DVAA Member since 2021

Sharon Ostrow

About:

I am a mixed media and assemblage artist from Bala Cynywd, Pennsylvania. Although I retired from an academic career teaching Criminal Justice at Temple University, I have always studied and practiced art. Studying art and art history in Philadelphia and the surrounding area has been a foundation for my practice. After a lifetime of listening to family folklore and seeing vintage photographs, I was inspired to continue the tradition of storytelling. Many of my Mother’s stories helped reinforce the magic found in nostalgia and hopeful times. In my work, you will see vintage items from my Mother’s sewing box, my husband’s family’s 100 year old pharmacy, and flea market finds collected over the past thirty years. One of my joys is researching specific historical time periods at the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University which holds a wealth of Philadelphia based books and journals.

Artist Statement:

For me, the spark of creativity occurs when an idea, an observation, a vintage object, or material from the natural world speaks to me. I am interested in ways historical and cultural context originate and folklore evolves. Time shifts perspectives for both the viewer and the artist. It is this intersection that really attracts and influences me to research and investigate a topic. I seek to inspire curiosity about the ephemera and objects used in my pieces. Is it happenstance or destiny that an image or object has journeyed from another geographic location to arrive in my hand at this place and time to be included in my work? It fascinates me. My pieces focus on the fleeting nature of time and beauty along with a dose of playful whimsy.