About

(Photo Credit Andie Petkus Photography)

Artist Statement

These objects celebrate their difference from everything around them and acknowledge difference in the world. They as we are unique, authentic, imaginative, and special. The work does not privilege the space behind the surface, there is no window into a place, a time or an event. This form of interiority has its own historical context within the western canon of art. Here exterior and interior function together, to provide a performative spatial presentation or condition where being and circumstance, care and criticality are of equal importance. The surface of the work does not enclose space as much as shelter it. Emphasizing the place in front of the work, the work looks at the viewer vice versa the viewer looks to the work. How we inhabit reflects on our quality of being. Our spiritual or moral character is all about how we relate to objects, to other people, to ourselves, to the community and to the environment. In between, is our gaze one of malaise, neutrality, standing with or of taking away?

Love Links

These love links will NOT remain always the same. I’m in ah, ah, ah, appreciation and possibly even right now crushing on…
cha, cha, cha, changes turn and face the strange
David Bowie
Olivia Laing
Stephon H Alexander
Travis Jeppesen
Flaka Halitia
Kerstin Brätsch and Adele Röder
R. H. Quaytman
Patti Smith
💖 Dave Hickey💖
💖 Steven Criqui💖

EDUCATION
2000 MFA, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
1991 BFA, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR
1986 AA, Portland Community College, Portland, OR

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2006-2023 Full-time Faculty (Chair of Art Department
2010-2015), Portland Community College,
Portland, OR
2000-2006 Part-time Faculty, Portland Community
College, Portland, OR
2003-2006 Part-time Faculty, Art Institute of Portland,
Portland, OR
2004-2005 Sabbatical Replacement Instructor, Lewis and
Clark College, Portland, OR
2000- 2003 Adjunct Instructor, Pacific University, Forest
Grove, OR
1997-2000 Teaching Assistant (Sculpture, Drawing
[Instructor of Record]), University of Nevada
Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

EXHIBITIONS (solo/group)

