RESUME

 Fern Apfel is a Hudson Valley NY artist who specializes in making paintings with hand written text and playing cards. She has exhibited widely in the Hudson Valley & Capital Region of New York where she lives and is a two-time recipient of the Individual Artists Grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a four-time recipient of a Mohawk Hudson Regional Purchase Award.  

In February 2021,  Apfel was featured on WMHT/PBS’s A House for Arts.

In 2022, Apfel received the Yasuo Kuniyoshi Award from the Woodstock Art Association and Museum “given to a contemporary artist who has exemplified outstanding achievement over the past year and has an overall track record of excellence.” 

In 2023, Apfel had three solo exhibitions – at The Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, NY, where she exhibited 62 paintings – including an homage to Ellsworth Kelly’s Colors for a Large Wall (1951), at the Woodstock Art Association & Museum in Woodstock, NY, and the Garage Gallery in Beacon, NY. She also exhibited five of her playing card series at the Wassaic Project’s Summer Exhibition in Wassaic, NY.

Her work was featured in the Sept-Oct 2019 Issue of Art New England Magazine. She is a Fall 2019 finalist for The Hopper Prize and is a 2019 grant winner from the Martha Boschen Porter Fund, a Fund of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.

In recent years, Apfel has exhibited work at PULP Gallery in Holyoke, MA., Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia, PA., Fish & Dish: A Fresh Take on Still Life curated by Jason Andrew at the Woodstock Art Association, First Street Gallery’s 2020 National Juried Exhibition juried by Andrew Arnot, President and Owner of Tibor de Nagy Gallery, NYC, the National Prize Show at the Cambridge, MA Art Association, juried by Sharon Butler, of Two Coats of Paint, Making a Way at the South Bend Museum of Art in South Bend, Indiana, and in the Zeuxis Society’s exhibition In, On, Of Paper at the There Space in NY City. Two of Apfel’s paintings were selected for InstaSelect V2 at the  Mark Borghi Gallery in Sag Harbor, NY.

Apfel’s pictures are in the permanent collections of The Hyde Collection, The Tang Teaching Museum, The Albany Institute of History & Art, SUNY Albany Museum, The Shaker Museum Mount Lebanon, The Columbia County Historical Society and Museum, The Art Students League of NY, Fidelity Investments, Inc. & Kidder Peabody. 

Fern T. Apfel 

www.fernapfel.com
fernapfel@gmail.com
@fernapfel 

Solo Exhibitions
2023         What is Lost?, Garage Gallery, Beacon, NY
2023         Sacred Geometry, Woodstock Art Association & Museum, Woodstock, NY 
2023         Abide With Me, Main Gallery, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY         
2022         Games Of Chance, Courthouse Gallery, Lake George, NY 
2016         Word & Image, Davis Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY
2013          Fern Apfel: Paintings, The Chatham Bookstore, Chatham, NY
2011          Studio Wall, The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
2007         The Book Pictures, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT
2007         Inks & Collages, Café Gallery, Old Chatham, NY
2002         Museum Peace: Reflections on a Collection, Columbia Co. Museum, Kinderhook
2002         Museum Peace: Reflections on a Collection, Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY
2000         Daily Grace, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA
2000         Daily Grace, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA
1999         Daily Grace, The Shaker Museum & Library, Old Chatham, NY
1997         Fern Apfel, North Pointe Center for the Arts, Kinderhook, NY
1996         Fern Apfel, Hudson Community Gallery, Hudson, NY
1993         Alaskan Highway: Works on Paper, Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY

Two & Three Person Exhibitions
2022         Clement Gallery, Troy, NY
2021         The Hallway at Second ST Studios, Troy, NY
2020         Fern Apfel & Ali Osborn, Pulp Gallery, Holyoke, MA
2019         Upstate Invitational, Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
2019         Beyond Limits, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
2018         Narrative, Concepto Gallery, Hudson, NY       
2016         Mohawk Hudson Invitational, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
2006         Interpretive Visions, Landmarks Visitor Center Gallery, Hudson, NY
1998         Still Life, Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY

