Sharon Malley

Over the last few years, much of my creative work has been in response to the natural environment. The work is about something I’ve spent quite a bit of time with, and appreciated its presence in my life, such as the cormorants that populated our stretch of river one summer, and then the white egrets the next summer, and the trees and other plants and birds on our property on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. More recently, I have begun to work in a narrative style, conjuring memories of childhood on my grandparents’ farm, for instance, working alongside migrant workers, and playing with their children. In all cases, the final visual pieces are one part of a process beginning with deep experiences and thoughts about those experiences, thinking about ways I might portray them, preliminary marks or collaging, and letting the process unfold by embracing the unexpected.

I have degrees in art education, therapeutic recreation, and combined studies in special education. I have worked to support people with intellectual disabilities and autism as a teacher, therapist, college educator, and researcher. In recent years I have been fortunate to be a part of a national agenda on arts education and special education and have recently co-edited the book: The Handbook of Arts Education and Special Education, with Jean Crockett. Currently, I am working my way into a second career as an artist. Hooray! Please visit my website and feel free to contact me with any questions. I will consider commissions if they fall within the scope of work you see on my website.