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Shirley Pettibone (1936-2011) earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Otis Art Institute of Los Angeles in 1962. Her career as an artist began in the early 1960s with three dimensional assemblages consisting of drawings, paintings and collage from a feminist perspective. She received an NEA grant in 1976, and was included in the seminal exhibition “Twenty Six Contemporary Women Artists” organized by Lucy R Lippard at the Aldrich museum in April of 1971. Leaving a mark as a leading conceptual American artist of the 1960’s and 70’s, she moved to Los Angeles where she became focused on photo realistic oil paintings featuring water, landscapes and depictions of wildlife. Her works have been exhibited in many galleries and are held as part of the permanent collections of several museums. She painted daily throughout her decades-long career and hoped that her art would convey a life affirming spirit to the viewer.