William Berra
American Plein Air Painter

William Berra was born in York, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children. His interest in art started in grade school and continued to thrive throughout high school. Rather than following the usual course of study, Berra was fortunate to attend the York Academy his junior and senior years. He then attended the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts in Baltimore, where he experimented briefly with abstract expressionism and non-objective painting. He discontinued his course of study at the Institute to follow a path of his own choosing, working in a more traditional manner including plein air painting. Berra prides himself on being self-taught and takes satisfaction in having cultivated his own style of painting.

William Berra currently lives in Santa Fe and is rapidly gaining recognition for his unique use of oils. Subject matter ranges from the Western desert to Avignon, France to the American seashore. His work is strongly influenced by the Italian Macchiaioli School of the 1850's. He is equally comfortable and artistically accomplished with large canvases as well as miniatures.

Berra's work is rapidly gaining critical acclaim and has been shown in over 40 competitions and shows, including group and solo exhibitions. Berra's paintings have been exhibited extensively in the United States and are represented in private and public collections around the world, including Taiwan, Spain, the U.S. State Department, Bell South, and the University of Texas.

CURRENT GALLERY REPRESENTATION

Galleria Silecchia, Sarasota, FL
Clagget/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO
Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Portnoy Galleries, Carmel, CA
Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
Texas Art Gallery, Dallas, TX

MAJOR EXHIBITIONS

2005-2011
Ongoing Exhbition, Galleria Silecchia, Sarasota, FL

2004
Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, CO
International Masters of Fine Art Invitational Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX

2003   
Galleria Silecchia, Sarasota, FL
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
International Masters of Fine Art Invitational Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO

2002   
International Masters of Fine Art Invitational Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Solo Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX

2001   
Solo Exhibition, Ottinger Gallery, Chicago, IL
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Solo Exhibition, Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO

2000   
Solo Exhibition, Ottinger Gallery, Chicago, IL
Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Solo Exhibition, Vanier Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ

1999   
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO
Featured Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Carmel Plein Air Competition, Carmel, CA

1998   
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO

1997   
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM

1996   
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM Nedra Matteucci Fine Arts, Featured Artist (September)

1993   
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Exhibition with Dave Geary, Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail CO

1992   
Group Exhibition, In Collaboration, Akron, OH

1991   
Group Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM

1990   
Americana Museum Exhibition, El Paso, TX
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci’s Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, NM

1989   
Americana Museum Exhibition, El Paso, TX
Art to Heart Exhibit, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX

1988   
Solo Exhibition, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Border Children’s Health Benefit Art Auction, El Paso, TX

1987   
Solo Exhibition, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX Fourth World Wilderness Congress, Wildlife/Landscape Exhibition, Denver, Co
Border Children’s Health Benefit Art Auction, El Paso, Texas

1986   
Solo Exhibition, Americana West Galleries, Washington, DC

1985   
Museum of Fine Arts Biennial Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM

1984   
Santa Fe Festival of the Arts Invitational, Santa Fe, NM

1983   
Keystone Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1980   
Featured Exhibition, Seth’s Canyon Road Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1978   
Solo Exhibition, Seth’s Canyon Road Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Museum of Fine Arts Biennial Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

2002, 2003 United States State Department Arts in Embassies Program. Landscape painting chosen for the United States Embassy at the Vatican, purchased in 2004

Bell South Services, Inc., Birmingham, AL

Republic of China (Taiwan).  Gift of two paintings from Governor Gary Carruthers of New Mexico

Santa Fe de la Vega, Granada, Spain. Gift of one painting to the city from the city of Santa Fe, NM

Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles, CA

United New Mexico Bank, Santa Fe, NM

United States State Department Arts in Embassies Program.
Landscape painting chosen for the United States Embassy in Mali

United States State Department. Gift of one painting to the government of Portugal

University of Texas, Austin, TX

EDUCATION

Attended Maryland Institute of Fine Art, Baltimore, MD
Attended York Academy of Art, York, PA

PRESS

The Editors of North Light Books, Sketchbook Confidential: Secrets from the private sketches of over 40 master artists. Cincinnati, Ohio; North Light Books, 2010.

American Art Collector, October 2010. "International Masters."

Southwest Art, August 2010. Reed Glenn, "A Breath of Plein Air."

Collector's Guide editors with Jamie Markle. Art Journey: New Mexico (104 Painters' Perspectives). Cincinnati, Ohio; The Collector's Guide, F+W Media Inc., 2009.

American Art Collector, April 2008. "William Berra: Chance Encounters."

American Art Collector, May 2006. "William Berra: Artist Chooses to Visually Simplify Complex Subjects to Help Viewers Connect with these Paintings."

Campbell, Suzan and Deats, Suzanne. Landscapes of New Mexico: Paintings of the Land of Enchantment. Allbuquerque, New Mexcico; Fresco Fine Art Publications, 2006.

American Art Collector, December 2005, "The New Tuscan landscapes of William Berra leave something to the imagination"

Pasatiempo, (Santa Fe New Mexican weekly magazine), August 29, 2003, Craig Smith, "Summer Countries." Featured William Berra's "Summertime - Taos Pueblo" as the magazine cover

Art-Talk, August/September 2002, John Jarvis, "Simly Better"

Southwest Art, May 2000, Gussie Fauntleroy, “The Best of Both Worlds”

Focus Santa Fe, November/December 1999, Dianne Cauble, “Rediscovering the Human Spirit”

Pasatiempo, July 4, 1991, Leslie Allison, "Panorama of Light: Shadow in an Ever-Changing Landscape"

Southwest Profile, August 1990, Sally Eauclaire, “Celebrating the Land”

Contact Galleria Silecchia for more on American oil painter,William Berra.

Prices and availability are subject to change. The artist reserves all reproduction and copyrights. home  •  about us  •  artists  •  exhibits  •  contact Receive our Newsletter: Keep up-to-date with current events at Galleria Silecchia. We’ll let you know what’s happening and when. Newsletter Archive

GALLERIA SILECCHIA 20 S. Palm Avenue Sarasota, Florida 34236-5060		phone: 941-365-7414 toll free: continental US & Canada 888-366-7414
www.galleriasilecchia.com