Vreeland, Vanessa Somers
British, (1935-2015)
For information regarding mosaics and other works of art by Vanessa Somers Vreeland
Please contact Jeanne Chisholm:
info@chisholmgallery.com
845.505.1147
Vanessa Somers Vreeland’s Complete Gallery of work and related media
Recent events, press and interviews
More links at bottom of page
Vanessa Somers Vreeland trained with professor Odoardo Anselmi, art director of the Vatican Mosaic Studio in Rome and taught at Corning Museum of Glass, Penland School of Crafts, and the Columbia Museum of Art. She has had gallery shows in Paris, Rome, London, Brussels and North Africa. Vreeland’s artistic path to mosaics began with painting on canvas, then on glass. She independently developed a fused glass mosaic technique and also works in marble and cold glass in traditional Roman style.
Vanessa edited My Colorful Life, an autobiography of her remarkable aunt, British Portraitist Juliet Pannett. Pannett had her own seat in the House of Commons, from which she sketched Britain’s political milestones – including the debates on the Profumo affair in 1963 and Winston Churchill’s last appearance in 1964. When Juliet died in 2005, she left a legacy of commissioned portraiture throughout Britain including 22 portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Chisholm Gallery Testimonial by Ambassador Frederick Vreeland
Jeanne Chisholm, and her art gallery, have been the most impressive and supportive assets to my wife, Vanessa Somers Vreeland, in the twelve years in which Jeanne has been her agent and US & European sales representative.
Their relationship started three decades ago as a pure, disinterested friendship between two very mature and intellectually advanced women, who discovered they had the same level of excitement and energy regarding the fine arts. Vanessa had already settled on designing and personally creating art works in the ancient medium of mosaics. Jeanne was specializing in paintings and drawings primarily related to the many facets of the horse world. So Vanessa was very pleasantly surprised when Jeanne eventually volunteered to help her in the US art market.
And both she and I were even more impressed by the truly professional manner in which Jeanne rapidly spread the word about Vanessa Mosaics, particularly in the high-end niche where they both agreed would be the greatest interest in this virtually unknown art. Unfortunately the mosaic medium has largely been relegated dismissively to the “decorative arts” by the gallery-and-critic circles which dominate in America, despite the fact that much of what they currently feature is far from the classic realms of painting and sculpture.
(Their reasoning is that most contemporary mosaics are made by artisans slavishly copying the ancient or religious originals – never true of Vanessa’s.)
Jeanne’s communication skills are astounding. She has starred in getting through to, maintaining a dialogue with, and ultimately charming potential buyers, museum directors, owners of other galleries and key people in the world of press and publicity. In addition to tireless personal correspondence, she uses the social media and ultimately her personal allure in pursuit of buyers and exhibitors for Vanessa’s art works.
Jeanne Chisholm is not just an art gallery owner and sales agent, but a person who puts her whole heart, her colossal energy and her intellectual acumen into representing the artists she chooses to promote.
Ambassador Frederick Vreeland
Rome, Italy
July 11, 2015
Links
Archaeology Magazine | Letter from Morocco
Mint Tea Cafe Feature | Vanessa Somers Vreeland exhibition at Gallery Re, Marrakesh
Vanessa Somers Art Project | John Cabot University | May 12, 2018
At the discovery of the Almoravide Dynasty Early Capital City, 11th Century
Italian Cultural Institute, NYC, December 2013 | Asaroton Exhibition & History of Mosaics Lecture
Rave Review By Carleton Varney | Palm Beach Daily News | May 29, 2014
At the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens by Jan Sjostrom | Palm Beach Daily News | April 17, 2014
Mosaics, Marrakech, Morocco 2009 – A film by Director Fabienne Strouve
Asaroton 2000 | by Prof. Giandomenico Spinola Expert on the Vatican Asaroton, Vatican Museums, Rome
AmphorEyes & Lovers’ Eyes on Slideshare
The Nature Series on Slideshare
Orchid Mosaic Mandalas on Slideshare
Botanical Mosaic Swimming Pool Design in Marrakech, Morocco on Slideshare
Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, Lecture, Demonstration, and Exhbition
Vanessa Somers Vreeland speaks with Mosaic of Art host, George Fishman (Audio)
Corning Museum of Glass Residency
Vanessa Somers Vreeland’s Philosophy
“Key To Rome” book discussion with Frederick and Vanessa Vreeland | New York Social Diary
