An attendee of Maryland Institute College of Art, Berra paints according to mood, and he rejects any scene that doesn’t instinctively grab him. The spontaneous, Plein-air feel that distinguishes his painting instills them with a vaguely unfinished quality, allowing viewers to use their own imagination to complete the scene.
RESUME
MAJOR EXHIBITIONS
2018 Exhibition with Glenna Goodacre, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art, Charleston, SC
2017 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
American Masters Exhibition, Salmagundi Art Club, New York, NY
2016 Colors of Life (three-artist show), Kneeland Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2015 Matteucci Contemporaries, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
2014 Beauty without Borders (three-artist show), Kneeland Gallery, Ketchum, ID
American Art Invitational Small Gems Show, Denver, CO
2013 International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2012 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
Au Naturel: Art of the Human Form Show, Saks Galleries, Denver, CO
American Art Invitational Small Gems Show, Denver, CO
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2011 American Art Invitational Small Gems Show, Denver, CO
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2010 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Exhibition with Joan Potter, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2009 International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2008 Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2007 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
International Masters of Fine Art Invitational Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2006 Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
Twentieth Anniversary Show, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Matteucci Masters Show, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2005 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2004 Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
2004 Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver & Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2003 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Solo Exhibition, Sylvan Gallery, Charleston, SC
International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
2002 International Masters of Fine Art Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Solo Exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2001 Solo Exhibition, Ottinger Gallery, Chicago, IL
Artists for Colorado’s Youth, Rotary Club of Denver and Public Education & Business Coalition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Solo Exhibition, Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail, CO
2000 Solo Exhibition, Ottinger Gallery, Chicago, IL
Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Solo Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Solo Exhibition, Vanier Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ
1999 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO
Featured Exhibition, Pitzer’s of Carmel, Carmel, CA
Carmel Plein Air Competition, Carmel, CA
1998 Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Artists of America Exhibition, Denver, CO
1997 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
1996 Miniatures Exhibition, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Nedra Matteucci Fine Art Featured Artist (September)
1993 Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
Exhibition with Dave McGary, Claggett/Rey Gallery, Vail CO
1992 Group Exhibition, In Collaboration, Akron, OH
1991 Group Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM
1990 Americana Museum Exhibition, El Paso, TX
Solo Exhibition, Nedra Matteucci’s Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
1989 Americana Museum Exhibition, El Paso, TX
Art to Heart Exhibit, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX
1988 Solo Exhibition, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Border Children’s Health Benefit Art Auction, El Paso, TX
1987 Solo Exhibition, Read Stremmel Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Fourth World Wilderness Congress, Wildlife/Landscape Exhibition, Denver, Co
Border Children’s Health Benefit Art Auction, El Paso, Texas
1986 Solo Exhibition, Americana West Galleries, Washington, DC
1985 New Mexico Museum of Art Biennial Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM
1984 Santa Fe Festival of the Arts Invitational, Santa Fe, NM
1983 Keystone Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1980 Featured Exhibition, Seth’s Canyon Road Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1978 Solo Exhibition, Seth’s Canyon Road Art Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico Museum of Art Biennial Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM
PRESS
American Art Collector, November 2012. “William Berra: Broad Motifs.”Western Art and Architecture, October/November 2012.
Johnny D. Boggs, “William Berra: Motivation and Motif.”
Southwest Art, October 2012. Gussie Fauntleroy, “Show Preview, Au Naturel.”
Kipp, Kathryn (editor). Art Journey America Landscapes: 89 Painters’ Perspectives. Cincinnati, Ohio; North Light Books, 2012.
Wissman, Pamela and Stefanie Laufersweiler. Sketchbook Confidential: Secrets from the private sketches of over 40 master artists. Cincinnati, Ohio; North Light Books, 2010.
American Art Collector, October 2010. “International Masters.”
Southwest Art, August 2010. Reed Glenn, “A Breath of Plein Air.”
Collector’s Guide editors with Jamie Markle. Art Journey: New Mexico (104 Painters’ Perspectives). Cincinnati, Ohio; The Collector’s Guide, F+W Media Inc., 2009.
American Art Collector, April 2008. “William Berra: Chance Encounters.”
King, Stephen. Duma Key. New York, New York; Scribner, 2008. (Reference to William Berra paintings on page 167.)
American Art Collector, May 2006. “William Berra: Artist Chooses to Visually Simplify Complex Subjects to Help Viewers Connect with these Paintings.”
Campbell, Suzan and Deats, Suzanne. Landscapes of New Mexico: Paintings of the Land of Enchantment. Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fresco Fine Art Publications, 2006.
American Art Collector, December 2005. “The New Tuscan Landscapes of William Berra Leave Something to the Imagination.”
Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, (weekly magazine), August 29, 2003. Craig Smith, “Summer Countries.” Also, the William Berra painting, Summertime – Taos Pueblo, was the magazine’s cover.
Monterey County Herald, September 19-25, 2002. Lisa Crawford Watson, “Artist William Berra Makes Statements, Simply Said with a Plein-Air Style.”
Art-Talk, August/September 2002. John Jarvis, “Simply Better.”
Fowler, Kathryne and Stem, Nancy N. New Mexico Millenium Collection: A Twenty-First Century Celebration of Fine Art in New Mexico. Tesuque, New Mexico; The New Mexico Millenium Collection LLC, 2001.
Southwest Art, May 2000. Gussie Fauntleroy, “The Best of Both Worlds.”
Focus Santa Fe, November/December 1999. Dianne Cauble, “Rediscovering the Human Spirit.”
Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, November 28, 1997. Lynn Cline, “Bill Berra Finds and Paints a Sense of Place.”
Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo, July 4, 1991. Lesli Allison, “Panorama of Light, Shadow in an Ever-Changing Landscape.”
Southwest Art, November 1990. Joy Waldron Murphy, “Bill Berra.”
Southwest Profile, August 1990. Sally Eauclaire, “Celebrating the Land.”
Focus Santa Fe, June/July 1988. Bill Oakton, “Up the Canyons and Down the Rivers.”
SOME PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
2003, 2002 United States State Department Arts in Embassies Program. Painting chosen for the United States Embassy at the Vatican (purchased by the US Ambassador to the Vatican in 2004).
Bell South Services, Inc., Birmingham, AL.
Republic of China (Taiwan). Gift of two paintings from Governor Gary Carruthers of New Mexico.
Santa Fe de la Vega, Granada, Spain. Gift of one painting to the city from the city of Santa Fe, NM.
Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles, CA.
United New Mexico Bank, Santa Fe, NM.
University of Texas, Austin, TX.
United States State Department Arts in Embassies Program. Painting chosen for the United States Embassy in Mali.
United States State Department. Gift of one painting to the government of Portugal.
EDUCATION
Attended Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
Attended York Academy of Art, York, PA