contemporary artist
As I previously mentioned, I was accepted into a group exhibition at Atelierhof Kreuzberg in Berlin, Germany! My work was on display July 13-20, 2026.
I chose to submit my mixed media painting Woven Thresholds. Here are images of the piece on display in the gallery and some of the attendees taking a look:
This substrate is one of my favorites: a Soviet military artifact in the form of a preprinted 1980s wall-newspaper “Combat Sheet” used aboard Soviet Navy ships, produced by Voenizdat, the Soviet Armed Forces' own publishing house. It explicitly states in Cyrillic, “DO NOT TAKE OUT OF THE MILITARY UNIT.” These sheets, filled out by hand at the unit level, were the shipboard equivalent of a bulletin board - part morale-booster, part public callout for slacking or bad behavior among the crew. They typically featured brief reports on military exercises, political education notes, commendations for standout soldiers, critiques of lax discipline, and satirical cartoons or caricatures (known as satirical combat sheets) targeting common faults like sloppiness or laziness.
This one was unused, so I filled in the blanks myself: a date, an issue number, a painted black-headed gull, and a signature. In my other black-headed gull paintings, the gulls are actively shooting lasers or flying. In this piece, the gull is loafing.
The issue number and date I chose relate to Mathias Rust’s infamous, unauthorized flight from Helsinki to Moscow. This West German teenager coincidentally chose Border Guards Day (May 28th) for his escapade, which added to the overall confusion. Air defence units tracked his plane for some of the time, but failed to obtain permission to shoot at him. He successfully landed on Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge adjacent to Red Square, and was arrested two hours later.
Rust's flight severely damaged the Soviet military's reputation. The incident inspired dark humor among Muscovites who nicknamed Red Square "Sheremetyevo-3" (Terminal 3, joining the international airport’s Terminals 1 & 2). Rust's Cessna is now preserved on display at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin, and a monument stands at Saka Manor Park in Estonia. (Source: Wikipedia.)
This is Loafing, acrylic and ink on Soviet combat sheet from the 1980s, 17.5x11.2”, 2026.
Shelby Prindaville's painting of a loafing gull on a Soviet combat sheet from the 1980s.
I am still working on pieces that incorporate fabric and textile traditions! Here’s another of those, featuring a parent grebe and its chick - specifically, the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus). Be prepared for all the adjectives coming up: the surface fabric is a modified Baltic open weave wool and lace curtain from the 70s. I removed some of the wool for conceptual color palette reasons, and cut away a curtain section entirely to let the painted panel show through.
On the sides of the panel, an Estonian jacquard trim makes two appearances! The band is finished on both sides and features different patterns on each; I used both on the perimeter.
This is Sanctuary, acrylic, vintage wool and lace curtain, and jacquard trim on wood panel, 18.1x12.2x1.5”, 2026.
Shelby Prindaville's mixed media painting of a grebe and chick with vintage curtain and jacquard trim.
I’m so excited to share that I have been selected as a 2026-2027 Iowa Artist Fellow!
Since 2014, Iowa has been selecting five artists per year for the Iowa Artist Fellowship, an honor that recognizes “individual artists who demonstrate exceptional creativity in the arts and a commitment to contributing to the vitality of the arts in Iowa.” The evaluators determined that my work exemplifies excellence and innovation as well as public value and program readiness. Throughout the year, I will be attending (and hosting!) a variety of events and workshops; each fellow receives $10,000 in grant funding to facilitate their fellowship goals. Support is provided by the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.
I am grateful for this opportunity to grow my regional presence. Much more to come!
From the Iowa Arts & Culture Newsletter - July 2026 edition.
