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BIOGRAPHY
Wes Hempel
(born: El Monte, California)
EDUCATION:
M.A., 1988 University of Colorado, Boulder,
Colorado
B.A., 1985 California State University, Northridge, California
AWARDS:
2002 - Creative Fellowship in Painting, Colorado Council on the
Arts
1992 - Creative Fellowship in Literature, Colorado Council on
the Arts
PUBLIC & CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:
- Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
- New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
- Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York
- Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia
- Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York, NY
- Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, Missouri
- Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, Washington
- Styskal, Wiese & Melchione, Los Angeles, California
- Hyatt Regency Hotel, Denver, Colorado
- Borgen Investment Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado
- First Western Trust Bank, Denver, Colorado
- Elliott Eyes Collection, Sydney, Australia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023-- UPCOMING: WES HEMPEL and JACK BALAS, FRONT RANGE AND BACK TO BACK, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO. (October 27--December)
2023 - "Wes Hempel," George Billis Gallery, New York, NY (April 4 -- 29, 2023)
2020 - "A Portable Eden," George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA (October 24--December, 2020)
2020 - Wes Hempel -- "Out of the Woods," LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico (September 4- October 3, 2020)
2019 -"Private Island:
A Suite of Eight Paintings," George Billis Gallery, New York,
NY (May 28-June 22, 2019)
2018 -Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2017- Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles,
CA (January, 2017)
2016- Wes Hempel -- LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
(April-May, 2016)
2016- Wes Hempel -- Etherton Gallery, Tucson, Arizona
2014- Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014- Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles,
CA
2012- Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles,
CA
2011- "Tacit Turns," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2011- Wes Hempel -- LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009- "Tied to the Past," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San
Francisco, CA., and New York, NY
2009- Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2006- "Injury and Desire," Jenkins Johnson Gallery.
New York, New York
2005- "Landscape Fragments," Robischon Gallery, Denver,
Colorado
2005-"Collaborative and New Work," Robischon Gallery,
Denver, Colorado
2004- "Revised Endings," Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San
Francisco, California.
2003- "Plot Twists," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2001- "Fictional Accounts," Robischon Gallery, Denver,
Colorado
2000- "The Canceled Field Trip," Claire Oliver Fine
Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
1998- "Wes Hempel, Paintings - The First Seven Years,"
University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyo.; Susan Moldenhauer,
Curator
1998- Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1997- "The Marriage of Fiction and History," Robischon
Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1995- Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1993- Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1991- Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2020
"LAVENDER MIST: GAY MEN IN
CONTEMPORARY ART IN COLORADO," McNichols Civic Center Building,
Denver, CO. Curated by Michael Paglia. (May 30--Sept. 13, 2020)
2019
"MALE GAZE: LIFE, LEGACY AND LEGEND," Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York, NY. (Feb. 17--March 31, 2019)
2015 -
Summer Group Exhibition, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 -
"RESONATING IMAGES III: THE CONTEMPORARY
NARRATIVE EXPLORING THE FRONTIERS OF THE REPRESENTATIONAL,"
The William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art, California Lutheran University,
Thousand Oaks, CA.
"COLLECT: THE ART OF COLORADO CORPORATIONS," Arvada
Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO.
2013 -
"CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE WESTERN LANDSCAPE,"
Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, Albuquerque, NM.
2010 -
"LOVELINES," RedLine Arts
Center, Denver, CO.
"ARMORY SHOW," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), New York
"TWENTY TEN," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
"SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York &
San Francisco
2009 -
"SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, New York & San Francisco
"ART MIAMI," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), Miami, Florida
"HORIZONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
"CONVERSATIONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New
Mexico
"WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2008 -
"FOCUS: THE FIGURE," Permanent
Collection Galleries, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO.
"THE FIGURE TODAY," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
& San Francisco
"DIALOG CITY: DENVER," Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO.
"CELEBRATE SUMMER," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
& San Francisco
"BEYOND REPRESENTATION," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San
Francisco
"THE ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San
Francisco
"GRAND OPENING EXHIBITION," Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas
City, MO
"L.A. ARTFAIR," (LewAllen Contemporary), Santa Monica,
CA
"WINTER SELECTIONS," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2007-
"BLUE," Jenkins Johnson Gallery,
New York, New York.
"WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francsico,
California.
"REALationships: WORKS OF SURREAL INSPIRATION," Foothills
Art Center, Golden, Colorado. (Curated by Michael Chavez)
"30th ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Robischon Gallery, Denver,
Colorado.z
"Los Angeles Art Fair," Los Angeles, California. (LewAllen
Contemporary)
2006-
"Realism Invitational," Jenkins
Johnson Gallery, New York, New York
"Decades of Influence," Museum of Contemporary Art,
and Center for Visual Arts, Denver, Colorado
2005-
"A Tribute to J.B. Harter," Contemporary Arts Center,
New Orleans (catalog)
"Seventh Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
"SMALL WORKS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New
Mexico.
"Art in Colorado," Denver International Airport, Denver,
Colorado
"Innaugural Exhibition," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New
York
2004-
"Yarns," Robischon Gallery,
Denver, Colorado.
"Allure," Leslie Lohman Foundation, New York, New York.
"Sixth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
"Contemporary Drawing," Eisentrager / Howard Gallery,
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska.
2003 -
"Summer Group Exhibition,"
Tatistcheff Gallery, New York
San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery),
San Francisco
"Magic Realism: A New Generation," Sangre De Christo
Art Center, Pueblo, Colorado
"ConTEXT: Art & Words," Western Colorado Center
for the Arts, Grand Junction, Colorado
"Fifth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2002 -
San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery),
San Francisco
"Gallery Artists," Lizardi Harp Gallery, Los Angeles,
California
"Fourth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
"Colorado Excellence in the Arts," Republic Plaza, Denver,
Colorado
"Reality Check: Contemporary Figurative Paintings by Wes
Hempel. Enjeong Noh, and Ruprecht von Kaufmann," Davidson
Gallery, Seattle, Washington
"Solace," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
"Small Works," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco,
California
"Winter Group Show," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001 -
"Re-presenting Representation" The Corning Gallery,
New York, New York
"Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida
"Third Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson
Gallery, San Francisco, (catalog)
"The Solitary Figure," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
"The Dream Mill," Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood,
Colorado
"The Male Vision: Wes Hempel, Gerard Huber, Wade Reynolds,"
Lizardi/Harp Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2000 -
"Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida
(catalog)
"Together/Working," Gallery of Contemporary Art, University
of Colorado at Colorado Springs
"The Male Form in Contemporary Art," Hollywood Art Center,
Hollywood, Florida
"Thinking Outside the Box," Claire Oliver Fine Art,
Philadelphia, Pa.
"Dallas International Art Fair," (Claire Oliver Fine
Art) Dallas, Texas
1999 -
"Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida
(catalog)
"Art Palm Beach," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Palm Beach,
Florida
"Boston International Fine Art Show," (Claire Oliver
Fine Art), Boston, Mass.
"Corporate Collections '99," Republic Plaza, Denver,
Colorado
"Real to Surreal," Museum of Contemporary Art Denver,
Denver, Colorado
"Re-presenting Representation IV," Arnot Art Museum,
Elmira, New York
1998 -
"On the Occasion of Dreams," Robischon Gallery, Denver,
Colorado
"New Acquisitions," Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia
"Grand Opening Exhibition," Claire Oliver Fine Art,
Philadelphia, Pa.
"Paradise Lost: Evolving Visions of the Colorado Landscape,"
Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, Co.; Frances
Chavez, Curator
1997 -
"Private Worlds: 200 Years of American Still Life Painting,"
Aspen Art Museum Aspen, Colo.; Julia Augur and Ann Daley, Curators
(Catalog)
"Art Fair, Seattle," (Robischon Gallery) Seattle, Washington
1995 -
"11th Annual Invitational Exhibition," Microsoft Corporation,
Redmond, Wash.
