Wilma Parker is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) and the Art Institute of Chicago (MFA). She is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Art Program, The American Society of Marine Artists, Tailhook , and the Salmagundi Club of New York City. She was awarded the George Gray Prize, Coast Guard Art Program, Salmagundi Club, 1994. In 2009, she was included in the Robert Rauschenberg Tribute Show, Museum of the Gulf Coast, Port Arthur, Texas.
She has shown at and has work included in The National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Florida; Rotunda, House of Representatives, Washington D.C.; National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.; Distinguished Women in Marine Art, Mystic Maritime Museum, Mystic Connecticut; USS Coast Guard Twentieth Annual Show, Salmagundi Club, New York City; Los Angeles Maritime Museum; San Diego Maritime Museum; International Society of Marine Artists, Camden, Maine; Naval Air Station, Alameda, Aviation Museum; USCG Exhibition, South Battery Club, Governor’s Island, New York; award presented by Admiral J.W. Kime; Commonwealth Club of San Francisco; Nautilus Memorial, Groton, Connecticut; Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, Connecticut; Mid–Atlantic Maritime Museum; Springfield Museum of Fine Arts.
Wilma is particularly proud of the three years she spent working on her Legacy Painting, Homecoming NASA, 44 x 128”, for Naval Air Station, Alameda, Alameda, California. The work was commissioned by Captain James Dodge on behalf of the U.S. Navy to preserve the legacy and history of NAS Alameda.
Working with the inspired Captain Dodge, his wife Kathy, also a Navy captain, Commander Kenneth Hileman, his wife Ellyn, and many others, preserving the legacy became a reality that gave rise to many opportunities for celebration, awards, ceremonies, including the hosting of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, Escort Flotilla Four. Part of base closure operations, concerned with preserving the legacy was the arrival and restoration of the USS Hornet as a museum ship. This rescue was the brainchild of Captain Dodge, included many man-hours of volunteer work from World War II veterans from the Bay Area and beyond, and was the inspiration for Wilma’s painting. After the ship was secured and restored Wilma was awarded first Artist in Residence aboard Hornet. There she maintained a teaching and working studio. She took many photographs documenting for herself World War II aircraft arriving for restoration, setting up new exhibits. On days when the ship was open, she welcomed children and members of the public to her studio on the fantail (see Art Class Aboard USS Hornet 44 x 70”) She participated in and received awards for such events as Splash Down, NASA and the Navy. She became a member of Tailhook in the course of her flight onto and off of the USS Constellation arranged as another sort of reward for her successful completion of the mural Homecoming, NASA, commemorating base closure. The painting is now at NAS Lemorre, Fresno, California.
Contact:
Email: wjpdp@yahoo.com
Phone: ( 415)981.3530