In great anticipation of springtime in the Pacific Northwest, the PDX Art Program is delighted to present Portland-based painter Renée Zangara’s gorgeous new exhibition of fifty-two masterful contemporary oil paintings titled The Official State Flowers of the United States of America.
Now on view post-security within Concourse B throughout February of 2020, Zangara’s painterly, diverse, and dynamic floral abstractions bring abundance and profound color to PDX.
South Dakota Pasque Flower, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 20 x 16 inches
New York Rose, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 24 x 18 inches
Massachusetts Trailing Arbutus, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 12 x 12 inches
One spring afternoon I received a small packet of wildflower seeds in my mailbox. Curious to see what would sprout, I sprinkled the contents into my garden. After the seedlings broke ground and the buds bloomed, the first flower I recognized was the California Poppy. Seeing the golden bloom of my home state brought on a flood of memories; at that moment inspiration struck, an impulse took hold, and I painted an image of the poppy.
California Poppy, 2015, oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 inches
The poppy prompted me to pursue the desire to paint the remaining 49 state flowers. As the project progressed, I saw the floral array as a metaphor for wondrous diversity, in all its forms. The flowers –all of us– are one bountiful bunch of amazing beauty.
–Renée Zangara
North Carolina American Dogwood, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 20 x 16 inches
Maryland Black-eyed Susan, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 20 x 16 inches
ZANGARA STATE FLOWERS from COLLABORATOR STUDIOS on Vimeo.
Renée Zangara is an artist living and working in Portland, Oregon and is an active member of the regional art community. She is a member of Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon and is represented by MaryAnn Deffenbaugh of Vernissage Fine Art. Zangara’s work has been exhibited nationally and is in private and public collections, including the Portland Art Museum, Rood Family Pavilion, Regional Arts & Culture Council’s Visual Chronicle, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Swedish Medical Center Foundation in Seattle, Washington, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
This project is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
reneezangara.net
For inquiries and additional information on The Official State Flowers of the United States of America, please contact the artist at info@reneezangara.net.
Instagram: @reneezangara
Centerpiece, 2018, oil on canvas over wood, 86 x 61 inches
Maine White Pine Cone and Tassel, 2015, oil on canvas panel, 20 x 16 inches