Artist Statement


I want to tell my stories and it’s probably going to bother some people. May you find joy amidst the discomfort.

My current work attempts to tell the stories that I can’t tell in any other way. These are stories of suffering from depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder while raising a family and trying to make life better for my children than it was for me at their ages. My work aims to express what it feels like to be grateful for what I have all while I’m dealing with intense grief over the many people and parts of myself I’ve lost to various tragedies in my lifetime.

I put pieces of wood, recycled objects, paper, or all three, together much like I put together my thoughts, feelings and memories from dissociative states in my youth. In both processes, things are not linear. Intense sadness, joy, depression, and reflection come in pieces and I am always trying to make sense of the fragments as they present themselves.

So there’s collage and words scattered about the surface, and beautiful colors and shapes to connect things that otherwise wouldn’t mean much by themselves. I hope these pieces speak to you in your own language and take you to a place inside of yourself that makes you feel heard and understood and maybe a little bit happy.

“How to Love Yourself Part 1”
Acrylic and collage on cardboard
12”x36”

 
 

Gia whitlock - CV

Education

2002 Bachelor of Arts: Art & Communications
           Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah

Group Shows 

2022 Robin Becic Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2022 “Hearts and Flowers” Group Show, Sidestreet Arts, Portland Oregon
2021 Sidestreet Arts Gallery Feature Show - Dawn Pantaja and Gia Whitlock,
Portland, Oregon
2018 Sidestreet Arts, Small Works Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2017  ”Big500 Show,” Pioneer Place Mall, Portland, Oregon
2017 "Fire on the Water, Dragon Boat Art Show", Portland5, Portland, Oregon
2017 "PSA"  Ford Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2016 "Big500 Show," Ford Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2014   Laguna Beach Art Walk, Laguna Beach, California
2012 Spring Show -­‐ Alpine Art. Salt Lake City, Utah
2011 “FUSE Utah Artists Working in Encaustic,” Kimball Art Center, Park City,  Utah
2011 87th Annual Spring Salon, Springville Art Museum, Springville, Utah
2010 “Small Works Group Show,” Kayo Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010 Top 20 Finalist in DailyPainters.com Competition, online
2009 Westminster College Alumni Art Exhibit, Salt Lake City, Utah

Solo Shows 

2018 First Unitarian Church, Portland, Oregon
2018 “A Fragmented Reality,” University of Portland, Portland, Oregon 
2018   First Cup Coffeehouse, Portland, Oregon
2017 "Bits & Pieces, When No Plan Comes Together," Powell's Books,       
           Portland, Oregon
2017 First Cup Coffeehouse, Portland, Oregon
2015   RiverSea Gallery Alcove, Astoria, Oregon
2010 Westminster College Alumni Art Exhibit, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010 15th Street Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010   Caffe Niche, Salt Lake City, Utah
2009   Caffe Niche, Salt Lake City, Utah

Festivals and Events

2022 Buckman Art Show & Sell, Portland, Oregon
2022 Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, Oregon
2021 Portland Open Studios
2021 Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, Oregon
2021 Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
2020 Portland Open Studios
2019   Holiday Sale @ Square Inch Arts. Portland, Oregon
2019   Holiday Sale @ Clay Circle Studio, West Linn, Oregon
2019 Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, Oregon
2018 Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, Oregon
2018    Buckman Art Show & Sell, Buckman Elementary, Portland, Oregon
2017 Duniway Holiday Home Tour & Boutique, Portland, Oregon
2017 Wild Arts Festival, Montgomery Park, Portland, Oregon
2017 Local 14 Art Show & Sale, Portland, Oregon
2017 Art in the Pearl, North Park Blocks, Portland, Oregon
2016 Portland Open Studios, Portland, Oregon
2016 Local 14 Art Show & Sale, Portland, Oregon
2015 Local 14 Art Show & Sale, Portland, Oregon
2015 Art in the Park, Lake Oswego, Oregon
2015 Salem Art Fair, Salem, Oregon
2015 BAM Artsfair, Bellevue, Washington
2014    Art in the Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival, Portland, Oregon
2014 Local 14 Art Show & Sale, Portland, Oregon
2012 Utah Arts Festival. Salt Lake City, Utah
2011 Art & Soup, Salt Lake City, Utah
2009 Downtown Art & Craft Market, Salt Lake City, Utah
2009 Park Silly Sunday Market, Salt Lake City, Utah
2008 Sugarhouse Art Festival, Salt Lake City, Utah
2007 Park Silly Sunday Market, Park City, Utah
2007 Downtown Art & Craft Market. Salt Lake City, Utah

Workshops & Teaching 

2022   Released a series of still life painting videos on my YouTube Channel 

2017   After School Art Camp, Puddletown School, Portland, Oregon

2017 Grace Art Camp, Grace Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon
2016  "Art Camp for Mammas," Monaco Family Vineyard, Klickitat, Washington
2016 Grace Art Camp, Grace Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon

2015 Grace Art Camp, Grace Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon
2009 Alumni Mentor, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah

Awards & Publications

2020  2nd Place, Rose Category, Oregon Society of Artists Rose Festival Show   Portland, Oregon

2014  “Incite2: Color Passions,” North Light Books 

2013  “Incite: Dreams Realized,” North Light Books January 

2013   Studio Visit Magazine -­‐ Volume 19

2012   “Honorable Mention,” Artist’s Magazine Acrylic Competition - online

2012   City Weekly -­‐ Gavin’s Underground

2012   City Weekly A&E Blog-­‐ Utah Arts Festival

2011 15 Bytes “Some Like it Hot, Working with Encaustic”

Corporate Collections
2011 Questar Gas, Salt Lake City, Utah