My retrospective exhibition Captive Coal official opening at the Sharp Museum of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL was on January 19th, 2024 where I gave an Artist Talk to a nice crowd of family, collectors, faculty, students and more than a few folks from the local coal industry. Thanks go out to Wm Weston Stoerger, Curator of Exhibitions, Collectors and Organizers of the Exhibition John and Lucia Hollister, Dean John Politz and my long time partner and wife the artist Jeanne Nemcek. Exhibition runs the full semester until May 10th .
Interpolated Closing
Thanks to Director Tyler Hennings and The Art Gallery of Western Illinois University for the wonderful installation of my large-scale work in my one-person exhibition Interpolated. Closing October 19th, 2023
Interpolated Opens
My one-person exhibition Interpolate opens September 12th and will be on view with at the University Art Gallery of Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois until October 19th. This exhibition will feature my large-scale Interpolations works on canvas and a few midsize charcoal on paper drawings. Thanks to Director Tyler Hennings for this opportunity to share my work with the WIU art students, faculty and folks of Macomb. Shown is a detail of Interpolations #11
2023 Individual Artist Program Awarded
I’m happy to announce that I have received a 2023 Individual Artist Program grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for both photography of new work and series of accordion folded cards for future exhibitions #DCASEgrants.
2024 Forthcoming One-person Museum Exhibition Announced
I am very pleased to announce that I will be featured in a one-person retrospective museum exhibition presented by the Sharp Museum of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, in the North Hall Mitchell Gallery.. Opening January 16th, 2024 and on view until May 16th, 2024, an Artist Talk will also be part of the opening of the exhibition. The focus of the exhibition is how coal has informed my work and life. A big thank you goes out to WM Weston Stoerger, Curator of Exhibitions and long time collectors John E. and Lucia Hollister.
Forthcoming One-person Exhibition Announced
I am pleased to announce that I will be featured in a forthcoming one-person exhibition of large-scale paintings and drawings that will be with the University Art Gallery of Western Illinois University. Opening September 12th and running through October 19th, 2023, the core of the exhibition will draw from my Interpolations series. A short Artist Talk will be at the opening, A big thank you to Tyler Hennings, Director.
MU Gallery Chicago Exhibition Announced
I am very happy to announce that I have joined the impressive list of artist of MU Gallery in Chicago and will be featured there in a two person exhibition title Mediating Between the Senses opening April 8th. A big thank you to Director of Operations Lee Mosser for his support of my large-scale paintings.
Group Exhibition in Miami
I am pleased to have Small Island #1, 50" x 95", included in the forthcoming group exhibition, Short Term Infinity,to be presented by BOCCARA Art Miami from Sept. 16-Nov. 16. I will be with four other Chicago Artist and the show was put together by the Curator Lauren Iacoponi. Thanks Lauren.
Featured Artist KNACK Magazine no. 71
I am pleased to announce that I am a Featured Artist in the just published KNACK Magazine no. 71. A big Thank You to Andrea Catalina Vaca, Co-Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief for both selecting my work and for the rich, dead on reproductions of paintings and drawings.
THE TASK THAT IS THE TOIL
I am pleased to be included in the group exhibition, THE TASK IS THE TOIL, now on view at the Linda Matney Gallery, Williamsburg, VA , with my ink on drafting film drawing, Lump of Coal, 24” x 36 “. Many in this show are folks from the heyday of Athens, GA. It open August 14th, 2021.
Exhibition Card Announcement For Interpolations at EAC
I am very happy to share this card announcement for my forthcoming major one-person exhibition, Interpolations, New Large-scale Work by Michael K. Paxton, that will open at the Evanston Art Center main floor gallery February 27 and run through April 4, 2021. An extensive brochure will be available at the exhibition and a virtual Artist Talk will take place March 5, 2021 from 5:30-6:30pm in support of this new work. This exhibition will mark my third major one-person museum scale exhibition of new work in four years and will also mark my 40th anniversary of showing in Chicago. This project is partially funded by a Grant from Columbia College Chicago, the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the EAC general membership.
