Brookline, MA
Phone: (617) 739-4706
Email: LESills38@gmail.com
Education:
1970–73 The School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
(Ceramic sculpture major)
1965–69 Boston University (B.A. Psychology)
Awards:
2023 IDEAL Award, College of Arts and Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
Distinguished Alumni Award, Boston University, Boston, MA
2021 Grant: The Artist's Resource Trust, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Inc.
Grant: Finalist for the Esther and Adolph Gottlieb Foundation Award
2019 Artist Award: Blanche E. Colman Award
2017 Artist Award: 2nd Place Award by Juror, John R. Stomberg, Director of The Hood Art Museum, Dartmouth College, for Painting at Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT
2015 Artist Residency: Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mt., New York
2014 Publication: Sculpture selected by Nan Smith for 500 figures in clay, Lark Publications
2010 Artist Residency: Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME
2009 Nomination: The Brother Thomas Award, The Boston Foundation
2004 Grant: Artist Resource Trust Fellowship, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Inc.
1999 Artist Residency: Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mt., New York
1995 Grant: New England Foundation for the Arts/NEA
1993 Grant: Finalist, The Bunting Institute, Radcliffe College, Cambridge, MA
1991 Grant: Money for Women / Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, New York
1984 Grant: Finalist in Painting, The Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 "Artists I Have Known," Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA
2017 “Sanctuary,” Catamount Arts, St. Johnsbury, VT
2015 “The Vicissitudes of Youth,” Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA
2009 “A Girl’s Life,” Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2023 "Oh, Mother", Juried Exhibition, HERA Gallery, Kingston, RI
2022 "Compendium", George Marshall Store Art Gallery, York, ME
"Gaze", Juried Exhibition, Storefront Art Projects, Watertown, MA
"Figures in the Landscape", Juried Exhibition, Judith Sargent Murray Historic House, Gloucester, MA
"Across Cultures," Juried Exhibition, The Mosesian Center for the Arts, Watertown MA
2018–2020 “Reimagining The Four Freedoms,” Juried Competition shown at:
Roosevelt House, Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, NYC, May 26 – September 2, 2018; The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI, October–January, 2019;
The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, Washington, DC, February–May 2019; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, December–March 2020; Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA, Fall, 2020.
2017 Arts Connect, Catamount Arts, Juried Exhibition, St. Johnsbury VT
“Life: from life,” Room 83 Spring, Watertown, MA
2016 “Personnages,” Colo Colo Gallery, New Bedford, MA
2015 “Images of Grief and Healing,” Maud Morgan Arts, Cambridge, MA
2012-14 “Community of Artists,” The Danforth Museum, Framingham, MA
2004 “Girl Art Now,” HERA Gallery, Wakefield, RI
2003 The American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA
2002 LaGrange National XXII Exhibition, Chattahoochee Valley Art Museum, LaGrange, GA
2000 Renwick Museum, Washington, D.C.
1999-2000 “SOFA,” Art Exposition, New York City
1997-2006 “SOFA,” Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
1996 “Transforming Tradition,” National Juried Competition of the Women’s Caucus for Art, Boston
1993 "The American Family Inside Out," Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, CT
1992 "Women and Surrealism," Artemesia, Chicago, IL
1990 "Nature and Spirituality," The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY
"Spirituality in Contemporary Art by Women," Watson Gallery, Wheaton College, Norton, MA
1989 "Boston Now: Clay and Glass," The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
1986 Art In General, New York, NY
1985 Berkshire Art Museum, Pittsfield, MA
1984 A.I.R. Gallery, New York, New York
1983 "See No Evil", Clark University, Worcester, MA
1981 Helen Shlien Gallery, Boston, MA
1979 Pine Manor College, Boston, MA (one person exhibit)
"Female Imagination," Image Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
1978 Flag Gallery, Boston, MA (one person exhibit)
1975 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Philadelphia College of Art, PA
Selected Bibliography:
Sugerman, Jay. "Museum Open House:Artists I Have Known", video interview, March 11, 2024
McQuaid, Cate. "Brookline painter Leslie Sills brings women's art history to life", The Boston Globe, March 1, 2024
McQuaid, Cate. "Watertown exhibition 'Across Cultures' breaks down borders", The Boston Globe, 2022
“Images of Grief and Healing,” Maud Morgan Arts, Cambridge, MA, 2015
McQuaid, Cate. “Life Is Sweet,” The Boston Globe, 2009
Temin, Christine. “From figurative to fantastic, women’s art that keeps symbols alive,” The Boston Globe, September 20, 1995.
Stapen, Nancy. "Inspiring Visions of Women Artists," The Boston Globe, March 27, 1993.
Faxon, Alicia. "Boston Now: Glass and Clay," The New Art Examiner, summer, 1989.
Taylor, Robert. "Artful Glass, Clay at ICA," The Boston Globe, May 5, 1989.
Stapen, Nancy. "Material Goods," The Boston Herald, May 5, 1989.
Faxon, Alicia. "Narrated Earth," Women Artists News, June 1987.
