Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 “Don’t Say Other”, Art House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2018 They Are Each Other For A While, University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, ME
2017 Soma, Muriel Guépin Gallery, LES, NYC (Two-Person show)
2014 The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Axioms, CHaShaMa Gallery, New York, NY
2013 Systematic Constructs for The Reduction of Uncertainty, Garis & Hahn, in conjunction with Ideas City,
biennial festival sponsored by the New Museum, New York, NY
2011 The Space Between, Russ Berrie Gallery Space, Columbia University, New York, NY
2010 Perfect 8 Post No Bills Installations, ABC No Rio, New York, NY
2008 Echoes, K.B. Gallery, New York, NY
2003 Reverent Awe and the Search for Beauty, Studio 12N, New York, NY
1997 The Animus Molding Of A House Wife, Gill Exhibition Hall, New Rochelle, NY
1994 Lepel Houding, The Triangle Gallery, Purchase, NY
Public Art
2024 Language to Dream, permanent installation, (18x12ft and 10x13ft), 125th Street Carnegie Library, Commissioned by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program in collaboration with New York Public Library and the Economic Development Corporation, New York, NY
2020 Come Together, Presented by CHaShaMa & New York City Department of Transportation at Fordham Plaza, Bronx, NY
2019 Declarations on Human Rights, NOW Project Space, Jersey City, NJ
2010 Perfect 8 Post No Bills Installations, Multiple Public Locations Throughout The 5 Boroughs of New York City & ABC No Rio, New York, NY
2009 Perfect 8 Bodega Installation, sponsored by Northern Manhattan Artists Alliance, Last Stop Convenience, New York, NY
2008-9 Perfect 8 Magazine Stand Project, sponsored by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NYC Streets & Haven Arts, New York, NY
Grants, Awards and Residencies
2023 Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Individual Artist Grant, New York, NY
2020 New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program permanent public art commission for New York Public Library in Harlem.
2018 Jentel Artist Residency, Barren, Wyoming
2016 Ligo Project, Artist Residency Program for scientists and artists, New York, NY
2013 Aljira Emerge 11 Fellowship, Aljira: A Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ
Starry Night Residency Program, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
2012 Vermont Studio Center - Residency Program, Johnson, Vermont
Angel Award, grant awarded to attend The Vermont Studio Center Residency
2011 The Viewing Program, The Drawing Center, New York, NY
Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance - Grant for Painting
2010 Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance - Grant for Installation project
2009 Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance - Grant for PERFECT 8 Bodega Project
2008 Lower Manhattan Cultural Council – Manhattan Community Arts Grant
2007 Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance - Grant for painting
CHaShaMa North, Residency, New York, NY
2006 Kennedy Promotions - The Best of New York, 1st Place - Acrylic Painting
2005 Irvington Education Foundation Grant - create permanent sculpture with children, Irvington, NY
2003-5 Irvington Education Foundation Grant - run free photo classes for children, Irvington, NY
2003 Irvington Education Foundation Grant - create permanent sculpture with children, Irvington, NY
2001 Irvington Education Foundation Grant - create public murals with HS students, Irvington, NY
2000 Mural @ The Jefferson Valley Mall - create mural with HS students, Yorktown Heights, NY
1998 “Lakeland Alternative Mural Project for Active Learning” - public mural, Lakeland, NY
2000 School of Visual Arts Residency Program, New York City
1998 Lakeland Grant - “Lakeland Alternative Mural Project for Active Learning”
1994-5 De Ateliers 63 – 2-year working artist grant awarded by the Dutch Government and Residency @ De Ateliers 63, Amsterdam, Holland
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Percent for Art 40th Anniversary Celebration, Gracie Mansion, New York, NY
CURRENTS: Free Expression and the Inexpressible, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (curated by Aliza Shvarts)
Uptown Treasures: Past and Present, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY (curated by Niria Leyva-Gutierrez)
2023 Picturing the Constitution, Old Stone House, Brooklyn, NY (Curated by Katherine Gressel)
