald Kuspit, who states,"The Fertile Period paintings are a daring contribution to romantic landscape painting."

The museum has been planning the exhibition for over two years. Cifolelli's work from California, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania will be exhibited in addition to pieces from Connecticut collectors and the artist's own collection.

Read more about the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in Resource Library Magazine.

Search for more articles and essays on American art in Resource Library. See America's Distinguished Artists for biographical information on historic artists.

This page was originally published in 1999 in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information.