Education
Master of Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing, 1998, Central Washington University
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, 1988, University of Washington
Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughn, Ireland, Abstract Painting, Summer 2009
Teaching Experience
Heritage University:
2015 - Present Professor Emerita of Visual Art
2004-2015 Chair, Fine Arts Department
2002 - 2015 Professor of Visual Art
1993 - 2002 Adjunct Faculty, Art and Anthropology
Yakima Valley Community College:
1999-2002 Adjunct Faculty, Art
Central Washington University:
1999 - Adjunct Faculty, Art - Beginning and Intermediate Ceramics
1997 and 1998 - Teaching Assistant Watercolor and 2D Design (instr. of record)
Exhibits
2024 Inland NW Landscape Juried Exhibit, Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga Univ., Spokane
Nature Nurture, Spokane Art School, juried, Spokane, WA
Annual Juried Exhibit, Gallery at the Park, Richland, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, YVC, Yakima, WA
Confluence, juried, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
Images of the Shrub-Steppe, juried, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Larson Gallery 75th Anniversary Exhibit, curated, YVC, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artist Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2023 Central Washington Artist Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Art on the Square, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Larson Gallery Members Exhibit, Yakima, WA
2022 Conversations with the Wind: Sculpture and Painting, solo exhibit, Virginia
Hislop Gallery, Heritage University, Toppenish, WA
Intersections, juried, Women Painters of Washington, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
A Matter of Perspective, Museum of Art and Culture, Moses Lake, WA
The Potter’s Touch, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Images of the Shrub-Steppe, juried, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2021 Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Annual Juried Exhibit, Gallery at the Park, Richland, WA
2020 Annual State Juried Exhibit, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA
Divergent Voices: Women Empowered, Yakima Valley Museum, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Images of the Sage-Steppe, juried, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Annual Juried Exhibit, Gallery at the Park, Richland, WA
2019 Conflicting Realities, solo exhibit, Robert Graves Gallery, Wenatchee, WA
Images of the Shrub-Steppe, juried, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Fracture, National Juried Exhibit, Kirkland Art Center, Kirkland, WA
Sculpting the Valley III, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
2018 Between Memory and Imagination, Residency Exhibit, Yakima Valley Museum
Acclimating, Kirkland Art Center, curator, J. Gordon, Kirkland, WA
Northwest Ceramic Artists, Robert Graves Gallery, Invitational, Wenatchee, WA
Sculpting the Valley II, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Images of the Shrub-Steppe, juried, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Nasty Women, Yakima Makerspace, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2017 Annual State Juried Exhibit, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA
Current Connections, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA (with Barb Smith Gilbert)
Sculpting the Valley, Yakima Makerspace Gallery, Yakima, WA
Host Studio, Larson Gallery Studio Tour, Yakima, WA
2016 In Search of Meaning, juried, Vachon Gallery, Seattle University, Seattle, WA
Small Works, Juried, Gallery North, Edmonds, WA
Visual Impressions, Juried, Ryan James Gallery, Kirkland, WA
Totem, Invitational Exhibit, Confluence Gallery, Twisp, WA
Storytellers, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2014 Feminine Voices in Clay, Invitational Exhibit, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
Annual Washington State Juried Exhibit, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA
2013 Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Windows Alive, Yakima Arts Commission, Yakima, WA
On the Walls, Fourth Street Theatre, featured Artist, Yakima, WA
Light, Seasons Performance Hall, Yakima, WA
2012 Expressions Northwest, regional juried, Northwind Alliance Gallery, Pt Townsend, WA
4th Contemporary Clay Biennial, national juried, The Art Center, Grand Junction, CO
Carolyn Nelson and Elaine Green, Esvelt Gallery, Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA
From the Ground Up: Regional Ceramic Survey, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2011 Annual Washington State Juried Exhibit, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried,
Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2010 Expressions Northwest, regional juried, Northwind Alliance Gallery, Pt Townsend, WA
