Karen Lee Crenshaw has been drawing “since I used to draw on the walls as a child. This began her lifelong interest in visual arts which led to earning a Master of Fine Arts at George Washington University. She has taught privately and in public schools yet continues her own training with numerous well-known artists including, John Poon, Michael Shane Neal, Tom Nash, and Jermy Sams.
Born in the Midwest, she has also lived in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. She has fallen in love with coastal North Carolina. The marshes, rivers, lakes, and the vessels that sail upon them capture her eye, in particular, in early morning and late afternoon light. “I love the contrasts of forms and oblique angles and shapes that occur when the sun is low on the horizon. My challenge is to capture that moment in time, working quickly and keeping a dynamic abstract pattern with energetic brush strokes.” She enjoys painting landscapes either in her studio at ArtExposure in Hampstead, NC, or outdoors, “en plein air,” where she regularly paints with other artists who share her love of painting from nature.

KAREN LEE CRENSHAW
SELECTED RECENT EXHIBITIONS

Sept 2023 Suffolk Plein Air, Best Rural Scene,
May 2023 NOAPS Best Of America Small Works Juried International Exhibition, Mary Williams Fine Art Gallery, Boulder, CO. Awards judge panel: Denise Antaya, Cynthia Feustel, and Tim Breaux
May 2023 NC Plein Air Festival, New Bern, NC, Suzie Baker, Juror
April 2023 Coastal VA Plein Air, Norfolk, VA. Vlad Duchev, Juror
April 2023 Azalea Festival Plein Air Invitational, Wilmington, NC
April 2023 Wilmington Art Association 41st Annual Spring Show and Sale, Ginny Lassiter, Juror
January 2023 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 34th Annual Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA

Sept 2022 Suffolk Plein Air, Suffolk, VA. Best Waterfront
May-Sept 2022 State of the Art-Art of the State, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
May 2022 American Impressionist Society Small Works Showcase Juried Exhibition, Wilder-Nightingale Fine Art, Taos, NM. James Richards, AISM, Juror
May 2022 Plein Air New Bern, New Bern, NC, Haidee-Jo Summers, Juror
April 2022 “The Painted Garden,” Group Show, The Beach Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
April-May 2022 Cape Fear Studios 2022 11th National 2D Competition, Cape Fear Studios Main Gallery in Fayetteville, NC, Dan Beck, AISM, OPA, PAPSE, Juror
April 2022 ArtFields 2021, Lake City, SC
April 2022 Coastal VA Plein Air, Plein Air Invitational, Lynn Mehta, Juror
April 2022 Wilmington Art Association 40th Annual Spring Juried Show and Sale, Beth Handler Riebe, Juror
April 2022 Azalea Plein Air Paint Out, Azalea Festival Plein Air Invitational, Wilmington, NC
January 2022 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 34th Annual Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA

Sept-Oct 2021 OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition, Bradenton, FL, Katie Dobson Cundiff, Awards Juror
Sept 2021 Plein Air Suffolk, Suffolk, VA
August 2021 Landfall Association Art Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC, Sterling Edwards, Juror
May 2021 Plein Air New Bern, New Bern, NC, Torrey Stroud, Juror
April 2021 ArtFields 2021, Lake City, SC
April-May 2021 Oil Painters of America 30th Anniversary Exhibition, California Museum of the Arts, Escondido, CA
April 2021 Coastal VA Plein Air, Plein Air Invitational, Juror, Stephen Doherty
April 2021 Wilmington Art Association 39th Annual Spring Juried Show and Sale, Ben Billingsley, Juror
“Surf City Swing Bridge, One Last Crossing” Blick Art Award
January 2021 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 33rd Annual Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA

November 2020 2020 Fall Open Juried Exhibition, Finalist, Portrait Society of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, Juror, Louis Carr
April 2020 Wilmington Art Association 39th Annual Spring Juried Show and Sale, Katherine Wolf Webb, Juror
February 2020 Kinston CCA 39th Annual National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC
January 2020 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 33rd Annual Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA

September 2019 “Faces of Jacksonville, Thirty Portraits in Thirty Days,” Solo Show, Onslow Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC. Completed with a North Carolina Regional Artists Grant.
August 2019 Landfall Association Art Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC
May-June 2019 “Portraits and Landscapes,” Solo Show, Burgwin-Wright House, Wilmington, VA
May 2019 NC Marine Arts Guild Invitational Plein Air Invitational, Beaufort, NC
April-June 2019 “North Carolina Impressions,” Group Show with PAINTNC,” Hampton Gallery Kinston Community Council for the arts, Kinston, NC
April 2019 Plein Air VA, Invitational, East Beach Clubhouse, Norfolk, VA, Andre Lucero, Juror
April 2019 Azalea Festival Plein Air Paint Out, Invitational, Wilmington, NC, Star Sosa, Juror
“Pergola Promenade,” Third Place,
April 2019 Wilmington Art Association 37th Annual Spring Juried Show and Sale, Juror, Dan Nelson
Susan Veerman Memorial Award, “Surf City Swing Bridge, Sunset,”
February 2019 North Ridge Art Gala, Finalist, North Ridge Country Club, Raleigh, NC
January 2019 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 33rd Annual Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA

October 2018 Legacy: William Woodward and His Students, Arts Club of Washington, DC
August 2018 6th Annual Summer Plein Air Show, Crystal Moll Gallery, Baltimore, MD
August 2018 Landfall Foundation Art Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC
June 2018 Cape Fear Studios National Juried Competition, Fayetteville, NC, William Jameson, Juror
“Poppies on the Sound,” Second Place
May 2018 Kinston CCA Plein Air Paint Out, Jeremy Sams, Juror
“Lavender Fields Forever, “First Place
April-May 2018 Plein Air Invitational, Kinston Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC
April 2018 Wilmington Art Association 36th Annual Spring Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC
February 2018 Kinston CCA 37th Annual National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC
Tunde Afolayan Famous, Juror, “Tangerine,” Best in Show

Sept 2017-July 2018 State of the Art, Art of the State, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
August 2017 Artists Choice, ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC, Todd Carignan, Juror
“Surf City Swing Bridge, Sunset,” First Place
April 2017 Art Block Plein Air Paint Out, Jacksonville, NC. Irene Bailey, Juror
“Marsh at Wilson Bay,” First Place
April 2017 WAA 35th Annual Spring Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC. Joe deJulio, Juror, “Island Inlet,”
Ziabird Gallery Award
February 2017 North Ridge Art Gala Finalist, Larry Wheeler, Director, North Carolina Museum of Art, Juror
February 2017 Kinston CCA36th Annual National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC
Bob Rankin, Juror. “Seaside Cottage,” Merit Award

October 2016 Onslow Art Society Fall Juried Show, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
“Cassidy in the Rose Garden,” Merit Award
September 2016 “Faces and Places,” Solo Show, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
August 2016 Landfall Foundation 2016 Art Show and Sale, Wilmington, NC. Dan Beck, Juror
July-Aug 2016 “Plein Air: Of Color and Light, Artists of PAINTNC,” Cape Fear Studios,
Fayetteville, NC. Group show with PAINTNC artists
June 2016 Women’s Art Guild, “An Homage to the Women of Wilmington,” Wilmington, NC
June 2016 Cape Fear Studios National Juried Exhibition, Dan Beck, Juror
“Vibrant Field,” First Place
April-June 2016 “PAINTNC: Renderings from the Mountains to the Coast,” Kinston Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC. Group show with PAINTNC artists
April 2016 Wilmington Art Association 34th Annual Spring Show and Sale, Chad Matthew Smith, Juror, “Seaside Cottage,” Frank X Rogers Memorial award
March 2016 Onslow Art Society Spring Show, Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Jacksonville, NC
Holly Tripman, Cameron Museum of Art, Juror
February 2016 Kinston CCA 35th Annual National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC
Ann Brennan, Director of the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC, Juror
February 2016 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Art Show and Sale, Suffolk, VA
January 2016 Jenkins Gallery Featured Artist with Artist, Sue Bark, Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NC. Two-person show

