Renee Couture has a diverse, project-based practice encompassing sculpture, photography, and drawing is emotionally influenced by her mothering experience. From postpartum depression to small daily rituals as markers of accomplishments, to looking back on her own childhood, motherhood has proven to be rich territory with a range of experiences to serve as creative fodder. Her art practice has become a lifeline, helping her give form to experiences as a a mother. By centering herself, using everyday objects and repetitive mark-making, and color, she shares her reality - both her emotional landscape and daily life - as a mother. She leans into intuition, sentimentality, and self-care to make sense of, reflect upon, and share her experiences.
Couture graduated from Buena Vista University with a BA in Studio Art and Spanish. She spent the next four years rambling throughout the United States and South America, working a wide range of jobs from camp counselor to wildland firefighter to gourmet goat cheese maker to a bank employee. She earned her MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She moved to Oregon in 2004 and taught in the Fine Art Department at Umpqua Community College for over a decade. Couture is currently a Project Manager with the Percent for Art in Public Places program managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.
Couture's work has been exhibited nationally, including at Eastern Oregon University, SOIL, Tiger Strikes Asteroid Gallery, Whatcom Museum, and Kinhouse Gallery. She is the recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship and four Career Opportunity Grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, and four Project Grants from the Douglas County Cultural Coalition. Couture has been granted residencies at Ucross Foundation, Djerassi Residency Artist Program, Jentel Foundation, PLAYA, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Pine Meadow Ranch, and The Studios at MASS MoCA. She is a member of Carnation Contemporary, an artist-run gallery in Portland, Oregon.
Currently, Couture lives on seven acres in rural southern Oregon with her husband, young daughter, and two dogs. She works out of a retrofitted 20-foot camper-turned-studio space in her garden.
Photo credit: Thomas J Logan
Born: 1976
Lives and works in Glide, OR
reneemcouture@gmail.com
EDUCATION
MFA - Visual Art, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT
Post-Baccalaureate Studies, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
BA - Studio Art, Buena Vista University, Storm Lake, IA
RESIDENCIES
2025
The Studios at MASS MoCA (Ford Family Foundation Fellowship recipient)
2024
Pine Meadow Ranch, Sisters, OR
PLAYA Fellowship Residency Program, Summer Lake, OR
2021
Pine Meadow Ranch, Sisters, OR
2021
ARIM (Artist Residency in Motherhood), Glide, OR
2018
Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY (Ford Family Foundation Fellowship recipient)
PLAYA Fellowship Residency Program, Summer Lake, OR
Winter Alumni Residency, Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Woodside, CA
2017
Djerassi Resident Artist Program, Woodside, CA (Ford Family Foundation Fellowship recipient)
2015
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT (Merit Award recipient)
Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE
PLAYA Fellowship Residency Program, Summer Lake, OR
2012
Jentel Artist Residency Program, Banner, WYAWARDS
2021
Career Opportunity Grant, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
2019
Part-Time Faculty Professional Development Award, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, OR
Career Opportunity Grant, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
2018
Connective Conversations: The Curator and Critic Tour participant, The Ford Family
Foundation and The University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts
Part-Time Faculty Professional Development Award, Umpqua Community College,
Roseburg, OR
Individual Artist Fellowship, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
2017
Individual Artist Grant, Douglas County Cultural Coalition, Roseburg, OR
Part-Time Faculty Professional Development Award, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, OR
2014
Career Opportunity Grant, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
Presidential Award, Anderson Ranch, Vail, CO
2012
Connective Conversations: The Curator and Critic Tour participant, The Ford Family
