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Bio and Exhibitions

DAN ADDINGTON
704 N. Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654 . p.312.664.3406

dan@addington.com http://www.danaddington.com


Dan Addington lives and workes in Chicago. He received his MFA in painting from Illinois State University, a Masters in Art and Art History from Arkansas State University, and a BA with a double major in art and theater from Northwestern College in Orange City, IA.

His work has been exhibited in over 50 solo exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibitions across the US. These include solo exhibitions at The Rymer Gallery in Nashville, Aliya|Linstrum Gallery in Atlanta, Malton Gallery in Cincinnati, McMurtrey Gallery in Houston, and Oglvie/Pertl in Chicago. In Chicago, Dan's work has been shown at Gwenda Jay Gallery, Struve Gallery, Carrie Secrist Gallery, Lineage Gallery, Evan Glasman Gallery, 33 Contemporary, The Contemporary Art Workshop, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Beverly Art Center, The Bridgeport Art Center, The Zhou B Art Center, The Greenview Art Center, The Arlington Heights Art Center, The Riverside Art Center, The Highland Park Art Center, The Evanston Art Center, The Park Forest Tall Grass Art Center, Concordia University, the University of Chicago, Judson University, the Loyola Medical Center, and Artchicago. Addington is the owner and director of Addington Gallery in Chicago.

Addington's paintings often include combinations of anatomical imagery, romantic symbolism, and religious iconography. The works are created using a variety of materials that emphasize the paintings as visceral objects with an evocative physical presence. often, these materials are meant to recall and engage the physical body, and with the accompanying image, evoke a meditational response from the viewer. Through a mixed use of painterly languages, these works explore the nature of mortality, express a sense of loss, and address mankind's desire to locate spiritual meaning.



Education


MFA, Illinois State University, Normal, IL
MA, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR
BA, Theater/Art, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA

One and Two Person Exhibitions

2023    "Mystery and Memory", Forshey Gallery, Chicago Temple, Chicago, IL.

2023    "Material Witness", Mclean County Art Center, Bloomington, IL.(with Doug DeWitt)

2021    "Memory and Meaning", Madden Art Center, Decatur, IL.

2018    "Cover Stories", Kalamazoo Book Arts Center, Kalamazoo, MI.

2017    "Monumental Heart", Fine Art Gallery, Dordt College, Souix Center, IA.

2016    "Monumental Heart", Ferguson Gallery, Concordia University Chicago, River Forest IL.

2015    The Star Wars Series, Metropolis Gallery, Chicago

2015    Health in the Arts Gallery, University of Illinois, Chicago

2013    Draewell Gallery, Judson University, Elgin IL

2012    Body and Soul, 3 part show at Norback, Addington, and HiltonAsmus, Chicago

2010    Rymer Gallery, Nashville TN

2009    Oglvie Pertl Gallery, Chicago

2008    Monument and Memory, John Brown University, Arkansas

2008    Monument and Memory, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro

2007    Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago

2006    Aliya | Linstrum Gallery, Atlanta

2006    Malton Gallery, Cincinnati

2005    Aliya | Linstrum Gallery, Atlanta

2004    Aliya Gallery, Atlanta

2004    Memory of a New Land: Five Year Survey, Te Paske Gallery, Northwestern College, Orange City IA

Feature: Janine Calsbeek, Sioux County Capitol-Democrat, Sept. 2, 2004

2004    Five Year Survey, Atwood Memorial Gallery, St Cloud State University, St Cloud MN

2003    Spirit and Flesh, Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery, Chicago

2002    Sanctuary, Aliya Gallery, Atlanta

2001    Aliya Gallery, Atlanta

2000    WestwordAliya Gallery, Atlanta

2000    One Person Exhibition Loyola Medical Center, Maywood, IL

1999    University of Wisconsin, Madison

1998    Aliya Gallery, Atlanta

Review: Jerry Cullum, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov.13 1998

