Ron porter
Ron Porter recently retired from Vanderbilt University where he was a professor of art for 14 years. Porter received his MFA from Ohio University. His paintings are surrealist in nature, often depicting dramatic, exquisitely rendered landscapes interposed with mysterious still lifes or trucks indecipherably blended into the natural scenery. Exploring ironies and paradoxes, his paintings emphasize the dynamic tensions integral to existence, such as those between clarity and ambiguity, spontaneity and planning, truth and illusion. Intriguingly, these tensions are as much a part of life as they are the creative process. Technically proficient, intelligent, and with a good sense of humor, his work stirs thought provoking questions about life and the enigmatic yet precious relationship we have with our surroundings.
STATEMENT
The paintings are a fusion of place and imagination. They are constructed from memory as well as photographic references.
The thing that interests me most is bringing visual ideas and experiences onto canvas. I keep the possibilities open during the painting process and this results in clarity and ambiguity, spontaneity and planning, truth and illusion, to exist side by side.
When the ordinary, and often banal, connect with the ambiguous I find the commonplace elevated. It’s a way of visualizing my mind’s eye, and in a larger sense, reveals a kind of underlying truth about human nature that lives just beyond the imagery.
The work is best looked into, than looked at.
RESUME
Education
Master of Fine Arts (Honors).-Painting Ohio University Athens OH 1989
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honors)-Painting Middle Tennessee State University 1987
Employment
Professional Studio Production Painting & Drawing 1987 to present
Senior Lecturer Studio Art Vanderbilt University 1998-2012
Adjunct Professor of Art Middle Tennessee State University Fall 1997
Visiting Professor of Art Ohio University, 1994 Spring-1995 Winter/Spring
Visiting Professor of Art University of Wyoming Summer Session 1991
Adjunct Professor of Art Shawnee State University 1989-90
Visiting Professor of Art Ohio University 1989-90
Production Coordinator-Governor’s School of TN Summer MTSU 1987-88
Teaching Associate Graduate Studies Ohio University 1987-89
Awards
Huntsville Museum of Art Red Clay Survey Purchase Award 2007
BRENAU College National Invitational, GA Best of Show Painting Cash Award ‘94
Merit & Purchase Awards People’s Bank Collection Marietta, OH 1994
Ohio Arts Council - Individual Fellowship $5000 1994
T.N.T. Co Patron Award Columbus, OH 1993
BRENAU Nat. Invitational GA Best Of Show Painting Cash Award 1992
CONFLUENCE ‘92 National Painting/Drawing Juror’s Cash Award 1992
Washington & Jefferson College Nat. Painting Exhibition Juror Cash Award PA 1992
17th Annual Nat.Painting Show Hays University Kansas Juror’s Award 1992
Huntington 280:WORKS ON WALLS Honorable Mention WV 1992
Ohio Arts Council -Individual Fellowship $10,000 1990
Huntington 280:WORKS ON WALLS Honorable Mention WV 1990
Mid-America Biennial Owensboro KY Purchase Award 1988
Tennessee Polytechnical Exhibition 2nd Place 1985
Tennessee Polytechnical Exhibition 1st Place 1986
Symposiums & Workshops
Juror All Kentucky Exhibition Bowling Green Ky 2008
Panelist:Art, Symmetry, & Perception Frist Center for the Arts Nashville TN 2002
Vanderbilt Alumni Dali lecture continuing education. Philadelphia Art Museum 2005
Cumberland Gallery Summer Lecture Series 1999
Lecture and Juror Vanderbilt University Hamblet Award Study Abroad 1997
Lecture Marietta College, OH 1995
Lecture Series Direct Encounters-W. Michigan University 1993
Fine Arts Networking Session Ohio University 1991
Juror Mercersburg Academy PA 1991
Lecturer Huntington Museum of Art Regional Annual Docent Symposium 1991
Juror Star Bank 4th High School Competition Portsmouth OH 1990
Juror Undergrad Exhibit OH University Branch Lancaster OH 1990
Juror 23rd Annual Arts Festival McConnellsville OH 1990
One Person Shows
Hidell Brooks Gallery Charlotte Fall NC 2018
Moremen Moloney Gallery Louisville KY 2017
Cumberland Gallery Nashville TN 2012, 2010, 2005,1999, 1996, 1993, 1991
Volunteer State Community College Gallatin TN 2003
Gallery Vl, Columbus, OH 1996, 1998
Marietta College Marietta, OH 1995
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 1993
Contemporary Art Workshop Chicago IL 1993
Hoyt Institute of Fine Art New Castle PA 1991
Gallery 200 Columbus OH 1991
The Mercersburg Academy PA 1991
Acme Art Company Columbus Ohio 1990
Trumbull Art Gallery Warren OH 1990
Sandford Gallery Clarion University PA 1990
Middle Tennessee State University (drawing) 1986 (painting) 1987
Selected Group Exhibitions
Altered Reality, Cumberland Gallery, Nashville, TN
20th Anniversary Exhibiyion Hidell Brooks Gallery Charlotte NC
15th Anniversary Exhibition Hidell Brooks Gallery Charlotte, NC 2013
LA Art Show via Cumberland Gallery 2013 2014
Tinney Contemporary Invitatiional Nashville, Tn 2012
