Biography
Dona Nelson (b. 1947)
| 1968 1968 | BFA, Ohio State University, Columbus OH Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, NY |
Solo Exhibitions
| 2016 2015 2014 2010 | Erasing Tracing Racing Paint, Polly Apfelbaum, Dona Nelson at Michael Benevento, Los Angeles, CA, March 12–May 7, 2016. New Paintings, with Thomas Erben Gallery, New York Phigor, with Thomas Erben Gallery, New York Volta New York, with Thomas Erben Gallery, New York |
| 2008 | in situ: paintings 1973 – present, Thomas Erben Gallery, New York |
| 2006 | Brain Stain, Thomas Erben Gallery, New York |
| 2003 | Tactile Image, Cheim and Read, New York |
| 2001 | Stations of the Subway, Cheim and Read, New York |
| 2000 | Dona Nelson: Stations of the Subway, Octopuses and Arrangements (curator Ron Platt; catalogue essay Klaus Kertess) Weatherspoon Art Gallery, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina |
| 1999 | Parks and Portraits: Dona Nelson, 1983 – 88 (essay Sanford Schwartz) Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadeplhia, Pennsylvania |
| 1996 | Michael Klein Gallery, New York |
| 1995 | Michael Klein Gallery, New York |
| 1993 | Michael Klein Gallery, New York |
| 1990 | Michael Klein Gallery, New York Scott Hanson Gallery, New York |
| 1989 | Scott Hanson Gallery, New York |
| 1985 | P.S.1 (a room of paintings), Long Island City, New York |
| 1983 | Hamilton Gallery, New York |
| 1982 | Oscarsson Hood Gallery, New York |
| 1975 | Rosa Esman Gallery, New York |
| 1968 1968 | BFA, Ohio State University, Columbus OH Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, NY |
Selected Group Exhibitions
| 2016
| Off Screen, Jacob Ciocci, Storm De Hirsch, Paul Gagner, Dona Nelson, Raha Raissnia, Pieter Schoolwerth, Microscope Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, May 20–June 20, 2016 Physical Painting, Richard and Dolly Maass Gallery, School of Art+Design, Suny Purchase, curated by Jennifer Samet, in conversation with Scott Wolniak, March 2016. |
| 2015 | Pretty Raw: After and Around Helen Frankenthaler (curated by Katy Siegel) The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University Making Sense: Rochelle Feinstein, Deborah Grant, Iva Gueorguieva, Dona Nelson (curated by Margaret Miller and Megan Voeller) USF Contemporary Art Museum, Florida |
| 2014 | NADA Art Fair, Thomas Erben Gallery, Miami Beach, Florida In the Office of the Drunken Monkey, Tiger Strikes Asteroid New York The 2014 Whitney Biennial, New York NADA Art Fair, Thomas Erben Gallery, Miami Beach Florida Outside the Lines (curated by Dean Daderko) Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, Texas |
| 2013 | Dyeing Merging Multitasking (organized by Leeza Meksin) Ortega y Gasset Projects, Queens, New York Untitled (Hybrid) (curated by Kate McNamara) Robert Miller Gallery, New York Three in Doubles, Fjord, Philadelphia, PA Sadie Benning, Thomas Kovachevich, Dona Nelson, Callicoon Fine Arts, New York |
| 2012 | Low Epic (curated by Sheryl Oppenheim) Chashama, New York Mary Boone Gallery, New York Salon Zürcher, Zürcher Studio, New York Simpatico (curated by Kate McNamara) Boston University Art Gallery, NY |
| 2011 | Incipient Image (curator Stephen Maine) Lesley Heller Gallery, New York Texture, txt, Regina Rex, Queens, New York |
| 2010 | Vivid (curator Janet Phelps) Schroeder, Romero & Shredder, New York 40, Texas Gallery, Houston Texas PASTORALE (curator Klaus Kertess) NYU, 80WSE, New York Animate Matter (with Pia Maria Martin, Richard Staub, Rose Wylie) Thomas Erben Gallery, NY |
| 2009 | Pushing Paint, Museum of Nebraska Art, Nebraska Spaced Out/ On Time (with Joan Brown, Sadie Laska, Chris Martin, Katherine Berhhardt, Otis Houston Jr., Agathe Snow) Canada Gallery, New York |