Select Awards & Recognition
2022          Yasuo Kuniyoshi Award for Sustained Excellence, Woodstock Art Assoc. & Mus.
2022           Select Award, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
2020           Best in Show, Fence Select, Ian Berry, The Tang Teaching Museum, Juror 
2019           Martha Boschen Porter Award, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation
2019           Finalist, The Hopper Prize
2018           Best in Show, The Laffer Gallery, Laura Von Rosk, Juror
2018           Alumni Jurors Award, University at Albany Museum, Jean Shin, Juror
2015           The Hyde Collection Purchase Prize, The Hyde Collection
2014           Award in Honor of Les Orbach, Albany Center Gallery
2010           Best in Show, 14th Annual Juried Show, Columbia Co Council on the Arts
2008           First Prize, 12th Annual Juried Show, Columbia Co. Council on the Arts
2005           Clement Greenberg Award, Midyear Exhibition, Butler Institute of American Art
2002           Individual Artists Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts
2000           Juror’s Award, Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region ( Xu Bing, Juror)
2000           Purchase Prize, Schenectady Museum
2000           Purchase Prize, University at Albany Art Museum, Albany, NY
1998           Individual Artist Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts
1998           Purchase Prize, Schenectady Museum
1998, 1996, 1993, 1992  SOS Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts
1995            Finalist, The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts
1995            Emerging Artist Award, Columbia Co. Council on the Arts
1994            First Prize, 4th Annual Exhibition, Spencertown Academy
1992            First Prize, 2nd Annual Exhibition, Spencertown Academy       
1983, 1982  Nessa Cohen Memorial Award, The Art Students League of NY
1981            Elizabeth Carstairs Merit Scholarship, The Art Students League of NY
1977, 1976  Board of Control Special Scholarship, Art Students League of NY

Selected Group Exhibitions
2024       Critical Forum Artists, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY
               What We Hold: Stories & Objects, Create Council on the Arts, Catskill, NY
               Un-Archive, Invitational, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY
               Piece by Piece: The Art of Collage, J. Gernon Fine Art, Troy, NY

2023       12th Annual Juried Group Show, Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
                Small Works Juried, Autumn, WAAM, Woodstock, NY, Juror, John P Murphy
                Holiday Exhibition, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
                Text, Joyce Goldstein Gallery, Chatham, NY
                Regional, Juried by C. Chen, L.Scheff & W. N. Solokin, Spencertown Acad., NY
                Counting the Seconds between Thunder & Lightning, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
                Summer Juried Exh., Blue Mountain Gallery, NY,  Pamela Salisbury, Juror
                Far & Wide, Woodstock Art Assoc. & Museum, Shazzi Thomas, Juror
                Hand me Down, 263 Gallery, Cambridge, MA  LaiSun Keane, Juror
                Stepping Out Of History: Telling Our Story, Create Council Gallery, Catskil, NY
                Fence & Fence Select, Arts Center of the Capital Region,Troy, NY

2022        Mountain High, Valley Low, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
                InstaSelect V2: Mark Borghi Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
                Upstate Artists 11th Annual, Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY Eliz. Dubben, Juror
                A Circle of Horizon Lines, Woodstock Art Museum, Jess Wilcox, Juror
                Tip of the Tongue, Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA Santiago Cucullo, Juror
                Radius 50: Woodstock Art Museum, Jayne Drost Johnson, Juror
                Risk & Experimentation, Woodstock Art Museum, Seph Rodney, Juror
                Painting at Night, Collarworks Gallery & Mother/Artist Podcast, Troy, NY
                Largeness Writ Small, Woodstock Art Assoc & Museum, Buzz Spector, Juror

                 
2021        In, On, Of Paper, Presented by Zeuxis, There Space, NY, NY
                Pieced Together, Albany Public Library, Curated by Opalka Gallery, Albany, NY  
                One in a Year, The Painting Center, NY, NY
                The Vision of Care, Woodstock Art Ass. & Museum, Robert Shane, Juror
                Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
                Fence Select, The Art Center, Troy, NY, Dan Cameron, Juror
                Holiday Show, Labspace, Hillsdale, NY

2020         Making a Way, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, Indiana
                 Making a Way, Salem State University, Salem, MA
                 Fish & Dish: A Fresh Take on Still Life, WoodstockMus., Jason Andrew, Juror 
                 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY, Susan Cross, Mass MoCA, Juror
                 Biblio Spectaculum, Main ST Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, Scott McCarney, Juror
                 National Juried Exhibition, First Street Gallery, NY, NY, Andrew Arnot, Tibor de Nagy, Juror
                 From the Pages 2, Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
                 National Prize Show, Cambridge, MA Art Assoc., Sharon Butler, Two Coats of Paint, Juror
                 Fence Select, The Art Center, Troy, NY, Ian Berry, Juror
                 A Different Kind of Now, Woodstock Art Assoc & Museum, Douglas Culhane, Juror
                 So Close, Side x Side Contemporary, Virtual Exhibition
                 Shown from Afar: Art during the Pandemic, Womenswork.art
                 About What’s Going On, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, Hopkinton, MA

