spreading the awareness of Deaf, DeafBlind
and Hard of Hearing's art and performances
Ellen Mansfield's biography
Born Deaf in Manhattan, New York in 1960 but grew up in New Jersey for 7 years. Went to public school where Ellen learned poorly without sign language and interpreters. Spent all summers in Goldens Bridge countyside, north of New York City. She earned a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Ellen has led a life filled with art and experiences with a background in drawing, painting, batik, ceramics, and many other media that have brought her onto her current journey. When she moved to Maryland, she began to recognize just how much her Deaf identity had been part of her artwork. Life was starting to blossom as she was surrounded by Deaf culture and sign language, which developed increasingly colorful images including watercolors , oil paintings and tile glazings in her artwork.
Ellen had commissions for handpainted tiles for mural decorations, kitchen backsplashes, fireplace mantel surroundings, and murals behind ranges for past 20 years. She led many workshops in ceramics, drawings and paintings for over 200 Deaf children, children of Deaf parents, and adults.
Ellen keeps a home studio called Ellen’s TileStroke Studio in Frederick. The studio has a kiln for firing both low and high fire tiles from greenware to final glazing in the range of 1922 and 2174 degrees. She works in a variety of aesthetic and technical styles including sculpted relief, carved plaster blocks, tile presses and mosaic tiles. All the tiles are finished in a wide palate of earthenware and stoneware glazes.
Ellen's Statement
Witness to the historical signing of the Deaf View Image Art (De’VIA) charter at Deaf Way Festival, I strongly believe in showing Deaf Experiences through my artwork. The mirror is the ideal tool for reflections upon Deafhood and De’VIA. It is for this reason that mirrors are used in many of my ceramic tile projects; they hold great significance for me.
My goal is that Tiles tell a story of Deaf Culture and Sign Language themselves, like focal points on nature and people combination. My work reflects a passion of experiences of Deafhood that have inspired and created me.
ELLEN MANSFIELD’S Curriculum VITAE
Invitations, Honors, Awards
2014 Featured Artist @ Deaf Arts Festival Website
2013 New Jersey Association for the Deaf, Gala and Live Auction Toms River, NJ
2013 Tiger Talks NTID’s 45th Anniversary, Five Artists Painted “Unity of Eyeth.” Rochester, New York.
2013 International Art Exhibition, “The World is Heard by the Soul” in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2013 Featured Artist Multimedia Deaf Jewish Gallery
2012 DAF/ABE Festival Artist, 2nd Place award
2012 National Association of the Deaf, Louisville, Kentucky, Live Auction.
2012 Chuck Baird’s foundation website with featured emerge artist
1986 Honorable Award “Correspondent in springtime”, Mays Stevens, woman activist artist, Juror
2005 Scholarship Deaf Women United Conference, Ellicott City, Maryland
1985 4 Awards (1st, 2nd, 3rd, Honor Mention), Alumni Association Art Exhibition, Gallaudet College, DC
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013 De’VIA Marketplace, Brick City 45th Reunion at RIT/NTID, Rochester, New York
2013 Honor in Veditz’s Celebration Exhibition at RIT/NTID, Rochester, New York
2013 DeafQuest/Ravenswood art Walk, Chicago, Illinois.
2013 Hst Festival in Washington, District of Columbia
2013 International Art Exhibition, “The World is Heard by the Soul” in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2013 Deaf Arts Festival at Arts, Beats & Eats, Royal Oak, Michigan.
2013 Downtown Olathe Arts Festival, Kansas
2013 Baltimore Clayworks “Annual Student Exhibition”, Baltimore, Maryland
2013 Deaf Artists Gallery Row, DeafNation Expo in Washington, District of Columbia
2013 Engage! Exposure! Experiment! Exhibit! Juried Show, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.
2012 Jon Savage’s 7240 Gallery, Space4Art, San Diego, California.
2012 Art & Chocolate at VisArts, Washington Society of Jewish Deaf, Rockville, Maryland.
2012 De’VIA Deaf Art Show, National Center on Deafness, California State University of Northridge, Northridge, California.
2012 Baltimore Clayworks 16th Annual student Exhibition , Baltimore, Maryland
2012 Deaf Arts Festival at Arts, Beats & Eats, Royal Oak, Michigan.
2012 De’VIA Museum at Deaf Studies Today, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah.
2012 Visual Reflections by Deaf Artists, Washburn Art Center, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.
2012 Outsiders the Beltway Art Show, Washington, District of Columbia
2012 Deaf Artists’ Exhibit at the ASL Fest, Texas School for the Deaf, Austin, Texas.
2011 De’VIA Art Show at Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, Maryland
2011 Downtown Philaphila
2011 Deaf Arts Festival at Holley, Brooklyn Michigan
2011 Juried Sugarloaf Mountain Craft show in Gaithersburg, Maryland
2011Juried Sugarloaf Mountain Craft show in Timioiuim,Maryland
2011 Juried Sugarloaf Mountain Craft show in Dulles, Maryland
2011 Frederick Artomatic, Frederick, Maryland
2011 Art/Gage: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, South Street, Philadelphia
2005 The Massachusetts of Very Special Arts,” Juried Deaf Heritage Show”
2005 International Deaf Film and Arts Tampa Festival, Hillsborough Community College, Florida
2005 Deaf Women United Conference, Art Gallery,
1989 The Deaf Way Conference and Festival, Gallaudet University, Washington DC
1987 Stratton arts Center in Rockville, Maryland
1986 Leonia Public Library, Solo Art show “Images in painting and collage”
1986 Washington Women’s Arts Center, “Works on Paper” Juried Women Group Show
“Correspondent in springtime” Honorable Award, Mays Stevens- woman activist artist, Juror
1985 Center for students with Disabilities, Artists with Disabilities Show @ New York City University
Lectures
2013 Art Thru Deaf Eyes at Maryland Association for the Deaf/PCRID conf.in Columbia,Maryland
2013 Artists Talk with Deaf Quest at Ravenswood Artwalk, Chicago
2013 Deafhood to Artivism Presentation, at Columbia College, Chicago.
2013 Deafhood to Artivism Presentation, at NTID, Rochester, New York.
2013 International Art Exhibition, “The World is Heard by the Soul” in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
2013 De’VIA Artist and Jewish Presentation at Jewish Deaf Congress Conference, Wash.DC
2012 Video interview with DeafNation’s No Barriers with Joel Barish at TileStroke Studio,Frederick
2011 De’VIA Talk, at The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, Maryland.
Permanent and Private Collections
Deaf Quest, Ravenswood in Chicago,’’ I will Never Forget no.3’’, oil painting
Mississippi School for the Deaf,” How am I supposed to live without ASL”. ceramic tile first edition
Indiana School for the Deaf, “Crab Theory to Deaf Unity”. acrylic/oil painting
The Holley Family Village’s art museum in Michigan, ‘’The Rising the ASL’’ tile mirror
Delaware School for the Deaf/The Skerck Museum, “Emancipation from Oralism” ink watercolor
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