1998    University of Notre Dame,South Bend, Indiana. January 22 - February 15,1998. Slide lecture: Jan. 22

1998    One Person Exhibition, Riverside Arts Center, Riverside, IL (Suburban Chicago), Oct - Nov, 1998

1998    Evan Glasman Gallery, Chicago, IL

1997    Malton Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio. September 12 - October 13, 1997

Review: Maureen Bloomfield, Dialogue Magazine, Nov., 1997

1997    McMurtrey Gallery, Houston, Texas. July 1 - August 12, 1997

1997    New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, New Harmony IN, June

1997    Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago

Review: Fred Camper, The Chicago Reader, March 21, 1997

1996    Entries, Lineage Gallery, Chicago (three person show)

1996    Ropewalker, Holy Covenant U.M.C., Chicago (three person show)

1995    Shadows of the Body, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA

1994    New Paintings, Southeast Missouri State University Museum, Cape Girardeau, MO

1993    Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago

Review: Kristen Brooke Schleifer, New Art Examiner, May 1993

1992    Relics, Arlington Art Center, Arlington Heights, IL

1991    Ewing Museum, Normal, IL

1990    Spirit/Flesh, Up Front Gallery, Bloomington, IL

1990    University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

1990    Little Journeys, Up Front Gallery, Bloomington, IL

1989    New Work, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA

1988    Up Front Gallery, Bloomington, IL

1987    Arkansas State University Gallery of Fine Arts, Jonesboro, AR

1986    Works on Paper, Dean B. Ellis Library, Jonesboro, AR

Group Exhibitions

2023. 10x10, Jackson Junge Gallery, Chicago IL 2023. Small Wonders, Blue Moon Gallery, Grayslake, IL 2022. Wonders, Stephen Smith Fine Art, Fairfield AL 2022. Beyond the Surface, The Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, Chicago 2020. The Blues, The Painting Center, New York NY 2020. FIREworks, The Dole Art Center, Crystal Lake, IL 2019. A Sense of Place in Contemporary Encaustic, Monmouth University Center for the Arts, West Long Branch, NJ 2019. Variations in Wax, Robert Morris University, Chicago IL
2019. Curators Create, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago IL
2019. Painting With Fire, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago IL
2019. Beyond Fayum, Hugh N Ronald Gallery, Arts Place, Portland IN
2018. Fused Small Works Exhibition, Brickton Art Center, Chicago IL
2018. Compendium, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL
2017. Chicago Artists Interpret American Literature, Catholic Theological Union Mary-Frances, Chicago IL
2017. Rebirth of an Ancient Medium: Encaustic 2017, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago
2017. 5th Annual Juried Competition, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago
2017. Past Staff Exhibition , McLean County Art Center, Bloomington IL
2016. Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
2016. Reinventing Ourselves from Another POV: Self Portraits, 33 Contemporary, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago
2015. Fused Chicago, ARC Gallery, Chicago
2015. National Encaustic Exhibition, Morpho Gallery, Chicago
2015. Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare, Our Lady of the Brook Church, Northbrook IL
2014. 10th National Self Portrait Invitation Invitational, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago
2014. Fused, Contemporary Encaustic, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights IL
2014. The Nature of Things, Jan Brandt Gallery, Bloomington IL
2013. In a Perfect World, Beverly Art Center, Chicago IL. 4 Person show featuring Mary Porterfield, Sandra Dawson, Elaine Miller and Dan Addington.
2013. FusedChicago: A Group Encaustic Exhibition, College Of Lake County, IL
2012. Spirits, Saints, and Souls, Tall Grass Arts Association Gallery, Park Forest IL
2012. Spring Show, Evanston Art Center, Evanston IL
2012. The District Gallery, Knoxville TN
2011. National Self Portrait Exhibition, 33 Contemporary, Chicago
2011. New Encaustic Explorations, Noyes Cultural Center, Evanston IL
2011. New Work, Oglvie Pertle Gallery, Chicago
2010. Hot Wax, Art Center at Highland Park, Highland Park IL
2010. National Self Portrait Exhibition, 33 Collective Gallery, Chicago
2010. Alumni Exhibition, University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal IL
2008. Gallery Artists, Linstrum+Matre Gallery, Atlanta
2008. "From Ancient Earth" Beverly Art Center, Chicago
2007. Gallery Artists, The Rymer Gallery, Nashville TN
2007. Wax Philosophical, Wired Gallery, Bethlehem, PA
2006. "Hot Wax & Cool Artists: Encaustic Art Today", Haydon Art Center, Lincoln NE. Curated by Margaret Berry. Reviewed in The Lincoln Journal Star