2019         Nine by Nine, Pulp Gallery, Holyoke, MA
                 Ear to the Ground, Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT, Julie Torres  
                 Upstate Invitational, Laffer Gallery, Schuylerville, NY
                 En Masse, Thompson Giroux Gallery, Chatham, NY
                 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY, Valerie Palermo

2018         Home, Collar Works Gallery, Troy, NY, Cara Manes, MOMA, Juror
                 Upstate Artists, Laffer Gallery, Schuylersville, NY, Laura Von Rosk, Juror
                 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, SUNY Albany Museum, Jean Shin, Juror
                 The River Flows Both Ways, Hastings on Hudson, NY
                 The Golden Age of New Paltz, Part 3, Wired Gallery, High Falls, NY

2017          Undercurrents, Dorsky Museum of Art, Suny New Paltz, Livia Strauss, Juror
                  What’s Leaping in your Heart, Collarworks Gallery, Troy, NY, Alex.Foradas, Jur.

2016          Reclamation, Collar Works Gallery, Troy, NY, Ian Berry, Tang Teaching Museum
                  Recent Acquisitions, The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY
                  Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, The Hyde Collection, Michael Oatman, Jur.
                  Albany Center Gallery Invitational, Albany, NY
                  Spencertown Academy Regional, Nicole Hayes, Juror

2015         The Arkell Museum Juried Art Show, The Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY
                 Give & Take: Decentralization Individual Artist Grant Recipients, Catskill, NY
                 Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, The Hyde Collection, Rachel Uffner, Jur.
                 Fence and Fence Select, The Arts Center of the capital Region, Troy, NY

2014          Worlds of Wonder, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY, Ian Berry, Juror
                  Small & Seductive: Contemporary Art from the Institutes Collection, Albany Inst.
                  Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany Institute, Stephen Westfall, Juror
                  Rock, Paper, Scissors: NY State Collage, Greene Co. Council, Catskill, NY

2013          Out of Print, Albany Public Library, Albany, NYJudie Gilmore, Curator
                  Out of Print, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY
                  Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, The Hyde Collection, Dan Cameron, Cur.

2012          TYPO: Artists using the Alphabet as Visual Language, Greene Co. Arts, Catskill
                  CUT, Museum of Imagination, Hudson, NY
                  76th National Midyear, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio

2011           Hudson River Contemporary, Boscobel House, Garrison, NY
                  75th Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany Institute of History & Art

2010          Eye Rhymes, The Tang Teaching Museum & Gallery, Saratoga Springs, NY
                  The Imagined Word, Albany International Airport, Albany, NY
                  14th Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia Co. Council on the Arts, Hudson, NY

2009          The Collage Show: With Ellsworth Kelly & John Ashbery, Spencertown Academy
                  First Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia Co. Council on the Arts, Hudson, NY

2008          12th Annual Juried Exhibition, Columbia Co. Council on the Arts, Hudson, NY

2005          Midyear Exhibition, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
                  Columbia County Council on the Arts Juried Exh., Hudson, NY

2004          12 x 12 Invitational, Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY
                  Columbia County Council on the Arts Juried Exh., Hudson, NY

2003          Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club107th Juried, National Arts Club, NY, NY
                  Columbia County Juried Exh., Hudson, NY

2001          Work: Shaker Design & Recent Art, The Tang Teaching Museum,  NY
                  Recent Acquisitions, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY
                  Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, The Schenectady Museum
                  Columbia County Council on the Arts Juried Exh., Hudson, NY

2000           Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Univ of Albany Art Mus, NY Xu Bing, Juror

1999           63rd Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Harmanus Bleecker Lib., Albany, NY
                   ARTful Connections, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY

1998           62nd Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany International Airport Gallery
                   Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY

1997           Between Studios: Newer Artists, Albany Center Gallery, Albany, NY

1996           60th Artists of the Mohawk Hudson Region, Albany Institute of History &  Art  

1995           Spazi Contemporary Art, Housatonic, MA

1994           Gallery 53, Cooperstown, NY

1992           Warren ST Gallery, Hudson, NY
                   Hudson Art Gallery, Hudson, NY

1990           Columbia Greene Community College, Hudson, NY

1988           Erector Square gallery, New Haven, CT

1986           Children’s Hour, Wenniger Graphics, Newbury ST, Boston, MA
                   International Juried Print Exh., Somerstown Gallery, Somers, NY

