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DIANA COIDAN

Something interesting has happened to Diana Coidan's art career over the past few years, ever since she started painting pastels. She's winning awards.

Not just one or two, but about 18! This includes two First Places , the highly competitive juried NC State Fair and Arts Council of Carteret County exhibits !  In addition to collecting awards, Diana has recently been juried into four national art shows and twenty regional shows including an exhibit judged by Larry Wheeler of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Diana began as a watercolorist, then one day, experimented with pastels and “fell in love” with the medium. She became fascinated with skies, clouds and water, which she has explored in depth, the results paying off in regards to her accumulation of awards and juried placements. Her works are strikingly realistic with cloud formations ethereal and dramatic at the same time. Many of her sky/cloud/water scenes are set off by silhouetted foliage in foreground giving the viewer a sense of vast space. Recently she has been including figures with her pastels suggesting a story from the scene.

Since 1999 Diana has also had eight solo shows and if all the above doesn’t keep her busy enough, she is also an active member of numerous local art organizations.

Diana began painting at an early age outside of Pittsburgh and has lived in North Carolina since 1982.

SOLO SHOWS 
1999: Sertoma Art Center, Raleigh, NC   -  “Expressions ‘99” – November
2000: Bogue Banks Library Art Gallery, Pine Knoll Shores, NC – December
2001:
• Jerry’s Artarama Gallery, Raleigh, NC
• Demo in Fluid Acrylic Sertoma Art Center, Raleigh, NC
• “Expressions 2001”
2002: NC Academy of Trial Lawyers’  Raleigh, NC – Featured Artist
2003:
• Woman’s’ Club of Raleigh – February
• Mr. Toad’s Coffee House, Cary, NC     Featured Artist - April-May
• Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Office, Cary, NC Featured Artist - September-October
• Sertoma Art Center – Raleigh, NC
• "Expressions 2003”
2004:
• Brass Grill & Market Restaurant, Raleigh, NC – Featured Artist through VAE -  March-April
• Mr. Toad’s Coffee House, Cary, NC    December 2004 – January, 2005
2005:
• Mr. Toad’s Coffee House,  Cary, NC    December 2004 – January, 2005
• Jordan Hall Art Center, Cary, NC – “Pastels Plus”   -  Featured Artist, April
• Gallery A – Five Points, Raleigh, NC - July, August
• Featured Artist – Cary Gallery of Artists, Ashworth Village – October 17 – November 12
2006: Mattie King Davis Gallery, Beaufort, NC – April - May

GROUP SHOWS
• Fine Arts League of Cary   –  Annual  Members Shows    Jordan Hall, Page-Walker Art Center -  2000-2006
• Sertoma Artists Association – Annual  Members Show    Sertoma Art Center - 1999-2006
• Carolina Artists Studio Gallery, Morehead City  – Annual Members Show  CASG Gallery - 1998-2006
• Pastel Society of North Carolina – Members Shows – 2005 - 2006
• “Endless Summer Art Exhibit” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, July 2004
• “The End of An Endless Summer Art Exhibit” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, September, 2004
• “Going Home to North Carolina” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, October-December, 2004
• “True Tails on Cats and Dogs” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, April – June, 2005
• “Endless Summer Art Exhibit” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, June through summer, 2005
• “Location, Location, Location” – Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, December, 2005  through February, 2006

DUO SHOW
• “Earth Water Sky” – Rocky Alexander and Diana Coidan – Nicole’s Studio and Art Gallery – February 10 – March 17, 2006

JURIED GROUP EXHIBITS
• National:  21st  Annual Competitive Exhibition”, Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, January, 2002
• National:  24th Annual Associated Artists of Southport July National Exhibition, Franklin Square Gallery, July, 2004
• National:  24th Annual Competitive Exhibition”, Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, March, 2005
• National:  25th Annual Associated Artists of Southport July National Exhibition, Frankling Square Gallery, July, 2005  (2 pieces)
• NC:  “Passionate Pieces”, Visual Art Exchange,  February, 2002
• NC:  “Spring Has Sprung”, Visual Art Exchange,  April, 2002
• NC:  Burlington Artists League “Small Works” (2 pieces) May, 2002
• NC:  13th Annual New Show, Visual Art Exchange, September, 2002
• NC:  Small is Big”, Visual Art Exchange, October, 2002
• NC:  “True Tails on Cats & Dogs”, Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, May/June, 2003
• NC:  “It’s All Wet”, Visual Art Exchange, August, 2003
• NC:  “Town and Country”, Visual Art Exchange, (2 pieces) November, 2003
• NC:  26th Annual Artists Exhibition, Raleigh Fine Arts Society, Gaddy Hamrick Art Center-Frankie G. Weems Art Gallery-Meredith College, February, 2004
• NC:  “Spring Fling”, Visual Art Exchange, April, 2004
• NC:  “Let the Games Begin”, Visual Art Exchange, June, 2004
• NC:  “Annual Juried NEW (Never Exhibited Work) Show, Visual Art Exchange (2 pieces), September, 2004
• NC:  “Dream a Little Dream”, Visual Art Exchange, (2 pieces) October, 2004
• NC:  NC State Fair, Raleigh (2 pieces) October, 2004
• NC:  “Primary Colors”, Visual Art Exchange, November, 2004
• NC:  “FALC 11th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, ( 3 pieces) March-April 2005
• NC:  “True Tails on Cats and Dogs”, Nicole’s Studio and Art Gallery, April/May, 2005
• NC:  “Summer”, Visual Art Exchange, July, 2005 (2 pieces)-on display at NC Academy Trial Lawyers Building
• NC:  Annual Juried NEW (Never Exhibited Work) Show, Visual Art Exchange (2 pieces), September, 2005
• NC:  North Carolina State Fair – (2) Pastels Accepted – Professional Graphics – Pastels Category, October, 2005
• NC:  “Little Power House” -  Visual Art Exchange, (2 pieces), November, 2005
• NC:  “Figurative Works”  -  Visual Art Exchange, February, 2006

