LAND, SEA, and AIR
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Lecture/Demo: Saturday, May 16, 3:00 p.m.
by Deborah Schindler
Whether the subject is sheep, jungles, or dancers, Deborah Schindler brings her unique vision of the world to life through a joyful array of patterns, textures, and compositions. LAND, SEA, and AIR, an exhibition on view in May 2026 at the Washington Printmakers Gallery, focuses on animals and their environments.
Deborah has always approached subject matter both spatially and thematically. She often works sequentially, as one image evolves into a variety of spin-offs that may develop over the span of decades. Exploration, curiosity, manipulation, research, revision, conundrums, satire, silliness, and mystery all play a role in her creative process.
Curator and juror Zoma Wallace, referring to a piece she awarded “Best in Show” in 2022, stated, “I appreciate the types of line work, both delicate and bold, with curvilinear shapes.” Former Washington Post art critic Mark Jenkins described the same black-and-white image the following year as having an “impressive effect” and being “engrossing.” In 2024, Jenkins described Schindler as “a longtime Washingtonian with an old-world sensibility,” whose subjects “are rendered with exceptional detail and facility.”
Writing in his DisCerning Eye Substack, Jenkins referred to a Schindler etching/aquatint as “elegant,” noting its “sense of structure and perspective.” He described a more recent black-and-white linoleum cut as “contrived with near-mathematical precision,” while also observing that “the sense of human motion is lively and playful.”
On a more personal level, a former student—now in graduate school—recently shared, “I don’t think I would have pursued my artistic endeavors if it weren’t for Debbie.” Her father echoed this sentiment: “We have always admired Debbie’s talent and are incredibly grateful for the impact she had on our daughter.” He added that much of their daughter’s “artistic development is a direct result of Debbie’s mentorship and positive influence.”
About the Artist:
Deborah Schindler showed an early passion for art, growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950s and '60s, and, at 15, she started evening painting and drawing classes with Martin Lubner, a former UCLA professor. She was also interested in the Latin American culture of Southern California. When she began studying at UCLA, she decided to pursue a major in Pictorial Art, where she studied with Professors Richard Diebenkorn and William Brice, and a minor in Latin American Studies, which included coursework in both Spanish and Portuguese. After graduating from UCLA, Deborah earned an MFA in Printmaking from The Ohio State University in 1975, studying under Sidney Chafetz and Charles Massey.
After moving to the Washington, D.C., area in 1978, Deborah became active in the local art community, joining the Washington Women's Arts Center and becoming a charter member of the Washington Printmakers Gallery. She has exhibited widely in juried, group, and solo shows. In addition, Deborah worked as an elementary school art teacher for many years and subsequently, having maintained her interest in Latin America, she drew on her language training to work as a medical and legal interpreter for Portuguese-speaking communities in the D.C. metropolitan area.
