Curators of Fine Art Realism
Our team has curated 40 diverse exhibitions of contemporary fine art realism, including 34 shows at the Figure Ground Art Gallery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, featuring significant solo artists, international group shows, or those associated with local art educational institutions. We are also writers and scholars of the realism movement.
Exhibitions
Juliette Aristides and Dominique Medici due show: figures, nudes, interiors, and florals by two of Seattle’s respected atelier instructors. Figure Ground Art Gallery. April 2023.
Convergent Voices: a Digipen Institute of Technology Faculty Invitational Show. Curated by Danny Samuels. Figure Ground Art Gallery. March 2023.
The Bold and the Beautiful: Kevin Cosley abstract florals with sculpture by Sandy Frank. Figure Ground Art Gallery. February 2023.
Shapes of Light: Group show featuring work by those who trained at the Jerusalem Studio School. Featuring Adam Cohn, Ady Graff, Clare Haward, Elisabeth Larson Koehler (Guest Curator), Maria Levitan, Osnat Oliva, Mika Salamon, Raphael Shalem, Yuval Yosifov, Chani Zada. Figure Ground Art Gallery. December 2022 - January 2023.
Folly: A group show of narrative paintings featuring cautionary tales by Aron Johnston, Carl Dobsky, Chris Pothier,
Greg Hergert, Michael Tole, Steve Chmilar, Vince Calenzo, and Jen Dale (Curator). Figure Ground Art Gallery. October 2022.
Visions of the Landscape. A group show of landscape and plein air paintings featuring regional and national artists. Figure Ground Art Gallery. September 2022
Beyond Description was an international group show of perceptual realists curated by Eric Elliot and Jordan Wolfson. The show opened as two parts, at the Figure Ground Art Gallery in Seattle and Sugarlift Gallery in New York City. August 2022.
Myths and Legends: Martijn Caspar Swart Solo Show. Works that “aspire to timeless and classical beauty” and “draw on the rich tradition of tragicomedy from the ancient Greeks, Roman poet Ovid, and Shakespeare.” Figure Ground Art Gallery. July 2022. Review by Jen Dale.
The Crystal Nebula: an epic mythos by Elijah Strongheart Evenson, featuring figurative sculpture, creature design, concept art, graphic novel pages, and full-size puppets. Associated with the show was a live storytelling event. Figure Ground Art Gallery. July 2022.
Exposure Therapy: Grace Flott Solo Show. This show was Flott’s first gallery solo show. Works were “paintings of intimate moments for public consumption,” many performed during the pandemic. Figure Ground Art Gallery. May 2022.
Unmasked: Group Show of Portraiture by Seattle Artists. Figure Ground Art Gallery. April 2022
Love, Sex & War: Jen Dale Solo Show. Canadian-born artist’s allegorical and narrative works tackle provocative themes, often using herself as a model. Figure Ground Art Gallery. March 2022
Alicia Ponzio and Hanneke Naterop Duo Show. A pairing of two women artists, featuring San Francisco-based figurative sculptor Ponzio and The Netherlands-based painter Naterop. Figure Ground Art Gallery. January 2022.
Scott Conary Solo Show. This Portland artist offers works including beautiful observations of homelessness, as well as paintings of ordinary objects imbued with personal meaning, inspired by his daughter’s battle with disability. Figure Ground Art Gallery, Seattle WA, December 2021.
Fixed: Sayen Rodriguez Solo Show. An argentine sculptor, performer, and makeup artist offers free-standing and wall-hanging sculpted portraits focused on gender identity, race, immigration and sexual diversity. The show also pays homage to a lost collection of cast portraits. Figure Ground Art Gallery. November 2021
The Art of the Nude was a salon-style group show of 65 nudes by 33 regional artists, ranging from students to seasoned painters. Organized quickly with loose curation, it opened with palpable energy and excitement. Figure Ground Art Gallery, Seattle WA, Oct 2021.
The Wave Series - Michael Newberry Solo Show. This show featured a collection of pastel landscapes, each of which leveraged a new color theory system, and together are offered as a single work. Figure Ground Art Gallery, Seattle WA, Sept 2021. Curator.
The Art of Plein Air is a duo show of evocative landscapes by Kyrgyzstan-born artist Taalay, and local Riley Doyle. Accompanying the show was figurative sculpture by Mike Magrath. Figure Ground Art Gallery, Seattle WA, Aug 2021.
Dean Fisher Solo Show. This show featured a perceptual realist who works from direct perception. Figure Ground Art Gallery, Seattle WA, July 2021.
Understanding Ourselves, an exhibition of narrative paintings at the Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg OR, April 2021. Featuring: Aaron Johnston, Austin Eddy, Caitlynn Abdow, Chris Pothier, Elliot Wall, Greg Hergert, Joshua Langstaff, Maria Housley, Tammy Jo Wilson, Tanmaya Bingham, and Jen Dale (Curator).
Our Curatorial Team
Brett Holverstott
Brett seeks out fresh, gestural, painterly works that are technically brilliant and feel alive. He is currently writing a book about contemporary figurative art and the resurgence of the atelier system from 1950 to present. See Brett’s Curatorial CV
Jen Dale
Jen’s curatorial focus is on contemporary figurative realism and narrative works that contain story, history, humor, and intrigue. She regularly writes about Narrative Painting. She brings extensive experience in arts nonprofit administration and development. See Jen’s Curatorial CV
Guest Curators
We have leveraged numerous guest curators including Eric Elliot, Elisabeth Lawson Koehler, Cyra Jane, and Danny Samuels.