A LIFETIME OF CREATION

Elaine Franz Witten's life story is varied but has always included art. She is an award-winning, classically trained bronze sculptor, casting her work with the ancient lost-wax method. Hallmarks of her sculpture are beautiful form, creative use of negative space, and illusion of movement. Her work in sculpture includes figurative, animals, birds and "antique" musical instruments. She frequently mounts these on indigenous (to Vermont) stone bases, giving an additional textural element.

Ms.Witten exhibits her paintings in oil, watercolor, and ink in both local and national venues. She paints in a “semi abstract” or “poetic realism” style. That is to say, rather than a literal representation or photo-realism, she intuitively captures with paint how the information present in nature affected her. She gives this a voice.

She is also a published illustrator, included in three poetry books in 2020, 2023 and 2024 by Poetry Box Press, Portland, Oregon.

Art Education

As a child, Ms. Witten attended classes at The Cleveland Museum of Art. At Connecticut College, she majored in art. She first discovered sculpture in classes at Columbia University, NYC. Subsequently, she studied with Jane Armstrong, Fellow NSS, Manchester, VT, and at The Carving Studio, W. Rutland, VT.

Exhibits and Collections

Her bronzes have been exhibited in more than 130 national and international exhibitions as well as museums and regional solo shows. She has received numerous prizes. Her work is in public and private collections in U.S. and Canada. And she has a piece in the private collection of the former King of Saudi Arabia. In 2013, Ms. Witten became a purveyor of sculpture to the U.S. State Department for use as Presidential gifts.

Her bronzes are in private collections on public display at:

• Pizzagalli Construction Company, South Burlington, Vt;
• Dorset Public Library, Dorset, Vt (two bronzes);
• Stratton Mountain School, Stratton, Vt.

As well as two public fountain installations:

• Village Green, Old Bennington , Vt.
• St.Mary"s Hospital Foundation, Langhorne, PA.

Likewise, Ms. Witten’s work has been shown in many museums including: Fort Wayne Museum, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT; Dayton Peace Museum, Dayton, OH; Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA; Cordova Museum, Cordova, AK; Elizabeth deC Wilson Museum, Manchester, VT; Suntarella Museum, Tyringham, MA; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Fredericksburg, VA.

Background

Ms. Witten lives in rural Vermont. Her work is inspired by living close to nature. She trained as an R. N., and thus her anatomy knowledge informs her figurative work. She has taught sculpture workshops at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT (2002-2017 and 2021-2023). Ms. Witten taught at Taradenarts, North Bennington, VT (2017-2019). She is a past Trustee of Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. Ms. Witten is a Signature Member of The National Association Of Women Artists, New York, NY.

Galleries

She is represented by Spa Fine Art, Saratoga, N.Y. and Naples, Florida, Sheldon Fine Art, Newport, R.I., , Landmark Gallery, Kennebunkport, ME, and Chisholm Gallery, Wellington. FL.