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Keirce Debra bio pic

Artist

Debra Keirce

United States

Born in 1961

Joined Artisor: February 2024

Artist Stats

Total pieces for sale: 13

Total pieces sold: 1

Highest price piece sold: $3,150 (Words of Wisdom)

Average price per square inch: $10

Bio

Originally from Detroit, Debra Keirce is an accomplished fine artist. In her Northern Virginia studios, she paints traditional scenes and illusions in oils up to four feet tall, with a specialty in true miniature pieces as small as your palm.

Debra has earned several honors in acclaimed art circles. She is proud to be a US coast guard artist, and winner of the 2022 George Gray award. She is the recipient of a rare artist residency at sea with crew on the U.S. National Security Cutter Stone. Also, eleven of her paintings were commissioned and are hanging prominently in the newly remodeled Boston Langham 5 star hotel. Debra is an Art Renewal Center Living Master, (ARCLM) and holds signature memberships in the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, American Women Artists, Southwest Artists, and Miniature Artists of America.

She is also a juried member of several societies, including Copley Society of Art (as well as their juried portrait registry,) Salmagundi Club, International Guild of Realism, Women Artists of the West, and American Artists Professional League.

Debra had a career as a biochemical design engineer in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Her project management and problem solving skills serve her well in her art career. She has studied painting and drawing with many instructors and programs over the years, but is currently working through the Ani Art Academies curriculum that was created by trompe l’oeil painter Anthony Waichulis. In 2010 she turned her passion for the visual arts into a full time career.

I delight in the process of painting any and all subjects. I was a biochemical engineer in the 1980’s and 1990’s, leading teams that built pharmaceutical facilities in New England and then in Indiana. I approach my art with the same project leader mentality, and I look forward to all the problem solving I get to do each day as I create.

My favorite places in the museums are 17th century art, the trompe l’oeil paintings, and the drawers of miniature portraits. All of these genres shine a light on the technical skills of the artists. To my mind, we are all illusionists. Creating art on a flat surface that is so realistic as to evoke a strong emotion or memory – this feels magical to me. My process is much more geared toward pleasing the senses than following a strict formula. I enjoy finding ways to successfully break the rules taught in art schools.

People, places and things all over the planet demand the attention of my creative spirit, but the east coast where I live, and the American west both hold a special place in my heart. It is the experiences with people that I work so hard to convey through my art. I’m a story teller, and there are so many stories to tell.

The work I have done for the Langham Hotel in Boston and the US Coast Guard government collection are a large part of my legacy. The funny thing is, when I began painting full time, I had no idea I even wanted a legacy. This art journey has a way of delivering the most amazing unscripted and treasured experiences.

Learn more and reach out to me at DebKArt.com

Bio Author: I.G.O.R. Show in Scottsdale

  • Artworks
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Previous works sold

Although I have been a full time professional artist since 2010, I list here only the last three years of accomplishments, in the interest of brevity.

Invited to 5 Day Artist Residency – Deployment on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone

I am the incredibly fortunate recipient of an invitation to an artist’s residency at sea. I was invited to be a guest of the Cutter Stone crew Nov 11 to 15, 2022. We set sail out of N. Charleston, SC, USA. My mission was to witness, document and participate in as many stories of the service men and women at work as possible. Then, I had the honor of taking those experiences and creating compelling paintings that share the stories of our military for generations to come. My expenses were paid for by a retired navy captain who loves art and the Coast Guard Art Program.

All of my artwork produced from this residency is created for the COGAP collection.

2022 Best of Show George Gray Award US Coast Guard Art Program Exhibition

Awarded the best in show for the 2022 COGAP Inaugural Exhibition of 38 juried paintings from 27 artists. These works are now part of the government art collection. They are exhibited in

venues such as Salmagundi Club, The Union League Club NYC, The Federal National Memorial, the offices of members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, senior government officials, the State Department overseas, the Art in Embassies program, and many other military services and Coast Guard Locations nationwide.

My winning painting is titled “Nurdles and Ghost Nets and Flotsam.” The collection facilitators renamed it “Debris cleanup in Hawaii” when they took possession of the painting.

