Born in Nevada to an Air Force serviceman who later became a minister, Victoria Blaker grew up moving from one location to the next. Summers were spent in Tennessee on her grandparents’ farm, where she enjoyed the beauty and freedom of the outdoors and helped take care of the chickens. In addition to Nevada, she has lived in California, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Arizona. Constantly adjusting to new schools and situations were both stressful and exciting. Life was an adventure. After marriage, her husband’s educational and employment pursuits, as well as those of her own, meant several more moves.
She has always maintained a variety of interests from music to science fiction. Ultimately, her love of art led her to concentrate on drawing and painting, studying under William Woodward and Arthur Hall Smith at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where she received the Master of Fine Arts degree. Prior to taking an extended break, she exhibited in Virginia and Washington, D.C. She has also been adjunct Art faculty at Furman University and taught painting through continuing educational programs at Furman and Virginia Tech. Later she exhibited in South Carolina and currently in Arizona.
EDUCATION:
B.S., Art, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, Kentucky
M.F.A., Painting, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., Thesis Title: "Impressions of Movement"
Coursework in sculpture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Instruction in Basic Stained Glass and Stained Glass Lamps, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Service
EMPLOYMENT:
Originated, developed and taught art classes for the Virginia Polytechnic and State University's YMCA Open Program, Blacksburg, Virginia:
Basic Painting in Oils
Portrait Painting in Oils
Landscape Painting in Oils
Landscape Painting on Location
Materials and Methods
Furman University Learning In Retirement:
Painting in Oils, March-June 2005
Painting in Oils, September-December 2005
Painting in Oils, September-December 2006
Furman University Continuing Education:
Painting in Oils, February - April 2006
Painting in Oils, February - April 2007
Painting in Oils, February - April 2008
Furman University, Adjunct Professor of Drawing, Fall 2006
ORGANIZATIONS:
Metropolitan Arts Council
West Valley Arts Association
AWARDS AND HONORS:
First Place, Mixed Media, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists 2021 Juried Show, Peoria, Arizona, March 8 - May 13, 2021
Third Place, Drawing, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists 2021 Juried Show, Peoria, Arizona, March 8 - May 13, 2021
First Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2020
Honorable Mention, Drawing, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artisits 2020 Juried Show, Peoria, Arizona, March 9 - April 30, 2020
First Place, Artist for Animals Juried Exhibition, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise Arizona December 6 - January 17, 2020
Third Place, Bugs and Blooms Juried Exhibition, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, July 12 - August 23, 2019
Trustee's Award, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists 2019 Juried Show, March 11 - April 25, 2019, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona
Second Place, Painting, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists 2019 Juried Show, March 11 - April 25, 2019, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona
Judge's Choice Award, Best In Show, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona February 2019
First Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2019
Third Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2019
Second Place, Annual Surprise Invitational Juried Exhibition, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, September 28 - October 26, 2018
First Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2018
First Place, Painting, West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists 2017 Juried Show, March 13 - April 20, 2017, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona
Third Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2017
First Place, Professional catagory, Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2016
"The Dragon Tails" chosen for cover of catalogue for The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape and Architectural Juried Art Competition 2013
Honorable Mention, Artisphere 2012, Artists of the Upstate Annual Juried Exhibition, Centre Stage, Greenville, South Carolina, May 2 - June 19, 2012
First place 2D, Upstate Visual Arts Annual Juried Show 2011, Greenville, South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Oils, The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape and Architectural Juried Art Competition 2009, Kimberly, Wisconsin
Juror's Choice Award, Twenty-Eighth Annual Juried South Carolina Artists Exhibition, Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina 2007
Work in permanent collection, Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina
Honorable Mention, Annual Juried Awards Show, Dimock Gallery, Washington D.C.
Work in permanent collection, Dimock Gallery, Washington, D.C.
EXHIBITIONS:
Herberger Theater Center, "The Desert Exhibit" Juried Show, Phoenix, AZ, April 4, 2025 - May 28, 2025
Herberger Theater Center, "Fire Air Earth Water Exhibit" Juried Show, Phoenix, AZ, March 7 - 30, 2025
Herberger Theater Center, "Sunrise Sunset Exhibit" Juried Show, Phoenix, AZ, February 7 - March 2, 2025
Herberger Theater Center, "The Big Exhibit" Juried Show, Phoenix, AZ, December 6, 2024 - February 3, 2025
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, February 12 - April 24, 2024
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, March 29 - June 7, 2023
Members' Salon Exhibit, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, November 11 - December 16, 2022
Member's Salon Exhibit, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, November 13 - December 18, 2021
Out of the West Juried Exhibit, Surprise City Hall Gallery, Surprise, Arizona, October 5, 2021 - January 6, 2022
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, March 8 - May 13, 2021
Members' Salon Exhibit, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, November 20 - December 18, 2020
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, March 9 - April 30, 2020
Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sin City, Arizona, February 2020
Artist for Animals Juried Exhibition, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise Arizona, December 6, 2019 - January 17, 2020
Annual Surprise Invitational Juried Exhibition, 50th Anniversary Celebration, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, October 18 - November 23, 2019
Bugs and Blooms Juried Exhibition, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, July 12 - August 23, 2019