| 2008 | Thomas Erben Gallery at Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai, India Affinities Redux (curator Kate McNamara) Ramapo College, New Jersey Charasmatic Abstraction (with Chris Martin, Moira Dryer, Mike Cloud, John L. Moore) RIchmond Center for Visual Arts, University of Western Michigan, Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| 2007 | CCS BARD Spring Exhibitions, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York |
| 2006 | Scope Miami, with Thomas Erben Gallery, New York Still Life, Moyna Rowe Gallery, NY |
| 2005 | Field Questions (curator Sid Sachs) Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2004 | Art Basel Miami, with Cheim and Read Gallery, New York |
| 2002 | WTC, Living in the Shadows, Bronx River Art Center, Bronx, New York Wall Street Rising: Art Downtown, New York Fordham University at Lincoln Center, New York Jump, The Painting Center, New York |
| 2001 | Vivid, Richard Salmon Gallery, London, England (traveled to Mead Gallery, Warwich Arts Cener, Conventry; Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sutherland |
| 1998 | Group Exhibition, Marlborough Gallery, Chelsea, New York Small Paintings, Cheim & Read, New York View II (curator Klaus Kertess) Mary Boone Gallery, New York |
| 1997 | Essential Gestures (curator Bruce Harman) Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas |
| 1996 | Face to Face: Recent Abstract Painting, M.I.T. List Visual Art Center, Cambridge Massachusetts Painting All-Over Again (curator Saul Ostrow) Palacia de Montemuzok, Zaragoza, Spain Method and Multiplicity (curator Richmond Burton) Apexart, New York |
| 1995 | 25 Americans: Painting in the 90’s, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1991 | American Narrative Painting and Sculpture: The 1980’s – from the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York |
| 1985 | Four Artists (curator Elizabeth Murray) Artists Space, New York Ripe Fruit (curator Lisa Liebmann) P.S.1, Long Island City, New York |
| 1982 | Body Language: Recent Figuration, Hayden Gallery, M.I.T., Cambridge, Massachusetts Contemporary Painting: Figuration, USCB, Santa Barbara, California |
| 1972 | Grids, ICA, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 1971 | 26 Contemporary Woman Artists (curator Lucy Lippard) Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut 10 Young Artists: Theodoran Awards, Soloman R. Guggenheim Musuem |
| 1968 | Whitney Independent Study Program, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York |
Selected Bibliography
| 2019 | In Dona Nelson’s magically messy paintings, the back is as revelatory as the front, David Pagel, Los Angeles Times, October 11 Dona Nelson, Annabel Osberg, Artillery Magazine, October 11 |
| 2015 | Review: ‘Pretty Raw’ Recounts Helen Frankenthaler’s Influence on the Art World, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, June 3 Subversive Color at the Rose Art Museum Martha Buskirk, Hyperallergic Weekend, May 31, 2015. Dona Nelson: Thomas Erben Julian Kreimer, Art in America, June/July, pp.140-141. Dona Nelson: Thomas Erben Barry Schwabsky, Art in Review, Artforum, Summer, 2014. Dona Nelson: “Phigor” Roberta Smith, Art in Review, The New York Times, May 9 Go Figure: Dona Nelson’s “Phigor” Rick Briggs, Hyperallergic, May 3 Dona Nelson, Goings on About Town: Art, The New Yorker, May 12 The Alchemy of Phigor and Others Fabian Lopez, Title Magazine, April 21 |
| 2014 | Past, Present, Futurism Barry Schwabsky, The Nation, April 12, 2014 Vogue Magazine July issue, pp. 140 – 141 Whitney Biennial 2014 Brooks Adams, Art in America, May issue Color-Blows and Line-Blows Barry Schwabsky, The Nation, April 21 Get With It; The Whitney Biennial Peter Schjejdahl, The New Yorker, March 17 One Last Dance in the Old Place Holland Cotter, The New York Times, March 7 Seeing Out Loud: There’s a Smart Show Struggling to Get Out of This Big, Bland Whitney Biennial Jerry Saltz, Vulture.com, March 5 Fresh Perspective – Abstraction Abounds at the Whitney Biennial Ted Loos, Vogue, March issue State Of Our Art, According To Whitney Carol Vogel, The New York Times, February 28 |
