Who is she?Alison was born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania. She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore City with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. She obtained both her Teaching Certificate and her Master’s in Education in Art Education at Millersville University. Her teaching experience spans 2 states; rural, urban, and suburban schools; as well moonlighting as an adjunct professor at MU. Her artwork has been included in several group shows in Central Pennsylvania and in the Baltimore Metro Area and most recently, she has curated motherhood themed art shows that benefited the Milagro House. She is the fearful leader of the To Give Rise To artist collective and currently teaches art at Elizabethtown Area High School.
Artist statement: |
I have two sides to my artist life: the maker and the communicator. My personal body of work and my profession as an art educator combines these two sides quite seamlessly. In my studio practice, I have explored stories and metaphors – how I can find commonality in one image or story that may seem quite disparate from my own. I used to pull my inspiration more from others’ stories, but the past few years of my life have produced some pretty unbelievable tales, and so I find myself more interested in sharing my story directly while connecting it into a broader world-view. My aesthetic, or the language I utilize to tell these tales, is derived from my own observations of the natural world and my time spent studying abroad in Tuscany.
Exhibitions:
Mythologies of Motherhood (Curated & Exhibited in Group Show); Susquehanna Art Museum; Harrisburg, PA; 2022
To Give Rise To (Curated & Exhibited in Group Show); Community Room on King; Lancaster, PA; 2021
Viral Imaginations: COVID-19; Penn State University Website; 2020
Mount Joy: A Small-town Soliloquy (Solo Show); Main Street Mount Joy, PA; 2019
Motherhood Journey (Curated & Exhibited in Group Show); Mount Joy & Elizabethtown, PA; 2019
Member's Show; Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts; Lebanon, PA; 2018
Untitled Lancaster; Levengoods of Lancaster, PA; 2017
Gallery 788 Silent Auction to Benefit the Y.E.S.; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Jillian Jenkins & Alison Keener; Dougherty’s Irish Pub; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Mail Art Show: What’s Your View?; Top of the World Gallery, World Trade Center; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Love/Personified Group Show; Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church Gallery Space; Baltimore, MD; 2014
Art Teacher as Artist; Howard County Board of Education Gallery; Ellicott City, MD; 2014
Art Teacher as Artist; Howard County Board of Education Gallery; Ellicott City, MD; 2012
Art Teachers Create; Marietta Art House; Marietta, PA; 2011
Collage Menage; Ganser Gallery at Millersville University; Millersville, PA; 2010
Music & Theater (Juried Exhibit); SPRAMA.design; Harrisburg, PA; 2009-2010
Alison Elizabeth (Solo Show); House of Pasta; Millersville, PA; 2009-2010
Millersville University Juried Student Show; Millersville, PA; 2009
Alison Elizabeth (Show/Artist Talk); Hempfield High School, Landisville, PA; 2009
Senior Thesis Exhibition; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2008
Undergrad Juried MAT Exhibit; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2006, 2007, 2008
Cortona Studies Abroad Exhibit; University of Georgia: Athens; Athens, GA; 2007
La Mostra; Cortona, Italy; 2006
Opsis (Solo Show); True Espresso Café; Lancaster, PA; 2006
Foundation Exhibit; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2005
To Give Rise To (Curated & Exhibited in Group Show); Community Room on King; Lancaster, PA; 2021
Viral Imaginations: COVID-19; Penn State University Website; 2020
Mount Joy: A Small-town Soliloquy (Solo Show); Main Street Mount Joy, PA; 2019
Motherhood Journey (Curated & Exhibited in Group Show); Mount Joy & Elizabethtown, PA; 2019
Member's Show; Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts; Lebanon, PA; 2018
Untitled Lancaster; Levengoods of Lancaster, PA; 2017
Gallery 788 Silent Auction to Benefit the Y.E.S.; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Jillian Jenkins & Alison Keener; Dougherty’s Irish Pub; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Mail Art Show: What’s Your View?; Top of the World Gallery, World Trade Center; Baltimore, MD; 2015
Love/Personified Group Show; Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church Gallery Space; Baltimore, MD; 2014
Art Teacher as Artist; Howard County Board of Education Gallery; Ellicott City, MD; 2014
Art Teacher as Artist; Howard County Board of Education Gallery; Ellicott City, MD; 2012
Art Teachers Create; Marietta Art House; Marietta, PA; 2011
Collage Menage; Ganser Gallery at Millersville University; Millersville, PA; 2010
Music & Theater (Juried Exhibit); SPRAMA.design; Harrisburg, PA; 2009-2010
Alison Elizabeth (Solo Show); House of Pasta; Millersville, PA; 2009-2010
Millersville University Juried Student Show; Millersville, PA; 2009
Alison Elizabeth (Show/Artist Talk); Hempfield High School, Landisville, PA; 2009
Senior Thesis Exhibition; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2008
Undergrad Juried MAT Exhibit; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2006, 2007, 2008
Cortona Studies Abroad Exhibit; University of Georgia: Athens; Athens, GA; 2007
La Mostra; Cortona, Italy; 2006
Opsis (Solo Show); True Espresso Café; Lancaster, PA; 2006
Foundation Exhibit; MICA; Baltimore, MD; 2005
Freelance Work:
Private Commissions; (2005 - present)
- Painted, drew, sculpted, and bound commissioned works and books
- Designed logo branding & packaging
- Designed logo, business cards, & yard signs
- Collaborated with couples to design & package wedding invitations, rehearsal invitations, and hand lettered signage
- Collaborate with team to create and build stage set designs
- Created and coordinated mailer advertisement
- Created and coordinated advertisement projects and group artworks
- Planned, designed, coordinated, and painted a community mural
- Illustrated an advertisement