Lynda Smith-Bügge manipulates the wood with subtle prowess. The viewer is drawn into natural textures and rhythms of the wood’s surface. Through the woodworking process, Smith-Bügge re-forms a broken tree branch into abstract forms that highlight and honor the evocative and organic shapes provided by nature. Each sculpture is thoughtfully and mindfully done, the artwork rests in ecological mindfulness. This is not “quick” work.
Smith-Bügge has exhibited locally in the Washington, DC area, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and New York City. Currently, she has two sculptures in Rome, Italy. One of her first sculptures, “Mending” was awarded a Sculpture/Mixed Media Prize by J. Carter Brown in the Arts Council of Fairfax County 1998 Open Exhibition.
Lynda Smith-Bügge earned a Masters in Museum Education from Bank Street College, NY, NY, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Hunter College, NY, NY. She is a Board Member of the Washington Sculptors Group, a Fellow the Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and a juried member of the Artisans Center of Virginia. Memberships include the Capital Area Wood turners, Washington Woodworkers Guild, the Women’s Caucus for Art and Washington Project for the Art
SELECTIVE EXIHIBITIONS
2019 Baltimore Craft Show, juried by American Craft Council, Baltimore Convention Center, February 22–February 24
Women who Work, Care, and Create, Zenith Gallery, Washington DC January-April 2018
Fine Art of Wood, curated by Lavinia Wolhfarth, Wolhfarth Gallery, Washington, DC, September 28-November 4, 2018
Inflorescence, State Arboretum of Virginia/Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, Virginia, August 11 – September 27, 2018
Masters of Iron, Wood & Stone, Multi-media Exhibit, Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville, VA, March 2 – March 31
Handcrafted: Fiber Art & Turned Wood, juried by Fleur Bresler, BlackRock Center for the Arts, January 13–February 24, 2017
The Show, curated by Peggy Duvall, The Mill at Carter Center, Millwood, VA October, 2017
Evocative Branches. Shenandoah Arts Council / Invitational Gallery. Winchester, Virginia April, 2017
Members and Friends Show. Middle Street Gallery. Sperryville, Virginia. January-February, 2017
2016
Into the Woods II A Celebration of the Beauty of Trees. The Byrne Gallery. Middleburg, Virginia. September-October, 2016
Dancing Through Color. Shenandoah Arts Council Gallery. Curated by Jaimianne Amicucci. Winchester, Virginia. May-June, 2016
Collaborations by First Sunday Women Artists. Glenview Mansion. Rockville, Maryland. April, 2016
Micro-Monuments. A collaboration of Washington Sculptors Group and Salzland Museum Schönebeck. Sponsored by the Friends of the Regional Museum of Salzlandkreis, Germany. December 2015-February 2016
Sculptures of the Wall. Unitarian Church. Arlington, Virginia. November 2015-January 2016
Coaxing the Elements, Gallery B, Bethesda MD, February 2 – March 3, 2015
Native Species. Black Rock Center for the Arts. Germantown, Maryland September-November, 2015
Sanctuary. Juried by Shanti Norris, Joan Hasaoka. Healing Arts Gallery,Washington DC. Sponsored by the Washington Sculptors Group. November, 2015
Invitational Group Show. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. June, 2015
Women of Zenith, curated by Margery Goldberg, Zenith Gallery, 1111 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC, January 14 – April 26, 2015
2014 Sculpture Now 2014, Washington Sculptors Group 30th Anniversary, Juried by Jack
Rasmussan, American University Museum at the Katzen Art Center
Emergence 2014: International Artists to Watch, Galerie Myrtis Baltimore MD
Enviro-Art | Falls Church Arts, Falls Church Virginia
Sharing Creative Journeys | Crossroads Gallery,Falls Church Virginia
