Photo by Alison Mitchener
✉ Email: erin@erinruffino.com
About
Erin Ruffino resides in Fredonia, NY where she graduated in 2019 from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a BFA specializing in Drawing and Painting. She often works in graphite and oil paint to explore fantastical situations in nature, and is represented by RJD Gallery in Romeo, MI.
Personal endeavors include camping with family at state parks, listening to comedy podcasts, and whistling to the noisy Eastern Screech Owl in her backyard. Turkey vultures are her favorite animals. Don't tell the screech owl.
Artist Statement
Reading psychology texts and listening to experts speak on podcasts inspires Erin Ruffino to create work that mediates our frantic inner critics by raising questions of self-improvement. Her personal fine artwork investigates the idea of developing identity through figurative surrealism. Personal images from memory, associations, and popular culture are superimposed onto portraiture. Linework and thick application of cold wax medium aim to embody the idea of developing identity as an indefinite, imperfect process. As portraits and rough palette knife strokes overlap, their identities are obscured and reimagined.
2023
1st Artist Expo, Buffalo Art Movement Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Juried)
2022
Smallworks 2022, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY (Juried)
Power in Numbers 7, Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra, CA (Juried)
Revolution for Peace, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
Salon des Refusés, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI
Portals and Portholes, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY (Juried)
64th Society of Illustrators Annual and Exhibit, Society of Illustrators, New York City, NY (Juried)
31st Annual Holiday Sale, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO (Juried)
2021
Krampusnacht, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY
A Show of Heads 2021, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY, View Here
Something Wicked, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
INVENTION, iARTistas Summer 2021 Online Interactive Magazine Publication
Dark Fairy Tales, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
THE YEAR THE EARTH STOOD STILL, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY
MUSIC/MAN, iARTistas Spring 2021 Online Interactive Magazine Publication
Be My Valentine Miniature Pop Up Show, 33 Contemporary Gallery (Online)
2020
Gruss von Krampus, Revolution Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
Holiday Sale, 33 Contemporary Gallery (Online)
8th Annual Coaster Show, 30 Gallery South, Pasadena, CA
Small Works 2020, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY
Strange Figurations 2020, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY (Online and in-print)
VR Spring Showcase, Visual Arts Passage, (Online)
DRAWN OUT, Revolution Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
2020 Vision: Women Artists in Western New York, Castellani Art Museum, Niagara, NY
Mini Masterpieces 2020, Revolution Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2019
Smallworks 2019, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY
Flesh and Bone III, IA&A at Hillyer, Washington, D.C.
5x5 Project VI, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
Women Create, 3rd on 3rd Gallery, Jamestown, NY
Mini Masterpieces, Revolution Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2018
Next Wave of Figurative Painting, Fredonia Technology Incubator, Dunkirk, NY
2017
Fredonia Showcase, Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery, Fredonia, NY
“Papillon” as promo for Revolution Gallery
“Higher Ground” @ The Castellani Art Museum
“Pulled Punches” @ Main Street Arts
Achievements
2023
Shortlist 2023 Illustration Competition, Communication Arts
2022
Strokes of Genius Drawing Competition Finalist, Artist Network Magazine (Print Publication)
Shortlist 2022 Illustration Competition, Communication Arts
2021
64th Society of Illustrators Annual and Exhibit, Society of Illustrators, New York City, NY (Juried)
Jury Panelist for The Society of Animal Artists Exhibition, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY
Mural Selection, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY
Shortlist 2021 Illustration Competition, Communication Arts
2019
Graduated Summa Cum Laude, SUNY Fredonia, NY
Awarded the Visual Arts and New Media Award of Excellence in BFA: Drawing & Painting, SUNY Fredonia, NY
Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for the WM Exhibition, Fredonia, NY
2018
Awarded the Wal-mart Scholarship, Fredonia, NY
2017
Awarded Chautauqua Craft Alliance Scholarship, Fredonia, NY
2016
Awarded the Charles Notaro Alliance Scholarship, Fredonia, NY
Awarded President's Award for Excellence, Fredonia, NY
2015
Alisha Marie Kolet Scholarship for the Study of Art, Fredonia, NY
Selected Exhibitions
Press
"A new project…" by Kevin O’Neil (TV Interview), WGRZ, May, 2022.
"Lowbrow Pop Revolution," by Alberto Rey, Buffalo Spree, November Issue, 2022.
“RTPI plans ‘birdday’ celebration' Saturday,” The Dunkirk Observer, August 27, 2021.
"Women artists," by Bruce Adams, Buffalo Spree, June Issue, 2020.
"Latest show at Castellani Art Museum features 185 local woman artists" (Artwork pictured in video), by Mike Randall, WKBW Buffalo, March 3, 2020.
"Area women artists part of regional exhibit," The Dunkirk Observer, February 9, 2020.
"New mural by drawing/painting students honors workers at steel plant," by Roger Coda, News & Events State University of New York at Fredonia, September 17, 2019.
"Mural Mural on the wall...CRNC encourages multi-sensory stimulation for all" by The Dunkirk Observer, August 14, 2019.
“’Tessellate’ senior exhibition takes place at Marion Art Gallery,” by Sandrene Hamilton, The Leader, Fredonia, NY, May 8, 2019. 10-11.
“Second spring senior exhibitions opens May 3 in Marion Art Gallery,” by Doug Osborne-Coy, News & Events State University of New York at Fredonia, April 29, 2019.
"Spring senior exhibition opens Friday in Fredonia's Marion Art Gallery" by The DunkirkObserver, 2019
"3rd on 3rd Gallery opens "Women Create"; issues a call for art" by The Dunkirk Observer, 2019
"Art students complete project for local company" by Avril King, Fredonia Marketing and Communications, 2019
"Figurative painting exhibition reception scheduled at Fredonia Technology Incubator" by The Dunkirk Observer, 2018
Education
2019
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Drawing & Painting
Summa Cum Laude, 3.95/4.0 GPA
SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY
December 2019 - Present
Visual Arts Passage and Studio Bridge Courses
01. Process: Skill & Craft (10 weeks)
02. Ideation & Visual Storytelling (10 weeks)
03. Portfolio Development (10 weeks)
04. Color Theory (5 weeks)
05. Digital Portrait Painting (5 weeks)
06. Portfolio Development (10 Weeks)
07. Comics and Sequential Art (5 weeks)
08. Career Development (10 Weeks)
08. Studio Bridge Lecture Series and Figure Drawing (December 2020-Present)
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