Stapen, Nancy. "Exploring Feminine Identity," The Boston Herald, February 8, 1987.
Nemser, Rebecca. "Symbolism: Animal as Metaphor," Art New England, April 1985.
Temin, Christine. "Painting with a Natural Flair," The Boston Globe, February 7, 1985.
Temin, Christine. "Messages from the Jungle," The Boston Globe, January 6, 1983.
Taylor, Robert. "Heroic works, disaster, and nature in 3 shows," The Boston Globe, April 5, 1981.
Public Collections:
Fidelity Management and Trust, Boston, MA
Madame Marcel Fleiss, Gallerie 1900–2000, Paris
Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
Private Collections:
John Cragin & Marilyn Fife, Brookline, MA
Dr. Salomon Grimberg, Dallas, TX
David Hinshaw, Esq., Santa Monica, CA
Gloria and Sonny Kamm, Los Angeles, CA
Susan Kaplan, Boston, MA
Meredyth Hyatt Moses, Miami, FL
Other private collections
Book Publications:
From Rags to Riches: A History of Girls’ Clothing in America
Holiday House, NY, 2005
• Awards •
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio: Gold Seal Best Book Award, 2006
American Library Association: Amelia Bloomer List
In Real Life: Six Women Photographers
Holiday House, New York, NY, Fall 2000
• Awards •
New York Public Library: Recommended List, Children’s Books, 2000: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing and Best Books for The Teen Age in 2001
Booklist: One of the Best Ten Art Books in 2000, Editor’s Choice
Bank Street College of Education: Best Books 2001
Visions: Stories about Women Artists
Albert Whitman & Company, Morton Grove, IL, 1993
• Awards •
American Library Association: Notable Book, 1994
American Bookseller: “Pick of the Lists,” 1993
Booklist: Editor’s Choice — Best Books of 1993
Kirkus Reviews: Pointer, 1993
New York City Public Library: Recommended List: Children’s Books, 1993
School Library Journal: Best Books for 1993
Inspirations: Stories About Women Artists
Albert Whitman & Company, Morton Grove, IL, 1989
• Awards •
Boston Globe: Recommended List: Biographies for Children, 1991
American Library Association: Notable Book, 1989
Booklist Editor’s Choice: Best Books of 1989
Parenting Magazine: Best Ten Books for Children in 1989
New York City Public Library: Recommended List: Children's Books, 1989: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing
American Bookseller: “Pick of the Lists,” 1989
Sills’ books are in over 4,000 libraries throughout the world. In:
The United States including Hawaii and Alaska, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Articles and Chapters:
“Dorothy Lange” (from In Real Life), Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, 2009-2024
"Uncommon Worlds” The Art of Julia Zanes and Donald Saaf, catalogue essay, Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA, 2007
“Faith Ringgold” (from Inspirations) in digital electronic format, English and Spanish, Computer Curriculum Corporation, 2000
“Mary Cassatt” (from Visions) in textbooks, ESL handbooks, audiocassette, Spanish language translation, MacMillan/McGraw-Hill, 1995-6.
"Faith Ringgold" (from Inspirations) in Elementary Reading (CD ROM), Simon & Shuster, 1994
"Faith Ringgold" (from Inspirations) in World of Reading, Grade 6, Silver Burdett & Ginn, 1993
"Interior Space: A Dialog with Three Artists," Pilgrims & Pioneers: New England Women in the Arts, Alicia Faxon and Sylvia Moore, Editors, Midmarch Arts Press, New York, 1987.
Teaching:
1982-2018 After-school/work Studio Art Classes for children & adults
1994 Artist in Electronic Residence, Massachusetts Educational Telecommunications (MCET)
1993 Salem State College, Salem, MA
1976-81 The Children's Creative Clay Studio School, Brookline, MA, Founder and Director
1979 The Women's School, Tufts University, Medford, MA
1976-78 The Heath School, Brookline, MA
1975-78 The Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
1977 The Runkle School, Brookline, MA
1973-75 The School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
1972-75 The Memorial School, Newton, MA
1971 The Cambridge Art Center, Cambridge, MA
Lectures and Presentations:
May 1999 “The Illustrator/Editor Relationship,” PEN New England, Cambridge, MA
Nov. 1997 “Alternative Teaching,” Wheelock College, Boston, MA
April 1997 “Leslie Sills: Artist and Writer,” Boston University, Boston, MA
Winter 1996 “Surviving as an Artist,” The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Nov. 1995 “Artists, Teachers, & Children’s Books,” Mass College of Art,
April 1995 “Making Connections: Literacy Across the Curriculum,” Massachusetts Reading Association, Sturbridge, MA
March 1994 “Our Story: Exploring the History of the Boston WCA chapter,” Dr. Patricia Hills, moderator. Women’s Caucus for Art, The Bunting Institute, Cambridge, MA
May 1993 Women's Caucus for Art, The Bunting Institute, Cambridge, MA
1992, 1993 Salem State College, Salem, MA
Nov 1991 The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
1990-1991 Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Boston Artists on Artists Program
Oct 1989 The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
RESUME