Charmaine Wheatley is a performance artist who creates stories by drawing and using watercolors. Wheatley often houses her collected drawings in small metal boxes. She has published two books: Beau Fleuve: The Heart of North America and 30% of Buffalo. The former features intimate portraits of adult learners and tutors from Literacy Volunteers of Western New York and Erie County whose stories provide insight into how the ability to read can impact lives. The latter concentrates on the city of Buffalo but also relates it to other parts of New York State, and Canada. In addition, her drawings have appeared in publications such as Border Crossings magazine and DUKT Magazine.

Wheatley has exhibited at HQ Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; the Carnegie Art Center in Buffalo, NY; and at AKA Gallery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and has performed at The Mills Gallery, Boston, MA (2012); Gallery 111, Winnipeg, Manitoba (2001); drivedrive.com, Amsterdam (2000); and series of works in Halifax, Nova Scotia (1997). Between 2002 and 2005, Wheatley collaborated with DJ/sound artist, Taketo Shimada on a piece based on “Charmaine”, a song by written by Erno Rapee in the 1920’s. The work which combined performance, sound, and functional sculptures, was performed in Toronto, Ontario and in New York at the Whitebox Gallery, SubTONIC, the Emily Harvey Gallery, the 725 Washington Street, The Knitting Factory, and at New York University.

Since graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1995, Charmaine Wheatley has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, and has had residencies at Cavendish, Prince Edward Island (2007) and at the Seven Below Arts Initiative, Vermont (2008). Wheatley moved to Brooklyn in 1995. She is currently headed back to Nova Scotia where she will spent the next year collecting stories, drawing, and working as an artist-in-residence.

Charmaine Wheatley spent the month of April living in one of the museum’s new apartments and working in the studio. Most mornings she could be found in the historic courtyard with her miniature watercolor kit capturing moments: the hanging nasturtiums; works of art; shadows and atmosphere; gallery officers. While in the Long Gallery, Wheatley discovered a small ivory carving of the Mother and Child from the workshop of Jean I Limousin (ca. 1561-1610) which she painted and renamed “spaghetti arm Jesus.” In the Yellow Room, works by Whistler, Isabella Gardner’s hand-written music programs, and a collection of caricature post cards caught her eye. She also spent time in the textile conservation lab sketching and painting a variety of garments and a pair of shoes. Wheatley made several trips to the archives were she looked at Gardner’s guest books, watercolor and sketch books from 1869-1870, photographs of Gardner and her friends, and a seal that Gardner used for her correspondence. Wheatley also read letters written to Gardner by John Singer Sargent and Matthew Prichard. She quickly adopted the latter as her “19th century boyfriend” because of his poetic vocabulary, his drawings, and dapper good looks.

During the month Wheatley also explored Boston on bike. She attended Isabella Gardner’s annual memorial service, visited with staff from all departments, and even organized a drawing circle in her studio. A trip to Lynn yielded Victorian dresses and slips, which she learned to repair under the tutelage of a textile conservator. In addition, Wheatley had a dress fitting for a Victorian era dress that was being specially fabricated for the performance Moon Pie at the Mills Gallery, Boston.