New THD Resident Rita Robillard forwarded to me the website of Ralph Pugay- one of her former student in art. It is with pleasure to post this in my blogs today.
I met Rita the other and she gave me her website, showcasing her impressive art creation and accomplishments in the World of Art. I asked her, if she look at other active senior living communities in the area. She said no, but it was her daughter who did the search for her to live here at THD. Again, my personal welcome to THD. I hope your stay here will be a happy one.
Here's an excerpt from her biography, I found in the Internet
"The artist Rita Robillard grew up in New York City and later spent time in California and Brazil. She’s made her home in the Pacific Northwest for decades now, first moving to Pullman, Washington, in 1986. Since 1998 she’s lived in Portland, where she served as the chair of Portland State University’s art department.
All of these places have made an imprint on Robillard’s work.
She is a photographer, a painter, and a printmaker — a visual artist who uses multiple media on individual works to convey a place’s history and ecology. She creates layers literally and figuratively.
A major retrospective of Robillard’s art is on display at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University in Salem through March 25. It features 54 works created during the last 40 years".
For details of her work read: https://www.augengallery.com/artists/artists/robillard/
http://portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=9665;type=701
Ralph Pugay’s art revels in raucous tension, transforming the everyday through a blend of humor and discomfort that pushes familiar scenes into strange, disarming territory. Influenced by religious iconography, non-Western pictorial traditions, and the frenetic worlds of internet culture, comics, and video games, his brightly colored, playful paintings turn recognizable scenarios into fractured reflections of contemporary life. Drawing from his experiences as an immigrant and queer artist, Pugay layers daydreams with keen observations to create tableaus that provoke fresh perspectives on belonging, identity, and normativity, wielding a sharp wit that both unsettles and provokes reflection.
Ralph Pugay (b. 1983 in Cavite, Philippines; based in Portland, OR) has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions across the US, including such venues as Adams & Ollman, Portland OR; Cristin Tierney, New York NY; AA|LA, Los Angeles, CA; Vox Populi, Philadelphia PA; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle WA; Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City UT; Marinaro, New York NY; Ditch Projects, Eugene OR; among many others. He is the recipient of several awards including a Ford Family Foundation Rauschenberg Fellowship, the 2015 Betty Bowen Award, Seattle Art Museum; an Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, and a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Award.
Pugay has been in residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME; the Rauschenberg Residency, Captiva Island, FL; the Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, LA; Crow's Shadow Golden Spot Residency Program, Pendleton, OR, and Creative Exchange Lab, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR. Pugay holds a BA and MFA in Contemporary Art Practice from Portland State University.
Rita Robillard is a seasoned visual artist recognized for her work as a photographer, painter, and printmaker. Based in Portland since 1998 and having chaired the Portland State University Art Department, she is known for depicting themes of time, place, ecology, and layered history. Robillard’s work incorporates multiple media in single pieces, reflecting places where she has lived, including New York, California, and Brazil. Her notable exhibitions include a 40-year retrospective at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, featuring 54 works that span four decades. Her art often conveys ecological sensitivity and personal connection to locations, as seen in series like “Coastal Range,” which was inspired by a residency at the Sitka Center and explores Northwest forests through a blend of paint and print. Robillard’s style is diverse, ranging from screenprints that depict lush flora to evocative photographs tinted by environmental crises like wildfires.
Ralph Pugay, born in Cavite, Philippines and based in Portland, Oregon, is an artist deeply influenced by his personal background as an immigrant and queer individual. Pugay creates playful, brightly colored paintings that blend humor and discomfort, turning everyday scenes into surreal, thought-provoking tableaus. His work draws inspiration from a mix of religious iconography, non-Western artistic traditions, comics, video games, and the internet. Pugay’s paintings often challenge notions of belonging and identity, using wit and anxiety to provoke reflection. His pieces, such as “Dog Spirits on the 4th of July,” “Acupuncture School,” and “Meditation Contest,” demonstrate an eclectic style that spans various media, including acrylic, wax pastels, flashe, ink, and watercolor.
Both Robillard and Pugay have connections to Portland State University—Robillard as a faculty member and department chair, and Pugay as a former student who earned both his BA and MFA in Contemporary Art Practice from PSU. While search results confirm both as significant contributors to the local and national art scene, they do not explicitly mention a formal teacher-student relationship, but their shared PSU background suggests a possible academic link. Their works have appeared in exhibitions, residencies, and institutions across the country, and both artists have influenced contemporary art with distinct, recognizable voices focused on place, identity, and layered storytelling.
Rita Robillard is a seasoned visual artist recognized for her work as a photographer, painter, and printmaker. Based in Portland since 1998 and having chaired the Portland State University Art Department, she is known for depicting themes of time, place, ecology, and layered history. Robillard’s work incorporates multiple media in single pieces, reflecting places where she has lived, including New York, California, and Brazil. Her notable exhibitions include a 40-year retrospective at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, featuring 54 works that span four decades. Her art often conveys ecological sensitivity and personal connection to locations, as seen in series like “Coastal Range,” which was inspired by a residency at the Sitka Center and explores Northwest forests through a blend of paint and print. Robillard’s style is diverse, ranging from screenprints that depict lush flora to evocative photographs tinted by environmental crises like wildfires.
Ralph Pugay, born in Cavite, Philippines and based in Portland, Oregon, is an artist deeply influenced by his personal background as an immigrant and queer individual. Pugay creates playful, brightly colored paintings that blend humor and discomfort, turning everyday scenes into surreal, thought-provoking tableaus. His work draws inspiration from a mix of religious iconography, non-Western artistic traditions, comics, video games, and the internet. Pugay’s paintings often challenge notions of belonging and identity, using wit and anxiety to provoke reflection. His pieces, such as “Dog Spirits on the 4th of July,” “Acupuncture School,” and “Meditation Contest,” demonstrate an eclectic style that spans various media, including acrylic, wax pastels, flashe, ink, and watercolor.
Both Robillard and Pugay have connections to Portland State University—Robillard as a faculty member and department chair, and Pugay as a former student who earned both his BA and MFA in Contemporary Art Practice from PSU. While search results confirm both as significant contributors to the local and national art scene, they do not explicitly mention a formal teacher-student relationship, but their shared PSU background suggests a possible academic link. Their works have appeared in exhibitions, residencies, and institutions across the country, and both artists have influenced contemporary art with distinct, recognizable voices focused on place, identity, and layered storytelling.
Finally, here's the site for the Paintings of Ditas Katague, my youngest Daughter
