Coakley Brown\ Artist Bio and CV\ \ Coakley Brown’s passion for art emerged during early childhood. Born and adopted in Maryland Coakley spent much of her early childhood years in Pennsylvania. More than one long family tradition of a love of nature learning and artistic expression was combined with a loving home environment which nurtured her proclivity for art making both at home and in her community. While acknowledging the lines she gave herself permission to color outside them from an early age. She found joy in applying copious amounts of paint (and sometimes pasta) at Art Festivals in PA and refuge in a terrific elementary school art program when her family moved to VA in the mid-1970s. She currently lives in Richmond VA. \ While Coakley never strayed from her artistic pursuits on a personal level professionally her loves for learning and nature led her to a first career as a successful and enthusiastic science teacher. The role of observation has been important for Coakley both as an educator and a parent a valuable skill that she intentionally developed with her students and her own children. It is often said that “art is a way of seeing” Coakley finds fascination in the interplay between observation and artistic vision in her creative process. \ In an artist’s journey she believes there is no “right” road other than one’s own. \ In 2013 Coakley experienced a wakeup call. Recognizing that none of us lives forever she vividly remembered her childhood response to the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” She wanted to be an artist specifically to paint. \ Enrolling in art classes at a local community college she was asked “So you already have a biology degree from William and Mary and a master’s degree from UVA and you want to enroll in classes here?” …. “Yes. Heard terrific things about the art program here.” After a couple years of courses she immediately began exhibiting professionally and continues her artistic growth through workshops and juried professional events.\ Her favorite medium is oil. She enjoys painting from life whether en plein air or in the studio. Her impressionistic style is often inspired by nature and the human stories that connect us to nature. Deeper than that however her motivation comes from a place of gratefulness for the gift of life and a sense of wonder regarding the interaction of light within our natural world. \ Finding ways to push conventional boundaries Coakley’s expressive style and bold use of color reflects her exuberance for life while conveying emotions evoked by and for her subject.\ Coakley’s work can be found in institutional collections in central VA including J Sargeant Reynolds Community College and VCU Medical Center. Her work has been part of numerous exhibitions in VA and MD including Plein Air Unleashed Plein Air Suffolk and Floyd Plein Air. Her memberships include Oil Painters of America Virginia Plein Air Painters James River Art League Bon Air Artists Association and the American Impressionist Society.\ \ Select Awards and Honors:\ 2021\\tHonorable Mention Anticipation Suffolk Plein Air 2021 Suffolk VA. \ 2020\\t2nd place Time for Tea Art Speaks Exhibition 2020 Mathews VA.\ 2019\\tHonorable Mention Blue Ridge Parkway Gals Floyd Plein Air Floyd VA. \\t\ 2019 2nd place 2-Dimensional: Zane Edwards Award Quarter Point on the York River Art Speaks Exhibition 2019 Mathews VA. Awarded by Janly Jaggard.\ 2019\\tArtist’s Choice Assateague Ponies Stewart Gallery Gloucester VA Shades of Green Exhibit.\ 2019\\tHonorable Mention Assateague Ponies Stewart Gallery Gloucester VA Shades of Green.\ 2018\\t2nd place Dream of Spring For Art’s Sake Gallery Annual Holiday Small Works. Awarded by Andre Lucero.\ 2018\\t2nd place Take the High Road Plein Air Roanoke Quick Draw. Awarded by Hai-Ou Hou.\ 2018\\tBest of Show Go Fish! Plein Air Westhampton 2018. Awarded by Laura Loe.\ 2018\\t2nd place James River Art League Annual Member Show. Awarded by Meredith Mullins.\ 2018\\t2nd place Sunrise at Windmill Point For Art’s Sake Gallery Annual All-Media Show. \ 2017\\tPeople’s Choice Award Quarter Point on the York River at Little England Stewart Gallery Gloucester Plein Air Festival 2017\ 2017\\t1st Runner-Up Best in Show Fine Creek I JSReynolds CC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit Awarded by Alexis Shockley\ 2016\\t2nd place Painting Box of Rain JSReynolds CC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit Awarded by Page Bond\ 2015 \\t1st Runner Up Best in Show Self Portrait JSReynolds CC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit\ 2015\\t1st place Painting Kiawah Memories JSReynolds CC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit\ 2015\\t2nd place Painting Rotunda JSReynolds CC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit\ \ \ One-person Shows\ 2021\\tBack to Nature. Gateway Gallery at VCU Health. Richmond VA. June-July.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tSun Salutations. Glenmore Yoga Richmond VA. July-September.\ 2018 to present: \\tCrossroads Art Center Gallery Juried exhibitor.\ 2017-2018\\tNature’s Light: A Celebration of Color JSReynolds CC Workforce Development and Conference Center Gallery Richmond VA October-January.\ \ Select Group Exhibitions:\ 2022\\t\\t\\tTwo person exhibit. Serenity and nature. Glenmore Yoga.\ 2021 Art Speaks Encore. Selected award winning works. Mathews VA.\ 2021 \\t\\t\\tSuffolk Plein Air. Featured and award winning Artist.\ 2021 2018\\t\\tPlein Air Roanoke. Featured and award winning Artist. \ 2022 2021 2019 2018\\tPlein Air Unleashed. Featured invited artist (2018-present). Allure Art Center Gallery White Stone VA.\ 2021 Ongoing\\tPermanent Collection VCU Medical Center Richmond VA\ 2020 Ongoing\\tPermanent Collection Sheltering Arms Institute Richmond VA\ 2020 2019\\tArt Speaks Annual Juried Exhibition Bay School Community Art Center Mathews VA.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tFloyd Plein Air 2019. Featured and award winning artist. Floyd VA.\ 2019 2018\\t\\tPlein Air Westhampton. Featured award winning artist. Richmond.\ 2019 2018\\t\\tPlein Air Chincoteague. Featured Artist. Chincoteague VA.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tPlein Air Crisfield. Featured Artist. Crisfield MD.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tEn Plein Air at Lewis Ginter. Featured Artist. Richmond VA.\ 2019\\tSouth Atlantic Juried Exhibition. Montpelier Center for Arts & Education Montpelier VA.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tIn the Garden. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Richmond VA.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tShades of Green. Stewart Gallery Gloucester VA.\ 2019\\t\\t\\tAnnual Juried Show. Arts on Main Gloucester VA.\ 2019 \\t\\t\\tUrban Landscapes. Uptown Gallery Richmond VA.\\t\ 2018 \\tOne Degree of Separation. Montpelier Center for Art and Education. Three artist exhibit September-November.\ 2018 \\t\\t\\tPlein Air Richmond Fast and Fresh\ 2018\\t\\t\\t2DRVA Buy RVA Art Juried Exhibition \ Ongoing\\tPermanent Collection J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond VA\ 2017\\t\\t\\tGloucester Plein Air Festival Stewart Gallery Gloucester VA\ \ \ Bibliography:\ Bryan John Art Matters Charles Creek Publishing 2017 p. 80\ \ \ Memberships:\ \ Oil Painters of America American Society of Marine Artists Mid Atlantic Plein Air \ Painters Association Virginia Plein Air Painters James River Art League Bon Air \ Artists Association American Impressionist Society\ \ \