Tacoma Community College, regional juried, The Gallery, Tacoma, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Women Artists: Where We Are Now, Larson Gallery, YVCC, Yakima
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2009 Carolyn Nelson, solo exhibit, Art Stop Gallery, Tacoma, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Host Studio, Larson Gallery Tour of Artist’s Studios, Yakima, WA
2008 Annual Washington State Juried Exhibit, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA
Washington Clay Artists, juried, Art Stop Gallery, Tacoma, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2007 Vessels 2007, National Juried Ceramic Exhibit, Claymakers Gallery, Durham, NC
Expressions Northwest, regional juried, Northwind Alliance Gallery, Pt Townsend, WA
Transitions, solo exhibit, Oak Hollow Gallery, Yakima, WA
Members Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima
Harvest, Washington Clay Artists, Peggy Lewis Gallery, Yakima, WA
Inspirations of Eastern Washington, solo exhibit, Simon Edwards Gallery, Yakima, WA
2006 Expressions Northwest, regional juried, Northwind Alliance Gallery, Pt Townsend, WA
Travelers, solo exhibit, Changing Woman Gallery, Pioneer Square, Seattle,
Exploring Place: Regional Women Artists, Esvelt Gallery, CBC, Pasco, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima
Ridges: Then and Now, invitational, Lewis Gallery, Yakima, WA
Members exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Vitrify, Washington Clay Artists Exhibit, Highline Community College, Seattle, WA
Washington Clay Arts 2006 NCECA exhibit, juried, NWCC, Seattle, WA
2005 Chase Gallery All-Media Juried Show, Spokane, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Larson Gallery Tour of Artist’s Studios, Yakima, WA
Fired Up, Regional Ceramic Exhibit, Oak Hollow Gallery, Yakima, WA
2004 Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Annual Multi-Media Juried Show, Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
2003 Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2002 Carolyn Nelson: New Paintings - New Clay, solo, Oak Hollow Gallery, Yakima, WA
Regional Women Artists – 2002, Simon Edwards Gallery, Yakima, WA
Summer Celebration Juried Exhibition, Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
2001 Ceramics 2001, national juried, The Guilford Center, Guilford, Connecticut
Regional Juried Exhibition, Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
Larson Gallery Artist’s Studio Tour, Yakima, WA
2000 Beyond Decoration, with Penn O. Shelton & Ron Gerton, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Earth and Fire, Larson Gallery Regional Ceramic Exhibition, Yakima, WA
Annual National Juried Exhibit, Gallery 76, Wenatchee, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
1999 Painted Ponies, solo exhibit, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
Interior Rhythms, solo exhibit, Peggy Lewis Gallery, Yakima, WA
National Juried Exhibit, Gallery 76, Wenatchee, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
1998 Alternative Realities, MFA Thesis Exhibit, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Ellensburg, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima,WA
Symbols, Dreams and Visions, Ascension Fine Arts Gallery, Yakima, WA
1997 Eclectic Encounters, Peggy Lewis Gallery, Yakima, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
1996 Allied Arts Open Juried Show, Lewis Gallery, Yakima, WA
1995 Multi-media Juried Show, Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Louie Kollmeyer, Carolyn Nelson and Barbara Nickerson, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
1994 Raku, solo exhibit, Chott Gallery, Yakima, WA
1993 25th Anniversary Invitational, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
Multi-media Juried Show, Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
Washington Potters Association Members Show, Northwest Crafts Center, Seattle, WA
1992 Raku, Creations Gallery, solo exhibit, Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
Multi-media Juried Show Parkside Gallery, Richland, WA
Central Washington Artists Exhibit, regional juried, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
Dal Porto and Nelson, Adam East Museum, Moses Lake, WA
Delma Tayer and Carolyn Nelson, Gallery One, Ellensburg, WA
1977-1993 Fulltime studio potter producing functional stoneware and raku and exhibiting in multiple venues. During this time, I taught classes in wheelthrowing for adults and ceramic sculpture for children at my studio and through the artists-in-schools program.
Represented by: Esteban’s, Sedona, Arizona; Die Kundst Gallery, Leavenworth, WA; and Liz’s Loft, Pt. Townsend, WA
Awards
2024 1st Place, Gallery One, Confluence, Ellensburg, WA
Honorable Mention, Gallery One, Confluence, Ellensburg, WA
Honorable Mention, CWAE, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2023 Larson Gallery Guild Purchase Award, CWAE, Yakima, WA
Karen Raine Memorail Award, CWAE, Yakima, WA
2021 Gallery at the Park, Nancy Messner Memorial Award (Taste of Oranges – Ceramic)