2025 Color Made, UNVL Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Las Vegas, NV
Into The Wood, Lincoln City Cultural Center, Lincoln City, OR
2024 RENDEZVOUS XXVII, Hidden Gallery, Sheridan,
OR, (curator Monica Setziol-Phillips)
2018 Plural, UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’s, Las
Vegas, NV
2017 Nawader, Russo Lee Gallery, Portland, OR
2016 Mentors, North Bank Artists Community Project (NBACP),Vancouver, WA (curated by Kaite Thompson, President, NBACP)
2015 Breathe Onto The Mirror, the Studio, Sahara West Library, Las Vegas, NV (catalogue)
2013 Some Fine Women, VAST Space Projects, Las Vegas, NV (curated by ShannonMcMackin; catalogue)
Off the Plain: Contemporary Northwest Photography, Place Gallery, Portland, OR (curated by TJ Norris)
2011 Guest Artist, Haya Gil-Lubin Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
foreGround, Littman Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR (curated by Jeff Jahn)
2008 Serenade: NAAU Couture ’08:3, Stipend Series Award, New American Art Union, Portland, OR (Juror: Ruth Ann Brown, Director, New American Art Union, Portland, OR)
2007 Las Vegas Diaspora, Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, NV (curated by Dave Hickey; catalogue)
The Hook Up, New American Art Union, Portland, OR (curated by Jesse Hayward)
2006 inclover, Mt. Scott Park, Portland, OR, (curated by
Scott Wayne Indiana) Out of the Shadows, Epilepsy Foundation Northwest, Portland, OR
18 Independent Artists, Portland Art Center, Portland, OR
2005 Vigor, Savage Art Resources, Portland, OR
Fresh Trouble, 4246 Belmont, Portland, OR Art Slate
2003 Invitational, Co Arts Gallery,
Condon, OR
2003 Ulterior Motive: Current Northwest Abstraction,
Art Gym,
Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR, (curated by Terri Hopkins, Director, Art Gym,
Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR)
Battle of the Artist Curators, Haze Gallery,
Portland, OR
Core Sample- Symbiont/Synthetic, Jacobs Gallery, Portland, OR, (curated by Jeff Jahn
and Randy Gragg; catalogue)
2003 "Vegas, Baby!", Elevation Gallery, Atlanta, GA
The Best Coast, Eastbank Commerce Center, Portland, OR (catalogue)
Florescence, brighter than white, Field Gallery, Portland, OR,(curated by Muriel Bartol)
2002 Lost and Found, SAVAGE Gallery, Portland, OR
Play, Littman Gallery, Portland State University Portland, OR (catalogue)
90 MHP, SAVAGE Gallery, Portland, OR
New American Talent: The 17th Exhibition, The Jones Center For Contemporary Art-TFAA, Austin, TX (Juror: Kathryn Kanjo, Director, The Jones Center For Contemporary art-TFAA, Austin, TX; catalogue)
2002 Northwest Annual, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA (Juror: Linda Ferris)
2001 Surreal Reality: An Altered State of Art, Newport Fine Art Gallery,Newport, OR
Portland Independent Salon 2001, Bollenbach Art Labs, Portland, OR
Shine, Nil Contemporary Art Gallery, Portland, OR
Drive, Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR
2000 Lake Oswego Arts Chronicle, Lakewood Center For The Arts, Lake Oswego, OR
(Invitational)
Juried Student Art Exhibit, Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, Las Vegas, NV Honourable Mention (Juror: Kim Dingle)
10th Annual Juried Exhibition, Contemporary Arts Collective, Las Vegas NV Honourable Mention (Juror: Anita Jung)
Master of Fine Arts Thesis, Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
1999 Graduate Student Exhibition, Marjorie Barrick Museum, Las Vegas, NV
1999 OR Biennial, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR (curated by Katherine Kanjo
Contemporary Arts Curator, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR; catalogue)
1999 Juried Student Art Exhibit, Donna Beam Fine Art
Gallery, Las Vegas, NV (Juror: Ingrid Calame)
MOCA at NICA, Nevada Institute Of Art, Las Vegas, NV (Curated by Reverend Ethan Acres) Visual Addiction, Grant Hall Gallery, (Midway Thesis Exhibition) University of NV Las
Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, Solo
Unctious Youth, Action: Space, Los Angeles, CA, (curated by Steve Criqui)
1999 Naked Lunch, Contemporary Arts Collective Gallery, Las Vegas, NV (Juror: Nancy Doll)
Different Looks III, Jessie Metcalf Gallery, Las Vegas, NV (Juror: Dr. Cathie Kelly)
1998 Playing With A Full Deck, Sierra Arts Center, Reno, NV (Juror: D.R. Wagner)
Starving In The Midst Of Plenty, Littman Gallery,
Portland State University, Portland, OR, Solo
Subversive Souvenirs, Contemporary Arts Collective Gallery,
Las Vegas, NV (curated by John DeFazio; catalogue )
1997 Quickening of Blue, Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Portland, OR, Solo Gaiasphere Juried Exhibition, Littman Gallery, Portland State University Portland, OR
(Juror: OR Women’s Caucus for the Arts)
A Public Hanging, Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, OR

AWARDS AND GRANTS

2015 Career Opportunity Grants from both the Oregon Art Commission and The Ford Family Foundation
2013 PCC Staff Development Grant: College Association Conference,
Chicago, IL
2011 PCC Staff Development Grant: College Association Conference, New York, NY
2009 PCC Staff Development Grant: Foundations in Art: Theory & Education (FATE) Biennial Conference, Portland, OR
2008 Stipend Series Award: Serenade: NAAU Couture’08:3, New American Art Union, Portland, OR (Juror: Ruth Ann Brown)
2007 Nominee: Contemporary Northwest Art Award, Portland Art Museum, Portland,OR
2006 PCC Staff Development Grant: CAA, 95th Conference, New York, NY
1997-2000 UNLV Graduate Assistantship Grant