2006. Something Old, Something New, 3 Person Show, Hinsdale Center for the Arts
2006. Group Show, Irish American Heritage Center
2005. "12x12" The Art Center, Highland Park, IL (Second Place Award)
2005. "The Art of the Ornament", Chicago Art Foundation
2005. "Oil and Wax, Chapter and Verse", Travelling Exhibition
May 8 - June 16, 2005 - Community Arts Center, Wallingford, PA; July 1 - August 30, 2005 - Siano Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; November 5 - November 30, 2005 - The Novato Arts Center, Novato CA; April 6 - May 1, 2005 - Robert Roman Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ.
2004. "Chicago Painters", University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point WI
2004. "Flowers", Aliya Gallery, Atlanta
2004. "Waxworks III, Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery, Chicago
2003. "Childhood Revisited", Aliya Gallery, Atlanta
2001. "Waxworks II", Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery, Chicago
2000. "Botanica", Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago
BOTANICA: Contemporary Art and the World of Plants. Exhibition curated by the Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota Duluth, and traveling through March 2002 to: Plains Art Museum, Fargo ND; University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal; Carlton College, Northfield MN; Alexandria Museum of Art, Alexandria LA; Tarble Arts Center, Charleston IL; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago; University Gallery, University of Delaware, Newark
Catalogue published by The Tweed Museum of Art
2000. "Materials/Techniques", Dominican University, Forest Park, IL
1999. "Botanica", Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN
1999. MOCRA, Museum of Contemporary Religeous Art, St. Louis
1999. "The Love Show", Malton Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio, Feb 5 - March 5, 1999
1999. 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Aliya Gallery, Atlanta, Feb 20 - March 12, 1999
1998. WAXWORKS, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, IL
Feature: Kevin Williams, Chicago Sun Times, Feb. 27, 1998

Arkansas City Art Center, Arkansas City, KS (three person show)
1997. Cathedral Visions III, Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington, KY
DiFalco Gallery, Chicago
1996. 46th Spiva Annual, Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin MO
Chicagoland Juried Exhibition, Skokie Fine Arts Assoc., Skokie IL
1995. Gallery A, Chicago
1995. Zussamen, curated by Milktooth Productions, Chicago
1995. Painting and Content, POST Gallery, Kansas City
1995. Spiritual Inquiries, Struve Gallery, Chicago
1994. Function/Disfunction, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago
1994. Lowe Gallery, Atlanta
1994. Change is in the Air, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago
1993. Five Chicago Artists, Greenview Art Center, Chicago
1992. Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL
1992. Gwenda Jay Gallery
1991. 44th Mid-States Biennial Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Art, Evansville, IN
1991. 11th Annual Nat. Small Oil Painting Exhibition, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
1991. Mulberry School Benefit Exhibition, University Galleries, Normal
1990. New Paintings (two person show), Gwenda Jay Gallery
1990. Art/Aids: A Creative Dialogue, University Galleries, Normal IL
1990. Truth through Metaphor, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago
1990. New Horizons, North Shore Art League, Chicago.Juror: Harold Gregor
1990. ISU Juried Exhibition, University Galleries, Normal, IL. Jurors:D. Cox, J. Pakosta
1990. Jones College IL Grad Exhib., Northwestern U, Evanston, IL Juror: Martha Slaughter
1990. 13th Annual N. Dakota Juried Exhibition, Minot Art Gallery, Minot ND
1990. 5th Florida National, Florida State Museum, Tallahassee, FL (catalogue)
1990. Annual Midwest Juried Exhibition, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon, IL
1989. 6th Annual Works on Paper Exhibit, Elgin College, Elgin IL, Juror: Susan Sensemann
1989. Illinois Juried Professional Art Exhibition, Firehouse Gallery, Springfield IL
1989. Jones College IL Grad Exhib., Northwestern U, Evanston, IL Juror: Susan Sensemann
1989. Grey House Group Show, Up Front Gallery, Bloomington, IL
1989. 41st Mid-States Biennial, Evansville Museum of Art, Evansville IN
1989. Electrum VII, National Drawing Competition, Helena Museum, Helena MT
1989. Graduate Biennial, University Galleries, Normal, IL
1988. 19th Biennial Juried Show, Muscatine, IA Juror:Dennis Nawrocki
1988. Illinois Juried Professional Art Exhibition, Firehouse Gallery, Springfield IL
1988. Small Works Group Show, Up Front Gallery, Bloomington IL
1987. Group Members Exhibition, Up Front Gallery, Bloomington IL
1987. Jonesboro Annual Fine Arts Exhibition, Jonesboro, AR

