Pam Bidelman is a self -taught artist who lives and works in St. Peter, Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Social Work degree and continued to work as a clinical social worker until her retirement. During retirement she began to pursue her goal of producing art. Inspired and supported by other artists in the area, she learned to draw and paint, and eventually exhibit her oil paintings in local and metro venues.
A PLRAC/McKnight Emerging Artist grant in 2005 set the foundation for a number of solo and group exhibitions in St. Peter, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, and Minneapolis. Pam is known as a painter whose work has focused on themes related to the internal lives of women through simple forms and dramatic use of color. As a recipient of the PLRAC/McKnight Foundation Fellowship, Pam has worked for the past year with professional conceptual artist and teacher, Cheryle Melander to shift to new themes, media, and presentation. She characterizes the relationship as extremely challenging and extraordinarily rewarding. Her new work evolved in unexpected ways and with unexpected methods and media. The finished pieces became investigations of the fragility of the vessel skin creates as it shields the inner physiology.