1985           New Prints, Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY
                   4th Annual Print National, Payne Gallery, Moravian College, Bethlehem,  PA

1984           Cork Gallery, Avery Fisher Hall Gallery, NY, NY
                   The Expert Eye, Wunsch Art Center Gallery, Glen Cove, NY

1982           26th Annual National Print Exh., Hunterdon Art Center, Clinton, NJ

1981           39th Audubon Annual, National Arts Club, NY, NY
                   70th American Annual at Newport, Newport, RI
                   Peekskill Annual Exh., Peekskill, NY     

Bibliography
I Like Your Work Spring Catalogue, Boston, MA, April, 2024
Text, Chronogram, by Taliesin Thomas, September 12, 2023
Lost Worlds: Artists examine two antiques: letters & pay phones, The Highlands Current, by Alison Rooney, August 4, 2023 Charming Toads, immersive house parties delight onlookers at the Wassaic Project’s summer show, The Lakeville Journal, by Elias Sorich, May 31, 2023
Ephemera Front and Center at Arts Center in Troy, The Daily Gazette, by Indiana Nash, February 8, 2023Interview with Justin Maiman, Ginger Radio Hour: February 7, 2023
Fern T. Apfel’s “Abide With Me” at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Chronogram Online, by Natasha Chuk, February 1, 2023
In Fern Apfel’s Exhibit, Words Embody the Art, Albany Times Union, by William Jaeger, January 31, 2023
Painting at Night an Artist /Mother Podcast, Exhibition Catalogue, 2022
Painting by Night at Collar Works profiles Mothers as Artists, Times Union, by Amy Griffen, July 13, 2022
Juror Talk, Seph Rodney, Woodstock Art Assoc. & Museum, You Tube, June 23, 2022
Fern Apfel at the Lake George Arts Project, Look TV, by Dayna Peck, April 1, 2022
Lake George Artist Paints the Loving & Speechlessness of Heartache, North Country Public Radio, by Monica Sandreczki, April 2, 2022
Abstraction & Narration Fold Together in New Exhibit, Saratoga Today, March 10, 2022
Art Seen Magazine, The Curator’s Salon, Spring 2022 
WMHT/PBS: A House for Arts: February 10, 2021
Fish & Dish: A Fresh take on Still Life, Art Valley: Art & Culture in the Hudson Valley, April 10, 2020
Fish & Dish: Paul Smart, Woodstock Times, March 5, 2020
Dispatches: Stories from Four Gallery Destinations: Art on the Outskirts: Western Mass’s Edgy Scene, Art in New England Magazine, Sept-Oct 2019: The Gallery Issue, p. 42-44
Create Magazine, Spring 2019
Ken Ragsdale at LGAP & Upstate Invitational at Laffer Gallery, dbgetvisual.blogspot.com, November 23, 2019
Glue Sticks & Growth: Artist & Alumna Fern T. Apfel reflects on inspiration and taking one’s time, TheLittleRebellion.com by Joshua Goberdhan, Dec. 6, 2018
On Exhibit: Artists of the Mohawk Region set at University Art Museum by Indiana Nash, The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY, Dec. 5, 2018
Invitational Show features often challenging work of four gifted artists by William Jaeger, Times Union, Albany, NY, June 2016
Fern Apfel: Painting, type and Ambiguity by Jesse DeGroodt, The Chatham Press, Sept. 2013
Hudson River Contemporary: Works on Paper. Catalogue. 2011
Objects of Inspiration by David Brickman, Metroland, September 5-11, 2002
Berrry, Ian. Work: Shaker design & Recent Art. Published by The Tang Teaching Museum & Art Gallery, Saratoga Springs, NY, May 6, 2001
Apfel Opens Windows of the Mind by Maxine Brinkley, The Chatham Courier, 1993

Collections
The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, NY
The Tang Teaching Museum & Art Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
The Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY
The University Art Museum, State University of New York, Albany, NY
The Shaker Museum, Chatham, NY
The Columbia County Historical Society & Museum, Kinderhook, NY
The Art Students League of New York, NY
Fidelity Investments, NY, NY
Kidder Peabody & Co., NY,NY

Education
The Art Students League of NY, NY
The State University of New York at New Paltz