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WES HEMPEL

EDUCATION
MA, 1988 University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
BA, 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

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023  George Billis Gallery
​2020  A Portable Eden, George Billis Gallery LA, Los Angeles, CA
2020  Out of the Woods, LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
2019  Private Island: A Suite of Eight Paintings," George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2018  Wes Hempel, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY 
2017  George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA
2016  LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2016  Etherton Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2014  George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA 
2014  New Work, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2012  Recent Paintings, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
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  Wes Hempel, Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2006  Injury and Desire, Jenkins Johnson Gallery. New York, NY
2005  Landscape Fragments, Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2005  Collaborative and New Work, Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2004  Revised Endings, Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003  Plot Twists," Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
2001  Fictional Accounts, Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
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, WY Susan Moldenhauer, Curator
1998  Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1997  The Marriage of Fiction and History, Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
1995  Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
1993  Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO
1991  Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020  Lavender Mist: Gay Men in Contemporary Art in Colorado,” McNichols Civic Center Bldg, Denver, CO (May 30-Sept 13)
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. 
2014  "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  "ARMORY SHOW," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), New York
2010  "TWENTY TEN," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2010  "SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2009  "SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2009  "ART MIAMI," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), Miami, Florida
2009  "HORIZONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009  "CONVERSATIONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009  "WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2008  "FOCUS: THE FIGURE," Permanent Collection Galleries, Denver Art Museum, Denver, 
          CO.
2008  "THE FIGURE TODAY," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2008  "DIALOG CITY: DENVER," Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO.
2008   "CELEBRATE SUMMER," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2008  "BEYOND REPRESENTATION," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2008  "THE ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco 
2008  "GRAND OPENING EXHIBITION," Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, MO
2008  "L.A. ARTFAIR," (LewAllen Contemporary), Santa Monica, CA
2008  "WINTER SELECTIONS," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2007  "BLUE," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, New York.
2007  "WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francsico, California.
2007  "REALationships: WORKS OF SURREAL INSPIRATION," Foothills Art Center, Golden, 2007  Colorado. (Curated by Michael Chavez)
2007  "30th ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado.z
2007  "Los Angeles Art Fair," Los Angeles, California. (LewAllen Contemporary)
2006  "Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, New York
2006  "Decades of Influence," Museum of Contemporary Art, and Center for Visual Arts,
          Denver,  CO
2005  "A Tribute to J.B. Harter," Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (catalog)
2005  "Seventh Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2005  "SMALL WORKS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
2005  "Art in Colorado," Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
2005  "Innaugural Exhibition," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2004  "Yarns," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado.
2004  "Allure," Leslie Lohman Foundation, New York, New York.
2004  "Sixth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2004  "Contemporary Drawing," Eisentrager / Howard Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 
          Nebraska.
2003   "Summer Group Exhibition," Tatistcheff Gallery, New York
2003  San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), San Francisco
2003  "Magic Realism: A New Generation," Sangre De Christo Art Center, Pueblo, Colorado
2003  "ConTEXT: Art & Words," Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, Colorado
2003  "Fifth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2002  San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), San Francisco
2002  "Gallery Artists," Lizardi Harp Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2002  "Fourth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2002  "Colorado Excellence in the Arts," Republic Plaza, Denver, Colorado
2002  "Reality Check: Contemporary Figurative Paintings by Wes Hempel. Enjeong Noh, and 2002  Ruprecht von Kaufmann," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2002  "Solace," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2002  "Small Works," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, California
2002  "Winter Group Show," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001  "Re-presenting Representation" The Corning Gallery, New York, New York
2001  "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida 
2001  "Third Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, (catalog)
2001  "The Solitary Figure," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001  "The Dream Mill," Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood, Colorado
2001  ”The Male Vision: Wes Hempel, Gerard Huber, Wade Reynolds," Lizardi/Harp Gallery,
           Los Angeles, CA
2000  "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida (catalog)
2000  "Together/Working," Gallery of Contemporary Art, University of Colorado at Colorado  
          Springs 
2000   "The Male Form in Contemporary Art," Hollywood Art Center, Hollywood, Florida 
2000  "Thinking Outside the Box," Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
2000  "Dallas International Art Fair," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Dallas, Texas
1999  "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida (catalog)
1999  "Art Palm Beach," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Palm Beach, Florida
1999  "Boston International Fine Art Show," (Claire Oliver Fine Art), Boston, Mass.
1999  "Corporate Collections '99," Republic Plaza, Denver, Colorado
1999  "Real to Surreal," Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver, Colorado
1999  "Re-presenting Representation IV," Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York
1998  "On the Occasion of Dreams," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1998  "New Acquisitions," Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia
1998  "Grand Opening Exhibition," Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
1998  "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)
1997  "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 
1994  "You Call That Art?" One West Art Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
1994  "Caste of Stone," Boulder Public Library, Boulder, Colorado
1994  "Art Fair, Seattle," (Robischon Gallery) Seattle, Washington
1993  "Boulder Flow," Sibell-Wolle Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder
1993  "2 Much," UMC Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
1993  "Holy Wars," Arte Vitale Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1991 "Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1990  "Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1990   "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 

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 Foundation, 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

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.
         The Nude Male: 21st Century Visions, David Leddick, Universe Publishing / Rizzoli, p. 102
          Elements of Literature, Fourth Course (high school textbook), Holt, Rinehart & Winston
             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.
         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.
         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
         Male Nude Now, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/Rizzoli, pp. 62-63
2000 Naked Men Too, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/ Rizzoli, pp. 134-135
         New American Paintings #30 (November), The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, Mass.,
             Michael Lash, Director of Public Arts, City of  Chicago, Curator. pp.98-101
1999 The Humanist Tendency, Claire Oliver Fine Art
         Representing 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

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,             p. 10D. 
2005  "Changing Scenes," by Michael Paglia, WESTWORD (Denver). Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2005. p.
          56.


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