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2015 Dawn-Michelle Baude, “What are you Looking At?,” Las Vegas Weekly, September 10-16, 2015. 46.
Jenessa Kenway, “Visiting the Mirror World of Jacqueline Ehlis,” Las Vegas Seven,September 24-30, 2015. 63.
2008 Richard Speer, “Portland Jacqueline Ehlis at New America Art Union,” Art Ltd., Sept/Oct 2008. 24.
Je7 Jahn, “Jacqueline Ehlis at NAAU,” August 9, 2008. http://www.portlandart.net
John Motley, “Jacqueline Ehlis Serenade,” Portland Mercury,
July 31, 2008. 38.
Brian Libby, “A ‘Serenade’ to Light, Space,” The The Oregonian,
July 25, 2008. A&E 32.
Richard Speer, “A Summer Serenade,” Willamette Week, July 16, 2008. 49.
2007 Arcy Douglass, “O7 the Plane and Into Space: THE HOOK UP at the New American Art Union,” June 15, 2007. http://www.portlandart.net
Brian Libby, “Divide Entices Interation,” The Oregonian,
February 9, 2007. A&E 36 and 39.
John Motley, “Visual Art, “ Portland Mercury, February 15, 2007. 37.
2005 D. K. Row, “’Vigor’and the future of painting,” The Oregonian,
July 1, 2005. A&E 20.
Richard Speer, “The Rigor of Vigor,” Willamette Week, June 22-28, 2005. 86.
Joseph Gallivan, “The Accidental Collector,” Portland Tribune, June 21, 2005. B 1 and 4.
2005 Richard Speer, “Art Wars,” Willamette Week, June 8-14, 2005. 29 7.
Katherine Bovee, “Jacqueline Ehlis at Savage,” June 7, 2005. http://www.portlandart.net
2003 Douglas Bullis. 100 Artist's of the West Coast
(Schi7er Publishing, 2003) Harvest Henderson, “Beyond Regional Art,” The Oregonian,
May 16, 2003. A&E 56 and 57.
D. K. Row, “Out But Not Down,” The Oregonian, May 11, 2003. D1 and D10.
Jeff Jahn, “Something to Prove,” Modern Painters, Volume 16, Number 1, Spring 2003. 44.
2003 D. K. Row, “Beyond the Pearl,” The Oregonian,
April 11, 2003. A&E 61.
Richard Speer, “First (Thursday) Impressions,” Willamette Week,
January 15, 2003. 49.
2002 Richard Speer, “One Review: SAVAGE,” Willamette Week,
December 4, 2002. 63.
Stuart Horodner, “Paint Things: Sculptural Trends in Abstract Painting,” The Organ: Review
Of Art, September-October 2002. 2.
Pat Boas, Oregon: Michelle Ross and Jacqueline Ehlis at SAVAGE,” Artweek, September
2002. 22.
Richard Speer, “Toying with Play,” Willamette Week,
September 11, 2002. 60.
Michaela Bancud, “Game Plan,” Portland Tribune, September 6, 2002. 4.
D. K. Row, “Pushing Play’,” The Oregonian, September 5, 2002. E1.
Michael Stewart. “New American Talent,” Glasstire: Visual Art Texas, August 2002.
D. K. Row, “Art Trek: A New Generation,” The Oregonian,
August 11, 2002. F1.
Richard Speer, “One Review,” Willamette Week, July 24, 2002. 100.
Kathryn Kanjo. New American Talent: The 17th Exhibition, Catalogue
D. K. Row, “CAP’s Art Auction Gets Spi7ier,” The Oregonian,
May 10, 2002. A&E 63.
D. K. Row, “Eight Artists Emerging,” The Oregonian, May 10, 2002.
A&E 60.
D. K. Row, “Subscribing to Success,” The Oregonian, March 29, 2002. A&E 57.
D. K. Row, “Alberta’s Livery Scene,” The Oregonian, March 8, 2002. A&E 52.
2001 “Surreal Reality: An Altered State of Art,” News-Times, August 31, 2001. B2.
“’Surreal Reality’ Exhibit Opens Sept. 1,” News-Times, August 24, 2001. B3.
Randy Gragg, “Salon Highlights Indie Artists,” The Oregonian,
May 26, 2001. D13.
J. Hyland Williams, “Part I: The Search for Modern Vital-48 Hours of Fine Art,” The Daily
Barometer, April 13, 2001. B8.
Aubrey Tatmer, “Exhibit “Drive” Onto Campus,” Pacific Index,
February 9, 2001. 8.
2000 Scott Dickensheets, “Guerilla Art,” Las Vegas Weekly, April 6-12, 2000. 39.
1999 Randy Gragg and Sue Taylor, “Oregon Biennial: Two Views,” The Oregonian, August
1,1999. 1 and 4.
Kathryn Kanjo. 1999 Oregon Biennial Catalogue.
1998 John DeFazio. Subversive Souvenirs Catalogue.