| 2013 | Galleries: Woodmere show focuses on contemporary art, Edith Newhall, The Inquirer, June 3 |
| 2012 | Ornate, pushy, celebratory – yet all compatible Cate McQuaid, The Boston Globe, September 19 |
| 2011 | At Regina Rex, Latin Roots Woven Together, Stephen Truax, bushwichbk.com Andrew Russeth, www.16miles.com, 02/02/2011 |
| 2010 | Woman power: Texas Gallery’s 40 sends a welcom jolt through the Houston art scene, Susie Kalil, Culturemap Houston. Post-Minimal to the Max – This Season, New York’s Museums Rarely Transcend the Sea of Sameness, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, p. 1/23, February 14 40, Texas Gallert Houston Wendy Vogel, Aer Lies, Issue 66 |
| 2009 | Spaced Out/On, Time Roberta Smith, The New York Times, September 25 |
| 2008 | Art In Review: Dona Nelson Roberta Smith, The New York Times, p. E26, May 23 Goings on About Town The New Yorker, p. 16, May 19th |
| 2007 | Get Thee to Elkins Park, Edith Newhall, The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 12 |
| 2006 | Dona Nelson at Thomas Erben, jameswagner.com, September 14 Brain Stain Carrie Moyer, The Brooklyn Rail, October Art in Review: Dona Nelson Holland Cotter, The New York Times, September 22 Dona Nelson at Thomas Erben Stephen Maine, Art in America, p. 149, December |
| 2003 | Dona Nelson at Cheim and Read Stephen Westfall, Art in America pp. 117-118, June Ray of Light, Jerry Saltz, www.artnet.com/magazine/features, January 27 Previews, Contemporary #47/48, p. 38 Goings on About Town The New Yorker, pp. 19-20, February 3 Art in Review: Dona Nelson, Ken Johnson, The New York Times, February 23 |
| 2001 | Dona Nelson at Cheim and Read Paul Mattick, Art in America, pp. 124-125, June Subway Series, Edith Newhall, The New Yorker, p. 68, January 15 Art, The New Yorker, p. 18, January 29 Dona Nelson: Stations of the Subway, Robert Mahoney, Time Out New York, p. 64, January 25-February 1 Dona Nelson, Ann Landi, ARTnews, p. 141, April Art in Review: Dona Nelson Roberta Smith, The New York Times, February 16 Last Chance, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, February 23 |
| 1999 | Review/Art, Gerard Brown, Philadelphia Weekly, p. 34, January 27 |
| 1998 | Art in Review: Dona Nelson, Ken Johnson, The New York Times, p. E43, May 1 |
| 1997 | Abstracting the Familiar Faye Hirsh, Art in America, February Essential Gestures (exhibition catalogue) Saul Ostrow, Johnson County Community College Gallery of Art, Overland Park, Kansas |
| 1996 | Art in Review: Dona Nelson – Paradox Lake, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, p. 25, March 29 Dona Nelson, Alfred MacAdam, ARTnews, p. 149, June Painting All-Over Again (essay Saul Ostrow) Palacio de Montemuzo, Spain (catalogue) Face to Face: Recent Abstract Painting (essay Helene Posner) M.I.T. List Visual Art Center, Cambridge Massachusetts (catalogue) |
| 1995 | 25 Americans: Painting in the 90’s (essay Dean Sobel) Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (catalogue) Art Museum: Exhibit Embraes Pluralism, James Auer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 10 Dona Nelson: Trying all the Flavors, Judith E. Stein, ARTnews, October |
| 1994 | Dona Nelson at Michael Klein, Linda Yablonsky, Artforum, p. 92, January Dona Nelson at Michael Klein, Faye Hirsh, Art in America, pp. 112-113, May A Year in the Life: Tropic of Painting, Jerry Saltz, Art in America, p. 99, Octover Interview with Dona Nelson, Richard Whelan, Bomb Magazine, No. XXXXVI, pp. 34-39, Winter |