Foundation and The University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts
Individual Artist Grant, Douglas County Cultural Coalition, Roseburg, OR
2011
Career Opportunity Grant, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
EXHIBITIONS
2025INTERSTATE: where I-90 meets I-82, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA (juror: Alexis Silva)
Kinship, Kinhouse Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN
Artworks Northwest, Umpqua Valley Arts Association (juror: Charlene Liu)
Each Step Pronounced, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR (two-person exhibition)
A Thousand Words Will Never Tell the Whole Story, Esvelt Gallery, Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA (solo)
2024
Composition/Decomposition, Soil Gallery, Seattle, WA
Covered Up in Dailiness, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR (two-person exhibition)
Selfhood, Strata Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2023
Barnstorm, Punch Projects, Ellensburg, WA
Soft Ambition, Corrine Woodman Gallery, The Art Center, Corvallis, OR (solo)
Art Around Oregon Biennial, The Art Center, Corvallis, OR (juror: Ashley Skull Meyers)
Artworks Northwest, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR
Between Spaces, Wavelength Space, Nashville, TN
Bewilderment, Nightingale Gallery, Eastern Oregon University, LaGrande, OR (three-person exhibition)
2022
Invisible Labor, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR (two-person exhibition)
2022
Roundhouse Foundation: Featured Artist from the RMRCAA Residency Program, Pendleton Art Center, Pendleton, OR
RURAL, Umpqua Valley Arts, Roseburg, OR (curator: Tiffany Hokanson)
Barnstorm, Punch Projects, Ellensburg, WA
Bewilderment, The Dalles Art Center, The Dalles, OR (three-person exhibition)
2021
(Un)Natural Boundaries and Borders, Silverwood Park Gallery, St. Anthony, MN (juror: Katayoun Amjadi)
Soft Ambition, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR (two-person exhibition)
Second Date, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR
Left Coast National, Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA (juror: Christine Koppes)
2020
Low Boil, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR
Reflections, ANTI-AESTHETIC, Eugene, OR
A Quiet Stand, Forsberg Gallery, Rose Center for the Arts, Lower Columbia College, Longview, WA
Intersections, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR (juror: Tallmadge Doyle)
TOUCH: a virtual exhibition, WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL (curator/juror: Gina Lee Robbins)
IF/THEN, Tropical Contemporary, Eugene, OR
This is Us: Artworks by UVA's Gallery Committee, The Red Gallery, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR
Bruised Topography, Rose Center for the Arts. Lower Columbia Community College, Longview, WA (two-person exhibition)
2019
Disjecta's 12th Annual Art Auction, Disjecta, Portland, OR
INTERSTATE: where I-90 meets I-82, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA (juror: Grace Kook-Anderson)
Reinventing Landscape, College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA (two-person exhibition)
I Want to Lie Upon an Open Hillside, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR (solo)
2018
First Date, Carnation Contemporary, Portland, OR
Study of Site and Space, 950 Gallery, Tacoma, WA (curator: Allison Hyde)Barnstorm 2018, Punch Projects, Ellensburg, WA (juror: Ginger Ewing)
Gray Space Project at ECA, Eugene Contemporary Art, Eugene, OR
It Went Like This: The Skyline was Beautiful on Fire, South Gallery, Vermont College of Fine Art, Montpelier, VT (juror: Meg Onli)
Recapture, Main Gallery, Lane Community College, Eugene, OR (solo)
2017
Renee Couture, Auburn Community & Event Center Gallery, Auburn, WA (solo)
The Highest Fence, Gray Space Project, Cabin Creek Rest Area/I-5, Oregon (solo)Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Residents Exhibition, The Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE (curator: Amanda Smith)
I am a country made of changing places, The Red Gallery, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR (solo)
Grassroots, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL (curators: Pamela Callahan and Deb Flagel)
Barnstorm, Punch Projects, Ellensburg, WA
2016
Some/Any/No Place, Blend Studios, Nashville, TN (solo)
