“A painting, a sculpture or music they all lead to the same internal place. they all return us to the infinite, a place where words fall away and the silence is heard An artist renders their soul to a canvas, a piece of paper or a chord, willingly giving it over to the world and there by saving it from the world.”

**************************************

Carmen Costello is a self-taught artist.

Carmen works around traditional and experimental techniques, adjusting, inflecting and twisting given forms to create new images. Carmen works in a state of intuitive action, creating a riotous display of brilliant colors, choppy swirling bush/hand strokes and abbreviated figures and symbols that invoke ancient modes of dance and ritual. Many of her works address timeless and fundamental issues of freedom, self-determination, gender and the environment. Carmen’s paintings are windows into a quintessential and unassimilated form of the individual life cycle, the seasons and stages of life where the only constant is change.

Laughing at the Sun Gallery Austin, Texas. 3/96 “Celebrations” A multimedia event celebrating diversity in the arts and featuring 15 local artists.

Quackenbush’s Art Space. Austin, Texas. 7/96 “Wolf Unleashed” Solo show that explored gender roles and their origins in western culture.

Hyde Park/ Reckless Daughters Productions 8 /96 One women show titled “Strong Woman” Works in abstract using various styles, palettes and textures attempting to relay different moods by combining certain colors with contrasting texture and movements in hopes of luring the viewer past the esthetics of a piece, past the artist personal ideas rendered on canvas, inciting a visceral response for the viewer thus breaking away from the personal circumstances of an experience and coming together in a collective manner on a wide range of emotions.

Upper Crust/ Reckless Daughters Productions Austin Texas.9/96 Solo show “Strong Woman” second showing.

BERKELEY YMCA, Berkeley, CA: March 1999 to August 2005 Pre-school/ Elementary/Middle School Art Instructor. Art’s specialist and Events Coordinator

Silk worms Art Program: August 2003-June 2004 An Eight week program for Toddlers and Caregivers: An introduction to art for children 3yrs-5years of age Clay, finger painting and collage.

Camp Jones Gulch Family Camp (spring and fall four day program) 2001,02.03,04 Worked with youth and parents in Candle making, mask making, basket weaving, and nature art.

City of Oakland Arts Magnet School: 2002 After school Art Program: Painting, sculpture, baskets, mask making , drums and other musical instruments.

City of Berkeley, Thousand Oaks school: 2001 Mural with youth 1st-5th grade, Six week mask making class grades 3rd and 5th, drum making class grades 5th and 6th

City of Oakland, Summer Art Program : June 2001 Drama instructor for inner city youth summer program. Five week clowning class for inner city youth ages 8-12 yrs.

American Youth Camp association: Aug 2001 Trained youth art directors/youth summer camp directors in nature art and special needs youth art programs for youth ages 8-16yrs

SOUTH BERKELEY YMCA, Berkeley, CA : June 1999 to October 1999 Arts Instructor Taught forty kids age's seven to eleven years old, ceramics, Papier-mâché, clowning and various crafts. Coordinated collaborative Art and Performance Show for Berkeley and South Berkeley youth. *********** Volunteered Art workshops and programs

San Francisco Homeless shelter ‘Sanctuary’ 2002 Ran holiday art programs for clients.

Oakland Shelter for abused women 2004 lead art programs to help provide relief for women and children.

Oakland parks and Recreation summer 2004 Lead ‘Bad Art in the park’ one Saturday a month in Old Mans Park for a large single and family homeless population.

Covenant House, shelter for young people 2004-2005 Ran art program a and participate in group outings and events with youth. ********* Since moving to Guam in 2005 Carmen has coordinated and conducted numerous art workshops for at-risk youth at Sanctuary, Incorporated’s shelters and two of their annual parent/youth conferences.

She is also the co-creator and coordinator with Lisa Mesa of HERSTORY: Women Who Inspire Us, a photographic and art exhibit celebrating women in our local community and connecting our perspectives at home to women’s issues globally. The exhibit was sponsored by The Bank of Guam Women in Business Program, GTA, Agana Shopping Center, Real Woman Magazine and Portraits by DL which took place in March 2007, was featured in the last issue of RW, highlighting 10 women who are making a difference on our island.

Artist Highlights

• ArtWanted.com Gallery:    Fine Art