2021 NOTABLE COMMISSION

Chosen to create 11 original paintings (8 portraits 30″x40″ and 3 palm sized still life paintings) for the Langham Hotel in Boston, MA. The Langham Hotel is the former Federal Reserve Bank of Boston building. I was chosen to complete 8 portraits of past Boston Fed presidents, to hang in the hotel’s fine dining area. I also was commissioned to paint three miniature pieces for the bar area. This is a great honor. I lived in Boston in the 1990’s and this project is a delight on so many levels.

It is the largest commission I have ever endeavored.

2021 WINE LABEL

Tongue River Winery in Montana purchased my painting “Cherry Atop a Roemer” and asked to use the image on one of their wine labels. Of course, I said yes.

GOVERNMENT COLLECTION

I am a juried U.S. Coast Guard artist with a total of 8 works in the government collection. In 2021, three of my paintings were juried into the Coast Guard Art Program permanent collection. In 2022 I had two juried into the collection. One of my pieces was awarded the best of show George Gray award in 2022. In 2023, three of my paintings were accepted into the collection.

AUTHOR

Invited contributing author – monthly articles on Bold Brush Blog, an art sales and marketing publication through Fine Art Studios Online, with an audience of approximately 70,000 subscribers

JUDGE

Invited to judge several local and international art exhibitions.

Most recently, the 2023 Miniature Fine Art Show, an international exhibition at Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC and the Springfield Art Guild 2023 exhibition at Green Spring Gardens in VA

RECENT SOLO SHOWS

2024 Smith Galleries in Harrisonburg, VA all of July

2020 Customs House Art Museum, Clarkesville, TN

2019 Wine Attic in Clifton, VA

2019 Bella Arte Gallery Solo shows, art talks and Interactive Demonstration in Midlothian, VA 2019 Purcellville Library, Purcellville, VA

Previous solo shows at Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC, Ellis Nicholson Gallery in Charleston, SC and Huckleberry Fine Art Gallery in Rockville, MD

SELECT CURATED MUSEUM SHOWS
2026 3 person show MonDak Heritage Museum in Sidney, MT – Good As Gold

2026 3 person show WaterWorks Art Museum, Miles City, MT – Good As Gold

2025 3 person show at Deines Cultural Center Museum, Russell, KS – Good As Gold

2025 3 person show MonDak Heritage Museum in Sidney, MT – Small Wonders

2024 Western Spirit Art Show and Sale, Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 Bryn Du Annual Juried Exhibition in Granville, OH
2024 The  Myth of Beauty Annual Exhibition, WaterWorks Art Museum, Miles City, MT

2024 Miniature Art Society of Florida, Dunedin Fine Art Center,  Dunedin, FL

2024 3 person show Albrecht Kemper Museum, St. Joseph, MO – Small Wonders

2023 Albrecht-Kemper Museum Annual Membership Exhibition, St. Joseph, MO

2023 MonDak Heritage Museum Miniature Show, Sidney, MT

2023 3 person show, The Big and the Small of It at Customs House Art Museum, Clarksville, TN

2023 3 person show, The Big and the Small of It at Deines Cultural Center Museum, Russell, KS

2023 3 person show WaterWorks Art Museum, Miles City, MT – The Big and the Small of It

2023 3 person show, MonDak Heritage Museum in Sidney, MT – The Big and the Small of It

2023 3 person show, Waterworks Museum in Salisbury, NC
2023, 2022, 2021 Mena Art Gallery, Art of the Heartland Exhibition, Mena, AR

2022 3 person show, The Big and Small of It at the Mansion at Strathmore, Rockville, MD, reviewed by art critic in The Washington Post!