Ancient Rhythms. Solo Exhibit. Galerie Myrtis. Baltimore, Maryland, 2013
Undressing Trees. Solo Exhibit. Adkins Arboretum. Ridgley, Maryland, 2013
Green Art: Trees, Root and Leaves, Zenith Gallery, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC, 2013
Symbols, Series, Selves. Glenview Mansion Gallery. Woman’s Caucus for Art–DC. Rockville, MD, 2013
Enliven. First Sunday Woman’s Artists Group. Ice House. Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, 2013
RE/Using Our RE/Sources, curated by Barbara Wolanin, Sandy Spring Museum, 2012
Envision: 26 Women at Work, The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, Frederick, MD, 2012
Spirit of Wood, 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, curated by Zenith Gallery
21 + 21 Invitational, Waverly Street Gallery, Bethesda, MD, 2011
Tysons II Solo, 1600 Tysons Blvd, McLean, Virginia, 2010
2009 Hope from Form, Fisher Gallery, NVCC
2009 Creative Craft Council Biennial, Strathmore Center, Bethesda, MD
Sculpture NOW 2009, Juried by Victoria Reis, Washington Sculptors Group
2008 Aquifer, WPA/WSG, Juried by J.W. Mahoney & Deborah McLeod
From The Trees…Artistry is Revealed, Washington Woodworkers Guild, Del Ray Artisans Gallery
2007 Natural Expressions by Mid-Atlantic Artists, Mill Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico Sculpture for the Soul, GALERIE MYRTIS, Capitol Hill, Washington DC
2006 Women’s Caucus for Art, Cornelius Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina
2006 Documenting Women’s Lives, The Greenbelt Community Center Art Gallery
2006 Wood turners of Virginia: Invitational Statewide Exhibition, The Artisan’s Center of Virginia, Waynesboro, Virginia
2006 Awakening, Falls Church City Center for the Arts, Falls Church, VA
2006 Picture This. The Capital Hill Art’s Workshop. Juried by Regina DeLouise, WDC
2006 Creative Transitions: Connecting Art With Life, The Graffiti-Art Place, Bethesda, MD
2006From Shame to Triumph Invitational, Washington Theological Union, WDC
2006 Washington Women Artists Marching into the Millennium, The Millennium Arts Center, WDC. Juried by Lavonia Wohlfarth, Barbara Wolanin and Bill Wooby.
1999 103rd Annual Open Exhibition, National Arts Club, NYC. Catharine Lorillard Wolfe 3D in DC, A Regional Exhibition of Sculpture, Touchstone Gallery, Washington DC. Juried by Jennie Lea Knight.
HONORS
2014 Featured Artist. Thompson Hospitality Publication UNITY Sustainability / Green
Artist. Trinity Institute 43rd National Theological Conference, Meditation Journal. Lenten Cross
2013 Presenter. Beyond Arts and Crafts Tools for Building Your Program. Leading Age Conference. Dallas,Texas
Featured Artist. Coffee table book, Green Art: Trees, Roots, and Leaves by Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Publishing
2012
Wood Artist Presenter. Collectors of Wood Art Annual Forum. Little Rock, Arkansas
Juror. Tapestry for Tomorrow Annual Art Exhibit. Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services. Fairfax, Virginia
Fellow. The Creative Center at University Settlement One Week Training Institute. New York, New York
Wood Art Juror. Baltimore Craft Show. Baltimore, Maryland
Board Member. Arts Advisory Committee for the Arts Council of Fairfax County Fairfax, Virginia
Board Member and Editor. Washington Sculptors Group. Washington DC
Co-curator. 26th Anniversary Young-At-Art Exhibition. Sponsored by Senior Services of Alexandria and Goodwin House Foundation. Alexandria, Virginia
2011 Featured in Woodturning Today: A Dramatic Evolution: Celebrating The American Woodturners 25th Anniversary, 1986-1911
Commission by residents of Goodwin House Baileys Crossroads. “Transitional Reflections” (70”x19”x22”), made from a willow oak on site, is a sculpture for meditation and reflection. This sculpture memorializes the many trees removed for new construction.
