Snefrid “Sissi” Sneve-Schultze is an award-winning oil painter based in Eastham, Massachusetts. Originally from Bardu, Norway, she emigrated to the United States in the 1980s and earned her BA in Drawing and Painting from Minnesota State University in 1984. She continued her studies at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, where she lived and worked until relocating to Cape Cod in 1993.
Sneve-Schultze is an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America, and her work has been exhibited in numerous national juried shows and galleries across the country. Her paintings — often intimate still lifes or evocative plein air scenes — are deeply rooted in her connection to the sea and the natural beauty of Cape Cod.
Working primarily in oil and in the alla prima tradition, Sneve-Schultze prefers painting directly from life, whether in the quiet of her studio or on the windswept beaches of the Outer Cape. Her still life compositions often feature objects imbued with personal meaning, drawn from both her coastal surroundings and her Nordic heritage.
“Art has always been my gateway to what is positive, life-affirming, and joyous,” she says. “I create artwork because I see beauty, meaning, and purpose in ordinary scenes and objects.”
Sneve-Schultze’s work is characterized by a sensitivity to light and atmosphere, and an emotional quality that invites viewers to slow down and reflect. “I strive to infuse each painting with a sense of emotional resonance,” she explains, “to celebrate the beauty in imperfection and the richness of everyday life.”
Her paintings are held in private collections throughout the United States and Norway.
Selected Juried Exhibitions
- Summer National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2025
- Spring National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2025
- 25 Days of Minis, Juried National Online Sales Exhibit 2025
- SquareFootShow, National Invitational Online Sales Exhibit 2025, 2024,
- Fall National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2024
- Colors of Spring, Spring Bull Gallery, Newport, RI 2024
- Variations National Exhibit, Marblehead Arts Association, MA 2024
- SquareFootShow, National Invitational Online Sales Exhibit 2024, 2025
- Light and Shadow National Exhibit, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2024
- Painting the Blues, Rhode Island Watercolor Society (Online National Exhibit) 2023
- Small Works National Juried Show, The Rice Gallery of Fine Art, Overland Park, KS 2023
- All Things Square, Creative Art Center, Chatham, MA 2023
- Small Wonders, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, MD 2022, 2013
- Holiday Small Works, Cape Cod Cultural Center, Yarmouth, MA 2022
- A Tribute to Small Works, Modern Visual Arts Gallery, Bethlehem, PA, 2022
- Vision ‘22, Rhode Island Watercolor Society (Online National Exhibit) 2022
- All Cape Cod, Creative Art Center, Chatham, MA 2022
Awards
- Master Artist Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable MA. 2025
- Honorable Mention, Summer National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2025
- People’s Choice Award, Fall National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2024
- Second Place – Oil/Acrylic, Fall National Exhibition, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA 2024
- Honorable Mention, All Things Square, Creative Art Center, Chatham, MA, 2023
- Honorable Mention, Essence of Light, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA 2014
- Best Individual Interpretation, Points of View, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA 2012
- Second Place – Oil/Acrylic, A Class Act, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA 2012
- Honorable Mention – Oil/Acrylic, Spring Open Juried Exhibit, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA 2011
- Honorable Mention – Oil/Acrylic, Interpretations of Light, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA 2008
Selected Publications and Media
- Cover Artist, Cape Cod Life Magazine, Annual Art Edition 2022–23
- Feature Article, Cape Cod Life Magazine, Annual Art Edition 2022–23
- Nord Norsk Magasin, Illustration Contributor, 2014–2017
- Book Cover Illustrator, Samla Dikt by Helge Stangnes, 2016
Education
- Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA – Fashion Design, 1986–1989
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA – Drawing, 1985–1986
- Minnesota State University, BA in Drawing & Painting, 1984
Teaching and Workshops
- Instructor, Cape Cod Art Center, Barnstable, MA
Oil Painting Alla Prima (2024 – Present)
- Instructor, Nauset Adult Education, Orleans, MA
Introduction to Oil Painting (2015)
Representation: Gallery 31 Fine Art, Orleans, MA 2015-2023