The Chic of Marrakech | Departures Magazine
On the Market: Frederick Vreeland’s Surprisingly Affordable Marrakech Mansion | Vanity Fair
Chic Marrakech | Original Marrakech Palmeraie on sale
David C Kitt | Moroccan Villas
Obituary | Int. New York Times
Career Highlights
2014
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic, AmphorEyes & Lovers Eyes & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at the Ann Norton Sculpture Museum, West Palm Beach, FL
2013
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic, AmphorEyes & Lovers Eyes & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Italian Cultural Institute, NYC
2011
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Rodin Gallery of The Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Italian Cultural Institute, San Francisco
2010
- 2 Workshops for the Getty Villa Museum, Malibu, CA
- Creating 2 large mosaics Oranges and Lemons on private commission
2009
- Inventing & creating Molten Mosaic Inclusions in Glass, Penland School, Penland, NC
- Lecture on the History of Mosaic, John Cabot University, Rome
2008
- Teaching Mosaics, traditional and fused techniques, Corning Museum, Corning, NY
2007-2008
- Creating 1 square meter mosaic Vino Veritas for Romes top hotel
2006
- Teaching Mosaics, traditional and fused techniques, Penland, NC
- Teaching Mosaics and public lecture, Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
- Creating 15 ft-long Fountain Mosaic, Mclean, VA
2005
- Creating a 5ft x 5ft fine-cut marble mosaic for a private museum
- Artist in Residence, Corning Museum of Glass, NY
2004
- Teaching Mosaics, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
1999-2003
- Asaroton 2000 mosaic, inspired by 2nd century BC Greek original
2001-2003
- Pate de Verre Workshops with S. and K. Higuchi, Venice
2001
- Public Lecture G.A.S. Conference, & Group Show, Corning Museum, Corning, NY
1999
- Summer session in Byzantine mosaics, Ravenna
1998
- Teaching Mosaics, Corning Museum, NY
- Artist in Residence, Corning Museum, NY
- Public Lecture: “History of Mosaics” American Craft Museum, New York City
1997-2001
- Artist in Residence, Glass Studio, Portland, OR
1988
- Summer Session, Haystack School of Crafts
1985
- Summer Session, Pilchuck Art School
Major Shows
2014
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic, AmphorEyes & Lovers Eyes & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at the Ann Norton Sculpture Museum, West Palm Beach, FL
2013
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, AmphorEyes & Lovers Eyes & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Italian Cultural Institute, NYC
2011
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Rodin Gallery of The Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, CA
- Exhibition of Asaroton 2000, mega mosaic & illuminated lecture on the History of Mosaics at The Italian Cultural Institute, San Francisco, CA
2009
- Private exhibit of the Asaraton 2000 mosaic at the British School (academy), Rome
- Private exhibit of Orchid mosaics at Marrakech’s top art gallery
2006
- Gallerie Luniverre, Paris EYES (Fused Glass Mosaics)
1999-2000
- The Human Body (Group show), Studio S, Rome
1997-1998
- Corning Glass Museum, Group Show
1992-1993
- U.S.I.S., Rabat, Morocco (Oil Paintings and Mosaics)
1991
- Anne O’Brien Gallery, Washington D.C. (Mosaics)
1990
- Eclectic Gallery, New York (Mosaics)
- Ministry of Culture, Rome (Mosaics)
1988
- Galerie Il Cortile, Rome (Photo-montage)
1987
- Pot Gallery, Rome (Mosaics)
1987
- Camden Arts Centre, London, England (Lucite)
1986
- Galleria l’Ariete, Rome (Mosaics and Glass in Lucite)
1985
- Family Art Show, Arun Art Centre, Arundel (Mosaics and Glass in Lucite)
1984
- American Stanhope, New York (Mosaics and Glass in Lucite)
- Oriental Museum, Durham, England (Photography)
1983
- Galleria Il Cortile, Rome (Photo-Montage)
- Centre Culturel du Marais, Paris (Photography)
1982
- Studio S/ Arte Contemporanea, Rome, Italy (Photography)
1980
- French Cultural Institute, Florence, Italy (Glass and Lucite)
1978
- Theo Portnoy Gallery, New York, U.S.A. (Glass and Lucite)
- Centre Culturel du Marais Museum, Paris (Glass and Lucite)
1977
- Alexandra Monet Gallery, Brussels, Belgium (Glass and Lucite)
1975
- Gallerie Barroux, Paris, France (Glass and Lucite)
Books
- Elaine M. Goodwin: Mosaic Today, 2009
- Elaine M. Goodwin: The Figure in Mosaic, 2007
- Richard Yelle: International Glass Art (Taschen), 2003
- Urban Glass: Contemporary Art (New York), 2000
- The Mosaic Book (London), 1994-1998
- Moroccan Interiors (Taschen), 1995
- Kelly Klein: Pools (New York), 1993
- L&L Dennis: Morocco (New York), 1992
- The Guild, Source Book of American Artists (New York)
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