Adkins Arboretum 2011 Art Competition, Ridgely, MD
2010 Arts-in-Embassy Program. Two sculptures in Rome, Italy
2009 Strauss Fellowship, Arts Council of Fairfax County
Award in Wood, Creative Craft Council Biennial, Strathmore Mansion, Bethesda
- Washington Forrest Fellowship, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
2002 Woodturning demonstrator at the Renwick Gallery’s Woodturning since 1930
Turned bowl for Mt. Vernon’s fundraising efforts. Alexandria, VA.
2001 Arts-in-Embassy Program in Baku, Azerbaijan
2001 Fellow to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
Scholarship, Capital Area Woodturners to study with Christian Burchard
1998 3D/Sculpture Award, J. Carter Brown, Arts Council of Fairfax County exhibit
COMMISSIONS
2010 Transitional Reflections (70”x 19” x 22”)_Goodwin House Baileys Crossroads
2008 Ponthy’s Sculpture (48 x 19.5 x 2.5) Poplar. Commissioned by customer in Washington, DC.
2006 Liturgical Cross (48 x 48 x 8) Burled Maple, Copper, Walnut – donated to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C.
2005 Processional Cross, Walnut, Maple. Commissioned by Christ Episcopal Church, Garden City, Long Island, New York
2005 Sculptural Console Table (37’ x 52 x 20) Cherry, Walnut. Commissioned by a fellow VCCA artist and novelist from Dallas Texas.
2014 Nine liturgical wall hangings for local collector in WDC. Various sizes and types of woods.
2001 Paso Allegro (62 x 16 x 16) Cherry. Female figurative sculpture commissioned by a museum specialist in Florida.
2001 Ciborium (12 X 4 X 4) Boxwood. Vessel for Litchfield Cathedral in England commissioned by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Washington, DC
2001 Two verges (crosses) commissioned by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, WDC.
PUBLICATIONS
2011 Featured in Woodturning Today: A Dramatic Evolution: Celebrating The American Woodturners 25th Anniversary, 1986-1911
2010 Exploring New Dimensions, Women’s Caucus for Art catalog for the Delaplaine Visual Education Center, Frederick, MD
2008 Aquifer, Washington Project for the Arts and Washington Sculptors Group catalog
2007 100 Contemporary International Artists, Bibliotheca de Artistas de las Comunidades Europeas/European Communities Artists Library, Barcelona, Spain, p 91
2007 Creative Epiphanies in Art by David Bonck, Good News, A Newsletter from Goodwin House Incorporated & Goodwin Foundation, (Fall 2007)
2006 Small Miracle: A Perfect Job – Lynda Smith-Bugge by Margaret Paris, Brushstrokes: Women’s Caucus for Art/DC Newsletter, (Spring 2006)
2005 Falls Church Artist Finds Herself in the Grain by Darien Bates, Falls Church New Press, pp 22 – 23 (July 21-27, 2005)
2004 Art in Nature by Natalia Megas, Élan: Celebrating the Good Life in Northern Virginia, pp 64 – 67 (May 2004)
2002 Museum Visitors Enjoy Woodturning by Phil Brown, American Woodturner, the Journal of the American Association of Woodturners, Vol. 17 No 3, p 11 (Fall 2002
1998 Arts Council Unveils Juried Exhibition, Arts and Entertainment Section, the Connection, p 22 (November 18 – 24, 1998)
1998 Artist Branches out in Varied Ways by Chalmers Hood, the Prince William Journal, pp C1 & C4 (Friday, March 12, 1998)
1975 – 1991
Articles in various community newspapers and institutional publications about my museum programming (i.e. Library of Congress in WDC, Society of Woman Geographers in WDC, Youth Museum of Charlotte County in FLA, and Goddard-Riverside Community Center in NYC)
EDUCATION
MS in Museum Education, Bank Street College of Education, NYC
BA in Fine Arts, Hunter College, NYC
