Resume
Sophie Grillet
PROFILE
Sophie Grillet is an English artist from London, who for the past 20 years has been living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is extremely curious, interested in the arts, sciences and social justice, and has sat in on several University of Michigan classes. She is a Docent at UMMA and the originator and primary organizer of a semi-annual art walk, ‘Westside Art Hop.’ A former cartoonist, Sophie works in acrylics and oils, photography, digital media, stone, metal and clay.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2012 – present: Organizer for Westside Art Hop in Ann Arbor.
2013 – present: teaching Family Workshops at University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)
2006 – present: Docent at University of Michigan Museum of Art (One academic year of training required).
2013 – 2015 : Dancing Dog Gallery co-owner
2012 – 2013: private drawing lessons to adults and high school students.
2011 – present: Artist: painting, sculpture and photography.
1977 – 1996 Freelance cartoonist. (Occasional work to the present) Drawings of the Prague 'Velvet Revolution' are housed at the V&A Museum in London
SELECTED JURIED SHOWS
2016 Riverside Gallery, Ypsilanti, “Black-and-White Show” ((Metal sculptures)
Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center Solo exhibition (paintings and drawings)
2015 Dexter Library Solo exhibition (paintings and 3D)
Rivers Edge Gallery Wyandotte, MI (paintings)
2014 Ann Arbor Art Center “The Print” show (intaglio print)
Ann Arbor Women Artists 2014 Summer show (painting) and Fall Show (sculpture)
Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI “Art Goes Digital” (digital art)
2013 Scarab Club Detroit “Global Colors” show (painting)
Kiernan Gallery, Lexington VA “Abstract” (photography)
555 Gallery Detroit “Show Love” (painting)
2012 Work Detroit Gallery (UoM) “Dissidence” (painting)
Madonna University “Nature Speaks” (paintings)
Ann Arbor Women Artists Fall Show (painting)
Riverside Gallery, Ypsilanti, “Small Works” (sculptures 2nd Prize, painting)
Ann Arbor Art Center “The Print Show” (print)
1650 Gallery, LA, CA “Wanderlust” (photography) and “Abstracts” (photography)
Northville Art House Spring Show (sculptures)
2011 Ann Arbor Art Centre All Media Show (painting)
Scarab Club, Detroit (painting)
AWARDS
2017 Detroit Little Libraries Honorable Mention
AAWA 12 July 2014 Summer show Honorable mention
AAWA 7 Oct 2013 Fall Show Honorable mention
Plymouth Arts Council, 2013 ‘Places and Spaces’ Show Michigan People’s Choice Award
Riverside Arts center, Ypsilanti MI Oct 2012 Great Lakes Award 2nd Place
Ann Arbor Art Center April 27 2012 The Print Honorable mention
EDUCATION
22 ways of being Human (sat in on class) at University of Michigan (Winter 2016)
Judaism (sat in on class) at University of Michigan (Fall 2015)
Philosophy of Space and Time (sat in on class) at University of Michigan
Epistemology (sat in on class) at University of Michigan
Painting at Washtenaw Community College
Calculus and Pre-calculus at Washtenaw Community College
Physics at The Open University, UK 1984-8 (became full-time cartoonist before completion)
BA (Hons) Visual Communication University of Brighton UK 1977 (Equivalent of BFA)
Art Foundation Year Central St Martins (now London University of the Arts) UK 1974
BIBLIOGRAPHY (one poetry book and two cartoon books)
2002 ​ Thirst by Louise Rill (pen name) Gravity Presses, Dearborn Heights, MI ​ ISBN 0966989759
1997 ​ Feminism for Teenagers ​ Piccadilly Press, London ​ ISBN 1853404004
1986 ​ Socialism for Beginners ​ by Anna Paczuska & Sophie Grillet, Unwin ​ ISBN 0043201946
SKILLS & INTERESTS
Research and teaching. Ten years as a Docent at the University of Michigan Museum of Art has given me experience in talking about formal content, composition, color etc., as well as the emotional content, historical context and meaning of art. I give tours for children, University students, older adults with memory loss, and the general public. Research is an important aspect of being an effective Docent at the museum.
Politics and social justice. I am very interested in the social justice aspect of politics, and was a member of a far left organization in London. I am knowledgeable about history especially in terms of class struggle, and enjoy widening the experience of younger people (especially) to ideas that are not usually well represented in school or in contemporary media. My aim is to expand horizons rather than engage in slanging matches.
Science and math. Art and science have been divided for too long. As a former Physics student, and keen reader of popular science and math books, I like to find ways to reunite these cultures in my art, and to evoke curiosity in the viewer about nature in the broadest sense.
Writing. I write on the Medium website https://medium.com/@SophieA2. Fiction, poetry and comments. I have written a thoroughly researched short novel about characters separated in place and time, from Portugal and New Amsterdam in 1654 to Syria and Michigan in 2015, who have struggles and experiences in common.
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Theater & Dance - frequent theatergoer and lover of contemporary dance.
Web and digital. My website is self-designed on a Wix drag-and-drop platform. I have also worked with Weebly and Squarepace. In the distant past I designed my own poetry website in HTML, e-poems.org, which garnered over four million visitors. I’m admin on several Facebook pages including ‘There is NO military solution’, ‘Excellent Public Schools for All’, 'Westside Art Hop' and 'Zone5 Art'. I use various drawing programs to make digital art, in particular Artrage.
Sophie Grillet