Tina Thieme Brown
My work reflects a passion for nature and especially the Sugarloaf Mountain countryside. I work in a variety of media: oil & watercolor paintings, pen & ink drawings, printmaking, digital art, and art journaling. My art is influenced by the pastoral rustic roads, rolling patchwork fields, and the plants and animals inhabiting the magical landscape in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve.
My botanical drawings fill the two books on Sugarloaf Mountain, written by Melanie Choukas-Bradley and published by the University of Virginia Press. I occasionally teach botanical drawing at the U.S. Botanic Garden on the Smithsonian Mall, and offer art workshops on botanical field techniques. I am very excited about a recent art commission to create the full color 25th anniversary map of Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. Click on this link to see the Agricultural Reserve Art Map.
Over the years a commitment to protecting habitats from the tropics to the tundra has focused my art in field stations, from the tropical rainforests in Costa Rica to the Alaska coastline following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. These days I live and work in the shadow of Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, drawing and painting the plants, animals and patchwork fields found in my own backyard. I have my studio open 3 times a year on the Countryside Artisans studio tour. You can find more information on the upcoming studio tour dates, as well as hikes, shows, and workshops on my homepage.
Art Exhibitions - 2006
Black Rock Center for the Arts, October 4-November 3, "Rustic Roads-A journey through the Agricultural Reserve" Located at 12901 town Commons Drive, in Germantown, MD. Gallery hours are from 10-5pm M-F, and 10-2pm on Sat. My paintings & drawings of this pastoral landscape, as well as butterflies and botanicals are on display with 2 other artists.
Corcoran College Faculty Show, November 29th to December 31st, The Corcoran College of Art + Design, 500 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20006, Ph. 202-639-1809
Corcoran College Faculty Show, November 29th to December 31st, The Corcoran College of Art + Design, 500 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20006, Ph. 202-639-1809
Summer Exhibitions - 2006
Botanical watercolors were on exhibit in the 'Botanica 2006, The Art & Science of Plants' show at Brookside Gardens, last summer
Botanical watercolors were also on exhibit at the Athenaeum, in Alexandria, Virginia in June & July.
VITAE
Tina Thieme Brown
18201 Barnesville Road
P. O. Box 442
Barnesville, MD 20838Phone: 301-428-8350, Email: tinathiemebrown@comcast.net
EDUCATION
Master of Liberal Arts, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 1991.
Master of Fine Arts, Printmaking and Painting, Washington University 1987.
Foreign language study at the University of Arizona in Guadalajara, Mexico 1991.
Study abroad with the Glasgow School of Art, Scotland 1986.
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Communication, Washington University 1982.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Art Commission, Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve Welcome Sign at Historic Whites Ferry, Fall 2007.
Art Instructor, Field Art Techniques Workshop, at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 2004-2007.
Artist and designer of Art Map for 25th Anniversary of Agricultural Reserve, June 2005.
Design and artwork for Sugarloaf Mountain Park public information kiosks, 2004.
Coauthor and Artist of: An Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers,
350 Plants observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland, University of Virginia Press, 2004.
Coauthor and Artist of: Sugarloaf, The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore, University of Virginia Press, 2003.
Campaign Director for a grassroots conservation organization, November, 2001- October 2004.
Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Sierra Club D.C. office, 1992-1993.
Lobby work with the Alaska Coalition, Fall of 1991, Protection of Arctic Natl. Wildlife Refuge.
Research, design and execution of interactive, environmental art installations 1989-1991.
Gallery exhibition of paintings and prints 1987-1991.
Founder- Visual Connections, Graphic Design and Illustration 1985-1989.
Partner- VanderMark Brown Design Group, 1983-1985.
Assistant Professor- Graphic Design, Maryville College 1984-l 985.
OTHER ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST
Volunteer Member, Montgomery Countryside Alliance (environmental outreach)
Board Member, Sugarloaf Citizens Association (civic/environmental grassroots organization)
Fieldwork and preparation of 350 botanical art drawings for Sugarloaf field guide, 1994-2004
Volunteer, Audubon Naturalist Society Water Quality Monitor, Montgomery County, MD.
Volunteer in the rehabilitation of sea otters at an Alaskan Sea Otter Rescue Center, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, summer of 1989.
Rainforest Art Fieldwork, The Organization for Tropical Studies 'La Selva’, Costa Rica/1989 & 1990.
Staff artist with the Odyssey Project on Ithaca, Greece 1988.
AWARDS
Arts Council of Montgomery County, Individual Artist Award, 1996.
Airport Council International, Annual Report Award, 1986.
National Hammermill Paper Calendar Contest, 1980.
Planned Systems, PS Poster Competition, 1979.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Art Studio open 3 times a year, on Countryside Artisans Studio Tour, 2000-2005.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick, Wildflowers of Sugarloaf Mountain, June, 2005.
Audubon Naturalists Society, Woodend Sanctuary, Botanical Print Exhibition of Sugarloaf Flora, April, 2004.
Audubon Naturalists Society, Woodend Sanctuary, Art Exhibition of Sugarloaf Book, April, 2003.
Poolesville HighschoolGlobal Ecology Prog. Visiting Artist, Tropical Rainforest Installation, 1998.
