Isabel Pavão graduated in Fine Arts from the Fine Arts Academy of Porto, in Portugal, in 1984. Grant from the Portuguese Government for research and artistic project in Paris, France.
Completed a Master of Arts /Diplôme d’Études Approfondies Artistiques at Université Paris VIII – St. Dennis, in 1988 and presented the “Thèse de Troisième Cycle” towards a Ph.D. in contemporary art. Researh towards a doctorate degree in Contemporary Art in the Art Department at New York University with a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Luso-American Foundation. Holds a Ph.D. in Arts from New York University (1994).
Isabel Pavão lives and works in New York since 1990.
Exhibits her work in New York City, and in many museums and galleries all over the world. Participates often as an invited artist as well as a guest professor in Universities, Art Schools, and Museums. She presents on contemporary art, on art projects dealing with her own work, pedagogical issues, and aesthetics.
Board of Directors of the Cinema Arts Center, N.Y., Advisory Board of Directors of Arte Institute and Counselor of the Portuguese Diáspora Council. She is currently the Chair of the Art Committee at the Lotos club, NYC.
Higher Education
| 1990-94 | Ph.D. Arts, New York University |
| 1986-88 | Master in Arts, University of Paris VIII |
| 1978-83 | Bachelor of Fine Arts; Post Graduation, University of Porto |
Additional Higher Education
| 2019 | Institutional Apparatuses – The museum as a form, James Gallery, Graduate Centre Cuny, New York. |
| 2010-11 | Aesthetics of Deskilling, The Graduate Center CUNY. |
| 2008-09 | Fundraising for non-profit Organizations, Adelphi University. |
| Board of Directors Workshop for non-profit organizations, Adelphi University. | |
| 2007 | Topics in Modern Art: The Postwar Years, The Graduate School University Center, CUNY. |
| 2006 | Art Methods of Research; Selected Topics in Modern Art, Graduate School University Center, CUNY. |
| Topics in Contemporary Art, Graduate School University Center, CUNY. |
Academic and Professional Honors
Awards and Grants
| 2015 | Award and invited artist from the Comptroller of Nassau County for the “Women of the World” exhibition, Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building, Nassau County, New York. |
| 2014 | Award From Arte Institute, New York. |
| 2008 | Exhibition Grant, S. Paulo, Brasil, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. |
| 2007 | Exhibition Grant, Lisbon, Portugal, Museum of the Presidency of the Republic. |
| 2005 | Exhibition Grant, S. Paulo, Brasil, Conjunto Cultural Caixa Federal. |
| 2004 | Research Grant, Goa, India, Orient Foundation. |
| 2002 | Exhibition Grants, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, Gulbenkian Foundation. |
| 1998 | Exhibition Grants and book publishing, New Delhi, India, Brussels, Belgium, Paris, France, Luso American Foundation and Orient Foundation. |
| 1996 | Exhibition Grant, Macau, China, Portuguese/Chinese Government. |
| 1995 | Contemporary Art Fair, Arte Jovem, Painting category award, Fórum da Maia, Portugal. |
| International Biennale of Vila Nova de Cerveira, Invited artist, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal. | |
| 1994-90 | Research Grant towards the Doctorate in Contemporary Art, Art Department, New York University, Calouste Gulbenkian and Luso-American Foundation. |
| 1985-87 | Research and painting Grant, Portuguese Ministry of Culture, Paris, France. |
| 1985 | Prémio de Grabado Maximo Ramos, Museum of Bello Pinero Ferrol, Corunha, Spain. |
Conferences
| 2021 | The Heart Is a Drowning Object: A virtual event, January 22, presented by Book Arts at the Virginia Center for the Book, a program of Virginia Humanities. |
| 2020 | “Meet the artist”, Monday, October 12, 2020, this event marked the launch of the Portuguese American Art Gallery virtual exhibition, made possible by PALCUS, PUSCC, The Embassy of Portugal and FLAD. “Virtual Art Lecture with Isabel Pavão”, Thursday, October 29, 2020, Lotos Club about her recently published book Porto-Paris-New York—a book celebrating her career since the 80’s. The launch of this publication was planned to be back in March simultaneously with her retrospective show in Porto at Coop Arvore, but because of the health crisis, is now scheduled for next year. Porto-Paris-New York is both the title of the book and the defining stages along a journey. This trajectory, Porto – Paris – New York – reflects an itinerary which the artist has undertaken and is a reference of the visual and conceptual inquiry carried along each stage and process of her artwork. Isabel will be also will be presenting on her recent artwork produced during the lockdown. |
| 2019 | Pop Up Lunch, presentation “The creative process, The Art of making Art”, Lotos Club, New York. |
| 2018 | XI Colloquium of Psychoanalisis and Culture, presentation “the Art of making Art” |
| 2011 | BMCC Presentation “Translating New York”, XIV Colloquium of the Modern Languages Department, City University of New York. |
| Presentation and Introduction to the movie “Exit through the Gift Shop” by Banksy, at the Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, New York. | |
| 2007 | BMCC Presentation with Profs. Dolores DeLuise and Maria de Vasconcelos on the English translation and on my art cover of the novella, Monique. |
| 2006 | BMCC presentation, Atmospheres Series, for the Women’s History month. |
| 2005 | Symposium organized by the University of S. Paulo, Conjunto Cultural S. Paulo, Brasil. |
| 2003 | Presentations in the Museums of Belem, Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte, Brasil. |
| 2002 | BMCC Presentation – The Woman Artist and the Problematic of Gender, for The Women’s story Month. |
| 2001 | BMCC Presentation – New York Series, for the Modern Language Colloquium. |
| Seminar on Contemporary Art, Conjunto Cultural Caixa Brasilia and University of Brasilia, Brasil. | |
| 2000 | BMCC Presentation – Linguistic Boundaries, for The Women’s Her story month. |
| 1998 | Colloquium with Christine Buci Glucksman. Cartographies in Art, Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi, India. |
| 1996 | Linguistic Boundaries- Oriental Series, Art Academy and Leal Senado, Macau, China. |