Women of Substance, Past, Present, Future, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY (curated by Andrea Arroyo)
2022 Sensing Woman: A Multi-Sensory Event for Reproductive Freedom, C24 Gallery, Chelsea, NY
Among Friends, Equity Gallery, New York, NY
Up Close and Personal, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2021 Only If We Wish To, Equity Gallery, New York, NY
Light/Dark, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2020 Domestic Brutes, Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY
Art Fair 14C, Art House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Creating for the Future, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2019 50th Collectors Show, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR
Art Fair 14c, Village West Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Creating for Change, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2018 Leveling, Novado Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Disruption, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2017 Uproot, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, New York, NY
PROTEST ≠ PROFEST: GLOBAL BURDENS, Center for Book Arts, New York, NY
Leave Your Swords at the Door, River Front Gallery, Yonkers, NY
Fact or Fiction, Cluster Gallery, Brooklyn NY
The Art of Healing, Allen Pavilion Hospital – Hosted by NoMAA, New York, NY
2016 Under the Influence, Village West Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Uptown Arts Review, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
2015 Holiday Salon, Lesley Heller Gallery, LES, New York, NY
Shangri-la, The Factory, L.I.C. Arts Open festival, New York, NY
Aljira Emerge 11: "I put this moment...here. I put this moment... here. I put this moment... over here." Aljira, Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ
2014 The Impossible, Montclair Art Museum @ Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ
Reflections on Creating,Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) in partnership with Broadway Housing Communities and The Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling - Rio II Gallery, New York, NY
Spirit of Community, Interchurch Center, New York, NY
2013 What is an Art Book? Garis & Hahn, LES, New York, NY
Borderline: Depictions of Skin, Garis & Hahn, LES, New York, NY (Three-Person show)
Fragment, Saratoga Art Center, Saratoga Springs, NY (Three-Person show)
Infinite Regions, Grady Alexis Gallery, New York, NY (Three-Person show)
2012 Contact and Exchange, Kirkland Art Center, Clinton, NY (Three-Person show)
Intersections, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2011 NoMAA Grantees, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
Perspectives, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2010 The Intimacy of Memory, Galería Nacional, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Core, Under Minerva Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Women in the Heights, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
NoMAA Grantees, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2009 Body Politic, The Jungle, New York, NY
NoMAA Grantees, NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Trading Places, Canco Loft, Jersey City, NJ
NoMAA Grantees, Malcolm X Center, New York, NY
Women Power and Politics, International Museum of Women, San Francisco, CA
Ides of March, ABC No Rio, New York, NY
Salad Days, Haven Arts, Bronx, NY
The Body as Image, Philoctetes Center, New York, NY
Heart and Soul, Younity, New York, NY
Beneath the Skin, a Perfect 8 Exhibit, CHaShaMa, New York, NY
Resonance New York, in association with Perfect8, Monkdogz, Chelsea NYC
2007 Younity “Crossover”, Showroom Gallery, New York, NY
Canco Art Show, JCTC & Arts on the Hudson, Jersey City, NJ
Unity, Irvington Hall, Irvington, NY
Sketch Detail, Ryan Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center, New York, NY
Permanent Collection, Tiny Fine Art Gallery, New York, NY
2006 Penetrating Empathy, a Perfect 8 Exhibit, Haven Arts, Bronx, NY
Tiny Fine Art Exhibit, Art at Large Gallery, New York, NY
Redhead, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY
2005 Entangled Orbits: you could be me, Play Space Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Secret Affinities-Encountering the Communion of ‘The Other’, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Alumni Exhibit, The Mooney Center Exhibit Hall, New Rochelle, NY
