Curriculum Vitae

Largely influenced by her rural upbringing, Sara Pruiksma continues to be inspired by her immediate surroundings. Pruiksma lives in upstate New York along the Hudson River in a late 1800’s Italianate style home with her husband, children, and pets.

Pruiksma is a mixed media artist, toggling between painting, sculpting, and cultivating a greener environment. In 2019, she dove heavily into gardening as a hands-on, action-based practice of Eco-Art. As a gardener and wildlife enthusiast, her time spent connecting to and cultivating the land undeniably influences her work through the study of color, form and movement.

Currently Pruiksma works as the Curatorial Assistant at the Albany International Airport, in the Art & Culture Program where she implements a wide array of projects, including gallery exhibitions and site-specific installations throughout the terminal. 

Previously Sara worked as a Design Assistant at May + Watkins Design where she assisted in the creation of large-scale public art commissions, interpretative exhibits and fantastical play structures across the United States.

In 2009, Pruiksma founded Davey Jones Gallery in downtown Albany, which grew to be one of the most prominent, independent small galleries in the area by 2011. During that time, Pruiksma curated fifteen exhibitions, including A Walk into the Huyck Preserve; Our Lasting Impressions, which featured thirteen artists from six, east coast states.

Pruiksma received her MFA from the State University of New York and graduated with her BFA from Alfred University School of Art and Design, after receiving her Associates degree from Columbia-Greene Community College.