Over the years my work has focused on exploring organic forms in nature - particularly the ways in which they reflect and echo one another in widely varying scale and context - creating an ambiguity which challenges the viewer to bring personal associations and experiences to each piece. Moving between representation and abstraction and often drawing from nature, the work explores landscape and the body in deeply personal ways.

Visit Ellen's web site at ellenchusefineart.com.

WORK

Educational Background
1969-71 Queens College, C.U.N.Y., M.F.A.
1963-67 Philadelphia College of Art, B.F.A.

Awards
1972-73 Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to Italy in Sculpture

Selected Group Exhibitions

The Persistence of Line: Selections from the Kentler Flatfiles, Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Process Show, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2007
Small Works on Paper/Benefit Exhibition, Kentler International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY
2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009
440 Gallery Small Works Exhibition, Brooklyn, NY 2005, 2007, 2008,2009
Gowanus Artists Open Studio Tour, Brooklyn, NY
2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007, 2008,2009
Gowanus Arts Exchange, Brooklyn, NY 2005
Exhibit A, Austin Visual Arts Association, Austin, TX 1988
New American Talent 1986 Touring Exhibition, Texas Fine Arts Association, Texas 1986-87
New American Talent, Laguna Gloria Museum, Austin, TX 1986
Texas Fine Arts Association State Citation Exhibition, Austin TX 1986 ( Honorable Mention )
Citation Exhibition 85, Austin Contemporary Arts Association, Austin TX1986 ( 3rd Place )
Alumni Exhibition, Queens College, C.U.N.Y., Queens, NY 1979
12X12X12, Alumni Exhibition, Philadelphia College of Art, Philadelphia, PA1976
Clay, Women Ceramic Artists from New York, Women's Interart Center, New York, NY 1975
New Artists, Janet Fleischer Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 1973
Women Artists, Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY 1971
Outstanding Alumni of the Sixties, Philadelphia College of Art, Philadelphia, PA 1971

Solo Exhibitions

Fertile Ground, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2010
Recent Works on Paper, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY 2008
Ceramic Sculpture, Campus Center Gallery, Caldwell Colleg Caldwell, NJ 1978
Ceramic Sculpture, Foyer Gallery, Caldwell College, Caldwell, NJ 1976

Collections
Ann Beeson and Robert Kimsey
Patricia Cassidy
Alison and Mark Dunn
Karen Gibbons
Alice Hofheimer
Craig Hofheimer
Jennifer and Nathan Koppel
Una LaMarche and Jeffrey Zorabedian
Zoe LaMarche
Renanit Levy and Steven Mazie
Joseph and Justine Lunsford
Nancy Lunsford
Judith Sackoff
James H. Tully and
Martha Walker

ART BIOGRAPHY

Ellen Chuse has been a working artist since graduation from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1967 with a BFA in Fine Arts - Sculpture. She received her MFA in Fine Arts from Queens College, CUNY in 1971 and in 1972 she was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to Italy in Sculpture. Having worked in ceramic clay since 1966, her year in Florence enabled her to study Etruscan sculpture first hand as well as an abundance of ancient and renaissance art. Upon her return to New York she continued to work in fired clay and also made the first of many series of drawings in charcoal. During the 1970's her sculpture was exhibited in various galleries in New York and New Jersey.

After the birth of her first child in 1980 Ellen focused primarily on drawing. In the mid 1980's her charcoal drawings were widely exhibited in Austin, Texas where she lived for four years. Several were included in traveling exhibitions of the Texas Fine Arts Association and her work was included in a show at the Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin in 1986. Soon after, she gave birth to her second child and from 1986 to 1995 worked only sporadically as she developed her second career as a childbirth educator and counselor.

In 1996 Ellen began to make art again on a regular basis. Focusing on drawing in charcoal and pencil and by 1998 beginning to experiment with color in pastel and chalk she opened up new areas of exploration for her work. In the summer of 2000 she moved her studio to the Gowanus Canal area and began to participate in the annual Gowanus Open Studio Tours. Finding the fragility of pastel and chalk too confining as she strove to learn more about color, in late 2001 she began working in paint. After several years of painting on canvas and board she returned to paper. In 2004 and 2005 she created a series of large black and white drawings combining charcoal, paint and graphite. In recent years she has focused on color - working in graphite and acrylic or oil on paper. Ellen has been a member of the 440 Gallery since 2007 and is about to have her second solo show of works on paper in January 2010.