| 1993 | Dona Nelson: New Paintings, Charles Hagan, The New York Times, p. C36, October 15 Art, The New Yorker, October 18 |
| 1991 | American Narrative Painting and Sculpture: The 1980s (essay William Liebermann) Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY (catalogue) |
| 1990 | Art in Review, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, p. C22, August Art, The New Yorker, p. 20, June 11 Dona Nelson, Paul Mattick, Arts Magazine, p. 96, October In the Galleries, Hearne Pardee, Art and Antiques, p. 122, November |
| 1989 | Dona Nelson’s Time Pieces, Lisa Liebmann, Artforum, pp. 90-93, March Tales of Ordinary People Told in Bits and Pieces, Roberta Smith, The New York Times, March 31 Dona Nelson and Archie Rand at Scott Hanson, Civil Reid, Art in America, November |
| 1985 | Four Artists (exhibition brochure) Elizabeth Murray, Artists Space, New York Art in Review: Four Artists, Michael Benson, The New York Times p. C25, November 22 |
| 1983 | Faces Since the Fifties (essay Joseph Jacobs) Center Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisberg, Pennsylvania (catalogue) The Painterly Figure (essay Klaus Kertess) The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY (catalogue) |
| 1982 | Body Language (essay Roberta Smith) Hayden Gallery, M.I.T. Cambridge, Massachusetts (catalogue) Figuration (essays Phyliss Plous and Michael Klein) University Art Museum, Santa Barbara, California (catalogue) Artists, Artists, Grace Glueck, ARTnews, p. 96, November |
| 1975 | Art in Review: Dona Nelson, Hilton Kramer, The New York Times, January 25 Dona Nelson, Arts Magazine, March Dona Nelson (letter to the editor) Artforum, September |
| 1971 | 26 Contemporary Women Artists (essay Linda Shearer) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (catalogue) |
Curatorial Activity
| 2014 | Eight Young Figurative Artists Who Live in Philadelphia, curated by Dona Nelson, Fjord Gallery, November 7–23 |
| 2013 | In Front of Strangers I Sing, the 72nd Annual Exhibition, The Woodmere Museum, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, juried/curated by Dona Nelson and Rubens Ghenov, June to August |
| 2007 | The Fluid Field: Abstraction and Reference, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, October |
Public and Corporate Collections
| The Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts Kadist Art Foundation, San Francisco and Paris Committee for the Visual Arts/M.I.T. Collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City Contemporary Art Museum, University of South Florida,Tampa, Florida Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania State University of New York, Albany, New York William & Uytendale Scott Memorial Study Collection, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Nordstern, Cologne, Germany Chase Manhattan Bank Collection, New York City General Electric Corporation, Connecticut Progressive Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio Shearson Leaman/Paine Webber, New York City General Mills, Minneapolis, Minnesota Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, Washington The Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Greensboro, North Carolina Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia |
Projects / Residencies / Awards
| 2011 | 2011 FCA Individual Grant |
| 2000 | Tesque Foundation (peer nominated grant) |
| 1998 | Pollock/Krasner Grant |
| 1994 | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship |
| 1990 | New York Foundation Grant |
| 1987 | NEA Painting Grant |
| 1979 | NEA Painting Grant |
| 1978 | New York State CAPS Grant for Painting |
| 1971 | Theodoran Purchase Award, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City |