AWARDS
• First Place – Arts Council of Carteret County “Art From The Heart”- Pastel Category – February, 2005\
• First Place – NC State Fair, Professional Arts Category - Graphics, Pastels -  October, 2004
• Second Place – Pastel Society of NC – Imperishable Values” – Award for Composition – October, 2005
• Second Place – Arts Council of Carteret County “Art From The Heart” – Pastel Category – February, 2005
• Third Place – 3rd Annual FALC Seniors Art Exhibition, September, 2005
• Fourth Place – Art 55, Fine Arts League of Cary, February, 2004
• The Garden Gallery Award – FALC 11th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, March-April, 2005
• Merit Award – 24th Annual National Competitive Exhibition, Hampton Exhibition Gallery, Kinston, NC – March, 2005
• Honorable Mention – “Town and Country” Visual Art Exchange, November, 2003
• Honorable Mention – “Let the Games Begin”, Visual Art Exchange, June, 2004 
• Honorable Mention – “Annual Juried NEW Show, Visual Art Exchange, September, 2004
• Honorable Mention – Fine Arts League of Cary Members’ Show, Page-Walker, November, 2004
• Honorable Mention – “Little Power House”, Visual Art Exchange, November, 2005
• Honorable Mention – Fine Arts League of Cary Members’ Show, Page-Walker, November, 2005
• Corporate Purchase Awards – (2) Piney Woods-Celebrate the Arts, Wilmington, NC, September, 2000
• Corporate Purchase Award – NC Azalea Festival, Wilmington, April, 2003
• Dr. Herbert K. Land Purchase Award – FALC 11th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, March-April, 2005
• 2004 Booth Recognition – The Christmas Carousel, Jim Graham Building, November, 2004

PUBLISHINGS / OTHER
• BEST OF State and National Artists and Artisans Juried Book Series 2005 by Kennedy Promotions
• Honorable Mention – “Marley’s Bark”, Pastel   for State of North Carolina
• 11/05 notification   Published with Amazon.com,  BarnesandNoble.com, and Borders.com
• Carteret County Arts Alive – Watercolor entitled “Turtles of the Sea” selected for issue cover, April-June, 2002
• Cape Fear Arts Alive – Acrylic entitled “Years of Care” selected for issue cover, April, 2002
• 9’ x 12’ Mural depicting marine life in local orthodontist office, 1987
• Cover  - Artist rendition of Masonic Lodge, 1982

JUROR RECOGNITION

Martha Smith Brooks, John Cram, David Brown, Sr. Curator at SECCA, Lottie Campenella of Campenella Gallery, Gene Thornton, Grace Li Wang, David Simpton, Melinda Fine, Art Professor at Meredith College, Jeffrey Fleming, Sr. Curator of Des Moines Art Center, Charles Joyner, NCSU Art Professor, Lee Hansley of Lee Hansley Gallery, Mark Mehaffey, Signature Member of the NWCS, Nicholas Bragg, Exec. Dir. of the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Molly Miller of Bickett Gallery. Tom Edgerton, Mary Jo Bell, Lauren Harry, Assistant Curator of the NC Museum of Art, Cynthia Aldrich, Bob Ranklin, Don Andrews, AWS, Karen Shelton, Sizzl Gallery,  Dr. Lawrence J. Wheeler, Director of the NC Museum of Art

GALLERIES /  ONGOING EXHIBITED WORKS
• Mattie King Davis Gallery, Beaufort, NC
• Nicole’s Studio & Art Gallery, Raleigh, NC
• Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary, NC
• Carolina Artists Studio Gallery, Morehead City
• NC Visual Art Exchange – Collectors Gallery, Raleigh, NC
• Glenaire Retirement Community
• Heartfields
• Cary Ballet Conservatory - Fine Arts League of Cary

FORMER CAREER /  WORKSHOPS

1964 – Graduate of Duff’s Business College, Pittsburgh, PA   Legal Secretary      Legal firms acquired paintings of my art; completed first commissioned wall mural in Pittsburgh, PA.   Commissioned to complete a marine-life wall mural in North Raleigh for local orthodontist in 1987 whereby I retained a permanent position working in Dental Administration. - Numerous watercolor, collage, and oil medium workshops in North Carolina and South Carolina to enhance my art capabilities with well-known instructors. 

MEMBER    

Watercolor Society of North Carolina, Sertoma Artists Association, Fine Arts League of Cary, Carteret County Arts & Crafts Coalitition, Visual Art Exchange, Carolina Artists Studio Gallery, Pastel Society of North Carolina, Cary Gallery of Artists