Biographical Note
Ava Orphanoudakis

Born in Boston and living in Heraklion, Crete, Greece since 1990. Presently resides in both Greece and Guilford, Ct., USA
Ava’s paintings are deeply rooted in her love for nature and her involvement in environmental concerns. Her work can be found in both public and private collections in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.

Studies
2007-2008 MFA Program in Visual Arts at Vermont College of Fine Art, Montpelier, Vermont, USA
1984 -1989 Courses in drawing, painting, printmaking and art study along with studies under Serge Hollerback (New York Academy of Fine Art), Jurgen Geith (Internationally known painter), Frank Webb and Don Andrews (American Watercolor Society)
1976 -1978 Courses in environmental studies, Connecticut State College, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
1971 -1972 Master of Art Degree, Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Newton, Massachusetts, USA.
1964 -1968 Bachelor of Science Degree, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA

Solo Exhibitions
1990 “For the Earth” Ariadne Gallery, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
1991 Dimito Gallery, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece
1995 “Memories of a Musical Space”, Athens College Gallery, Athens, Greece
1995 University of Macedonia Gallery, Salonica, Greece

Selected and Juried Exhibitions
1987 Council for the Arts, Stony Creek, Ct., USA
1988 Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven, Ct., USA
1989 Benefit Exhibition, New Haven, Ct., USA
1991 Wave Gallery, New Haven, Ct., USA
1992 St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
1992 Gallery Autognosia, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece
1997 Ariadne Gallery, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
1998 Open Studios, New Haven, Ct., USA
1999 Open Studios, New Haven, Ct., USA
1999 Guilford Art League Juried Exhibition, Guilford, Ct., USA
1999 Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts Juried Exhibition,Hartford, Ct., USA
2000 Invitational Art Exhibition, Branford, Ct., USA
2000 Our Planet Ourselves, National Juried Exhibition, St. Louis, Mo. USA
2000 Open Studios, New Haven, Ct., USA
2001 Member’s Show Guilford Art League, Guilford, Ct., USA
2006 “Roots” New Artists Traveling in Europe, Heraklion, Greece
2007 “Contemporary Art in Crete”, Hersonisos, Crete, Greece
2008 “Heraklion Then and Now”, Visual Artists of Heraklion, Heraklion Greece
2008 “Political Landscapes-Contemporary landscapes”, Heraklion, Greece
2008 “Roots”2, Strasbourg, France
2008 “In Memory of Trees”, Montpeiler, Vermont, USA
2009 “Art as a Tool for the Environment” Eugenides Foundation, Athens, Greece
2011-2013 Guilford Art League, Guilford, Ct. annual juried and member’s exhibitions
2011-2014 New Haven paint and Clay Club, juried and member exhibitions
2012 “The Invisible City, Visual Artists Network exhibition organized by the Association of Architects, Heraklion Crete, Greece
2015 New Britain Museum of American Art, Annual Juried Exhibition, New Britain, Ct.
Commissions
1996 -1997 Mural for the University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
1997 Painting selected for the front cover of the International Journal of Computational Neuroscience (all issues of 1997)
2001-2006 Designer of the Stavros Niarchos Discovery Center, an environmental, interactive learning center for the Natural History Museum of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

Other Related Activities
1982 Producer and host of “Meet the Animals”, children’s television series, Storer Cable, New Haven, Ct., USA
1971 -1989 Articles in Discover Magazine, Yale University, Peabody Museum, Humane Education Journal, National Association for the Advancement of Humane Education
Television appearances on ABC program “Animals, Animals, Animals”
1996 -1997 Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, “Nature and Arts Programs” Waterford, Ct., USA
Comprehensive Arts Council, New Haven, Ct., USA
2001-2007 Project Manager for the Niarchos sponsored Collaboration
Initiative by the Natural History Museum of Crete and
Yale-Peabody Museum
2001-2007 Designer and Educational Development of the Discovery Center at the National History Museum of Crete http://www.nhmc.uoc.gr/nhmcypm/