A LIFETIME OF CREATION

Elaine Franz Witten's life story is varied but has always included art. She is an award-winning, classically trained sculptor, casting with the ancient lost wax method. Hallmarks of her sculpture are beautiful form, creative use of negative space, and illusion of movement.

Her sculptural work includes figurative, animal, birds and “antique” musical instruments. Moreover she frequently mounts on indigenous stone bases, giving an additional textural element. 

Ms. Witten shows her paintings in oil, watercolor and ink in regional exhibitions. She recently won awards for two of her oil paintings from Manhattan Arts International, New York, N.Y.

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.

Style

Ms. Witten 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.

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.

In New York City, Elaine Franz Witten’s sculptures have been exhibited at Park Aveue Atrium Exhibition Gallery as part of several National Sculpture Society Shows. She has also exhibited at he National Arts Club, the Salmagundi Art Club, the National Association of Women Artists Gallery, and the Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery. Furthermore, as part of a presentation of the National Society of Women Artists, Ms. Witten’s work was shown at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition, Witten’s work has also been shown at the Copley Society of Art, Boston, MA.

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). Ms. Witten taught at Taradenarts, North Bennington, VT (2017-2019). She is a past Trustee of Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT.

Galleries

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