Sediments, Sequences, and Solitude, traveling exhibition, World Forestry Center, Portland, OR; Atelier 6000, Bend, OR; Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR (curator: Deborah Springstead Ford, catalog)Salon: Portland2016 Biennial, The Studio Visits, Disjecta, Portland, OR (curator: Michelle Grabner)
The Residents, Eisentrager Howard Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (curator:Amanda Smith)
2015
Surveyed, Tiger Strikes Asteroid Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (two-person exhibition)
Juxtaposed, Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR (four-person installation exhibition)Going Out There, Corrine Woodman Gallery, The Art Center, Corvallis, OR (solo)
Not Simply Here, Betty Faves Art Gallery, Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, OR (two-person exhibition)
Bellingham National, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA (juror: Scott Lawrimore)
When They Fall, They Always Make Noise, Gretchen Schuette Gallery, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR (solo)
Americas 2000, traveling exhibition, The Art Gallery, Bismark State College, Bismarck, ND; Northern Lights Art Gallery, Mayville State University, Mayville, ND (invitational)
Ephermera, The Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR (invitational)
2014
Art of the Wild, traveling exhibition, Umpqua Valley Arts Center, Roseburg, OR; Hood River Art Center, Hood River, OR (invitational)
Latitude, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR (invitational)Oregon Art Beat Alumni Exhibit, The Peoples Gallery, Portland, OR (invitational)
17th International Open, WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL (juror: Myra Green)
New Works to the Permanent Collection, The Art Gallery, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg,OR
Americas 2000, traveling exhibition, The Art Center, Jamestown, ND; Welder Art Gallery, University of Mary, Bismarck, ND; Cando Art Center, Cando, ND (invitational)
Unmoor, Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR (two-person exhibition)
Creative Process, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR
2013
Thoughts and Longings, The Art Center, Corvallis, OR (three-person exhibition)
To the Rumored Garden, Nightingale Gallery, Eastern Oregon University, LaGrand, OR (solo)Americas 2000, traveling exhibit, Harnett Gallery, Minot State University, Minot, ND
Home Sweet Home SOS, Gary B. Olsen Gallery, Minot State University, Minot, ND (solo)
ThinkLab, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, OR (two-person exhibition)
The Bitters: Fuck it!, Whitdel Arts, Detroit, MI (curator: Stephen Schudlich)
Road Trip, Work Gallery, Detroit, MI (curator: Stephen Schudlich)
Food: Friend or Foe, Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Arlington, VA (juror: April Wood)
A Thin Line, Retzlaff Gallery, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR (solo)
Making a Mark: Drawing in Oregon, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR (curator: Hester Coucke)
Renee Couture and Heidi Pruess Grew, Corrine Woodman Gallery, The Arts Center, Corvallis, OR (two-person exhibition)
Taproot, Gallery 114, Portland, OR
2012
It May Take Longer, The Brink Gallery, Missoula, MT (solo)
The 99%, The Wiseman Gallery, Rogue Community College, Grants Pass, ORTedium II, The Fishbowl, Blackfish Gallery, Portland, OR (solo)
America!, Work Gallery, Detroit, MI (curator: Joe Levickas)
Photography Invitational, Chase Gallery, Spokane, WA (invitational)
TRIO, Rogue Art Gallery, Medford, OR (three-person show)
Finger Licking Good, The Art Center, Corvallis, OR (curator: Hester Coucke)
Kindly Use, site-specific installation on Lower Piney Creek Road, Banner, WY (solo)
15th International Open, WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL (juror: Linda Warren)
Shadow Effects, Douglas County Museum, Roseburg, OR (solo)
2011
Text Us, Umpqua Valley Art Center, Roseburg, OR
Shadow Effects, Goodenow Gallery, Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, IA (solo)Tedium, Firehouse Gallery, Rogue Community College, Grants Pass, OR (solo)
Art of Our Century, Woodbury Art Museum, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
2010
Art at the X, Xavier University Art Gallery, AB Cohen Center, Cincinnati, OH
Sanctuary: An Echo of Frustration, Wood Gallery, Montpelier, VT (solo, MFA thesisexhibition)
MFA Student Winter Showcase, MFA Student Gallery, Vermont College of Fine Art,
Montpelier, VT
While in Class..., WomanMade Gallery, Chicago, IL (juror: Lily Mayfield)
