Toni Jo Coppa

My home is the state of Maine in the United States. I have also lived in New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Wyoming, Idaho, Illinois and Arizona. I moved around to get a better understanding of our country. To support my art making I have taken jobs like motor-x flagger, preparator at a natural history museum, library assistant, janitor, backhoe operator, sales, pastel and paint maker, kitchen help, teacher, hairdresser and performer. I wanted to explore a variety of positions to get a better understanding of people. I make art to get a better understanding of myself. It is a way to meditate, process life, find peace, express thoughts and emotion, try new things, get aggressive, take chances, play, look, share and exchange energy with the universe. I like to use genres of fantasy, symbolism and surrealism.
I have been lucky enough to win many awards throughout my thirty year commitment to the arts. Besides general scholarships to attend college (Greenfield Community College in Massachusetts, The Art Institute of Chicago and The Maine College of Art) I was a recipient of a full fellowship to attend The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and received grants from NYFA and The Puffin Foundation. Other awards can be seen on my website www.ifswithvisuals.com. I am grateful for each and every one.

2022 - The University of Southern Maine; MS
2013 - Maine College of Art; MFA
1997 - Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
1992 - The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; BFA
1990 - Greenfield Community College, Massachusetts; AAS

Please see https://www.facebook.com/tonijocoppa

Please see my website www.ifswithvisuals.com for complete list of exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions:
2016 "The Many Parts of One", Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, Columbus, OH
2015 “The Interlopers”, L.C. Bates Museum, Hinckley, ME
2015 “Smoke & Mirrors”, Charles C. Thomas Gallery, Portland, ME
2014 “Toni Jo Coppa”, The Denmark Art Center, Denmark, ME
2013 “The Wild Things Are”, The M+B Gallery, MECA, Portland, ME
2011 “Figures”, Zand Head Gallery, MECA, Portland, ME
2010 “Recycled into Joy”, William A. Laporte Gallery, Southwick Library, Southwick, MA
2009 “Girl Investigated”, William A. Laporte Gallery, Southwick Library, Southwick, MA
2005 “Exhale”, William A. Laporte Gallery, Southwick Library, Southwick, MA
2002 “Mirrors”, The Beta Gallery, Cody, WY
2001 “Scenarios”, Railroad Square Gallery, Waterville, ME
1999 “New Work”, South Gallery, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA
1997 “Desires”, South Gallery, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA
1992 “Toni Jo Coppa”, The Art Institute of Chicago, Gallery X, Chicago, IL

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2017 “Pairings”, Kelley Stelling Contemporary, Manchester, NH
2017 “Art of Recovery “, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
2017 "Russell, Coppa, Snow", Go Yan Gallery, Portland, ME
2016 "Human/Nature", Engine Gallery, Biddeford, ME
2016 "Toni Jo Coppa & Juliet Karelsen, Railroad Square Gallery, Waterville, ME
2015 “Twisted”, Festival Port Noarlunga Art Gallery, Victor Harbor, Australia
2015 “Violence Transformed 2015: Celebrating the Transformative Power of Art”,
Massachusetts Statehouse, Doric Hall, Boston, MA
2015 “Violence Transformed 2015: Celebrating the Transformative Power of Art”,
1000 Mass Avenue Gallery, Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA
2015 “Beyond Our Walls”, Ohio State University, Urban Art Space,Columbus, OH
2014 “Sacred & Profane”, Battery Steele, Peaks Island, ME
2014 “Wish You Were Here 13”, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014 “I dream of…”, Incline Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 “I dream of…”, ArTik and Civil Academy, Freiburg, Germany
2014 “Dear Holly”, Knox City Centre, VICTORIA, Australia
2013 “8th Annual Boston Young Contemporaries Exhibition”, 808 Gallery, Boston, MA
2013 “Divergent Collective”, The Danforth Gallery, University of Maine, Augusta, ME
2013 “Make Believe”, The Darkroom Gallery, Essex Jct., VT
2013 “Toni Jo Coppa & Karen Merritt: Healing Works”, The Gallery at Planned
Parenthood of Northern New England, Portland, MA
2013 “MFA Thesis Exhibition”, Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME
2012 “Monsters”, Pinecone + Chickadee, Portland, ME
2011 “Drawing Connections”, Sienna Art Institute, Sienna, Italy
2010 “NEVER THINK small – Redux!”, Climate Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2010 “Memories in the Making”, Blake Hall Art Gallery, Springfield College, Springfield, MA
2010 “Female Symbolism”, RANT Gallery, Chicopee, MA
2009 “New Perspectives”, Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, Columbus, OH
2007 “Alumni Invitational Exhibition”, South Gallery, Greenfield Community College,
Greenfield, MA
2006 “Trajectory”, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME
2005 “Southwick Annual Juried Art Exhibition”, Southwick Cultural Art Center,
Southwick, MA
2004 “Six Local Artists”, Cody Country Art League, Cody, WY
2003 “Annual Group Exhibition”, Cody Country Art League, Cody, WY
2002 “Condon, Coppa & Kriven”, Wilbur Mansion Gallery, Oneonta, NY
2001 “Skowhegan Alumni Exhibition and Auction”, Knoedler Gallery, New York, NY
2000 “Winter Salon”, Limner Gallery, New York, NY
1999 “Essential Art”, Cooperstown Art Association Gallery, Cooperstown, NY
1998 “Women’s Works”, Old Courthouse Art Center, Woodstock, IL