July 2002

VERA   BANEY DATE OF BIRTH: ... PLACE OF BIRTH: ..., Trinidad EDUCATION: Naparima Girls' High School Alfred University, New York, USA University of Maryland, Maryland, USA (BA) CAREER:                                 An accomplished sculptor who works with ceramics, Vera Baney has had solo exhibits at various venues in Trinidad, including the Naparima Bowl in San Fernando. Her most publicly visible work in Trinidad is a 4-foot by 16-foot ceramic mural at the Scotia Centre in Port-of-Spain. In 1971, she left Trinidad for the USA to attend the University of Maryland. After her graduation with a major in studio art, she settled with her husband Ralph Baney in Maryland where she became a part-time instructor at the Dundalk Community College in Baltimore, while continuing to create works of art. She participated in the 1984 International Sculpture Symposium held in Yugoslavia and had solo exhibits at several venues in the USA, including: the OAS Building in Washington, DC; the Washington County Museum in Hagerstown, Maryland; Catonsville Community College and Dundalk Community College, in Baltimore, Maryland; and Lang Gallery in Claremont, California. She also exhibited her work at the Commonwealth Institute in London, England. A left-handed sculptor, Vera Baney suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1999 following which she lost the use of her left hand and required a wheelchair to get around. Her handicaps nothwithstanding, she learned to use her right hand and continued to produce works of sculpture and exhibit with her husband. In 2005, she had a sculptural pot slected for HoCo Art 2005, a U.S. biennial show. AWARDS: 1974 - C.C.C. Outstanding Potter 1982 - Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Gold (for Fine Arts) DIED: May 20, 2008