Crossed Destinies - A Tarot of the Artists, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Big Proportions, Galeria Galou, Brooklyn, NY
2004 Sensuous Abundance, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Preview, Galeria Galou, Brooklyn, NY
Art 101, Red Wing Gallery, Tarrytown, NY
2003 Accumulative Efforts, Phoenix Gallery, New York, NY
Three Graces, Galeria Galou, Brooklyn, NY
Drawing Exhibition, ASL Gallery, New York, NY
2002 Eat Art 5, HEREart Co-Gallery, SOHO, New York, NY
Human Rights, Children’s Rights, Mooney Exhibition Hall, New Rochelle, NY
Graduate Art Exhibition, Mooney Exhibition Hall, New Rochelle, NY
Selected Bibliography
2023 Tris McCall, Diana Schmertz: An Artist Takes on Book Banning and American Politics, Jersey City Times
2020 Michelle Falkenstein, Pelham exhibit 'a realistic picture of what it means to be a woman today', The Journal News & Lohud.com
Etty Yaniv, Diana Schmertz in Domestic Brutes at Pelham Art Center, Art Spiel
The Fordham Ram, Chashama Art Space Welcomes 25th Year, The Fordham Ram
2019 Tris McCall, Art Review: Slow Art, Jersey City Times
2018 Etty Yaniv, Leveling at Novado, Art Spiel
2017 Thavma Phillips, Uproot: Diversity and Discourse at Smack Mellon, Artefuse
2016 Rodolphe Lachat, Anatomy Rocks, publishers Cernunnos
2015 Adam Zucker, Connecting Figures (part 3): New Humanism in ContemporaryFigurative Art, RHINO HORN GROUP
2014 Alyse Knorr, Artist Profile, Sugar Mule, Issue 46
Dan Bischoff, Art Review: Emerge 11 at Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art, in Newark, The Star Ledger
2013 Oscar Laluyan, Living in Their Own Skin at Garis & Hahn, ArtFuse
Susan Silas, Finding Empathy In The Confines Of Our Skin, Hyperallergic
Sharon Butler, Careful Observation, Two Coats of Paint
Borderline: Depictions of Skin, April Gallery Focus, Examiner
Maze Mpinja, An Art Exhibit That Will Get Under Your Skin, Beautycism
2010 “Intimdad de la Memoria en la Galeria Nacional de Bellas Artes” Costa Verde DR
Listin Diario, Doce Artistas de America Exponan en Bellas Artes
Cover Story, ”Women in the Heights “, Manhattan Times
”’Intimdad de la Memoria’ Una Exposicion para recrdar.”, Hoy
2009 ”New York’s roughest area has a soft side “, Hetast
”Art Seen Uptown - Perfect 8 Newsstand “, cover story, Manhattan Times
2008 “New Exhibit at K.B. Gallery”, cover story, Manhattan Times
Review “ECHOES”, Artist Unite
2007 “Unity in Irvington”, The Herald
2006 TV Interview on “The New Yorkers”
Review, “Da Bronx”, Artist Unite
The Best of New York, Kennedy Promotions,
The Opening Reception, Manhattan Times
2005 Art, Art, Everywhere Art, Manhattan Times
Curator and Director
2019 Slow Art, (curator), Village West Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2008 Beneath the Skin, (curator), a Perfect 8 Exhibit at Chashama,New York, NY
2006-8 Perfect8 magazine, creator, art director & editor, New York, NY
2005-8 More Art Discourse, creator & director of artist organization, New York, NY
2006 Penetrating Empathy, (curator), a Perfect 8 Exhibit at Haven Arts, Bronx, NY
Talks and Lectures
2014-23 Women in the Heights, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA), New York, NY
2021 Equity Gallery, Title IX Anniversary Virtual Panel Discussion, Moderator: Micol Hebron, Participants: Diana Schmertz, Dr.Shelah Leader, Luciana Solano, New York, NY
2020 Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY
AArt House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2018 University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, ME
SAGE Community Arts, Sheridan WY
2017 Center for Book Arts, New York, NY
2013 Garis & Hahn, LES, NY
Saratoga Art Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
2011 NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2010 NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
Dwyer Cultural Center, New York, NY
NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2009 NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Malcolm X Center, New York, NY
Education
2003 MS in Art Education, College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY
1999 MS in Art Therapy,College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, NY
1993 De Hogeschool Voor De Kunsten, exchange student, Amsterdam, Holland
1993 BFA in Painting, minor in psychology, SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY
1990 Music and Art (LaGuardia) High School, painting major, New York, NY