1994 -
"Focus on Colorado/The Front Range: Wes Hempel, Jack Balas
and Scott Chamberlin," Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, Colorado
"You Call That Art?" One West Art Center, Fort Collins,
Colorado
"Caste of Stone," Boulder Public Library, Boulder, Colorado
"Art Fair, Seattle," (Robischon Gallery) Seattle, Washington
1993 -
"Boulder Flow," Sibell-Wolle Gallery, University of
Colorado, Boulder
"2 Much," UMC Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder,
Colorado
"Holy Wars," Arte Vitale Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1991 -
"Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1990 -
"Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
"The Right to View," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1988 -
"Objects and Place," Sibell-Wolle Gallery, University
of Colorado, Boulder
1987 -
"Boxes/Books," River Art Works, Denver, Colorado
PUBLICATIONS:
2014 - Wes Hempel, Re-envisioning Art
History; American Art Collector, November
2012 - Gorgeous Gallery: The Best in Gay Erotic Art. by
David Leddick, Bruno Gmunder, Berlin. pp. 32-35.
2009 - Powerfully Beautiful: Classically Inspired Living Painters
of the Male Figure (Volume 1), Firehouse Studio Publishing
2008- American Art Collector, August. "Season of Abundance,"
by John O"hern.
2008- The Nude Male: 21st Century Visions, David Leddick,
Universe Publishing / Rizzoli, p. 102
2008 - Elements of Literature, Fourth Course (high school
textbook), Holt, Rinehart & Winston
2008 - Menninger Perspective Medical Journal
2006- American Art Collector, September. (Artist's Profile)
2005- Southwest Art, October. "Personal Mythologies:
Wes Hempel's Narrative Paintings Reveal Revisionist Cultural Views
with a Purposeful Ambiguity." By Devon Jackson. pp. 132-135,
201.
2005- Pleides Literary Journal, Vol 25, No 2 (cover)
2003- XY Magazine #41 San Diego, California. "No Worry
is Necessary on Your Part: Paintings by Wes Hempel," (portfolio)
pp. 19-25.
2003- Blue #47 (November), Studio Magazines, Sydney, Australia.
"Modern History," (portfolio of paintings) pp. 60-67
2002- Great American Writers of the Twentieth Century,
Vol 7, Marshall Cavendish Publishers
2001- Dialogos con Leuco, Cesare Pavese, Tusquets Editores,
Barcelona, Spain, cover
2001- Male Nude Now, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/Rizzoli,
pp. 62-63
2000- Naked Men Too, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/
Rizzoli, pp. 134-135
2000-New American Paintings #30 (November), The Open Studios
Press, Wellesley, Mass., Michael Lash, Director of Public Arts,
City of Chicago, Curator. pp.98-101(portfolio of paintings)
1999 - The Humanist Tendency, Claire Oliver Fine Art
1999- Re-presenting Representation, Arnot Art Museum, Elmira,
New York
1997 - New American Paintings #12 (October), The Open Studios
Press, Wellesley, Mass., Jeffrey Weiss, Dept. of 20th Century
Art, National Gallery of Art Washington D.C., Curator. pp. 26-27
(Portfolio of Paintings)
SELECTED EXHIBITION REVIEWS:
2016 - "Past As Prologue," by
Margaret Regan; Tucson Weekly, February 18, 2016, p. 18.
2016 - "Palette of Talent: Gallerist George Billis has an
Eye for Spotting the Next Big Artists," by David Masello;
CBS Watch Magazine, October 2016, p. 102
2015 - "El Pintor Californiano Wes Hempel," by Omar
Gomez Gutierrez. Milenio (Grupos Multimedios Mexico City )(Mexico),
August 7, 2015
2014 - "Anzugtrager in Der Wuste: Wes Hempel Pfeift Auf Gewohnheiten,"
by Felix Just, Mate Magazine (Berlin) Winter, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel and an Open Art History," by Jeffrey
Carlson. Fine Art Today (online). February 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel at George Billis Gallery," by Stephanie
Buhmann. The Villager Newspaper (New York City). October 2, 2014.
2014 - "Wes Hempel at George Billis Gallery." Best Gay
New York (New York City). July 30, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel Has Something For Everyone," by Benjamin
Lindsay. Next Magazine (New York City), Sept. 26, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel Chelsea North." Time Out New York.
(New York City). September 18, 2014.
2014 - "Wes Hempel New Paintings." The Art Voice (Los
Angeles). January 31, 2014
2013 - "Art Scene Full of Wonderful Things," by Wesley
Pulkka, Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) Dec 29, 2013 (image)
2012 - "Homoerotic Art Meets Fine Art in Gorgeous Gallery,"
by Daniel Villanueva, Outword Magazine, Sacramento, CA.