American Juried Art Salon 2012
7TH Biennial National Art Exhibition Punta Gorda, FL 2010
Cumberland Gallery “FOOD” theme exhibition. Tn 2010
All American Juried Art Salon Texas 2009
Acanthus Invitational Sonoma CA 2009
Cumberland Gallery “Green Show” 2009
New Works/Nine States Art St.Louis 2006
DIVERSE VISIONS Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Faculty 1999, 2002, 2005
Artscapes Museum Show & Auction Knoxville TN 2004
AAF Contemporary Art Fair New York 2004
Tennessee State Museum Traveling Exhibition 2004
National American Landscape and Still Life National Competition Hays KS 2003
Oil & Acrylic Painters Society National Competition Lake Ozark MO 2003
Riffe Gallery, Ohio Arts Commission, Columbus, OH Summer 1998
Back To Reality Southern OH Museum Portsmouth, OH 1997
Arts and Antiques Cumberland Gallery Nashville, TN 1997
Small Works Invitational Cumberland Gallery Nashville, TN 1995,-2003
Spectrum Hunter Museum of Art Chattanooga TN 1996, 1997, 1998
41st Annual Durham NC Art Exhibition 1995
4th Annual Jack Lunt Memorial Invitational 1995
Art Fair International Seattle 1994,1995, 1996, 1997
Inside/Outside Cumberland Gallery Nashville, TN 1994
People’s Bank Collection Annual Invitational Marietta OH 1994
Brenau College National Invitational Gainesville, GA 1994
Three River’s Art Festival Pittsburg PA 1994
Keny Gallery Columbus OH 1994
Art Chicago-The New Pier Show 1993
Corporate Environments of Ohio, Columbus, OH 1993
INTERIORS Sandy Carson Gallery Denver, CO 1993
Sight and Insight:Southern Ohio Museum 1993
Spirit Echoes Gallery Austin TX 1992, 1993
Native To Neon Exposition Philadelphia 1992
Images ‘92 HUB Gallery Penn St PA 1992
Confluence:20th Annual Painting Show TX 1992
24th Washington & Jefferson Painting Show PA 1992
17th National Painting/Drawing Show Hays University KS 1992
Brenau College National Invitational Gainesville GA 1992
Works On Walls:Huntington Museum of Art WV 1991
S P A C E S Gallery Cleveland OH 1991
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania 1991
Beyond Realism Cumberland Gallery Nashville TN 1991
Dimensions ‘91 Winston-Salem NC 1991
Hunter Museum of Art “Spectrum” fundraiser Chattanooga TN 1991-2003
Governor’s Residence Art Collection Columbus OH 1990
Gallery Artist’s New Work Gallery 200 Columbus OH 1990 -1991
Sandford Gallery Clarion University PA 1990
Exhibition 280 Huntington Museum of Art WV 1990
53rd National Mid-Year The Butler Institute OH 1989
Allied Artist’s 75th Exhibition New York NY 1988
Shanghai Exchange University of Shanghai China 1988
Summer Gallery Artist’s Show Cumberland Gallery Nashville TN ‘88-‘99
Mid-America Biennial Owensboro KY 1988
34th Annual Small Drawing/Sculpture Ball State Muncie IN 1988
Three Rivers Arts Festival Pittsburgh PA 1988
Galex 22nd National Exhibition Galesburg IL 1988
Selected Public Collections
Music City Center Nashville, TN
OMNI Hotel Nashville Tn
Gaylord Palms Hotel Orlando, FL
National Endowment for the Arts (loan 1998-2010) Washington DC
Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
Tennessee State Museum
Vanderbilt University Medical Library Collection TN
Opryland Hotel Nashville TN
South Central Bell, Nashville TN
Kaiser Permanente, Denver CO
Champions Development Group, Westerville OH
Franklin University, Columbus OH
Boult-Cummins Law Firm, Nashville TN
Peoples Bank Collection Marietta OH
Huntington Bank Columbus OH
Dollar General Stores Corporation
Automatic Data Processing Company Chicago IL
Pinkerton Tobacco Company Owensboro KY
Springs Mills Collection Lancaster SC
Tennessee Valley Authority Knoxville TN
Yellow Freight System Inc Overland Park KS
Greenville County Museum of Art SC
Clarion University Clarion PA
Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts New Castle PA
American Plastics Columbus OH
Metro Health System Cleveland OH
Kaiser Corporation Cleveland OH
First Tennessee Bank Nashville TN
Publications & Reviews
THE ART OF COMMUNITY Book; Tennessee Collection of Janet & Jim Ayers
THE NASHVILLE SCENE 2012 Critics Pick
VANDERBILT FACULTY WEB PAGE 2000-2012
THE VANDERBILT REVIEW Volume XVI 2000
VANDERBILT FACULTY WEB PAGE 2000-2010
The Distillery:Motlow St College Creative Arts Journal 2000
ART.NET CUMBERLAND GALLERY WEB PAGE 2000-2009
IN REVIEW: Nashville weekly. Honorable mention Best Two Person Show of ‘99
NASHVILLE SCENE:Art Revue 1999
OBERLIN COLLEGE PRESS Cover “Vanitas Motel” Poems by Jon Loomis 1997
OPEN STUDIO PRESS-NEW AMERICAN PAINTING 1995,1997
ART IN AMERICA INDEX 92/93 94/95 96/97 98/99 2000/01 02/03 04/05 06/07
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR CATALOG 1994/95/96/97
ARTIST’S MAGAZINE May 1994
WESTERN HERALD, MI 1994
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, IL 1993
NASHVILLE BANNER WEEKENDER-(cover) ‘93
NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN Review 1999
THE PLAIN DEALER OH 1991
COLUMBUS DISPATCH OH ‘90-’91-‘96-‘98
CLARION-LIFESTYLES PA 1990
NEW CASTLE NEWS-PA 1991
DIALOGUE-Arts in the Mid-West Summer Issue (cover) 1991