Sharon Baker’s Biography

I am a freelance artist and arts educator. I am Associate Tutor, History of Art at the University of Warwick,  an Associate of Dementia Pathfinders C.I.C. a not-for-profit social enterprise providing opportunities to enable people with dementia and their families to live with hope, creativity and meaning.  I am a director of Make It Better C.I.C.  a not-for-profit social enterprise supporting communities to live well through the arts.

I use printmaking processes in my art practice. My work has been shown in Europe and in the UK including in the House of Commons. In 2019 I was the winner of the inaugural Westmorland Landscape Prize.

I gained a BA (honours) Degree in Fine Art from Wolverhampton University specialising in Printmaking and an MA in Fine Art from Coventry University.

Exhibitions.
2024
3 x 65 = Art from Wroclaw, Coventry and Dresden, Second Floor Gallery, New Council house, Dresden.
RBSA Print Prize Exhibition 2024, Birmingham.
Leamington Spa Open Exhibition 2024, Royal Pump Rooms.

2023
Mini Maxi Print 2023/4 , Galleri Heike Arndt, Berlin
Small but Mighty, Bankside Gallery, London.
International Original Print Exhibition, Bankside Gallery, London.
Tarpey Open 2023, Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donnington.
Derby Print Open 2023, Banks Mill Studios, Derby
Coventry Open 2023, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.
UASB Group Show- Purple Gallery, Bournville, Birmingham
Worcester Open 23 -Climate Change Edition

2022
The Rugby Open 2022, Rugby Museum & Art Gallery
Teeside Print Prize 2022 Tees Valley Arts, Middlesbrough
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London.
Leamington Spa Open Exhibition 2022, Royal Pump Rooms.
RBSA Print Prize Exhibition 2022, Birmingham.
Derby Print Open 2022, Banks Mill Gallery & Studios, Derby.
West Midlands Open, New Art Gallery Walsall.
Dresden Residents #1 Alte Feuerwache Loschwitz, Dresden, Germany.
RBSA Print Prize, RBSA Gallery Birmingham.

2021
Ty Pawb print International, Ty Pawb, Wrexham, Wales.
‘Small Works’ Coventry Dresden Arts Exchange,  Coventry Dresden Friendship Festival, Litten Tree Showrooms, Coventry.
Tarpey Gallery Open, Tarpey Gallery Castle Donnington.
Wells Art Contemporary 2021 , Wells Cathedral, Somerset.
‘Figurative Art Now’ Mall Galleries & Federation of British Artists
‘Shape and Colour’ The Qube Arts Open Competition, Qube Gallery, Oswestry.
‘Transmission of Knowledge’ Rendez-Vouz aux Jardins, Cairnhill, Rioux Martin, France.
Ikon for Artists Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
Teesside Print Prize 2020 Palace Hub. Tees Valley Arts Middlesbrough.

2020
The Rugby Open 2020, Rugby Museum & Art Gallery
The ING Discerning Eye 2020 
The 11th Coventry Open 2020 Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.
‘Love Letters’ Gallery Top,  Rowsley, Derbyshire.

2019
Print International, Ty Pawb, Wrexham, Wales.
Westmorland Landscape Prize Rheged Centre, Cumbria. Winner of the First Prize.
‘Celebrating the year of the Print’ Winterbourne House & Gardens, University of Birmingham.
Derby Print Open 2019. Winner of the St Cuthbert’s Mill Award.
‘Micro’ at Air Gallery, Altrincham, Cheshire.
Leamington Spa Open 2019, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.
Birmingham Printmakers at the Birmingham Midland Institute.
Solo Exhibition: ‘Re-cast’ at Maison Mayci, Moseley, Birmingham.

2018
10th Coventry Open Exhibition, Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry.
166th Open Exhibition 2018 Royal West of England Academy, Bristol.
RBSA Print Prize Exhibition, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham.
Derby Print Open, Banks Mill Studios, Derby.
‘Rendez-vous aux Jardins: L’Europe des Jardins’, Cairnhill, Roiux Martin, France.
Saltaire Open Houses Arts Trail, Saltaire, Yorkshire.
NNcontemporary Art Open Exhibition Biennial 2018, Northampton.

2017
Teeside Print Prize 2017, Saabat Gallery,  Middlesbrough.
RWA 165th Open Exhibition. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol.
Leamington Spa Open 2017, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum.
Solo Exhibition: ‘Manhole Covers: Pictures beneath your feet’ at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery.

2016
‘The Masters 2016’  Etching Exhibition at Bankside Gallery, London.
Impress’16 National Contemporary Print Exhibition, Stroud, Gloucestershire.

2015
‘Salon’ at Water Hall Gallery, Birmingham Museum & art Gallery.
National Open Print Exhibition, Bankside Gallery, London.
Birmingham Printmakers at the Birmingham & Midlands Institute, Birmingham.

2014
‘Birmingham Today Competition’, RBSA Gallery, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham.
‘The Journey Series’  Theatre Bar, Old Joint Stock, Birmingham, 2 person show.

