ABOUT THE ARTIST

Zita Biliūnaitė-Sodeika was born in Jurbarkas, Lithuania in 1934. In 1944, her family, as so many others, was forced to abandon their home and seek refuge in Germany by the advancing Red Army during World War II. In 1949, they moved to the U.S. to a new life in Chicago.

Zita studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, receiving her degree in advertising and design in 1958. After graduation she worked as a commercial artist at the FAIR department store, then at Hoskinson & Rohloff studio, in Chicago. In 1961 Zita switched to fine arts working at home and raising a family. She also returned for further studies to the Art Institute: painting (1965-1966) and printmaking (1969-1970).

During the 1980s and 1990s, she lived in Ohio, where she also worked with the Poet-in-Residence program of the Ohio Arts Council publishing her own poetry, created cover art for Westron Press publications, and worked as the art and photography editor of Heartland Today, an annual review of Midwestern artists and writers.

Her largest work, a hand-colored drawing-painting consisting of nineteen eight-foot high panels and totaling 84 feet in length, is titled "The Wall" and was exhibited in 1983. It depicts the deceptions and repression practiced by communist regimes. This mural is now a part of the permanent collection of the Lithuanian Museum of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Currently, Zita Sodeika lives and works in Apple River, Illinois. She uses drawing, painting, and collage in her work. Describing her work Zita says: "I like to place images in different contexts to arrive at different moods. By rearranging points of view and by bringing back to the present the decorative elements of medieval, Byzantine, and Persian art, I create different realities, which are forever closing the ring with the past and the future."

References:
(a) Zita Sodeika, (b) A. Kezys, Lithuanian Art in America, Lituanus, vol. 34, no. 4, 1988; (c) A. Kezys, Lithuanian Artists in North America, Galerija, Stickney, Illinois, 1994.

SELECTED WORKS

All images are provided by the courtesy of Zita Sodeika. Any use of these images must be with her permission. Zita Sodeika can be reached by mail at 3A142 Gen. Jackson Drive, Apple River, IL 61001, or by phone at 815-492-2582.

  12 works with collages.
 
  9 works with pen, ink, pencils, & 1 mixed media.
 
  9 works of acrylic on canvas & 1 mixed media.
 
  10 works from the series "Bird People".
 
  6 remaining works.
 

SOLO EXHIBITS

2001 - "Dreamscapes and Universal Portraits - Surrealistic Visions", 39 works consisting of drawings with collage, mixed media, and acrylic on canvas, Lithuanian Museum of Art, Lemont, Illinois
2000 - Dublin Arts Council Gallery, Dublin, Ohio
1997 - Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1996 - "Little Gallery" Firelands College of BGSU, Huron, Ohio
1996 - Greyling Gallery, Tiffin, Ohio
1995 - Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Chicago, Illinois
1994 - Cultural Center, Jurbarkas, Lithuania
1992 - OSU Gallery Marion Campus, Marion, Ohio
1990 - National Museum of Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
1990 - Cultural Center, Jurbarkas, Lithuania
1990 - International Gallery at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
1986 - Columbia College Art Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1985 - SXC Gallery at Xavier College, Chicago, Illinois
1983 - "Berlin Wall", 8 by 84 foot mural in 19 panels, Galerija, Chicago, Illinois
1983 - "Berlin Wall", Lithuanian Art Gallery Čiurlionis, Chicago, Illinois
1982 - Galerija Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1980 - Lithuanian Cultural Center, Detroit, Michigan
1980 - Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Chicago, Illinois
1977 - Lithuanian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California
1976 - Lithuanian Art Gallery Čiurlionis, Chicago, Illinois
1970 - Lithuanian Art Gallery Čiurlionis, Chicago, Illinois
1968 - Lithuanian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California

TWO ARTIST EXHIBITS

1991 - Pearl Conard Gallery, OSU Mansfield Campus, Mansfield, Ohio
1990 - Fava Gallery, Oberlin, Ohio
1988 - Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Chicago, Illinois
1988 - Concourse Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
1986 - Artreach Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
1984 - Don Coburn Gallery, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio
1981 - Dittmar Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
1974 - Countryside Art Center, Arlington Heights, Illinois
1968 - Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, Chicago, Illinois

THREE ARTIST EXHIBIT

1981 - Swen Parsons Gallery, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois

INVITATIONAL EXHIBITS

1990 - "5 Figurative Artists", Sandusky Cultural Center, Sandusky, Ohio
1986 - 30 Ohio Artists in the Cultural Exchange Exhibit, Taipei, Taiwan
1986 - "Self Images", Čiurlionis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1985 - "Pastel But Not Pale", 13 Ohio artists at Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1978 - Trinity College, Deerfield, Illinois
1978 - Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, Illinois
1976-77 - 20 Lithuanian Artists Living in Illinois, traveling exhibit
1976 - Six Women Artists, Hull House Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1973 - 12 Lithuanian Artists in America, Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1973 - Five Graphic Artists, Čiurlionis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1972 - Winnetka Art Fair Green, Winnetka, Illinois
1972 - Winter Show of Fine Art, River Forest, Illinois
1969 - Winter Show of Fine Art, River Forest, Illinois
1967 - Winter Show of Fine Art, River Forest, Illinois

JURIED GROUP SHOWS

1999 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1996 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1995 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1994 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1993 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1992 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1991 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1990 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1989 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1988 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1987 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1986 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1985 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1984 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1983 - "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1980 - Countryside at Woodfield Fine Arts Exhibit, Schaumburg, Illinois
1978 - Old Orchard Art Fair, Skokie, Illinois
1978 - Annual Print & Drawing Show, Harper College, Palatine, Illinois
1977 - Press Club, Chicago, Illinois
1977 - Illinois Landscape Artists Exhibit, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, Illinois
1976-77 - University Club, Chicago, Illinois
1976 - Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois
1972 - Barat College, Lake Forest, Illinois
1972 - Professional Artist Exhibition at Illinois State Fair, Springfield, Illinois

AWARDS

1999 - Best of show prize, all Ohio juried exhibition, Pearl Conard Gallery, Ohio State University campus, Mansfield, Ohio
1996 - Jurors' award, "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1998 - First prize for a drawing, "May Show", Zanesville Art Center
1994 - Jurors' award, "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1994 - Jurors' award, "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1991 - First prize for a full body mask, The Art Institute of Chicago alumni reunion, Chicago, Illinois
1991 - Jurors' award, "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1990 - Jurors' award, "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1989 - Lithuanian-American Artist of the Year Award
1985 - Best of Show for the entire entry (2 paintings & 2 drawings), "May Show", Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, Ohio
1981 - First prize for a painting, Members Show at Countryside Art Center
1980 - First prize for a painting, Members Show at Countryside Art Center
1978 - First prize for a painting, Members Show at Countryside Art Center
1977 - First prize for a drawing, Illinois Landscape Artists Exhibit, Hyde park Art Center, Chicago, Illinois
1972 - Second prize for a painting, Winnetka Art Fair Green, Winnetka, Illinois
1971 - First prize for a painting, Lithuanian Artists of Chicago Exhibit, Čiurlionis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
1968 - First prize in painting, Young Artists Exhibit, Čiurlionis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

COMMISSION

1980 - One of ten Chicago artists commissioned for a painting for Mother Seton Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

PURCHASE OF PUBLICATION RIGHTS

By Scott, Foresman to print a painting in "United States In Literature"

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Ashland University, Ohio - 24 drawings and collages purchased for their permanent collection in 1997
Lithuanian Art Gallery Čiurlionis, Chicago
Lithuanian Fine Arts Club Inc. - five drawings purchased with a grant from Illinois Art Council
Lithuanian Museum of Art, Vilnius, Lithuania - 10 drawings, 10 paintings, and "The Wall" (8 ft x 84 ft drawing-painting) are in the permanent collection
Vincent Price Collections - six paintings purchased
Many paintings, drawings and collages are in private collections.

SEMINAR

1998 - "The Imagenery of Zita Sodeika", visiting artist program at Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, Illinois

ILLUSTRATION

Numerous poetry books, album covers, parts of Childcraft World Book Encyclopedia and the Lithuanian Family Traditions
Book cover artist for Weston Press, Toledo, Ohio.

EDITING

Art and photo editor for the Heartlands Today.

PLEASE, if you see any errors or you have additional information on the subjects of this page, write to [email protected]. Thank you.
www.lithaz.org: Internet home of Arizona Chapter of Lithuanian-American Community, Inc.