Sandra Dee Baker is an emerging self-taught artist who discovered her interest for abstract artistic expression in art therapy over six years ago. Sandra's art journey began when she completed her first collage piece, “The Maze" and entered her first juried show which was selected and exhibited at The New Britain Museum of American Art 46th Annual Nor 'Easter Exhibition  in 2016.
 
Since 2016, Sandra has continued to work in mixed media and abstract designs. All of her collage paintings are designed and created solely with cut or torn painted paper. She works in an organic manner, allowing the work to evolve as she places pieces on the paper..  Her work has many elements, especially an instinctual use of texture and pattern. She employs movement,  rhythm and balance in all her work. She strives for a coherent pallete that tells her when she is done with a piece. Her material choices vary. She uses acrylics, ink, watercolors, watercolor paper, and wood. She loves working with vibrant colors as well as monochromatics.

Her inspirations come from  personal narratives, her faith, and her commitment to walk in spirit and truth.  She refers to her work as “Beauty for Ashes”. This  title capture how she finds artistic ways of expressing and transforming painful feelings and experiences into works of art.
 
Over the last several years Sandra has felt honored to be embraced by members of the art community in Connecticut and Boston. She has been selected to participate in various juried shows and has won many awards.  She has exhibited at The Silvemine Gallery, Brookline Art Center, The Bruce Museum Outdoor Festival, Silvermine Galleries, Open Studios Hartford , Mattatuck Museum and The New Britain Museum of American Art. 



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Sandra Dee Baker                                                                            

Education
MSW, Social Work-Community Organizing
Boston University, Boston MA
 
BS, Rehabilitation Services
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, Maine

Group Exhibition 2023
  • Mixmaster, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury CT, Juror: Elizabeth Thompson Kirkpatrick,  Director at Anita Rogers Gallery in New York City, January 15-February 19, 2023 
Group Exhibitions 2021
  • Art Under Quarantine, Art League New Britain, New Britain CT, Juror: Olivia Chiang, Associate Professor of Visual Art. MCC. July 9, 2021-August 1, 2021
  • West Hartford Art League Art Festival, West Hartford, CT September 23-24, 2021
Group Exhibition 2020
  • The Nor 'Easter: 50th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain CT, Juror: Nicholas Bell, Senior Vice President for Curatorial Affairs at Mystic Seaport Museum, June 22-July 14, 2020
  • ​Heart & Mind:  Silver Mine Art Center, New Canaan CT, October 31, 2019 – January 12, 2020
Group Exhibitions 2019
  • Collective Ecologies, Brookline Art Center, Brookline MA,  November 8-December 20, 2019
  • Open Studios Hartford November 9-10, 2019
  • Bruce Museum Outdoor Art Festival October 5-6, 2019 
  • Paper: Silver Mine Art Center New Canaan, CT April 6-May 16 2019
  • Three Points of View, Club House Gallery, West Hartford Art League February 7- 24, 2019

Group Exhibitions 2018
  • Open Studios Hartford: Colt Building, Hartford CT
  •  Relinquishing Restraint: Loft Artist Association, Stamford CT, Juror: 2018 Krista Scenna Saunders, Curator and Co-Owner Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY August 17-September 23, 2018 
  • CT Women Artists 89th Annual National Open Juried Exhibition 2018, Barnes-Franklin Gallery, Farmington CT, Juror: Dr. Nancy Stuart, Hartford Art School. September 1-28,
  • Unframed, Brookline Art Center, Brookline MA, Juror: Joel Janowitz June 15-July 20, 2018 
  • Art in the Park, Manchester CT, June 3, 2018
  • Pop Up, Art League New Britain, New Britain CT May 12, 2018
  • Nature in Black & White, Spectrum Gallery, Centerbrook CT, Juror: Barbara Nair, Director of Spectrum Gallery.  March 30 to May 13, 2018
  • Mixmaster, Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury CT, Juror: Sara Shaoul, Director of 601 Artspace in New York City. February 11-March 28, 2018

Group Exhibitions 2017

  • Open Studios Hartford, Colt Building, Hartford CT
  • Visual Narratives, Loft Artist Gallery, Stamford CT, Juror: Katerina Lanfranco, Chief Curator at Trestle Gallery in Brooklyn, New York, and Founder of Rhombus Space.
  • CT Women Artists 87th Annual National Open Juried Exhibition 2017, Art Center East, Vernon CT, Juror: Nancy Stula, Executive Director, William Benton Museum of Art, UCONN, Storrs, CT.
  • Walls, Fences & Doors, Spectrum Gallery Group Show, Centerbrook CT, Juror: Barbara Nair, Director of Spectrum Gallery,
  • Art Center Killingworth, 2nd Annual Summer Arts Festival, Essex CT, Juror: Barbara Nair, Director of Spectrum Gallery.
  • Spectrum Gallery Group Show, Centerbrook CT, Juror: Barbara Nair, Director of Spectrum Gallery,
  • CT Women’s Artist Members Juried Show, Art league of New Britain, New Britain Ct, Juror: Roxanne Stachelek , Executive Director of the West Hartford Art League
  • Follow The Line, Spectrum Gallery Group Show, Centerbrook CT, Juror: Barbara Nair, Director of Spectrum Gallery
  • Nationals Arts Council, Capital Community College, Hartford CT, Juried
 
Group Exhibitions of 2016

  • 54th “On The Green” Fine Arts and Crafts, Glastonbury CT, Juried
  • 35th Annual Outdoor Festival of the Bruce Museum, Greenwich CT, Juried
  • CWA 86th Annual National Open Juried Show 2016, Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich CT, Juror: Ming Jung Kim, director of New Britain Museum of American Art
  • The Art of Abstraction, Art Center East, Vernon CT, Juror: Diana Boehnert, Abstract Artist and Teacher
  • National Arts Council, Capital Community College, Hartford CT, Juried
  • The Nor 'Easter: 47th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain CT, Juror: Sarah Fritchey Curator and Gallery Director of Art Space





 
Contact:
Sandra Dee Baker
artbysandradee@gmail.com
Website: artbysandradee.net