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Mary-Ann Prack's background in the arts really began over a century ago with the creation, by her grandfather, of an architectural design firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By 1910, the firm had added an office in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and several more members of the Prack family, eventually including her father. Prack & Prack, A & E became the quiet start of an iconic architectural, engineering, interiors, and fine art family tradition that has spanned three generations and two countries; includes several different Prack families; and lives on today in the art work of Mary-Ann and her siblings.

During the 1980's, Mary-Ann concentrated totally on developing hand-built ceramics as a sculpture medium; exhibiting her work in a broad range of indoor and outdoor venues. Though she uses ceramics as a material she does not follow the potters vessel concept but blazes her own path with clay as a pure sculpture medium; hand-building each piece using stoneware clay slabs; carved line work/textures; and glazes, colors, or stains with a painters approach to surface treatments.

In 1994, she and her husband moved their studio to Jefferson, North Carolina to take advantage of an environment that amplifies the creative spirit. Prack continues to exhibit her work in commercial and institutional galleries within the United States and Canada. She has fully matured her artistic style into an instantly recognizable abstract expressionist form that continues to gather awards and commendations from critics everywhere.

 
   

Awards & Exhibitions

 

TYNDALL GALLERIES - CHAPEL HILL, NC
"BETWEEN THE EYE AND THE FIRE"

"There were many great exhibits in 2004, but one that stood out was the colorful take on modern art by sculptor Mary-Ann Prack at Tyndall Galleries back in February. Prack's stoneware clays are shaped and glazed intuitively, but come out very aware of Matisse, O'Keefe, Miro, and to an extent, Picasso and Kandinsky. Being able to conduct a modern art orchestration while retaining her own style is what makes Prack's work memorable."

- Doug Stuber, Visual Arts Critic, Independent Weekly, Durham, NC.
"The Best Of The Year 2004" Issue, 1.5.2005, Best Solo Exhibit.

 

MANHATTAN ARTS INTERNATIONAL - NYC, NY
"HERSTORY 2004"

"Mary-Ann Prack's sculptures resonate pure harmony, balance and the relentless positive spirit of humankind. Simple in form yet endowed with a profound sense of ancient wisdom, they are sublime and full of wonder. Prack is an artist who reaches deep within herself to evoke universal themes. That is why I selected her work to receive an Artist Showcase award in the Manhattan Arts International "Herstory 2004" competition/exhibition."

- Renee Phillips, Director, Manhattan Arts International, NYC, NY.
Author: "The Complete Guide To New York Art Galleries"

 

LEEPA-RATTNER MUSEUM OF ART - TARPON SPRINGS, FL
"O' APPALACHIA: ARTISTS OF THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS"

"I haven't been this excited about an artist's work in a long, long time. Mary-Ann's
sculpture affects me in so many different ways...and always with total exhilaration;
intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. The essence of her creations is really quite magical and her mastery of the medium exquisite!"

-Ramona Love Lampell, Arts Advocate and Associate Curator, Leepa-Rattner Museum
Author: "O' Appalachia, Artists of the Southern Mountains," Stewart, Tabori & Chang

 

 

Education

 

1981 - 82 FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, Boca Raton, FL
1976 - 78 ART INSTITUTE OF FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
1976 EUROPEAN STUDY PROGRAM - Italy, France, England
1973 - 75 UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, Ontario, Canada

 

 

Selected Awards & Exhibitions Archive

 

