ABOUT
About
Artist's Statement
My work begins on meandering hikes with a sketchbook and pen, a keen eye, and an open heart seeking places in nature that speak to me in a personal way. I am drawn to intimate places along a creek with tumbling water and lush undergrowth, reminders of the places of childhood where imagination flourished. Configurations of rocks and trees in the center of a thick forest become a sacred space for meditation. Spacious views from a mountainside, and the simple joy of feeling the earth under my feet provide renewal for a weary body and spirit. The core of my art reflects a love and joy for these places.
I am most present to life’s creative forces through the art making process. The constructed paintings are visually and physically tactile--shaped and painted elements mounted on layers of Plexiglas provide a sense of touch that is present in nature. Earth elements are interwoven with galaxies and nebulas, rough rock formations, and profusions of leaves, trunks, and branches. The aspect of transparent layers evokes the sense of walking in a physical place--providing a pathway back into the natural spaces and memories that are the inspiration for the works. Transparent layers are also a metaphor for the layers of our lives, an evolution of all of our experiences.
The works that are created through this process express my love for and unity with, our elegant and fragile planet. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to exhibit these works and to share them with others. Art is a celebration of life. As I grow in the practice of being present to places in nature, I am finding my unique place in this beautiful universe, one that spans a lifetime of love for the natural world.
Biography
Bonny Stauffer has been a Prescott resident for over 40 years. She holds a fine arts degree in painting, and has extensive training in the graphic design field. Bonny has incorporated both areas of art in her 22-year career at Yavapai College as an award-winning graphic designer, a member of the art faculty, and as Dean of the Visual and Performing Arts Division. Throughout her career as an artist and educator, she has exhibited her paintings at universities and galleries, often integrating digital and traditional processes in her work. Her paintings and digital prints are in private collections throughout the US.
Now a full-time studio artist, Bonny spends many hours drawing and meditating in nature as a process for exploring new expressions of her love for the earth. Her work consists of watercolors, constructed paintings, and digital images, all based on the ever-changing process of life in the universe.
Gallery Representation
Van Gogh's Ear, Prescott, AZ
Selected Exhibitions
2022: Inner Geographies: Diane Gilbert, Carol Rawlings, and Bonny Stauffer. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2019: Nature’s Universe: Art by Bonny Stauffer and Claudia Martinez. Olney Gallery at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ
2018: Student and Faculty Alumni Exhibition, 50 Year Celebration. Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
2017: Presence, Place and Perception. Solo exhibition. Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ
2016: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. Exhibition and Auction, World Forestry Center, Bend, OR
2015-16: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. A6 Studio and Gallery, Bend, OR
2015-16: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Phoenix Airport Museum, Phoenix, AZ
2015: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. Umpqua Valley Art Association, Roseburg, OR
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Sam Hill Warehouse Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. West Valley Arts, Surprise, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ. Selected for traveling exhibition.
2013: Yavapai College Alumni Exhibition. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2012: Conversations with Beauty: Carol Rawlings, Diane Gilbert, Bonny Stauffer. Prescott College Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, Prescott, AZ
2009: Yavapai College Prescott Art Faculty Exhibition, Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2006: Perception, Imaging & Form: Recent Works by Yavapai College Fulltime Art Faculty. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2005: Art Articulation Task Force Statewide Exhibition. Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ
2004: Statewide: On the Same Page. University of Arizona Joseph Gross Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2004: Sense and Essence II: Four person collaborative exhibition. Paintings by Bonny Stauffer and Glen Peterson, textiles by Diane Gilbert, and artists books by Carol Rawlings. Northern Arizona University Beasley Gallery, Flagstaff, AZ
2000: Yavapai College Art Faculty Exhibition. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1999: Sense & Essence: Four Views: Four-person collaborative exhibition. Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
