April Gornik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
April Gornik
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| Born | April 20, 1953 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
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| Alma mater | NSCAD University |
| Known for | Painting |
| Spouse(s) | Eric Fischl |
April Gornik was born in 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio. She is an American artist known for her beautiful paintings of American landscapes. Her artwork often looks very real, but also a bit like a dream. She shows how nature can be both calm and powerful. April Gornik cares a lot about the environment. She says it's okay if people see a message about protecting nature in her paintings.
About April Gornik
April Gornik studied art at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. She earned her degree in 1976. While she was there, she met her future husband, who is also a painter, Eric Fischl.
Her first art show was in 1981. An art dealer named Ed Thorp saw her paintings and liked them. April Gornik is inspired by how women artists have worked throughout history. She has talked about how women artists, like Elaine de Kooning and Lee Krasner, sometimes faced challenges. She noted that their art might not be shown or valued as much as art by male artists.
In 2014, a book called April Gornik: Drawings was published. It showed many of her charcoal drawings. Famous people like Steve Martin wrote for the book. It also included music by a composer named Bruce Wolosoff.
April Gornik is very involved in her community. In 2017, she and her husband gave 26 acres of land to the town of North Haven. They did this to help protect the land. She also supports the Southampton Animal Shelter. She helps the Eastville Historical Society too.
Where Can You See Her Art?
April Gornik's artwork is in many important art collections. You can find her paintings in places like the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her art is also at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). Other places include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Two of her paintings, Virga (from 1992) and Storm and Fires (from 1990), are at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In 2007, the Smithsonian asked April Gornik to create a special print. This print, called Blue Moonlight, helps support the Smithsonian's educational programs. You can see it in an exhibit called Graphic Eloquence. This exhibit is at the S. Dillon Ripley Center in Washington, D.C.
Special Honors and Awards
April Gornik has received several special awards for her art. In 2004, she was honored by the Neuberger Museum of Art. In 2003, she received a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award from Guild Hall of East Hampton. She also got an Award of Excellence from the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). This award was for her artistic contributions to fighting AIDS.
