Diane Cherr

 Diane Cherr is a painter and printmaker from New York.  She predominantly works on paper in a variety of media including gouache, watercolor, and collage, all one of a kind.  With her renewed passion for printmaking, her first love in college and graduate school, Diane creates either one-of-a-kind pieces or small limited editions.  She also sells greeting cards and handmade challah covers, which are designed from her unique works.

Diane’s colorful worlds are punctuated by bold color, pattern, narrative and whimsy.  Women’s empowerment, interpretations of stories, legends and Judaic traditions are prominent themes. Popular influences include hamsas, lunar cycles, dancing Torahs and trees of life.  She often looks to Judaic scholars and women of the Bible and Torah to create her own Midrash or narrative.  Her fine art prints are immersed in the creation story, juxtaposing organic objects, such as pomegranates, flora and Jewish ritual objects with women’s clothing and accessories.  She is greatly influenced by quilt motifs, for their rich layouts and ability to tell stories.

Her work has been shown nationally, as well as in several international collections. Diane was invited to be part of Faith Ringgold's Ancestors Quilt Project, creating her personal ancestry quilt. The quilts from the project were exhibited at Ponder Gallery, Benedict College. Four watercolor paintings and a poem are part of “Climbing the Walls,” a collaboration between Studio Theater in Exile and Hudson Valley MOCA, Peekskill, NY, 2020-21, bringing together multimedia artists in a virtual space, sharing their personal expressions during the pandemic.  She received an Honorable Mention and the Greystone/Evolon Purchase Award for her prints in the 12th Biennial International Miniature Print Exhibition, at the Grace Ross Shanley Gallery, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, Ct, June 2019. Her print “Left Hand Jenny,” received the grand prize in the 2020-21 “Days to Remember-Center for Contemporary Printmaking 2020 Members’ Exhibit, juried by Cybele Maylone, Executive Director of The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Ct.

Diane was one of the first Studio Art Majors at Wheaton College, Norton, Ma.  She has an MA in Art and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was the Graduate Print Studio Teaching Assistant. If you wish to contact Diane, send a message with WhatsApp or email chair43@aol.com.