2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 Albuquerque Museum Arts Thrive Invitational Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM

2021 Figuratively Speaking at Salmagundi Club in NYC

2021 Abide Show at The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, VA.

2020 3 person show at The Arts Center at The Art Factory, Manassa, VA

2020 North X Northwest Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT

2020 American Women Artists at Booth Museum, Cartersville, GA

2020, 2019 April-Dec ArtScape exhibition of banners in Old Town Winchester, VA and originals at Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

SELECT CURATED GALLERY SHOWS

2024 International Guild of Realism Show at T.H. Brennan Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ

2024 Bryn Du Art Show, Granville, OH

2024 International Miniature Art Show at Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC

2024 Punta Gorda Visual Arts National Biennial, Punta Gorda, FL

2023, 2022, 2021 US Coast Guard permanent government collection – Exhibitions at Salmagundi Club, Federal Hall National Memorial, Union League Club-all in New York, NY
2023 Copley Society of Art Small Works – Glow, Boston, MA

2023 Salmagundi Club Thumb Box Exhibition, New York, New York

2023 Bosque Art Classic in Clifton, TX

2023 Mena Art Gallery Art of the Heartland in Mena, AR

2023 National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America Small Works show at Mary Williams Fine Art in Boulder, CO

2023 International Guild of Realism show at Sugarman Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe, NM

2023 3 Person show at River Valley Arts Center

2023 Two 3 Person shows at Deines Cultural Center in Russell, KS

2023 Two 3 Person shows at Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury, NC

2023 3 Person show at Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda, FL

2023 Women Artists of the West National Exhibition and Sale, Carriage Factory Art Gallery in Newton, KS

2022 Women Artists of the West National Exhibition and Sale, McBride Gallery in Annapolis, MD

2022 Long Beach Island Foundation Unmasked Exhibition, Loveladies, NJ

2022 Academic Artists 72nd Exhibition of Traditional Realism, Hartford, CT

2022 Small Works Show Southwest Artists at Mena Gallery, Mena, AR

2022 Artists Painting Stories 4 person show at Florence Thomas Art School

2022 3 Person show at Colgan Gallery in Manassas, VA

2021 International Guild of Realism Fall Salon

2021 semi finalist Art Renewal Center
2021 American Artists Professional League Spring Members Exhibition

2021 Studio Pintura Floral Exhibition, Minneapolis, MN 2021 Artists Painting Stories 5 person show at Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head, NC 2021 VMRC Juried Exhibition in Harrisonburg, VA 2021 Still Life Invitational at Staunton Augusta Art Center in Staunton, VA

2020 Salmagundi Club Fall Members Show, NYC

2020 Salmagundi Thumb Box Exhibition, NYC

2020 107th Annual Allied Artists of America Exhibition

2020 54th Annual Montgomery Art Guild Regions Bank Exhibition, Montgomery, AL

2020 Salmagundi Club Sylvia Maria Glesmann Members Floral Exhibition, New York, New York
2020 Oil Painters of America National Exhibition of Traditional Oils, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX

2020 National Oil Acrylic Painters Show McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD

RECENT ONLINE JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2023 American Women Artists Annual
2021 International Guild of Realism Online Show Finalist
2021 American Women Artists Museum Show Lifting the Sky Online Show

RECENT OVERSEAS EXHIBITIONS

2022 International Society of Experimental Artists Exhibition, St.

Albert Gallery in Alberta, Canada

2020 6 person show at Koshinkan in Tokyo, Japan

RECENT AWARDS

2023 1st Place, Gateway to the Rockies Miniature Show, Aurora, CO

2023 3rd Place in Art of the Heartland Show, Mena Art Gallery, Mena, AR

2023 2nd Place in the Mountainside Art Guild’s 19th Annual Miniature Show in Lakewood Arts Gallery, Lakewood, CO

2023 Finalist in the Favorite Subject competition, International Artist Magazine

2023 Presidents’ Award and also the Western Art Collector Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, Women Artists of the West National Exhibition

2022 1st Place, Small Works Winter Show at Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA

2022 Two Honorable Mentions in the MonDak Heritage Center Miniature Show, Sidney, MT
2022 1st Place, Still Life, Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. Annual Int’l. Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature

2022 3rd Place Historic Manassas Banner Contest, Manassas, VA

2022 1st Place, Landscapes, Sierra Artists Gallery Miniatures in Mariposa Exhibit, Mariposa, CA

2021 1st Place, Mystery, Magic and the Macabre, Deines Cultural Center, Russell, KS

