I am excited to announce that West Virginia Public Broadcasting HD will air the documentary film Work at Hand, Michael K. Paxton, Sunday June 14th at 7:00 pm (ET) across the entire state. Special thanks to Director of Programming Eddie Isom and his staff at WVPBS. For more information and program schedule.
Evanston Art Center Virtual Studio Visit →
I am very honored to have been featured by the Evanston Art Center in a Zoom Virtual Studio Visit and Artist Talk for their social media platforms. Introduced by President and CEO of the Center, Paula Danoff and interviewed by Cara Feeney, Director of Exhibitions, who also did a very nice job of editing this video. I look with excitement to my one-person exhibition of new work that has been pushed forward due to the virus shutdown and slated to open February 27, 2021. To view the video and more information.
Linda Matney Gallery Tenth Anniversary Exhibit Online →
Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus Linda Matney’s Tenth Anniversary Exhibit was force to be viewed online as a virtual exhibition. Very sad that this important milestone for the gallery with a celebration of works by gallery artist was so effected.
Raw Reckoning Catalog In Library Collection
The Columbia College of Chicago Library has added to their collections the exhibition catalog for Raw Reckoning from my one-person exhibition presented at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago this past summer. Curator for the exhibition Adrienne Kochman wrote a wonderful essay on my work and I also added a short essay.
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/
What is Painting? Essay Published
Thanks to Norbert Marszalek for asking me to write an essay to answer the big question What is Painting? in his on going spotlight on painters and their thoughts. My essay can be found here https://whatispainting.com/michael-k-paxton/
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.
Gallery Talk Raw Reckoning
Michael will be having an Artist Talk Sunday, July 28th from 1 to 3pm in connected with his current one-person exhibition Raw Reckoning now on view at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago. He will be joined by Dr. Robert Cohen, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Occupational Lung Disease Program at Northwestern University. He is also Clinical Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. Mediator for the talk will be Adrienne Kochman, Curator of UIMA and the driving force for this exhibition. Here is a link to the event.
https://uima-chicago.org/events/2019/7/28/raw-reckoning-gallery-talk
Exhibition Card for Raw Reckoning UIMA Chicago →
Here is the front of the card for my one-person exhibition Raw Reckoning that opens June 7th and runs to August 4th at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago.
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.
Visiting Artist and Film Screening
I had the pleasure to be a Visiting Artist for the day with both a screening of "Work at Hand” and also meeting with the painting students at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Monday February 25, 2019. A big Thanks to Robert Drea for setting this all up for me.
"Raw Reckoning" Exhibition Announced
I am pleased to announce that my one-person exhibition of recent large-scale paintings and works on paper titled “Raw Reckoning” will be presented by the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, IL from June 7th through August 4th, 2019. Thanks to Adrienne Kochman, PhD, Curator of the UIMA for her wonderful support of my work and Olivia Rozodolsky, who will design the extensive catalog. This will be a major museum size exhibition and I am both honored and humbled.
Columbia College Chicago Screening November 30th →
There will be a free screening of the documentary film "Work At Hand" Friday, November 30, 2018 at 7:00 pm at Columbia College Chicago Film Row Theater, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor.
Chicago Premiere of "Work at Hand" at Chicago Filmmakers →
The Chicago premiere of the documentary film "Work At Hand" will be presented by Chicago Filmmakers in two free screenings on Saturday October 20, 2018 at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM at 5720 North Ridge Avenue, Chicago, IL. Both screenings are free and open to the public.
Artist Panel on Abstract Art in Chicago
Michael was one of the members of an Artist Panel September 29th presented by the Hofheimer Gallery, Chicago, IL that was an Art Expo After Hours Event. The question at hand was “Abstract Art and Its Relevance in Chicago Today” Pictured left to right: Susan Aurinko, Judith Roston Freilich, Charles Gniech, Michael K. Paxton and Gallery Owner/Director Teresa Hofheimer.
