Philadelphian artist and former Bucks professor, Charlotte Schatz, 90, has artwork displayed at the Hicks Art Gallery in an exhibit titled, “Charlotte Schatz: Indomitable.”

The art show features artwork that represents Schatz’s artistic style through different phases. The art pieces show her primary concerns at different points in her career, with an underlying theme of her impossibility to subdue or defeat spirit.

There are 24 of her pieces on display in the gallery, two of which are on loan from the Michener Museum.

Fran Orlando, the Director of Exhibitions and Artmobile, said, “Charlotte Schatz taught here for many years, and she just turned 90 this year yet she’s still creating art. So, we felt that this would be a nice way to recognize her and for folks who remember her here to know what she’s been up to.”

Schatz trained in sculpture at Temple University’s, Tyler School of Art.

“Schatz has always had a focus on social justice and you see that in some of her work, especially in her black and white art, computer-generated art, and the sculptures too,” said Orlando.

Many of her artworks feature immigrants.

“She grew up in a time in Philadelphia where there was a lot of social activism, so she was well-versed on those kinds of topics. She also had a job helping immigrants which made her even more knowledgeable and passionate about it,” explained Orlando.

Some of her art are reactions to tragedies, such as the mysterious disappearances of many people in South American countries during the 1980s and 1990s, and the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

“Physically, Schatz has always been a petite woman, but she has always had a very strong spirit. And that has to do with her focus on social justice and her artistic vision. It’s always been very strong, kind of belying her physical stature. So, the curator and I were talking about her personality, her spirit that’s just really, well, indomitable,” said Orlando.

Schatz shows an interest in form and the employment of shapes in her art. She spent a year in Paris, after which she considered herself to be a Fauve painter, a Parisian art style that is known for its use of strong, vivid colors.

Quite a few of Schatz’s work in the gallery show paintings of mundane things such as buildings and factories that are painted with beautiful, strong colors that differ from their original colors.

However, in her most recent artwork, Schatz shifted away from her practice of using form into more abstract art that is less about form and more expressive in its nature.

The art show “Charlotte Schatz: Indomitable” will be on display until Dec. 9, 2019. Gallery hours are as follow:

Monday and Friday- 9a.m. to 4p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- 9a.m. to 8p.m.

Saturday- 10a.m. to 2p.m.