VISITING ARTIST LECTURES

2017 Oregon College of Art and Craft, MFA/BFA Candidate Critique, Portland, OR
2016 Blackfish, Artist’s Talk, Beauty Panel, Moderator: Merridawn Duckler, Portland, OR
Oregon College of Art and Craft, MFA Candidate Critique, Portland, OR
2009 Portland Art Museum, Artist’s Talk Series, Portland, OR
Portland Community College, ASPCC Grant, Cascade Gallery, Portland, OR
2008 John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, CA
2003 Gallery of Contemporary Art, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR. Linda Brady Tesner
2002 Astoria Visual Arts Gallery, Astoria, OR Agnes Seal

COLLECTIONS

2018 UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art’s, Las Vegas, NV
2015 Elizabeth (Betsy) Fretwell, Las Vegas, NV
2011 Private Collection, Palm Springs, CA
2008 Will Emery and Bonnie Serkin, Portland, OR
2007 Heather Spiegel, Las Vegas, NV
Ruth Ann Brown, Detroit, MI
Chris Brown, Portland, OR
2005 Craig Hartzman, Sun Valley, ID
Tracy and Peter Mollenholt, Camus, WA
2003 Linda Farris, Seattle, WA
2002 John and Marilyn Lindgren, Portland, OR
Katherine Abraham, Portland, OR
Muriel Bartol, Los Angeles, CA
Sylvia Engelman, Vancouver, WA
2001 Ellen Fader, Portland, OR
2000 Maureen Barrett, Las Vegas, NV

Bio
seven circles -the body -imagination -of place -communication
-exploration -transience -movement seven essentials

Jacqueline Ehlis is an artist, writer, founder and director of raven s.t.a.r. an artist residency project providing invited artists housing and studio space to work. Ehlis is currently based in Oregon, working and living in both Portland and Prineville.

As a reparation I offer to those who's traditional homelands I occupy assistance. If this applies to you or someone you know and you'd like to find out more please contact Jacqueline.

Portland, OR Land Acknowledgement: The Indigenous Native American community in the Portland metropolitan area is made up of tribal diversity that originates from around the country, representing at least 380 tribes. This community has a vivid history, made up of people whose journeys have brought them to Portland by ways of stolen land, forced displacement, or seeking more opportunities. Today, these vibrant, diverse tribes and communities celebrate their heritage, showing resilience and tenacity. We are honored by the collective work of many Native Nations, leaders, and families who are demonstrating resilience, resistance, revitalization, healing, and creativity. We are honored to be guests upon these lands.

Land Acknowledgment Specific to Oregon: Indigenous tribes and bands. have been with the lands that we inhabit today throughout Oregon and the Northwest since time immemorial and continue to be a vibrant part of Oregon today. We would like to express our respect to the First Peoples of this land, the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon: Burns Paiute Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Coquille Indian Tribe, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and The Klamath Tribes. It is important that we recognize and honor the ongoing legal and spiritual relationship between the land, plants, animals, and people indigenous to this place we now call Oregon. The interconnectedness of the people, the land, and the natural environment cannot be overstated; the health of one is necessary for the health of all. We recognize the pre-existing and continued sovereignty of the nine federally recognized tribes who have ties to this place and thank them for continuing to share their traditional ecological knowledge and perspective on how we might care for one another and the land, so it can take care of us. We commit to engaging in a respectful and successful partnership as stewards of these lands.