About the artist

Helga Thomson was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and studied there with German artist W. Dohme and printmakers Pompeyo and Eduardo Audivert. In Europe, she continued printmaking for brief periods in The Hague (Royal School of Art) and Paris (Atelier E. Caporaso and Jean Lodge). In the United States, Helga attended Ann Zahn's Printmaking Workshop in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as Montgomery College, Maryland (with Z. Sikora), and the Corcoran School of Art, Washington, DC (with Gene Frederick and W. Christenberry, and digital art with Marise Riddell and Marte Newcomb).

Helga has exhibited in international juried, group and solo shows. Her works are included in private and public collections (such as the Library of Congress) in the United States, Argentina, Europe and Central Asia. Helga has received national and regional awards in the United States.

Helga is a member of the Maryland Printmakers, American Print Alliance, The Print Center of Philadelphia, Washington Project for the Arts/Corcoran, Arlington Arts Center, Pyramid Atlantic and the Central Asia Cultural Exchange.

Notable Accomplishments

  • In 1987 organized an Exchange Exhibition with the City Museum of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • In Buenos Aires, 1989, was a teaching member of the "Taller de Artes Visuales" (Visual Arts Workshop) with Hermenegildo Sabat.
  • In 1994 received a fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Sweet Briar, Virginia, doing work on the series "Torsos as Containers".
  • Mentor and Head Mentor, 1993-2005, of the Corcoran Arts Mentorship Program (CAMP), a youth mentoring program of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. In 1999, CAMP was a national recipient of "Coming Up Taller" Award, presented by the National Endowment of the Arts and the President's Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
  • In July 1995, invited to give a seminar on "New Safe Printmaking Techniques" at the studio of Matilde Marin, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • August 1996 "Vessels" show at the Sicardi Gallery, Houston, TX 
  • Between 1992-2000 was Exhibition chairperson of the Washington Printmakers Gallery, Washington, DC. 
  • In 1998, selected to participate in the "ArtSites 98" exhibition, WPA/CORCORAN, Washington, DC, "Promesas y Milagros” mixed media installation.
  • In August 2001 participated with the Central Asian Cultural Exchange in the USA/Uzbekistan Exchange Exhibition and Conference in Tashkent.Selected to show in the First Biennial of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, October 2001.
  • Retrospective, “In the Universe of the Prints” WINCKELMANN-MUSEUM, Stendal, Germany, September 2002.
  • In 2004, invited to give a talk “Digital Technique in Printmaking” at the National Museum of Printmaking in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • Received a Nomination by the ROSEBUD FILM FESTIVAL for the video animation "ZAPATOS BLANCOS" (White Shoes) 2005.
  • Participated with the IV Latin American Graphic Biennial, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2006.
  • Universidad del Cine, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2008.

Series

  • NEW DARK AGES, 1978-1983: black & white linocuts and lithographs and 3 plate color etchings. 
  • TRANSITIONS, BIO-MOSAICS and BIO-BOXES, 1983,1984: color monoprints (viscosity-etchings), with hand-made paper
  • GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHT REVISITED: 1984,85,86 color monoprint etchings with chine colle.
  • CHRONICLES, 1987-89: color collagraphs.
  • ATMOSPHERES, 1991-93: color collagraphs etchings with chine colle.
  • TORSOS AS CONTAINERS and VESSELS: 1994-2001: color collagraphs, chine colle, wax medium and clay pigments.
  • RETABLOS, 1996, 1998, 2001…collage and painting on wood.
  • DOWNLOADING, 1999,2000,2004: monoprints: relief prints with chine colle of small non-etch intaglio prints.
  • 1001 NIGHTS, 2002: original digital archival ink jet prints.
  • TREE-LOGIE, 2005: original digital archival ink jet prints.
  • IDENTITY, 2006, 07,08,09: original digital archival ink jet prints

Installations

  • PROMESAS Y MILAGROS (Promises and Miracles) "ArtSites 98", 1998: WPA/Corcoran, Washington, DC
  • VISUAL LANGUAGE, 2001: Art-O-Matic, Washington, DC
  • SUSPENDED E-MOTIONS, 2002: Art-O-Matic, Washington, DC
  • SUSPENDED E-MOTIONS, 2003: Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, VA
  • 1070 NIGHTS, 2003: Glenview Mansion, Rockville, MD wall installation of 70 original digital archival ink jet prints
  • HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, 2008: wall installation of 28 digital original archival ink jet prints. Arlington Art Center, Arlington VA, PICTURING POLITICS 2008: Artists Speak to Power.
  • MARKETPLACE, Gallery Neptune, 2009.

 Videos

  • Zapatos Blancos, video animation 2005
  • Between Dark & Light, video animation 2005