Judy Thompson Works
JUDY THOMPSON
Orange City, Iowa
Artist Statement:
“I create contemporary watercolors which engage and connect the viewer to our beautiful, yet complex, Western and Midwest landscapes. My work captures the rich colors and textures of these exquisite places and speaks to the intricate and fragile relationships that exist within this prairie ecosystem.
My medium of choice is transparent watercolor which is both expressive and versatile. It’s spontaneous and unique nature allows me to experiment with a variety of surface treatments and mixed media techniques. One of my favorite applications is to outline and connect the shapes and colors within my paintings using charcoal, ink or wax crayon. The resulting tapestry serves as a metaphor of the complex connections within the ecosystem and the human impact our actions have upon the environment.”
Biography:
Raised in Chicago, Judy now lives in rural NW Iowa. She has always loved to draw and create. In school, Judy excelled at art and was awarded a college art scholarship which she never accepted. Instead, her well-meaning parents encouraged her to pursue other interests. It wasn’t until several decades, three children and multiple careers later, that Judy returned to her art, resolved to nurture her God-given talents.
Judy’s artwork has received numerous national and regional awards and has been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the Midwest. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Badlands National Park, SD; Custer State Park, SD; and Homestead National Historical Park, NE. Her Homestead Series has toured throughout the region and is in the permanent collection of the Homestead National Historical Park. She is also the cover artist for the acclaimed Pioneer Girl series which celebrates the life and work of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her work has been acquired by private and corporate collectors throughout the Midwest.
Education: BS, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2023 Confluence, Watercolors by Judy Thompson, Dordt University.
2021 The Art of Pioneering, Homestead National Historical Park, NE
2020 Boundless: Watercolors of the Plains, Northwestern College.
2019 Prairie Gleanings: Watercolors by Judy Thompson, Wein Gallery, SD.
2018 Plain Views, Center for Western Studies, SD
2017 Prairie Gleanings, Marshalltown, Iowa
2016 Art on the Prairie, Perry, Iowa
2015 The Art of Pioneering, Sioux City Public Museum, W.H. Over Museum,SD; Sanford Museum, IA.
2015 Midwest Encounters, Le Mars Art Center, IA
2014 Grass Roots, Witter Gallery, IA
2013 Heartland Images, Arts on Grand, IA
2013 Capturing the Heartland, Gallery 92 West, NE
2012-17 The Homestead Series Touring Exhibition, Nicollet Tower, SD; Pearson Lakes Art Center, IA; Great Plains Art Museum, NE; Cultural Heritage Center, SD; Homestead National Monument, NE
Selected Juried Group Exhibitions:
2022 Stallions and Mares: Legends of the Plains, Center for Western Studies, SD
2022 Local Perspectives, 2022, Sioux City Art Center.
2022 Native Waters, Le Mars Art Center, IA
2021 Artists of the Plains, 40th Anniversary Gallery Exhibit, Center for Western
Studies, SD
2021 Raising Up, Center for Western Studies, SD
2021 Pandemic: The Art of Survival, Center for Western Studies, SD
2020 19: A Gallery Exhibition Featuring Women Artists in Honor of the Centennial of the 19th Amendment, Center for Western Studies, SD
2019 Watercolor on the Plains, Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD
2018-20, 22 Artists of the Plains Art Show & Sale, SD
2018-19 Artists of the Black Hills Annual Exhibition, Dahl Arts Center, SD
2016-18 Orange City Arts Annual Regional Art Exhibition, IA
2017 & 19 Prairie Art Showcase, South Dakota Arts Council, Pierre, SD
2017 Weathered: The Northern Plains Landscape as Shaped by the Elements,
The Center for Western Studies, SD
2014 South Dakota 2014: Artists Respond to the State’s 125th Anniversary, Center for Western Studies, SD
2013 Natural Heritage Exhibition, Arts on Grand, IA
2009-13 Iowa Watercolor Society Juried and Traveling Exhibitions
Selected Awards:
2013-19 Grant Awards, South Dakota Arts Council, Touring Arts Program
2011-13 Finalist and Meritorious Awards, Richeson 75 International Competitions
2011 Grant Award, Iowa Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts
2012 Iowa Watercolor Society, Signature Member
Publications:
2023 Pioneer Girl: The Path into Fiction, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Cover Art,
South Dakota Historical Society Press
2022 Annals of Iowa, Spring, 2022, State Historical Society of Iowa, Cover Art
2021 Pioneer Girl: The Revised Texts; by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Cover Art,
South Dakota Historical Society Press
2021 Bright, Clear Sky Over a Plain So Wide, Cover Art, Harry F. Thompson,
The Center for Western Studies
2018 SD Public Radio Interview; Lori Walsh on In the Moment
2017 Arts Alive, Summer, 2017 - Cover/Feature Article, Arts South Dakota
2017 Pioneer Girl Perspectives: Exploring Laura Ingalls Wilder; Cover Art. South Dakota Historical Society Press
2016 Family Living, August15, 2016 - Cover/Feature Article, Iowa Farm Bureau
2015 Publishers Weekly, November 2, 2015 - Cover Art
2014 Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder,
Cover Art. South Dakota Historical Society Press
2013 Wheaton College Alumni Magazine, July/August, Cover Art
2012 Nebraska Life Magazine, March/April, Cover Art & Feature Article
Artist Residencies:
2016-19, 22 Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park, SD
2013-15 Badlands National Park, National Park Service, SD
2010 Homestead National Monument, NE
Selected Collections:
Center for Western Studies, SD
State of South Dakota, Art for State Buildings
South Dakota Historical Society Press
Sanford Health Campuses: SD;
Avera Health Campuses: SD and IA
Badlands National Park, Interior, SD
Northwestern College, IA
Homestead National Monument, NE
Gallery Representation:
Leopold Gallery and Art Consulting, Kansas City, MO
Rehfeld’s Art and Framing, Sioux Falls, SD
Prairie Edge Fine Art, Rapid City, SD
Lanesboro Arts, Lanesboro, MN