Oct-Dec 2015 Arts of the Pamlico 52nd Fine Art Juried Show and Sale,” Fritzi Huber, Juror
“Marsh in Autumn, V,” First Place
October 2015 Onslow Council for the Arts Fall Juried Show, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC, Sarah Merritt, Art Council of Wayne County, Juror
“Autumn Marsh, V” First Place
September 2015 Featured Artist, Fine Art at Baxter’s, New Bern, NC
August 2015 Landfall Foundation Art Show, Wilmington, NV, Nicole White Kennedy, Juror
“Marsh Down East, I” First Place in Oils
August 2015 NC Open Plein Air Paint Out, Salisbury, NC, John Ebersberger, Juror
“Evening Sky, Rowan County,” Honorable Mention
August 2015 “Artists Choice,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
“Vibrant Field, First Place
July 2015 “In the Landscape” Plein Air Exhibition, Juried by Jeremy Sams and Brenda Behr
Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, NC
June 2015 Elizabeth City SPLASH Plein Air Paint Out, Peter Marsh, Juror
“Boathouse Crane,” First Place
May 2015 Kinston CCA Plein Air Paint Out, Jeremy Sams, Juror
“Green Door,” Third Place
April 2015 Art Block Plein Air Paint Out and Sale, Jacksonville, NC
“Big Blue and Spring Green,” Honorable Mention
April 2015 Onslow Art Society Spring Art Show, Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Jacksonville, NC, “Red Marsh Grasses,” Onslow County Artist Award
April 2015 WAA Juried Spring Art Show and Sale, Dan Beck, Juror
” Marsh in Autumn, IV,” Ziabird Art Gallery Award
March 2015 Kinston Community Council for the Arts, 34th National Competitive Exhibition, Kinston, NC,
Connie Winters, Juror; “Portrait of Martha,” Third Place

November 2014 “Coastal Carolina Community College Art Show”, Jacksonville, NC
November 2014 “Small Treasures” Council for the Arts, Jacksonville
October 2014 Beaufort County 50th Annual Fine Art Show, Juror, Michael Draught
September/Feb 2014 “State of the Art, Art of the State,” Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
August 2014 “Reflections of Wrightsville Sound,” Plein Air Art Show and Sale,
Wrightsville Beach Museum, Wrightsville Beach, NC
July 2014 “Dixie Meets Latimer, II,” Group Show, Dixie Grill, Wilmington, NC
June 2014 “Coastal Views,” Three-person show, Fine Art at Baxter’s, New Bern, NC
April 2014 PAINTNC, Group Show, Waverly Gallery, Cary, NC
April 2014 Plein Air Paint Out, Burgwin-Wright House, Wilmington, NC
“Pomegranate Morning,” Selected for reproduction on note cards.
April 2014 “The Great Getaway Art,” Jennifer Dasal, Assoc. Curator of Contemporary Art, NCMA, Juror, Lumberton Art Space, Lumberton, NC
April 2014 “WAA Juried Spring Art Show,” Robert Burruss, Juror
“Portrait of Martha,” Gail Henderson Memorial Award
March/April 2014 “Art of the Bellamy,” Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts, Wilmington, NC
March 2014 “33rd Annual Competitive Exhibition,” Stacy Barter, Juror
Kinston Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC
March/April 2014 “Rivers, Streams, and Marshes,” Invitational Show,
Onslow County Museum, Richlands, NC

Oct 2013 “Coastal Carolina en Plein Air,” Twelve Award-Winning Artists Paint Wilmington,
WHQR Lobby, Wilmington, NC
Oct 2013 “Art in the Arboretum,” The Arboretum of New Hanover County, Wilmington, NC
Oct. 2013 “Images 2013,” Onslow Art Society, Janet Francoeur, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
September 2013 Plein Air Paint Out, Burgwin-Wright House, Wilmington, NC
“Flags Unfurled,” Selected for next year’s poster for the event.
September 2013 “eARTh Inspired Art,” WAA in Conjunction with UNCW,
Hannah Block Center, Wilmington, NC
September 2013 “Art at the Latimer,” The Latimer House, Wilmington, NC
May 2013 “6th Annual Plein Air Paint Out,” Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC
April 2013 “WAA Juried Spring Art Show,” Todd Carignan, Juror Hannah Block Art Center, Wilmington, NC “Marsh in Autumn, III,” Current President’s Award
April 2013 “32nd Annual Competitive Exhibition,” Qiang Huang, Juror
Kinston Community Council for the Arts,
“Marsh in Autumn, II,” Honorable Mention
April 2013 “Onslow Art Society Spring Show,” Hannah Craven Natour, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
March/April 2013 “Around Onslow,” Invitational Show, Onslow County Museum, Richlands, NC
March/April 2013 “Painting North Carolina, A Visual Journey,” Invitational Show, Greenville Museum of Art, Greenville, NC (In conjunction with the release of the book with five reproductions of my paintings.)