2013
‘Birmingham Printmakers: 30 Years of Printmaking 1983-2013’, at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
‘The Ludlow Open’, Harley Centre, Ludlow College, Ludlow.
‘The Worcester Open’, Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery, Worcester.
‘Summer Exhibition’ Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

2012
‘Print-side’ at the Bond Gallery, Birmingham, with Birmingham Printmakers.
‘RE Open’ The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, Bankside Gallery, London.
Printmakers Council’s ‘8th British International Mini Print Exhibition’, London Print Workshop & touring until 2014.

2011
‘Wrexham Print international’, Oriel Wrecsam, Wales.
‘Bainbridge Open’ Print Show, London.
‘We are Birmingham’ at the Bond Gallery with Birmingham Printmakers.

2010
‘Birmingham Printmakers Staff House Gallery Show’, Birmingham University.

2009
‘Pushing Print’ Ingoldsby Gallery, Pie Factory & Old Town Gallery, Margate, Kent.
‘Impress ’09’ National Printmaking Festival, Stroud.

2008
‘RBSA Print Prize Exhibition’ RBSA Gallery, Birmingham.
Solo Exhibition: ‘Printmaker in Focus’ at Wrexham Arts Centre, Wales.
‘Artfest’ Birmingham’ Birmingham Council House Chambers.
Solo Exhibition: ‘Lucky Roars & Love Me’ at Malvern Hills District Council Chambers.

2007
‘New Art Birmingham NAB 2007’ Curzon Street Station, Birmingham.
‘Birmingham Open Art Show’ Gas Hall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

2006
‘Virtual’, Ernst & Young Offices, Birmingham.
‘A Stitch in Time’, Riverside Gallery, Richmond, London.
‘Virtual’, City Inn, Birmingham

2005
‘Derby City Open’, Derby City Art Gallery.
‘Animal, Vegetable & Mineral’, Periscope Gallery, Birmingham.

2004
Solo Exhibition: ‘Things Half Forgotten’ Haden Hill House, Cradley Heath.

‘Small Works’, Periscope Gallery, Birmingham.
Solo Exhibition: ‘Red Echoes at the Window’ , Birmingham.
‘Blue Skies’, Custard Factory, Birmingham.

2003
Solo Exhibition: ‘Arrangements for Impulse & Order’ Kidderminster Library Gallery

‘Flipside’, St Paul’s Gallery, Birmingham.
‘Birmingham Works II’, Chuck Works, Birmingham.

2002
‘Access all Areas’, Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry.
Birmingham Print Workshop at Warstone Gallery, Birmingham.
‘Birmingham Works I’, Chuck Works Birmingham.

2001
‘A Century of Art at Warstone’, Warstone Gallery, Birmingham.
Keele University Exhibition with Birmingham Printmakers.
Crescent Theatre, Birmingham with Birmingham Printmakers.

1999
MA Show at Lanchester Gallery, Coventry University.
Spike Island Print Show, Bristol.

1997
‘Pressing Forward’  Midlands Arts Centre MAC with Birmingham Print Workshop.
‘4 Birmingham Printmakers’ at London Print Workshop.

1996
Making a Mark’ Custard Factory, Birmingham.
Cheltenham Open Drawing Competition.

1995
Solo Exhibition: ‘States of Mind’ at Solihull Sixth Form College.

‘Twilight Shift’ Bond Gallery, Birmingham.
New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton with Birmingham Printmakers.
‘Proof’ Midlands Arts Centre MAC, Birmingham, with Birmingham Printmakers.

1994
Solo Exhibition: ‘Sharon Baker Selected Prints’ at West Midlands Arts Headquarters, Birmingham.
Solo Exhibition: woodcuts & Lino Prints’ at Rugby Library Gallery.

1993
Leicester Art Exhibition for Schools and colleges.

1992
Bournville College of Art, Birmingham institute of art & Design two person show with Glenn Griffiths.
‘First Bite’ Wolverhampton Polytechnic Printmakers Degree Show, Midlands Art Centre.

Live Performance Art
2008
‘Flux-Fest’ Fluxus Festival performance & artwork commission at Vivid, Birmingham.
1995
Performer in ‘Yin Yang: You can’t have sound without silence’ by Andrew Phillips, Bond Gallery, Birmingham.

Awards.
2022 Printmaking Residency at Graffikwerkstatt Dresden. 
2019
Winner of the Westmorland Landscape Prize.
2019
Winner of the St Cuthberts Mill Award at Derby Print Open.
2008 Birmingham City Council Creative Space Business Grant.
2004 
Arts in Sandwell Local Arts Fund Award.
2003 
Arts Council England Creative Ambition Award.
2001
Artists Access to Art Colleges: Coventry University.
1994 West Midlands Arts Bursary Award.
1993 
Princes Trust Development Award.

Curated Exhibitions.
2011
‘Art in Empty Spaces’,  Queens Square, West Bromwich for Sandwell Third Age Arts.

2008
‘Arts All Over the Place’ Festival of Arts and Mental Health, Custard Factory, for Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS  Trust.
‘Survivor Art Exhibition’ at Birmingham University for the Institute of Applied Social Sciences & Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust.

2007
‘Spring Celebration’s’ at Haden Hill House, Cradley Heath, for Sandwell Third Age Arts.
‘Survivor Art Exhibition’ at Birmingham University for the Institute of Applied Social Sciences & Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust.

Printer Artist