Americas 2010: Paperworks, Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot, ND (juror: Heidi Goldberg)
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Artist Lecture with Charlie Ann Hopkins and M Acuff, Eastern Oregon University
Artist Lecture, Lane Community College, Eugene, OR (February 21, 2018)
Artist Lecture, Bend Art Center, Bend, OR (February 6, 2018)
Artist Talk, Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR (December 5, 2015)
Artist Talk, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR (April 8, 2015)
KHN Open Studios, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, NE (March 19, 2015)
Playa Presents Open Studio Event, PLAYA, Summer Lake, OR (January 24, 2015)
Artist Lecture, Eastern Oregon University, LaGrande, OR (October 2, 2013)
Jentel Presents, Sage Gallery, Sheridan, WY (February 23, 2012)
Shadow Effects: Interview on the Jefferson Exchange, Jefferson Public Radio (February 17, 2012)
PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
Kinhouse Exhibition 2025, Kinhouse Gallery, 2025 (Kaylan Buteyn and Dana Caldera, authors)
Overlap and Outliers: the Artists of Carnation Contemporary, Carnation Contemporary, 2022
Caprario, Kathleen, CAFE 541: Social Patterns, The Register Guard, Eugene, OR (June 11,
2020)
2015-2019 Connective Conversations Curator/Critic Tours and Lectures, The Ford Family
Foundation and the University of Oregon, 2020 (pg 46-47, 248)
Clayton, Alec, Architecture, memory and nature: Study of Site and Space at 950
Gallery, Weekly Volcano (August 9, 2018)
Beating the Bounds, Hobblebush Books, 2016 (cover art)
Disjecta, The Disjecta Portland2016 Biennial (accompanying photo book to A Reader onPlace and Work), Artful Dragon Press, 2016 (page 3)
William J. Simmons, Portland2016: A Biennial of Contemporary Art (Review), Art Papers,
September/October issue, 2016 (page 62)
Sediments, Sequences, and Solitude, PLAYA, 2016 (pages 20 and 53)
Connective Conversations: Inside Oregon Art, 2011-2014, The Ford Family Foundation and the University of Oregon, 2015 (pages 80-83)
Sabina Poole, Renee Couture: A trailer with a view, Oregon ArtsWatch: Oregon's Arts & Culture (September 9, 2015) (http://www.orartswatch.org/renee-couture-a-trailer-with-a-view/)
Bob Keefer, Gallery's contemporary pieces reflect on life today, The Register Guard, Eugene, OR (January 27, 2014)
Heather Hansman, Renee Couture and the Art of Logging, Adventure Journal (July 25, 2013)
Garrett Andrews, "ThinkLab" art exhibit at Umpqua Community College, The NewsReview, page B-1 (July 11, 2013)
Sierra Crane Murdoch, The gray area: a conversation with artist Renee Couture, High Country
News, volume 45, number 7 (April 29, 2013)
Raino Isto, Interview with Renee Couture, parts 1 and 2, AfterArt, (March 2013
(http://afterart.wordpress.com/2013/03/)
Mike Midlo, Producer, Oregon Art Beat, featured artist, Oregon Public Broadcast, Portland, OR
(January 24, 2013; re-broadcast January 27, 2013; can be streamed on-line)
Kate Ostergren, Rural Oregon Inspires Artist Renee Couture, Oregon Public Broadcast (Art & Life
section of website) (January 20, 2013)
Melissa Mylchreest, Chopping Wood: Renee Couture sees the forest for the trees, Missoula
Independent (November 1, 2012)
Editorial Board, Artist offers novel perspective on familiar timber debate, The News Review
(February 22, 2012)
Ryan Imondi, Shadow Effects shows all sides of timber, The News Review (February 10, 2012)
Versal 10, international literary & arts publication, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; pages 65 and
162 (2012)
Kristin Carter, Artist and WMG Member Spotlight, WomanMade Gallery Blog
(http://womanmadegallery.wordpress.com) (March 12, 2009)
RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Project Coordinator, Percent for Art Program, Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
March 2020 - present
Gallery Manager, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, OR
spring 2013, winter/spring 2016, winter/spring 2017, spring 2020, fall 2022 - summer 2023
Artist-Mentor, San Francisco Art Institute (Low Residency MFA Program), San Francisco, CA
fall 2012
Adjunct Fine Art Faculty, Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, OR
winter 2008 - 2020
Applicant Reviewer, Pine Meadow Ranch Artist Residency Program, Sisters, OR
2021-2023Applicant Reviewer, Douglas County Cultural Coalition, Roseburg, OR
2018 - 2024
Applicant Reviewer, PLAYA Foundation Artist Residency Program, Summer Lake, OR
2015 - 2017, 2024 - 2025