In Greek mythology, the Three Graces, daughters of Zeus and the nymph Eurynome, presided over dances, banquets, and other pleasurable social events. They were believed to bring goodwill to gods and mortals alike and to inspire artists and poets to create works of beauty. Newberry’s figures, however, appear as survivors in a strange, apocalyptic world. Their cadaverous, oddly structured bodies stand together beneath a lush red cloth that sharply contrasts with the bleak landscape.
Newberry employs the techniques of seventeenth-century Dutch artists and nineteenth-century Philadelphia artists to reveal the quirks and conceits of the modern era. She earned her BFA from the University of New Mexico and her MFA in painting from Indiana University. She teaches at Drexel University and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her work has been exhibited in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and Washington, DC, including the Outwin Boochever 2006 Portrait Competition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
