Marlene Sanchez, born and raised in Bogotá Colombia, started art lessons at 6 years old. She moved to the United States at 17 to finish high school and then attended DePauw University in Indiana where she studied ceramics and painting. She continued working in both disciplines after college graduation, earning her living as a potter and painting in oils in her spare time. Marlene moved to California in 1983 and expanded her ceramic work in the midst of the exciting clay community of the Bay Area. In San Francisco, Marlene joined Ruby’s Clay Studio and Gallery where she developed her functional ware line. During this time she showed her ceramic work both locally and nationally, attending major American Craft Council (ACC) shows in the Mid-West and the American Concern for Art and Craftsmanship show (ACAC) in New York at Lincoln Center.
In 1992, Marlene established her own private art studio in Oakland.
Here she expanded her work to incorporate the use of mixed media in her ceramics and sculpture work. The mix of materials and the use of images allowed her to be more expressive by adding to traditional use of clay forms and glaze applications. In 2008, Marlene switched her focus to oil painting and joined the Atelier of Classical Realism in Oakland to study oil painting with David Hardy. Marlene’s studies included work on still life composition, portraiture, and plein air painting.
Currently, Marlene is often found by the California coast painting the seascape and ocean waves in plein air, or in her studio composing works as a creative tapestry from her active imagination. Marlene blends her metaphorical imagery with her personal use of eclectic materials. In her work, there are guitar strings, printed words on fabric, wood, glass, plaster, found objects, and furniture. Marlene transforms and blends these materials to reflect what her heart has to say.
SOLO SHOWS
2021 Above it all, Moonshadow Salon, Berkeley CA.
1991 Trinity Arts Council, Weaverville ,CA.
1988 Fireworks Gallery, Mill Valley CA.
1987 Shreve and Company. SF CA
1986 Art Options Gallery, SF CA.
1985 Ruby O’Burke Gallery SF CA.
GROUP SHOWS
2000 La Peña Colombiana, Fort Mason Center, SF CA.
1997 American Concern For Artistry and Craftsmanship. Lincoln Center, NY.
1996 American Craft Council, Civic Center, Cleveland OH.
1996 Free Will, Los Angeles CA.
1989 “Emerging Bay Area Artists” Showplace Design Center, SF CA
1987 “Bay Currents – San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum
1984 Rubby O’Burke Gallery , SF CA.
1983 Radcliffe College,Cambridge MA.
1982 Gallery East, Boston
1981 Art and Religion- Depauw University,Greencastle IN
REPRESENTATION
1994 Sun Gallery, Hayward, CA Media, SF,CA
1993 Smile Gallery, SF , CA.
1992 Carl Braune and Company, SF. CA
1991 Virginia Breier SF,CA
1989 Spirals Gallery , Palo Alto CA
1987 Trimarco Showroom, SF CA
1987 Fireworks Gallery, Mill Valley CA
1987 California Museum of Crafts, SF CA
1986 Art Options Gallery, SF CA.
EDUCATION
2019 Master Painting Workshop with Devin Cecil Wishing.
2016 Studied at The Atelier School for Classical Realism with David Hardy Oakland CA.
2006 Studied with Richard Gaerlenter Marin CA.
1984 Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Independent Study in Porcelain Sculpture and Functional Ware.
1982 DePauw University, Greencastle IN, Bachelor of Arts: Painting and ceramic Sculpture.
PROFESSIONAL AND FIELD EXPERIENCE
2019 Currently providing Painting Commission services. See website for more information.
2018 Coordinator of Internship programs at The ARC of San Francisco, providing training and advocacy.
1995 Creation and development of art projects for Neuro Diverse seniors at the ARC of San Francisco.
1982 Production potter for Windfall Pottery, Waltham, MA. Production potter for Jan Lacoste, Acton MA.
1981 Casted Hydrostone sculpture for Tom Otterness – NY, NY.
1980 Executed large-scale ceramic sculpture from drawings and installed ceramic and multi-media environments for Mary Beth Edelson. NY, NY.
INTERESTS
I enjoy ice dancing (currently hold a pre-silver test level), Bicycling, baking and experimenting in other creative disciplines, such as sound collage and improvisational theatre.