2020 Gallery at the Park, Gold Award (Remembering Trees – Ceramic)
2016 Yakima Valley Museum Artist Residency Grant 2017-2018
“Lillian and Muriel Adams Memorial Award,” CWAE (Iron Springs – Ceramic)
2015 Professor Emerita of Visual Art, Heritage University
2013 “Lillian and Muriel Adams Memorial Award,” CWAE (Borderland-Ceramic)
2012 “Muriel Adams Memorial Award”, CWAE (Interior Rhythms - Ceramic)
2011 “Honorable Mention” CWAE (Of Myths and Mortar – Ceramic)
2010 “Bahai Faith Award for Racial Unity” CWAE (Resistance – Ceramic)
“Allied Arts of Yakima Award” CWAE (Resistance-Ceramic)
2008 Heritage University Distinguished Professor
2007 “Special Award” Northwind Alliance (Avebury Exile- Ceramic)
Heritage University Award for Excellence in Research
2006 “Ceramic Sculpture Award” Allied Arts (Wee Places-Ceramic)
2004 “Best of Show” Allied Arts of Richland (Jessie’s World – Pastel Drawing)
“Excellence in Ceramic Award” Allied Arts of Yakima (Lichen-Ceramic)
2003 “Allied Arts Award” CWAE (Passing Through – Pastel Drawing)
2001 “Christy Zamora Award” Allied Arts of Richland (Painted Ponies - Raku)
“Idelle Hultgren Memorial Award” Allied Arts of Richland
(Harmonic Strata – Pastel Drawing)
“Silver Award” Allied Arts of Richland (Carousel Series - Raku)
2000 “Larson Gallery Award,” Allied Arts of Yakima (Harmonic Strata - Pastel)
1999 “Collectors Award” Allied Arts of Yakima (Carousel Series - Raku)
1998 “Directors Choice,” CWAE (Interior Rhythms - Charcoal and Pastel)
1997 “Holtzinger Award,” Allied Arts Yakima (Waiting for the Fifth Horse - Oil on Canvas)
1996 “Tayer Award,” Allied Arts of Yakima (Untitled - Raku)
1995 “Originality in a Non-Geometric Sculpture,” CWAE (Singing Woman - Ceramic)
1993 “Battelle Northwest Purchase Award,” Allied Arts of Richland (How It Feels - Raku)
“Arts in Education Award,” Allied Arts Council Yakima
1992 “Eileen Fleming Memorial Award,” Allied Arts of Richland (Untitled - Raku)
Publications and Presentations
2024 Artist Talk, (zoom), Women Painters of Washington, 4th Corner Group
2021 Jurors Lecture, Images of the Shrub-Steppe, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
2019 Presenting artist, Creative Coffee, Boxx Gallery, Tieton , WA
2018 Carolyn Nelson: Between Memory and Imagination, catalog ISBN 978-1-5323-8543-8
Artist Lecture, Yakima Valley Museum, in conjunction with, “Between Memory and
Imagination” (October 11)
2017 Yakima Celebrates International Sculpture Day, Presenting Artist (Saggar Firing)
Tour Guide, Yakima Downtown Sculpture Walk (April 24)
“Say Yes to Art”, Presenter, I “Heart” Yakima
“Common Ground”, Presenting Artist, Heritage University
2013 “Heritage University 30 Years of Art”, Articles, publication of the Larson Gallery
IS Magazine, Summer 2013 issue, Ekphrastic poems and the works that inspired them.
2012 Panel presenter in conjunction with “From the Ground Up” Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA
2010 “Central Washington Artists, 2007-2010” Artist Archive Publication, Larson Gallery
2009 JuneWorkshop Presenter, Larson Gallery Guild Summer Arts Program
“Raku and Other Low-Fire Surfaces”
2006 Presenting Artist, Esvelt Gallery, Columbia Basin College, in conjunction with Exploring Place: Regional Women Artists
2000 Presenting Artist in conjunction with “Beyond Decoration”, Larson Gallery
1984 “Clay Cooking”, self-published
Critical Reviews and Profiles
2018 Exhibition Review of “Between Memory and Imagination” by David Lynx, Yakima Herald Republic, (September 27, 2018)
2017 Sculpture, Oct. 2017, vol. 36, No. 8, ISC Day Review by Virginia Maksymowicz
1992 Featured Artist, Yakima Herald Republic, 2 page profile by Karen Troianello
Collections
Battelle Northwest Richland, WA
Carousel French Cuisine Restaurant, Yakima, WA
Catholic Charities and Housing, Prosser Senior House, Prosser, WA
Drepung Loseling Monastery, in-exile-in-India, Atlanta, GA, USA headquarters
Heritage University, permanent collection, Toppenish, WA
Lillian Pitt Collection, Portland, Oregon
Yakima Valley College, permanent collection, Yakima, WA
Yakima Valley Museum, permanent collection, Yakima, WA
Numerous Private Collections
Art Related Community Service
2019 Curator, Sculpting the Valley III, Regional sculpture exhibit at Boxx Gallery, Tieton and various public events in Yakima and Tieton, in conjunction with International Sculpture Day.
2018 Co-Curator with Andy Behrle, Sculpting the Valley II, regional sculpture exhibit at Boxx Gallery and various public events in Yakima and Tieton in conjunction with International Sculpture Day.
2017-2022 Gallery Volunteer, Boxx Gallery, Tieton, WA
2017 Co-Curator with Andy Behrle, Sculpting the Valley I, Regional sculpture exhibit at Makerspace Gallery in Yakima and various public events in conjunction with International Sculpture Day
2007-2013 Arts Giving Circle, Board and Public Arts Award Screening Committee
2006-2014 Gallery Committee - Allied Arts Council of Yakima
2015 Selection Committee (Art in Public Places), Davis High School, Yakima, WA