St. Louis Union Station “Finca La Selva a Neotropical Rainforest in Costa Rica” Art Installation 1991.
Bixby Gallery, Washington University, "Resources at Risk from the tropics to the tundra" Art Installation1990.
Archer Gallery, Greenville College, IL "Exxon Valdez Environmental Impact Installation” 1990.
Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, "Exxon Valdez Environmental Impact Installation" Art Installation 1990.
Forest Park, Earth Day 1990- Saint Louis Global Fair, “La Selva a Neotropical Rain Forest.” Art Installation
St. Louis Artist Coalition, "Exxon Valdez Environmental Impact Installation" 1989.
Messing Gallery 1988.
University of Missouri Gallery in St. Louis, “St. Louis Scenes” 1987.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
BlackRock Center for the Arts, Hyattstown Mill Arts Project Group Show, July/August 2005.
Hyattstown Mill Arts Project, Printmaking Show, July, 2005
The Government House, Annapolis, Md, 'Works by Contemporary Maryland Artists' 2000.
Hyattstown Mill Art Project, November 1999.
Kentlands mansion, Montgomery Co. Arts Council Awards, September 1996.
N.A.M.E. Gallery Chicago, IL, “Vital Signs” March 1990.
Visual Arts Center of Alaska, “Beyond the Spill” March 1990.
St. Louis Artists Coalition, “R.S.V.P. Earth” April 17, 1990.
Messing Gallery, Group Landscape Show, November 1989.
Texas Herpetological Conference Arlington, “Biology of the Pitvipers” Field Drawings, 1989.
Locus Gallery Group Landscape Show, May 1988.
Steinberg Gallery Washington University 1987.
Thesis show, 1987 St. Louis Design Center, 1986.
Maryville College Faculty Show, 1984.
PUBLIC SPEAKING: OUTREACH & EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
U.S. Botanic Garden, ‘Field Art Techniques Discussed in Sugarloaf Flora, Fall Lecture 2004
Audubon Naturalists Society: Taught classes and co-led fieldtrips on Sugarloaf Mountain, 2003-’05.
Local Garden Club lectures on the art and botanical field studies, 2003 – 2005.
Poolesville High School, Global Ecology Program Visiting Artist, Tropical Rainforest,1998.
Ross Elementary School visiting artist, May 1991.
The College School of Webster Groves, Env. class, November 1989 & October 1990.
Greenville College panelist/ Oil spill colloquim, February 1990.
Washington University Women in Activism, March 1990.
Whitfield School Earthday allschool assembly, April 1990.
Washington University Steinberg Auditorium, November 1990.
Kirkwood High School Biology & Chemistry class, Dec. 1989.
Sierra Club-St. Louis chapter, November 1989.
RELATED REVIEWS / MEDIA INTERVIEWS
Frederick News Post, Art Inspired by Nature, Sonia Boin, November 3, 2007
Washington Post, Birthday Blues (Agricultural Reserve Art Map), Nancy Trejos, August 6, 2005.
Washington Post, Tracking Sugarloaf: Wildflowers at Their Peak, Adrian Higgins, June 3, 2004.
Monocacy Monocle, Sugarloaf Artist Profile, October, 2004
Frederick & Montgomery News Post, Woodland Wildflowers; Women write, illustrate new field guide to Sugarloaf’s flora, Susan Guyn, June 6, 2004.
Washington Post/Sunday Source, Road Trip: Countryside Artisans Tour, April 11, 2004.
Audubon Naturalist News, Step into Springtime at Sugarloaf, Melanie Choukas-Bradley, Illustrations by Tina Thieme Brown, March 2004.
The Gazette, Upcounty artisans open studio doors for public tour, Susan Singer-Bart, April 14, 2004.
Washington Post, Sugarloaf: A Superhighway Forms a Cloud, Bob Levey, June 25, 2003.
The Gazette , Author captures love mountain, Kristen Milton, April 16, 2003.
Frederick & Montgomery News Post, A book for everyone who loves Sugarloaf (and for those who’ve not yet discovered it), Susan Guyn, June 1, 2003
Washington Post, Book Explores Sugarloaf’s Natural Sweetness, Frederick Kunkle, July 13, 2003.
Audubon Naturalist News, ANS members produce new book on Sugarloaf Mountain, Leslie Cronin, 5/03
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Cleaning up After a Well-Oiled Firm, Tina Brown, July 23, 1989.
The St. Louis Sun, Art Exhibit Highlights Oil Spill. by Diane Penner, November 17, 1989.
The Riverfront Times, Slip Sliding Away, by Bob Wilcox, November 29, 1989.
The St. Louis Sun, Green flags put planet in spotlight, Rhonda Richards, April 22, 1990.
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Earthday Here May Get Reprise. Linda Eardley, April 24, 1990.
Chicago Tribune, Artists today draw little inspiration from nature. Alan G. Artner, April 22,1990.
Media/Television
Channel 21 interviews on the environmental opposition to a Techway/bridge, 10/00 – 10/04
Media/Radio
NPR, Metro Connection interview with David Furst on Art Studio Tour, Oct. 7-8, 2005
WTOP, NPR, interviews on local land use and transportation policy.
Frederick Radio Interviews on Sugarloaf Mountain Books.