The Artist

Primarily an oil painter, working with both oils, and cold wax and oil, Ward also works in egg tempera and gold leaf, watercolors, assemblage, and stained glass.

The process of adding wax and pigment, and then subtracting selectively through scraping, solvents and other tools seems the perfect artistic analogy for a life well-lived.

Ward holds a degree in Piano Performance, and has found that the commonalities between the language of music and the language of visual art are vast. Having recently lost a good portion of her hearing, she is grateful to have the language of the visual still readily available. 

As a fine artist, Ward’s work has been shown in galleries nationally, including the historic Hotel Congress and the Tucson Botanical Gardens, as well as galleries in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Houston, and Tubac, AZ. In addition, she teaches workshops - focusing on Oil & Cold Wax, and have been honored to be both judge and instructor at the Plein Air on the Santa Cruz inaugural retreat. 

Her paintings have found homes with collectors in AZ, CA, OR, NM, CO, NH, IL, MA, NY, OK, TX, FL, and many other states. 

Curriculm Vitae

AWARDS AND HONORS
2017 Best in Show. “Feathered Friends,” Toscana Gallery, Oro Valley, AZ
2014 First Place Award.” Landscape Show,” Post Road Gallery, Marlborough, MA
2013 First Place Award. “Artists Self Portrait,” Ventura County Arts Council, Ventura, CA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020 Critical Habitat, Solo exhibit, Tubac Center of the Arts: Master’s Gallery, Tubac, AZ
2012 Greta Ward, Solo exhibit,  EMERGE Center, Tucson, AZ
2011 Anima, Solo exhibit, Bel Canto Gallery, Tubac, AZ
2010 Greta Ward,  Solo exhibit, Hotel Congress, Tucson, AZ
2009 Observations & Interpretations,  Solo exhibit, Dream Farm, Hollis, NH

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Tohono Chul, “Elements: Water,” Tucson, AZ

2020 The Tucson J Fine Art Gallery, “The Spaces We Inhabit,” with Women Who Art, Tucson, AZ
Betina Finks Art, Metal Arts Village, “Small Works Invitational,” Tucson, AZ
Art in Bloom, Tucson, AZ
Contreras Gallery, “Small Works,” Tucson, AZ

2019 The Tucson J Fine Art Gallery, “Abstract Show,” Tucson, AZ
Galeria Senita, “Year of the Pig,” Tucson, AZ

2018 Galeria Senita, “Loteria Tucson,”  Tucson, AZ
Bentley Gallery, Nashville, TN

2017 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, “Puma: Past and Present,”  Tucson, AZ
Contreras Gallery, “Women’s Show,” Tucson, AZ
Galeria Senita, “Loteria Tucson,” Tucson, AZ
Toscana Gallery, “Feathered Friends,” Oro Valley, AZ
Steinfeld Arts Warehouse, “Symbiosis,” Contemporary Artists of Tucson, Tucson, AZ

2016 Toscana Gallery, “Sunlight and Shadows,”  Oro Valley, AZ
Tucson Rodeo Days, Pop-Up Exhibit, Contemporary Artists of Tucson, Tucson, AZ

2015 Raices Taller, “Mujers, Mujers, Mujers,”  Tucson, AZ
Mesch, Clark & Rosthchild, “Bringing Out the Animal in the Artist,” Tucson, AZ

2014 423West, “Director’s Cut,”  Los Angeles, CA
The Hub, “Columbia Rising,”  Vallejo, CA

2013 East End Studio Gallery, “Director’s Cut,”  Houston, TX
Eidolon, Chicago, IL
MECA, “Creative Women Unite,”  Houston, TX
Tubac Center of the Arts, “Border Celebrations,” Tubac, AZ

2012 Raices Taller, “Mujers, Mujers, Mujers,” Tucson, AZ
Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ
Post Road Gallery, “Landscape,” Marlborough, MA
Industria, “Passing Through The Prism,” Tucson, AZ

2011 East End Studio Gallery, “Frida Fest,” Houston, TX
Artz, Tucson, AZ
Tucson Botanical Gardens, “Flights of Fancy,” Tucson, AZ
Raices Taller, ”La Vida Verde,” Tucson, AZ
Industria, Tucson, AZ

2010 Arts Eye, “Curious Camera,” Tucson, AZ

BIBLIOGRAPHY
“A Deed After Death (A Workingboxwalla Mystery),” John Mijac 2019, Cover Art

TEACHING AND SPEAKING
Private In-Studio Workshops - Ongoing
2018 Contemporary Artists of Southern Arizona, Presentation and Mini Workshop
2018 Tubac Center of the Arts, Oil and Cold Wax Workshop
2018 Plein Air on the Santa Cruz, Judge and Instructor

CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2017 Contemporary Artists of Tucson, “Symbiosis,” Group Exhibition, Tucson, AZ
2016 Contemporary Artists of Tucson, “Rodeo Days Pop-Up” Group Exhibition, Tucson, AZ

COLLECTIONS
Harvard University Administrative Offices
Long Realty, Sunrise Rd, Tucson, AZ
Works held in private collection throughout the United States, including AZ, CA, OR, NM, CO, NH, IL, MA, NY, OK, TX, FL, VA, TN, CO, and many other states.

COMMISSIONS
Numerous commissions for private collectors throughout the United States

RADIO, VIDEO, ONLINE
2015 Sonoran Arts Video Interview
2014 K.O Jewel, Feature Artist
2012 Circles of Change, Radio Interview

RESIDENCIES
2018 Artist in Residence, Coronado National Memorial, AZ
2017 Artist Residency, Florence Italy

MEMBERSHIPS
Contemporary Artists of Tucson, Founding Member 2015

EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, B.Mus Piano Performance 

REPRESENTATION
Represented by galleries in Boston, Nashville, and Los Angeles.

Press

Video Interview

with Tubac Center of the Arts Artistic Director, Karon Leigh for “Critical Habitat,” Solo Show April 2020

TCA Artistic Director, Karon Leigh is joined by Tucson artist, Greta Ward to talk about her exhibit, "Critical Habitat." Greta developed a series of oil pain...

Radio Interview

Courtesy of KXCI Tucson, “Broad Persepctives,” with Aspen Green and Kathy Harris, March 2020

Video Interview

Courtesy of Sonoran Arts Network, May/June 2015

Greta Ward is a Tucson artist noted for her colorful paintings and creative sculptures. She is also an articulate writer about the arts, and it’s worth checking out her blog to see what she has to say. Greta is working toward community-building among local artists. She co-founded the Tucson Artists’ Breakfast Club which meets for brunch once a week to talk about art and the artist’s life. She also established a monthly salon on Thursday evenings for artists to discuss their art and to get feedback. For more information about these groups, contact Greta Ward at http://www.gretaward.com. Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D) Audio: Zoom H1 Editing: Adobe Premiere CS6 Music: "Wakapou" / Arnaud Martin / http://www.jazabana.org