Ashley Partridge Rafferty
Ashley Partridge Rafferty is a contemporary American artist that creates watercolor scroll paintings as well as smaller watercolor works of stacked objects balanced on roots. Both forms explore the process of intuitive writing and drawing, creating odd juxtapositions of elements in a contemporary Surrealist form.
Born in South Carolina, Rafferty earned her B.S. in Cellular/Molecular Biology from University of West Florida. In 1996 she shifted gears from her work in Biology to pursue a career in art. Rafferty has over 25 years of experience exhibiting and selling her work. She currently lives and works in Pensacola Florida, where she is a Master of Fine Art Painting candidate at Savannah College of Art and Design. Rafferty draws inspiration from the subconscious, dreams and her subjective reality.
With graphite and watercolor, the artist explores the subconscious, and dreamlike imagery through automatism. Her works utilize concepts of Surrealism to produce watercolor paintings that engage the viewer through their Surrealist elements uniquely merged to tell a larger story. Her use of scrolls of watercolor paper hung as tapestries pushes her work into the context of storytelling.
Rafferty frequently exhibits her work locally at Artel Gallery and the Pensacola Museum of Art. She also participates in juried exhibitions across the United States and has been recognized with several awards including Best in Show. Her artwork can be found in private collections throughout the United States.
Through her work Rafferty continues to explore themes related to the subconscious that reflect her perception of both her internal and external subjective realities. She hopes to use her work to engage and visually communicate with others and that others will find a commonality in our shared experience.
RESUME
Born in Sumter, South Carolina, 1970
Lives and works in Pensacola, Florida
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EDUCATION
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1994 Bachelors of Science (Cellular and Molecular Biology), University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
1996-1998 Bachelors of Fine Art studies (Painting) University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
2024-present Masters of Fine Art candidate (Painting), Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Georgia
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SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
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2025
Gallery Night Pensacola Featured Artist, Downtown Pensacola, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
It's Not What It Looks Like, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
Pensacola Museum of Art Members Show, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts Juried Show, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2025
Members Show, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
SCAD Atlanta Fine Arts Showcase, Savannah College of Art & Design, Atlanta, Ga., 2025
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2024
Anything Goes Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2024
Pensacola Museum of Art Members Show, Pensacola, Fl., 2024
Paper Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2024
Members Show, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
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2023
60th Annual Membership Juried Exhibition, Southwestern Watercolor Society, Dallas, Tx., 2023
50 or Older Juried Exhibition, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, Ca., 2023
Fabulous Forgeries Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Playlist Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
46th Southern Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition, Panama City Center for the Arts, Panama City, Fl., 2023
Northwest Watercolor Society 2023 Annual Waterworks Juried Membership Exhibition, Northwest Watercolor Society, Online Exhibition 2023
Members Show, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Georgia Watercolor Society 2023 National Juried Exhibition, Blue Ridge, Ga., 2023
Society of Watercolor Artists 2023 International Juried Exhibition, Fort Worth Central Library, Fort Worth, Tx., 2023
Art on Paper Juried Exhibition, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, Md., 2023
Seven Deadly Sins Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
PMA 69th Annual Juried Members Show, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Word Juried Exhibition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Magnificent Monochrome 8th Annual National Juried Photography Show, SAGE Gallery, Sheridan, Wy., 2023
Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts Juried Show, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2023
2022
Members Show, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2022
Cinco Banderas Juried Competition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2022
ArtPrize International Competition, Grand Rapids African American Museum of Art, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2022
PMA 68th Annual Juried Members Show, Pensacola Museum of Art., Pensacola, Fl., 2022
2021
Art at the Center, Gulf Breeze Community Center, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2021
2020
Members Show, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2020
2018
ArtPrize International Competition, Hilton, Grand Rapids, Mich., 2018
Cinco Banderas Juried Competition, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2018
2003
Progress Energy Juried Florida Invitational, MainStreet Galleries, Florida, 2003
Gallery 76 National Juried Exhibition, Gallery 76, Washington, 2003
75th Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, Pa., 2003
2002
Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Pensacola, Fl., 2002
An American Experience Juried Exhibition, Milton Rhodes Galleries, Winston-Salem, N.C., 2002
Enter the Dragon Juried Exhibition, Breckenridge Fine Arts Center, Breckenridge, Tx., 2002
Northern National Juried Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, Wis., 2002
Maine Maritime Juried International Flatworks, Reed Gallery University of Maine, Presque Isle, Maine 2002
2000
Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Seville Square, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
1997
100 Mile Radius Juried Art Show, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
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SOLO EXHIBITIONS
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​The Devil is in the Details, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2024
Life’s Picnic, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2022-2023
Culture Club, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
Art And Wine, Julian Marcus Interiors, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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“Best in Show”, Gulf Breeze News, 2021.
“Photography Entries Strong at UMPI’s Maine Maritime Show”, Star Herald, April 2002.
“Artists Eye”, Pensacola News Journal, November 2000.
“Culture Club Begins it’s Third Year”, Vision, February 2001.
“Culture Club Gathers to Promote Art Scene”, Pensacola’s Independent, November 2000.
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AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS AND HONORS
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People's Choice Award, It's Not What It Looks Like, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
2nd Place, Pensacola Museum of Art Members Show, Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, Fl., 2025
Merchandise Award, 46th Southern Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition, Panama City, Fl., 2023
Peoples Choice Award, Seven Deadly Sins, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Peoples Choice Award, Word, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
Honorable Mention, Word, Artel Gallery, Pensacola, Fl., 2023
1st place, Poster Design, Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2022
Best of Show, Art at the Center, Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2021
Finalist, Poster design, Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Pensacola, Fl., 2021
Juror, Gulf Breeze Celebrates the Arts Show, Gulf Breeze, Fl., 2021
1st Place, An American Experience, Milton Rhodes Galleries, Winston-Salem, N.C. 2002
Patron Award, Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College Art Gallery, Rhinelander, Wis., 2002
Sponsors Choice Award, Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
Finalist, Merchandise Design, Florida Springfest, Pensacola, Fl., 2000
Award of Excellence, Manhattan Arts 9th Annual Cover Art Competition, New York, N.Y. 2000
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Teaching Assistant, Photography, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Fl., 1997
Teaching Assistant, Histology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, Fl., 1993-1994
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MEMBERSHIPS
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Florida Watercolor Society
Northwest Watercolor Society
Southern Watercolor Society
Southwestern Watercolor Society
Portrait Society of America
Artel Gallery, Pensacola, FL
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL