Deborah Walmer

About the Artist

DC area artist, Deborah Walmer, manipulates and layers bold colors of oil paints her own version of cubism. Her paintings have been described as paper unfolded or stained glass. You can see the influence of Picasso, Braque, Dali, and Kahlo in her paintings. In addition, she has recently expanded into Abstract works. These abstract paintings are a mix of textures which include oil paint, oilstik, acrylic, paper, fabric, and found objects, woven together with the techniques of the cubism genre. Deborah is the Communications Chair and Exhibitions Co-chair for Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC, and on the Communications Team for the National Women’s Caucus for Art. She is also a member of the Montgomery Artists Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts and Graphic Design from Mount Vernon College (now George Washington University) in Washington, DC. She resides in Germantown, MD with her two teenage children. Exhibit Experience Our Voices Carry Weight, WCADC + City of Gaithersburg, Bohrer Park, 506 S Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD February 3-April 23, 2023 Pull Up a Chair by Sandra Davis, FH Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center, 4800 Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave, NE, Washington, DC November 5-December 5, 2022 What is Ours, Sandy Spring Museum, 17901 Bentley Rd, Sandy Spring, MD September 7-November 16, 2022 Songs That Move Us, Women's Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC, The Gallery at Friendship Heights Village Community Center, 4433 S Park Ave, Chevy Chase, MD August 1-28, 2022 We Who Dream Know No Borders, Women's Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC, Virtual Exhibit, December 15, 2021-Feb 28, 2022 Solo Show, The Dish and Dram restaurant, 10301 Kensington Pkwy, Kensington, MD August 15 - October 31, 2021 Celebrating Wildlife. Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD - November 26, 2021- January 30, 2022 Black & White. Women's Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC Online, August 15-September 30, 2021 Paint the Town Labor Day Show, Montgomery Art Association, Kensington, MD, September 4-6, 2021 Honorable mention for "Royalty is a Birthright" Portrait Category This is Gaithersburg, A Civic Dialogue, Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD, July 16 - September 11, 2021 Changing the World: Women Role Models, Women's Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC Online, May 15 - June 30, 2021  Big, Bold & Beautiful. Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD - March 19-May 17, 2021 MFA Mid-Fall Madness. Maryland Federation of Art, All member show, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD, October 9-26, 2020 See My Color, a juried exhibition for racial justice. WCADC, wcadc.org/seemycolor, September 30-November 30, 2020 Why I Vote. Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD, September 11-November 15, 2020 Urban Landscapes, a judged exhibit. Montgomery Art Association Online Exhibit, August 1-September 30, 2020 Natural Landscapes, a judged exhibit. Montgomery Art Association Online Exhibit, July 1-August 31, 2020 Honorable mention for “Blazed with Blue” Alone Together, a juried exhibition. Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC, June 20-August 1, 2020 Creative Expressions 2020. Montgomery Art Association Online Exhibit, June 1-July 31, 2020 Bloom and Grow. Ann Marie Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Solomons, MD, June 9- August 31, 2020 Montgomery Art Association Group Show: Oasis Gallery, Bethesda, MD, January 13-April, 2020 Pieces and Parts. Falls Church Arts Gallery, Falls Church, VA, November 23-December 30, 2019 Artful Destinations. Curated by Operation Arts, Launch Workplaces, Gaithersburg, MD, June-September 2019 25th Anniversary of the Consortium Exhibit. The University of the District of Columbia, May 1991 The American Literary Guide Magazine, May 1991 Design Expo 1991. The Watkins Gallery, The American University, April 1991 Love: A photography exhibit. The Gatehouse Gallery, Mount Vernon College, December 1990     Awards Distance Learning: DC Teacher Art Exhibit Award for Community Service in the Arts-January 21, 2020 Recognized as an Arts professional who we feel went above and beyond in making sure there were continued opportunities for artists in the District. We were impressed and inspired by your work to make sure artists continued to have opportunities to show their work and by your dedication to diversifying your organization and the creation of the scholarship program. Honorable mention for “Blazed with Blue”, Natural Landscapes Exhibition -July 2020

Artist's Statement

I grew up in the Philadelphia, PA area and majored in Fine Art at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC. Although I am a Philly girl, I consider myself a Washingtonian since I have lived in the DC area for over 26 years. I started drawing at 1 ½ years old. Unfortunately, it was all over my aunt's door during a sleepover. That was my last sleepover. After college I didn't really paint that much. I was uninspired. After the ending of my 14 year marriage, 4 years ago, I realized that something was missing. I needed to paint. I now know I cannot go a day without painting. Besides my 2 teens, it has made me happier than anything I have ever known. Along with painting, dance comes in a close second. As far back as I can remember, I have danced. If there is music on, you will see me swaying to it. Not much has changed. I perform in my kitchen often. I have been a member of 3 dance companies over the years and even traveled to West Africa to study dance. Now that I am older and no longer a part of a dance company, I try to stay involved in the dance world. I worked at CityDance School and Conservatory at Strathmore for 6 years as a costume assistant. I have created and altered hundreds of costumes for dancers. My painting, Girl On Fire depicts an African dancer. She is wearing the costume I made for that dance repertoire. Being so involved at CityDance has given me the opportunity to work very closely with some extremely talented kids. Watching them train and perform moves me in ways that are hard to explain. Some of it is like living through the memories of the dance of my past. I merged my two loves of dance and painting and created a dance series of paintings. During my very first art exhibit this past Summer, the paintings were displayed while the dancers performed the repertoire that is depicted in the paintings. I wanted the audience to experience the emotion and story they tell through movement. My paintings have been described as paper unfolded or stained glass. You can see the influence of Picasso, Braque, Dali, and Kahlo in the paintings. In addition, I recently expanded into Abstract works. These abstract paintings are a mix of textures which include oil paint, cray-pas, shells and fabric woven together with the techniques of the cubism genre. My friends call the style Debism. I am fortunate to live in an area of Maryland where there are many Hiking trails.I find solace running through the forest alongside woodland creatures and a flowing creek. When I am on the trail, I am transported to another wilderness far away. In my trail series, some of which a