2021 3rd Place Mountainside Miniatures Show, Mountainside Artists Guild

2021 Best of Show – Huron River Art Collective Summer Exhibition

2021 Honorable Mention – Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center – VMRC Exhibition, Harrisonburg, VA

2021 2nd Place, Bryn Du Mansion Art Show, Granville, OH

2021 Three pieces accepted into the US Coast Guard Permanent Collection

2021 1st Place, 3rd Place and Finalist in Historic Manassas Art Banner Contest

2021 Plein Air Finalist Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition

2020 Semi-Finalist Art Renewal Center Salon

2020 Honorable Mention Council For the Arts Chambersburg 36th Annual Exhibition of Miniature Art, Chambersburg, PA

2020 2nd Place, MonDak Heritage Center Miniature Exhibition in Sidney, MT

2020 First Place, Banner Art Contest Historic Manassas, VA

2020 Best of Show, One Love Festival, Manassas, VA

2020 Third place oils, Miniature Art Society of Florida

LATEST PODCASTS

Guest on May 11, 2023 Fine Art Studios Art Sales and Marketing Circle Live Session with Clint Watson

Guest on May 2023 Bold Brush Show with Laura Angelo Baier

RECENT FEATURES IN PUBLICATIONS

2023 Full page feature in International Artist Magazine Oct/Nov issue

2023 Full page Artist in Focus feature in Western Art Collector Magazine Oct issue

2021 Feature in Elan Magazine 2021 Feature and cover in Broadlands Living Magazine

2020 Feature in January issue of Ashburn Magazine

SIGNATURE AND JURIED MEMBERSHIPS

United States Coast Guard Artist

American Women Artists
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and also a mentor for NOAPS
International Guild of Realism

SouthWest Artists, Inc. at Mena Gallery

Miniature Artists of America, the highest recognition a miniature artist exhibiting in the USA can attain. There are just over 60 active members in the world today.

Salmagundi Club juried member, New York, NY

Copley Society of Art juried member, Boston, MA, also juried member of the Copley Portrait Registry

Art Renewal Center Associate Living Master

Women Artists of the West Juried Member International Guild of Realism

Elected Member American Artists Professional League

Elected Member Miniature Painters, Sculptors, Gravers Society of Washington, D.C.

Member of Distinction Association of Miniature Artists

Elected member Fine Art Professionals of Northern Virginia

Featured Member International Community of Miniature Art

CORPORATE COLLECTIONS

2023 ”FTAS” is part of the Florence Thomas Art School permanent collection

2022 “Groovy” is at Eaton Goldsmith’s in Surrey, England

2020 ”Ring My Bell” is in a Tokyo, Japan cafe collection

2019 “The Wharf” is in Gordoun, France, in the collection at Perigord Retreats

2012 I was invited to paint a mural for Orange Walk Nazarine Preschool in Orange Walk, Belize

2011 – “Ethanol,” one of 50 paintings chosen from 1,000 for the corporate collection of Amazon Web Services offices in Herndon, VA

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

“Hot Topics” was acquired by the Yellowstone Art Museum Collection in Billings, MT

“All About the Hat” is in the WaterWorks Art Museum Permanent Collection in Miles City, MT

“Red, White and Blue” is in Customs House Museum’s permanent collection in Clarksville, TN

“Big Fish, Little Tank” is part of the permanent collection in MonDak Heritage Center Museum in Sidney, MT

“Little Black Box” is in the permanent collection at Deines Cultural Center in Russell, KS

PAINTING AND DRAWING DEMONSTRATIONS:

June 2024 at Customs House Museum in Clarksville, TN

Oct 2023 at Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC

WORKSHOPS TAUGHT:

River Valley Art Center in November, 2025, Russellville, AR

Albrecht-Kemper Museum in June 2024, St. Joseph, MO

Italy in September 2024, Cortona, Tuscany Region

EDUCATION

1983 – present
Most recently, studied via the Ani Academies curriculum under the direction of Anthony Waichulis
Attended, taught and hosted numerous workshops and study programs over the years.
I passionately pursued a self directed program of study.
Hosted workshops with hand picked artists I chose because learning from them promoted my career goals

Formal education –

bachelor of science in biochemical engineering, 1983, Univ. of MI in Ann Arbor, MI, USA. and a successful career designing pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities across the world.