Annual Statewide Juried Exhibition of Fine Art, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, May 10 - June 20, 2019
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artist Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, March 11 - April 25, 2019
Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, Februrary 2019
West Valley Arts Roster Artist Exhibition, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, November 29, 2018 - January 11, 2019
Annual Surprise Invitational Juried Exhibition, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, September 28 - October 26, 2018
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artist Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, February 26 - April 12, 2018
Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2018
Annual Surprise Invitational Juried Exhibition, West Valley Arts HQ, Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, Arizona, October 19 - December 20, 2017
One Person Exhibit, Drawings, City of Peoria Main Library Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, July 18 - August 31, 2017
West Valley Art Museum, Celebration of Artists Juried Competition, City Hall Art Gallery, Peoria, Arizona, March 13 - April 20, 2017
Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, February 2017
The Richeson 75: Inernational Landscape, Seascape, and Architectural Juried Competition, 2016, Kimberly, Wisconsin, June 21 - August 6, 2016
Sun City Annual Fine Art Show, The Bell Center, Sun City, Arizona, Feburary 2016
The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape, and Architectural Juried Competition, 2015, Kimberly, Wisconsin, June 3 - July 11, 2015
Artisphere Artist of the Upstate 2014 Juried Exhibition, Larkin's on the River, Greenville, SC, May 9 -11, 2014
The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape, and Architectural Juried Competition, 2013, Kimberly, Wisconsin, May 29 - July 5, 2013
Artisphere Artist of the Upstate 2013 Juried Exhibition, Larkin's on the River, Greenville, SC, May 10-12, 2013
Crossing the Line, Thirty-one drawings by thirty-one artists, Invitational Exhibit, The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina, December 1, 2012 - February 7, 2013
American Impressionist Society, 13th National Juried Exhibition, Eckert and Ross Fine Art Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana, November 1st - 30th, 2012
Solo Exhibition Upstate Visual Arts at the Art Crossing, Greenville, SC, June 1- July 31, 2012
Artisphere Artist of the Upstate Juried Fine Art Exhibition, Centre Stage, Greenville, SC, May 2 - June 19, 2012
Upstate Visual Arts Annual Juried Show 2011, September 2-30, 2011, Greenville, South Carolina
Thirty-Second Annual Juried South Carolina Artists Competition, Pickens County Museum of Art, Pickens, SC, April 30 - June 9, 2011
Artisphere Artist of the Upstate Juried Fine Art Exhibition, Centre Stage, Greenville, SC, April 26 - May 26, 2011
The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape and Architectural Juried Art Competition 2010, Kimberely, Wisconsin, November 11, 2010 - January 9, 2011 (virtual exhibit until fall 2011)
Upstate Visual Arts Annual Juried Show, Upstate Visual Arts, Greenville, SC, September 3 - October, 2010
Trillium Juried Arts Exhibition, Trillium Arts Centre, Travelers Rest, SC, August 6 - September 11, 2010
Upstate Visual Arts Members Show, Greenville, Sc, June 26-August 27, 2010
Dog Gone Days, Upstate Visual Arts, Greenville, Sc, June 6-26, 2010
Thirty-First Annual Juried South Carolina Artists Competition, Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina, April 24 - June10, 2010
South Carolina Artists 2010 Fine Arts Juried Exhibition, Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, SC March 25 - May 8, 2010
2010 Concrete and Liquid Sculptural and Painting Exhibition, Upstate Visual Arts Gallery, Greenville, SC March 5- March 27
Greenville Seen Juried Competition, Metropolitan Arts Council, Greenville, SC, January 15 - February 26, 2010
The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape and Architectural, Juried Art Competition 2009, Kimberly, Wisconsin, October 16 - December 31, 2009 (virtual exhibit until November 2010)
American Impressionist Society, 10th National Juried Exhibitioin, Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado, October 23 - December 1, 2009
Upstate Visual Arts Annual Members Show, Greenville, SC, November 6 - 30, 2009
Trillium Juried Art Exhibition, Trillium Arts Centre, Travelers Rest, SC, Sept. 29 - Nov. 10, 2009
Upstate Visual Arts Fall Juried Show, West Greenville Arts Festival, Greenville, SC, September 4 - 28, 2009
"Find it, Fit it, and Fill it" Exhibition, Upstate Visual Arts, Greenville, SC, June 5 - July 10 2009
Artishpere Artist of the Upstate Fine Art Juried Exhibition, Greenville, SC, April 3 - May 29, 2009
Upstate Visual Arts Members Show, Greenville, SC, December 2008 - January 2009
The Richeson 75: International Landscape, Seascape & Exteriors 2008 Juried Competition, Kimberly, Wisconsin, September 14 - November 3, 2008 (virtual exhibit until Sept. 2009)
"Three Women Artists", a trio of solo exhibitions, The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina, "Natural Impressions", June 21 - August 21, 2008
Twenty-Nineth Annual Juried South Carolina Artists Exhibition, The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina, 2008
Twenty-Eighth Annual Juried South Carolina Artists Exhibition, The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, Pickens, South Carolina, 2007
Area Artists Exhibition, Bank of Travelers Rest, Travelers Rest, South Carolina 1993
Solo Exhibition, Miller and Main Street Galleries, Blacksburg, Virginia, "Rural Virginia ", September 13 - October 8, 1988
Works in Portfolio Gallery, Roanoke Museum of Fine Art, Roanoke, Virginia, 1986 -1987
Annual Area-Wide Juried Painting Exhibition, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, Virginia, 1985
Solo Exhibition, The National Bank of Blacksburg, Blacksburg, Virginia, September - December 1985
Two-Person Show, Executive Offices Suite, Burruss Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, January 1985 - September 1985
M.F.A. Thesis Show, Dimock Gallery, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.,1984
Annual Juried Awards Show, Dimock Gallery, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1984
Annual Area-Wide Juried Painting Exhibition, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, Virginia, 1983
Winners Show, Colonnade Gallery, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1983
Annual Juried Awards Show, Dimock Gallery, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1983
Annual Juried Awards Show, Dimock Gallery, The George Washington University, Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1982
Solo Exhibition, Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, Kentucky, 1980