2011 - "Revisioning Art History," by Kate McGraw; Albuquerque
Journal / Venue (New Mexico) April 1, 2011
2011 - "Pintura Wes Hempel," Gay Files de Luis, Wordpress.com,
December 8, 2011
2010 - "Conversations at LewAllen Galleries" by Harmony
Hammond, Albuquerque Journal, (New Mexico) Jan 1, 2010
2006 - "The New Male Gaze: Artists Wes Hempel and Jack Balas
Revisit the Male Figure,"
by Rafael Risemberg THE NEW YORK BLADE. Sep. 18, 2006
2005 - "Teamworks," by Mary Voelz Chandler, ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NEWS (Denver). October 5, 2005. p. 10D.
2005 - "Changing Scenes," by Michael Paglia, WESTWORD
(Denver). Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2005. p. 56.
Shannon, Mark: "'Objects & Place'
at Sibell-Wolle," Colorado Daily (Boulder, CO) 3-4-88
Clegg, Nancy: "Pay Per View," Westword (Denver), Vol.
13, No.24, 2-24-90
Frank, Patrick: "The Right to View," New Art Examiner,
Vol.17, No.8, April 1990
Zalkind, Simon: "Jack Balas & Wes Hempel at Robischon
Gallery," Icon (Denver) Oct 91
Dickenson, Carol: "Frame-by-Frame," Rocky Mountain News
(Denver), 9-27-91
Art Now Gallery Guide: "Wes Hempel at Robischon Gallery,"
Sept 1993
Rosen, Steven: "Critics' Choice," The Denver Post 9-26-93
Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Write Your Own Story to Go with These
Pieces," Rocky Mountain News (Denver), 9-26-93
Hill, Hart: "Text and Texture," Westword (Denver). 10-6-93
Mason, Marilynne: "Not Quite on the Map: Magic & Art,"
Colorado Expression (Denver) Vol.3, No.1, Winter, 1993
Mason, Marilynne: "The Language of Memories &Dreams,"
The Christian Science Monitor, 1-6-94
Hayden, Niki: "Stone Temple," Daily Camera (Boulder,
Colorado), 5-27-94
Jenkins, Loren: "Rediscovering Surrealism," The Aspen
Times Gazette, (Aspen), Winter 1994-95
"Art Comes Alive in Museum's Winter Season," Artifacts
(Aspen), Vol.1, No.2, Winter 1994-95
"Front Range Artists Featured in New Show at Art Museum,"
The Aspen Times, 11-17-94
"Focus on Colorado:The Front Range," Aspen Daily News,
11-17-94
Wilson, Jane: "Front Range Surrealism; New Aspen Art Museum
Updates Dali and DiChirico,"The Aspen Times, Nov. 19-20,
1994
Paglia, Michael: "Double Your Pleasure," Westword (Denver),
4-5-95
Chandler, Mary Voelz: "A Magical Mystery Tour," Rocky
Mountain News (Denver) 4-4-97
Paglia, Michael: "Facts and Fantasies," Westword (Denver),
4-24-97
Miller, Joe: "Report From Colorado: Looking to the Future,"
Art in America, May 1998
Paglia, Michael: "Rebels With Causes," Westword (Denver),
6-11-98
Paglia, Michael: "View Masters," Westword (Denver),
10-15-98
Watson, Donna: "Creativity from the Inside Out," The
Artist's Magazine, Dec 1999
Paglia, Michael: "Altering Currents," Westword (Denver),
1-13-2000
Adams, Bob: "From Poet to Painter," Philadelphia Gay
News, Feb 18-24, 2000
Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Something Serious," Rocky Mountain
News (Denver), 10-8-2001
Paglia, Michael: "Go Figure," Westword (Denver), 10-11-2001
Langer, Sara: "Wes Hempel at Robischon Gallery," Eye
Level, Issue #2, March 2002
Black, Noel, Colorado Springs Independent, Vol.11 No. 3, Jan 16-22,
2003
MacMillan, Kyle: "Fantastical Visions," Denver Post,
Mar 11, 2003
Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Every Painting Tells a Story,"
Rocky Mountain News (Denver), Mar 14, 2003
Paglia, Michael: "Different Realities," Westword (Denver),
Apr 10, 2003