Awards and Honors

  • Lilly Endowment grant, 2004
  • Third Place, 46th Spiva Annual, Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin MO 1996
  • Elizabeth Stein Fine Arts Grant and Award, Illinois State University, Normal IL 1989
  • First Graduate Painting, Illinois State University Juried Exhibition, Normal IL 1989
  • Best of Show, Northwestern University All-Illinois Graduate Juried Exhibition, Evanston, IL 1989
  • Best of Show, Museum Guild Purchase Award, 41st Mid-States Biennial, Evansville Museum of Art, Evansville IN 1989
  • Nomination, Awards in the Visual Arts,Southeast Center for Contemporary Art 1987
  • Best of Show, Jonesboro Fine Arts Council Exhibition, Jonesboro AR 1986
  • Best of Show, Northwestern College Juried Exhibition, Orange City IA 1984, 1985

Bibliography

  • Feature: "The Ruins May be More Interesting than the Original", Janine Calsbeek, Sioux County Capitol-Democrat, Sept. 2, 2004
  • Catalogue Essay: Botanica, Contemporary Art and the World of Plants, 1999, Tweed Museum of Art, Exhibition Catalogue
  • Review: "Gorgeous Images of Loss", Jerry Cullum, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 13, 1998
  • Feature: "'Boy With Gun' not meant to be prophetic", Sandra Knipe, Evansville Press, Evansville IN, April 13, 1998
  • Feature: "Wax Works", Kevin Williams, Chicago Sun Times, Feb. 27, 1998
  • Review: Maureen Bloomfield, Dialogue Magazine, Nov. 1997
  • Review: "Articles of Faith", Fred Camper, The Chicago Reader, March 21, 1997
  • Review: Kristen Brooke Schleifer, New Art Examiner, May 1993

Brief description of working methods

1. An initial image is created on wood panel using a combination of painterly methods. Acrylics and oils are used. The image is sanded, scraped, stained, and reworked. Images may be drawn, collaged, or painted into these "background fields".

2. Melted, semi-refined beeswax is poured onto the wood panel. The wax may be mixed with pigment, or kept in it's light-golden state. A maximum of translucency is required to reveal the images under the wax. The wax is leveled and smoothed with a knife and heat gun.

3. After cooling, images may be etched with a sharp point into the wax. oil paint is often rubbed into this scraffito and wiped from the surface to emphasize the etched lines

4. The final, central sillouette image is painted in tar with varnish and drying agents added to increase the tar's stability. Glazes may be added to further enhance color and luminosity.


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