2008 EXHIBITION - "PRACK/TRAPP - NEW WORK," TYNDALL GALLERIES,
Chapel Hill, NC
2007 EXHIBITION - "O' APPALACHIA: ARTISTS OF THE SOUTHERN MTNS.,"
LEEPA-RATTNER MUSEUM OF ART, Tarpon Springs, FL
2007 EXHIBITION - "FIGURES & FACES IN THE ABSTRACT," WILKES ART
GALLERY, Wilkesboro, NC
2007 NATIONAL AWARD - "BEST OF AMERICA - SCULPTURE" NATIONAL ART
COMPETITION, WILLIAMSBURG, VA
2007 EXHIBITION - THE HAEN GALLERY, Asheville, NC
2007 EXHIBITION - "GO FIGURE," NINA LIU & FRIENDS GALLERY, Charleston,
SC
2007 EXHIBITION - "50TH ANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION," HONORABLE
MENTION, ROCKY MOUNT ARTS CENTER, Rocky Mount, NC
2006 EXHIBITION - "PRACK/DUROCHER," ZENITH GALLERY, Washington, DC.
2006 EXHIBITION - "3-D WOMEN," WEST END GALLERY, Winston-Salem, NC.
2006 EXHIBITION - "WOMEN ARTISTS OF W. NORTH CAROLINA," TURCHIN CENTER, Boone, NC.
2005 EXHIBITION - "PRACK/TRAPP," GALLERY 9, Banner Elk, NC.
2005 EXHIBITION/AUCTION - BRAHM BLOWING ROCK ART & HISTORY MUSEUM, Blowing Rock, NC.
2005 EXHIBITION - "THE FIGURE - HEAD TO TOE," COOPER GALLERY,
Lewisburg, WV.
2004 BEST SOLO EXHIBIT - "BEST OF 2004" Issue, Independent Weekly,
Arts review magazine, Durham, NC.
2004 "ARTIST SHOWCASE AWARD" - "HERSTORY 2004" Competition and
Exhibition, Manhattan Arts International, NYC, NY.
2004 EXHIBITION - "BETWEEN THE EYE AND THE FIRE," TYNDALL
GALLERIES, Chapel Hill, NC.
2003 EXHIBITION - COOPER GALLERY, Lewisburg, WV.
2001 EXHIBITION - ERL GALLERY, Winston-Salem, NC.
2001 EXHIBITION - DAVIDSON COUNTY ARTS CENTER, Lexington, NC.
2000 EXHIBITION - "MILLENIUM EXHIBITION," ASHE ARTS CENTER,.
West Jefferson, NC.
2000 EXHIBITION - WILKES ART GALLERY, Wilkesboro, NC.
2000 EXHIBITION -"BORDER BIENNIAL " - YORK MUSEUM of ART,
Rock Hill, SC.
1999 FEATURED ARTIST, "CERAMICS ABOUT. COM" - September/October.
1999 EXHIBITION - "PERCEPTIONS IN CLAY/FIBER", ASHE ARTS CENTER,
West Jefferson, NC.
1999 EXHIBITION - "CELEBRATION OF SPRING," GALLERY 9. Foscoe, NC.
1999 GRANT RECIPIENT - REGIONAL ARTIST PROJECT of Northwest NC.
1998 EXHIBITION - "THREE WOMEN - THREE ARTFORMS," GALLERY 9,
Foscoe, NC.
1998 EXHIBITION - "SCULPTURE SALMAGUNDI II," ROCKY MOUNT ART
CENTER, Rocky Mount, NC.
1997 GUEST SPEAKER - "10TH ANNUAL POTTERS CONFERENCE," MORING
ARTS CENTER, Asheboro, NC.
1997 EXHIBITION - "THREE WOMEN - THREE ARTFORMS," GALLERY 9,
Foscoe, NC.
1996 EXHIBITION - TEODORA GALLERY, Toronto, Canada.
1996 EXHIBITION - SANDRA AINSLEY GALLERY, Toronto, Canada.
1996 EXHIBITION - "DIMENSIONS 96," SAWTOOTH GALLERY,
Winston-Salem, NC.
1993 EXHIBITION - "HORTT 35 MEMORIAL," FORT LAUDERDALE MUSEUM OF ART, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
1992 EXHIBITION - "BETWEEN THE EYE AND THE FIRE," RALEIGH
GALLERY, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
1992 HONORABLE MENTION - "ATC ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION,"
PAG/BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART, Boca Raton, FL.
1991 EXHIBITION - JAMES A. RUTHERFORD CENTER,
PAG/BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART, Boca Raton, FL.
1991 FIRST PLACE - "ANNUAL MULTI-MEDIA ART EXHIBITION,"
PAG/COLLEGE OF BOCA RATON, Boca Raton, FL.
1990 EXHIBITION - "HORTT 32 MEMORIAL," FORT LAUDERDALE MUSEUM
OF ART, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
1990 EXHIBITION - "ATC ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION,"
PAG/BOCA RATON MUSEUM OF ART, Boca Raton, FL.
1989 FIRST PLACE SCULPTURE - "FESTIVAL OF THE MASTERS,"
WALT DISNEY WORLD, Orlando, FL.
1989 BEST OF SHOW - "KEY BISCAYNE ART FESTIVAL," Key Biscayne, FL.
1988 FIRST PLACE SCULPTURE - "ARTIST SHOWCASE," Coral Gables, FL.
1987 FIRST PLACE SCULPTURE - "ART IN THE PARK," Plantation, FL.
1986 FIRST PLACE SCULPTURE - "OSCEOLA ART FESTIVAL,"
Kissimmee, FL.

 

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