1993: Sky Blue Earth—In Progress: Glen Peterson and Bonny Stauffer. Prescott Fine Arts Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1984-86: Outer World/Inner Vision, Four Prescott Artists. Painting and Sculpture; Roger Asay, Rebecca Davis, Bonny Stauffer and Glen Peterson. Traveling exhibition sponsored by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix, AZ
Professional Activities
2017: Artwork selected by Arizona Citizens for the Arts and presented to Arizona Blue Cross/Blue Shield at the 36th Annual Governor's Art Awards, Scottsdale, AZ
2015: Served on an artists' panel at Sam Hill Warehouse Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2014: Awarded 5-week Artist Residency Fellowship at Playa at Summer Lake, OR
2014: Living in the Layers: Family, Art, and Teaching, talk and slide presentation to Prescott Area Art Docents, Prescott, AZ
2014: Distinct & Recent Spring 2014 Juried Student Exhibition. Juror and juror's talk, Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1999-2006: Yavapai College art faculty representative; Art Articulation Task Force
Selected Public and Private Collections
Phoenix College Art Faculty Permanent Collection, Phoenix, AZ
Yavapai College President’s Collection, Prescott, AZ
Michael Miller, Boston, MA
Paul Winslow, Winslow/Orcutt Partnership, Phoenix, AZ
Dr. and Mrs. John Flanagan, Malvern, PA
Mrs. Ted Liese, Prescott, AZ
Marilyn Whitney, Cochiti, NM
Mr. and Mrs. Donn Rawlings, Prescott, AZ
Judge and Mrs. William Kiger, Prescott, AZ
Diane Gilbert, Prescott, AZ
Judith Shoob, Scottsdale, AZ
Kathy Levin, Sedona, AZ
Robin Cameron, Sedona, AZ
Academic Career
2006-2010
Division Dean, Visual and Performing Arts, Yavapai College, Prescott Campus, Prescott, AZ
1999-2006
Professor of Art, Graphic Design Program Coordinator and Lead Faculty, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
1988-1999
Design Services Coordinator and Lead Designer, Yavapai College District, Prescott, AZ
1978-1989
Adjunct Art Faculty, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ. Graphic design; Illustration; Printmaking; Beginning Painting; Contemporary Color, and Graphic Design Internship Workshop
Education
2002 MA Ed., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
1986 BFA Painting, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
My work begins on meandering hikes with a sketchbook and pen, a keen eye, and an open heart seeking places in nature that speak to me in a personal way. I am drawn to intimate places along a creek with tumbling water and lush undergrowth, reminders of the places of childhood where imagination flourished. Configurations of rocks and trees in the center of a thick forest become a sacred space for meditation. Spacious views from a mountainside, and the simple joy of feeling the earth under my feet provide renewal for a weary body and spirit. The core of my art reflects a love and joy for these places.
I am most present to life’s creative forces through the art making process. The constructed paintings are visually and physically tactile--shaped and painted elements mounted on layers of Plexiglas provide a sense of touch that is present in nature. Earth elements are interwoven with galaxies and nebulas, rough rock formations, and profusions of leaves, trunks, and branches. The aspect of transparent layers evokes the sense of walking in a physical place--providing a pathway back into the natural spaces and memories that are the inspiration for the works. Transparent layers are also a metaphor for the layers of our lives, an evolution of all of our experiences.
The works that are created through this process express my love for and unity with, our elegant and fragile planet. I am deeply thankful for the opportunity to exhibit these works and to share them with others. Art is a celebration of life. As I grow in the practice of being present to places in nature, I am finding my unique place in this beautiful universe, one that spans a lifetime of love for the natural world.
Biography
Bonny Stauffer has been a Prescott resident for over 40 years. She holds a fine arts degree in painting, and has extensive training in the graphic design field. Bonny has incorporated both areas of art in her 22-year career at Yavapai College as an award-winning graphic designer, a member of the art faculty, and as Dean of the Visual and Performing Arts Division. Throughout her career as an artist and educator, she has exhibited her paintings at universities and galleries, often integrating digital and traditional processes in her work. Her paintings and digital prints are in private collections throughout the US.
Now a full-time studio artist, Bonny spends many hours drawing and meditating in nature as a process for exploring new expressions of her love for the earth. Her work consists of watercolors, constructed paintings, and digital images, all based on the ever-changing process of life in the universe.
