March 2008

Robert J. Quackenbush, Jr.
(Auto) Biography

When I was twenty-five, I knew that I was supposed to be a painter. Ultimately, it took me another twenty five years to get to a point where I had the freedom to pursue this dream on a full-time basis. During the intervening years I spent my available free time in art school. Wherever I lived I found a place to go to school. It started in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and it continues to this day. Whenever I had a place to use as a studio, I painted. When I didn’t have space, I painted in my head. In 1996, I was able to free myself to paint on a full-time basis. I got into two group shows in 1997, and since then I have had four one-man shows.

For two semesters in 1997 and again for nine semesters between mid-1999 through mid-2002, I was accepted to participate in the Empire State College (SUNY) Studio Art Program in New York City. They gave me a studio to work in and invited renowned artists, museum curators, art historians and critics to conduct group lectures as well as critique the work of each of the program’s participants.

In 1997, I won an Award of Merit at Paperworks’97 (a national juried show). This was followed by five one-man shows. The first was called Re:Presentations hosted by the Wooster Community Art Center where I showed figurative work. Next, Ulla Surland’s Gallery 11 in Fairfield, CT showed my Alternative Landscapes. This was followed by an invitation from a Soho based advertising agency (Kirschenbaum, Bond & Partners) to display similar work. In March, 2002, Kevin Alger (NYC) presented a broad range of my work including my new grid-based series. At both the Gallery 11 and Alger shows, more than 50% of the work shown was sold at the opening reception. I credit the time I spent at Empire State’s Studio Program as a valuable component to being selected for these successful shows.

From 1996 - 2005, I had the good fortune to spend almost every Monday afternoon working in the studio of Alexander Shundi in Amenia, New York. Alex is a great painter, has a deep knowledge of art history and is a teacher like no other. Alex taught me how to see; how not to be afraid of my imagination; and, most of all, how to create work that makes uncommon sense. I owe Alex a great debt of thanks.

In early 2005 I moved from my studio in the South Bronx to my new studio in Leawood, Kansas, where I continue to develop my on-going series of abstracted landscapes, wallscapes and grid based concepts, as well as the always serious and often playful exploration of each day’s new ideas.

In 2006, I had a major one-man exhibition of thirty works hosted by American Century Investments in Kansas City, Missouri. I also showed work in juried group shows at the Kansas City Artists Coalition and the New Arts Gallery in Litchfield, Connecticut. Additionally in 2006, I was invited to join the Hand Print Press, a group of printmakers at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

In 2007, I have been in a group show at the Healing Arts Gallery at the Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. In addition, I am currently scheduled for four one-man exhibitions in the greater Kansas City area to be shown at the Central Exchange in Kansas City (March thru June); the S. M. Wilson & Company headquartered in Lenexa (August and September); the Irene B. French Community Center Art Gallery in Merriam (September) and at the City of Roeland Park (December). As part of the Kansas City Artists Coalition’s Biennial Open Studios program, I will participate in a group show with other KCAC members at ARTichokes, a new gallery space in Leawood, Kansas.

The February/March (2007) issue of SPACES Magazine, a Kansas City area publication, featured an artist’s profile article on the progress of my art career since arriving in the Kansas City area.

This year, I have been invited to present work at the H&R Block ARTSPACE 2008 Flatfile Exhibition. The exhibit opens on February 22nd and runs through April 5, 2008. More info: ArtSpace

In March, I will have a one man exhibition in the Harry Krug Gallery at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. The show runs from March 5 through April 14, 2008. There is an opening reception on March 6th preceded by an artist’s talk. More info: http://www.pittstate.edu/art/harrykruggal/RobertQuackenbush

In April, as a member of the Hand Print Press, one of my original prints will be included in their new limited edition portfolio.

Beginning April 25th, as part of the “Now Showing” program sponsored by the Metropolitan Arts Council’s Business Committee for the Arts, I will have a one-man show hosted by the Kansas City, Missouri office of Fleishman-Hillard, a global public relations firm. The exhibition runs through July 25, 2008.