Laura Chapman

Laura Chapman is a contemporary abstract painter who lives and works in rural West Virginia. After she received a Congress-Bundestag scholarship in 1983, she spent her junior year of high school in Berlin, Germany, and it was there that she began to develop an appreciation for modern art. The city was full of public art and galleries, and even parts of the Wall were covered with beautiful graffiti, some of it by famous artists.

Although she had won awards at art shows throughout her secondary education, it was this year in Berlin that ultimately led her to choose German as a major in college. She earned her B.A. from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, and then later attended West Virginia University where she taught German and received her M.A. in Foreign Languages (German). In between the two degrees there were four years of living, studying, and working in Freiburg, Germany, and travelling in Europe as much as she could. She believes these years still inform the style of her work.

A middle school art teacher once told her to "paint what you know," and she has followed this advice by most often developing themes inspired by the natural world around her. She adds that her intention is to marry her appreciation for modern...

B.A. (German), Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL.
M.A. (German), Eberly School of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.

Jan. 26, 2025 - May 9, 2025 - Inspired: West Virginia Wildlife juried exhibition at the Culture Center at the capitol complex in Charleston, WV.

Nov. 3 - Feb. 5, 2025 - West Virginia Emerging Artists biennial juried exhibition at the Culture Center at the capitol complex in Charleston, WV.

July 5 - 31, 2024 - Solo exhibition entitled "Luck Is the Residue Of Design" at the Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown, WV. Exhibit included 50 works on canvas and dozens more on paper.

January 2024 - 4 works accepted to Tamarack's juried exhibition entitled "Still the One: Portraits and Still Lifes" in Beckley, WV.

August 2023 - invited to show 5 works in Monongalia Arts Center's "A Summer Dream" exhibition in Morgantown, WV.

July 2023 - contributed 5 pieces to Parkersburg Art Center's "Roy G. Biv" exhibition in Parkersburg, WV.

2022-2023 - large selection of paintings on display at Young at Art Gallery in Lewisburg, WV.

2022 - exhibited in the following juried exhibitions at the David L. Dickirson Fine Arts Gallery at Tamarack in Beckley, WV: "Small Packages", "Women's Work", and "Head Over Hills".

2022 - The painting "an early autumn field" was selected to be part of the 14th Annual Best of West Virginia juried exhibition at Tamara...