Professional Development Grant Awarded
I am pleased to announce that I have been awarded a Professional Development Grant from Columbia College Chicago to cover the costs to prepare and mount my forthcoming one-person exhibition, Interpolations: New Large-Scale Work by Michael K. Paxton, to be presented in the main floor gallery of the Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL, opening February 27, 2021 and running through April 4, 2021.
New Drawing in Exhibition Antifreeze
I will have a large-scale drawing Charcoal Lung #6 , a new work from 2020, in the faculty exhibition Antifreeze from February 3-21 presented at the Averill and Bernard Leviton Gallery of Columbia College Chicago which is in conjunction with the College Art Association Annual Conference being held in Chicago this year. The opening is February 13 from 4-7pm and was Curated by Debra Kayes Halpern.
Work at Hand Screening CAA Chicago →
The documentary film, Work at Hand, Michael K. Paxton, will be screened February 13, 2020 at the Hokin Lecture Hall room 109 of Columbia College Chicago, 623 South Wabash Avenue, first floor, from 6:30-8:15 pm. This is an Offsite Event for the College Art Association Annual Convention being held in Chicago, IL this year. Both Director/Producer Peter Hartel and artist Michael K. Paxton will be in attendance, This screening is free and open to the public. For more information on the film or filmmakers https://www.workathandfilm.com/
Works on Paper on View at Current Art Fair →
I am happy to announce that I will have works on paper on view at the 3rd Annual Current Art Fair in Richmond Virginia in the Linda Matney Gallery’s Booth that runs October 24th through October 27th.
Appalachian Futures Exhibition WVU Library →
I am pleased to have a couple of my Pillar of Dust images included in the Appalachian Futures Regional Artist Respond group exhibition on view at the West Virginia University Library that will run from August 15 through October 15, 2019 and Curated by Sally Deskins.
Information on Raw Reckoning Opening and Exhibition →
Opening Reception: 6-9pm, June 7th, 2019
On display from June 7th-August 4th, 2019
Raw Reckoning is veteran Chicago artist Michael K. Paxton’s one-person exhibition of large-scale paintings and works on paper that derive their structure from the study of slide sections of the effect of black lung disease on coalminers. Paxton, a sixth generation West Virginian creates pillar size fields of chalk, charcoal, gesso and acrylic on raw canvas that embrace this ongoing devastation from coal in an effort to point to a place and people not heard from often in contemporary art. Through a well ingrained working process of size and materials, the open-ended approach of how each painting is developed produces a colorful and awkward work of aggressive mark making that refuses to stand still. Pushing hard against expectations an otherness surrounds his work as he looks for the exact point where his bone deep Appalachian heritage can carve out a place for a heart’s desire to speak of something important, personal and yet as common as dirt.
Raw Reckoning Opens June 7 →
June 7th will be the opening of my one-person exhibition Raw Reckoning presented by the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago (UIMA). This exhibition will feature my most recent 96” x72” large-scale paintings, 72” x 50” charcoal on paper drawings, sketchbooks and an extensive catalog produced by the museum. Organized and developed by Adrienne Kochman, Curator and Olivia Rozdolsky, Assistant Curator the exhibition will run until August 4, 2019.
Artist Talk and Film Screening →
April 25, 2019 I will be featured by the Peninsula Fine Art Center in Newport News, Virginia in an After Dark Film and Artist Talk from 6:30-8:30. The documentary film Work at Hand will be screened as part of this event. This was organized by Lee Matney of the Linda Matney Gallery and Diana Blanchard, Curator of the Art Center.
March 29, 2019 Raleigh Studios, Hollywood CA →
I am excited to announce our next screening of Work At Hand will be at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA. Join us at The Chaplin Theater in Raleigh Studios, Friday, March 29, 2019, 7-9 pm, 5300 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. Doors open at 7 pm, screening from 7:30-8:30 followed by a Q&A with Michael K. Paxton and Peter Hartel. Admission will be $10 will all proceeds to benefit Columbia College Chicago Cinema and Television Arts Semester in LA Student Scholarships. Free street parking is available with additional parking in the studio garage for $10.