Gallery Representation
Van Gogh's Ear, Prescott, AZ
Selected Exhibitions
2022: Inner Geographies: Diane Gilbert, Carol Rawlings, and Bonny Stauffer. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2019: Nature’s Universe: Art by Bonny Stauffer and Claudia Martinez. Olney Gallery at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Phoenix, AZ
2018: Student and Faculty Alumni Exhibition, 50 Year Celebration. Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
2017: Presence, Place and Perception. Solo exhibition. Chandler Center for the Arts, Chandler, AZ
2016: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. Exhibition and Auction, World Forestry Center, Bend, OR
2015-16: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. A6 Studio and Gallery, Bend, OR
2015-16: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Phoenix Airport Museum, Phoenix, AZ
2015: Sediments, Sequences and Solitude. Umpqua Valley Art Association, Roseburg, OR
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Sam Hill Warehouse Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. West Valley Arts, Surprise, AZ
2015: Southwestern Invitational 2015. Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ. Selected for traveling exhibition.
2013: Yavapai College Alumni Exhibition. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2012: Conversations with Beauty: Carol Rawlings, Diane Gilbert, Bonny Stauffer. Prescott College Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse, Prescott, AZ
2009: Yavapai College Prescott Art Faculty Exhibition, Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2006: Perception, Imaging & Form: Recent Works by Yavapai College Fulltime Art Faculty. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2005: Art Articulation Task Force Statewide Exhibition. Yuma Art Center, Yuma, AZ
2004: Statewide: On the Same Page. University of Arizona Joseph Gross Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2004: Sense and Essence II: Four person collaborative exhibition. Paintings by Bonny Stauffer and Glen Peterson, textiles by Diane Gilbert, and artists books by Carol Rawlings. Northern Arizona University Beasley Gallery, Flagstaff, AZ
2000: Yavapai College Art Faculty Exhibition. Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1999: Sense & Essence: Four Views: Four-person collaborative exhibition. Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
1993: Sky Blue Earth—In Progress: Glen Peterson and Bonny Stauffer. Prescott Fine Arts Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1984-86: Outer World/Inner Vision, Four Prescott Artists. Painting and Sculpture; Roger Asay, Rebecca Davis, Bonny Stauffer and Glen Peterson. Traveling exhibition sponsored by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix, AZ
Professional Activities
2017: Artwork selected by Arizona Citizens for the Arts and presented to Arizona Blue Cross/Blue Shield at the 36th Annual Governor's Art Awards, Scottsdale, AZ
2015: Served on an artists' panel at Sam Hill Warehouse Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
2014: Awarded 5-week Artist Residency Fellowship at Playa at Summer Lake, OR
2014: Living in the Layers: Family, Art, and Teaching, talk and slide presentation to Prescott Area Art Docents, Prescott, AZ
2014: Distinct & Recent Spring 2014 Juried Student Exhibition. Juror and juror's talk, Yavapai College Art Gallery, Prescott, AZ
1999-2006: Yavapai College art faculty representative; Art Articulation Task Force
Selected Public and Private Collections
Phoenix College Art Faculty Permanent Collection, Phoenix, AZ
Yavapai College President’s Collection, Prescott, AZ
Michael Miller, Boston, MA
Paul Winslow, Winslow/Orcutt Partnership, Phoenix, AZ
Dr. and Mrs. John Flanagan, Malvern, PA
Mrs. Ted Liese, Prescott, AZ
Marilyn Whitney, Cochiti, NM
Mr. and Mrs. Donn Rawlings, Prescott, AZ
Judge and Mrs. William Kiger, Prescott, AZ
Diane Gilbert, Prescott, AZ
Judith Shoob, Scottsdale, AZ
Kathy Levin, Sedona, AZ
Robin Cameron, Sedona, AZ
Academic Career
2006-2010
Division Dean, Visual and Performing Arts, Yavapai College, Prescott Campus, Prescott, AZ
1999-2006
Professor of Art, Graphic Design Program Coordinator and Lead Faculty, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ
1988-1999
Design Services Coordinator and Lead Designer, Yavapai College District, Prescott, AZ
1978-1989
Adjunct Art Faculty, Yavapai College, Prescott, AZ. Graphic design; Illustration; Printmaking; Beginning Painting; Contemporary Color, and Graphic Design Internship Workshop
Education
2002 MA Ed., Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
1986 BFA Painting, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