December 2012 “Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition,” (Online Recognition) “Marsh in Autumn, II,” 1st Honorable Mention (11th Place)
October 2012 “Images 2012”, Onslow Art Society, Sarah Merritt, Juror
Bradford Baysden Gallery, Jacksonville. NC
“Morning in Avon,” OAS Memorial Award
September 2012 “Richeson Arts Portrait and Figure 2012,” Richeson Gallery, Kimberly, WI
“Sara Helen with Lady Banks Roses,” Finalist
May 2012 “Bank of the Arts 11th Annual Juried Show,” Lia Newman, Juror
Craven Arts Council, New Bern, NC
May 2012 “5th Annual Plein Air Paint Out,” Mike Rooney, Juror
Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC, “The Red Foxx,” Third Place
April 2012 “Onslow Art Society Spring Art Show,” Hannah Craven Natour, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
April 2012 “WAA Juried Spring Art Show,” Lois Griffel, Juror, Perry Hall, Wilmington, NC, “Wrightsville Beach Drawbridge,” 1st place in Painting

October 2011 “Images 2011,” Onslow Art Society, Catherine Coulter, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
May/Oct 2011 “State of the Art/Art of the State,” Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
Curated by Timothy Burgard, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Susan Davidson, The Guggenheim Museum, New York, and Nicolas Culligan, The Tate, London
May/June 2011 “Bank of the Arts 10th Annual Juried Show,” Craven Arts Council, New Bern, NC
May 2011 “4th Annual Plein Air Paint Out,” Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC
April 2011 “Onslow Art Society Spring Art Show,” Kelly Adams, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
“Golden Field,” Onslow County Artist Award
April 2011 “WAA Juried Spring Show,” Perry Hall, Wilmington, NC, Mike Rooney, Juror “Marsh in Autumn, I,” Ziabird Art Gallery Award
February 2011 “Looking Back, Facing Forward,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
January 2011 “Transportation,” Invitational Show, Bradford Baysden Art Gallery,
Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC

October 2010 “Art in the Arboretum,” the Arboretum of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC
October 2010 “OOPS 2” Plein Air Art Exhibit, 3rd Anniversary of Onslow Outdoor Painters Society
Council for the Arts, Bradford Baysden Gallery, Jacksonville, NC
September 2010 “Landfall Foundation Show,” Dye Center, Landfall, Wilmington, NC
September 2010 Featured Artist, Surf City Community Center, Surf City, NC
September 2010 “Images 2010,” Onslow Art Society, Michelle Horn, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Onslow Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
“Ocean City Pier,” Most Recognizable Onslow County Landscape
August 2010 “Local Produce,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
May 2010 “3rd Annual Plein Air Paint Out,” Community Council for the Arts, Kinston, NC
May 2010 “300 Years, 300 Views,” New Bern Artworks Gallery, New Bern, NC
April 2010 “Onslow Art Society Spring Art Show,” Cheryl Hooks, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
April 2010 “Art at Orton,” Orton Plantation, NC, by Harbor Island Arts
April 2010 “WAA Juried Spring Art Show,” Paula Frisbee, Juror, Perry Hall, Wilmington, NC. “Green, Yellow, Red, Stop!” Mike and Roy Dickey Memorial Award

February 2010 “Romancing the Art” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
January 2010 “The Art of Onslow,” Invitational Show, Bradford Baysden Art Gallery
Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
January 2010 “22 Visions…New Beginnings,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC

Nov-Dec 2009 “Group Holiday Show,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
October 2009 “Art in the Arboretum,” The Arboretum of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC
September 2009 “Richeson Arts Portrait and Figure 2009,” Jack Richeson Arts, Kimberly, WI
“Portrait of Kristen at 15”, Finalist
August 2009 “ArtExposure Artists Association Group Show,” ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
June 2009 “Coastal Landscapes,” One Person Show, ArtExposure, Hampstead, NC
April 2009 “Wilmington Art Association Juried Spring Art Show,” Judy Crane, Juror,
Perry Hall, Wilmington, NC

October 2008 “Coastal Images Revisited” One Person Show
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC
September 2008 “Images 2008,” Onslow Art Society Juried Show, Anne Granville Brennan, Juror
Bradford Baysden Art Gallery, Council for the Arts, Jacksonville, NC