WES HEMPEL

CV

EDUCATION
M.A., 1988 University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
B.A., 1985 California State University, Northridge, California

AWARDS
2002 - Creative Fellowship in Painting, Colorado Council on the Arts
1992 - Creative Fellowship in Literature, Colorado Council on the Arts

PUBLIC & CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
- New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
- Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York
- Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia
- Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York, NY
- Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, Missouri
- Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, Washington
- Styskal, Wiese & Melchione, Los Angeles, California
- Hyatt Regency Hotel, Denver, Colorado
- Borgen Investment Group, Inc., Denver, Colorado
- First Western Trust Bank, Denver, Colorado
- Elliott Eyes Collection, Sydney, Australia

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 - "WES HEMPEL: IMAGINARY FILM STILLS," Billis Williams Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA (Opening September 6, 2025)
2023 - "WES HEMPEL and JACK BALAS: FRONT RANGE AND BACK TO BACK," William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO. (October 27-December)
2023 - "Wes Hempel," George Billis Gallery, New York, NY (April 4 -- 29, 2023)
2020 - "A Portable Eden," George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA (October 24--December, 2020)
2020 - Wes Hempel -- "Out of the Woods," LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico (September 4- October 3, 2020)
2019 - "Private Island: A Suite of Eight Paintings," George Billis Gallery, New York, NY (May 28-June 22, 2019)
2018 - Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, New York, NY  
2017 - Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA (January, 2017)
2016 - Wes Hempel -- LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico (April-May, 2016)
2016 - Wes Hempel -- Etherton Gallery, Tucson, Arizona
2014 - Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, New York, NY  
2014 - Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA
2012 - Wes Hempel -- George Billis Gallery, Culver City - Los Angeles, CA
2011 - "Tacit Turns," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2011 - Wes Hempel -- LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 - "Tied to the Past," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA., and New York, NY
2009 - Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2006 - "Injury and Desire," Jenkins Johnson Gallery. New York, New York
2005 - "Landscape Fragments," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2005 - "Collaborative and New Work," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2004 - "Revised Endings," Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, California.
2003 - "Plot Twists," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2001 - "Fictional Accounts," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2000 - "The Canceled Field Trip," Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
1998 - "Wes Hempel, Paintings - The First Seven Years," University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyo.; Susan Moldenhauer, Curator
1998 - Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1997 - "The Marriage of Fiction and History," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1995 - Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1993 - Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1991 - Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2020 - "LAVENDER MIST: GAY MEN IN CONTEMPORARY ART IN COLORADO," McNichols Civic Center Building, Denver, CO. Curated by Michael Paglia. (May 30--Sept. 13, 2020)
2019 - "MALE GAZE: LIFE, LEGACY AND LEGEND," Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, New York, NY. (Feb. 17--March 31, 2019)
2015 - Summer Group Exhibition, George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2014 - "RESONATING IMAGES III: THE CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVE EXPLORING THE FRONTIERS OF THE REPRESENTATIONAL," The William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA.
2014 - "COLLECT: THE ART OF COLORADO CORPORATIONS," Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO.
2013 - "CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE WESTERN LANDSCAPE," Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, Albuquerque, NM.
2010 - "LOVELINES," RedLine Arts Center, Denver, CO.
2010 - "ARMORY SHOW," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), New York
2010 - "TWENTY TEN," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2010 - "SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2009 - "SUMMERTIME," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2009 - "ART MIAMI," (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), Miami, Florida
2009 - "HORIZONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 - "CONVERSATIONS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 - "WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2008 - "FOCUS: THE FIGURE," Permanent Collection Galleries, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO.
2008 - "THE FIGURE TODAY," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2008 - "DIALOG CITY: DENVER," Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO.
2008 - "CELEBRATE SUMMER," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York & San Francisco
2008 - "BEYOND REPRESENTATION," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2008 - "THE ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
2008 - "GRAND OPENING EXHIBITION," Federal Reserve Bank, Kansas City, MO
2008 - "L.A. ARTFAIR," (LewAllen Contemporary), Santa Monica, CA
2008 - "WINTER SELECTIONS," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2007 - "BLUE," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, New York.
2007 - "WINTER HAIKU," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francsico, California.
2007 - "REALationships: WORKS OF SURREAL INSPIRATION," Foothills Art Center, Golden, Colorado. (Curated by Michael Chavez)
2007 - "30th ANNIVERSARY SHOW," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado.z
2007 - "Los Angeles Art Fair," Los Angeles, California. (LewAllen Contemporary)
2006 - "Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York, New York
2006 - "Decades of Influence," Museum of Contemporary Art, and Center for Visual Arts, Denver, Colorado
2005 - "A Tribute to J.B. Harter," Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (catalog)
2005 - "Seventh Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2005 - "SMALL WORKS," LewAllen Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
2005 - "Art in Colorado," Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
2005 - "Innaugural Exhibition," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, New York
2004 - "Yarns," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado.
2004 - "Allure," Leslie Lohman Foundation, New York, New York.
2004 - "Sixth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2004 - "Contemporary Drawing," Eisentrager / Howard Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska.
2003 - "Summer Group Exhibition," Tatistcheff Gallery, New York
2003 - San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), San Francisco
2003 - "Magic Realism: A New Generation," Sangre De Christo Art Center, Pueblo, Colorado
2003 - "ConTEXT: Art & Words," Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, Colorado
2003- "Fifth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2002 - San Francisco International Art Exposition (Jenkins Johnson Gallery), San Francisco
2002 - "Gallery Artists," Lizardi Harp Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2002 - "Fourth Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (catalog)
2002 - "Colorado Excellence in the Arts," Republic Plaza, Denver, Colorado
2002 - "Reality Check: Contemporary Figurative Paintings by Wes Hempel. Enjeong Noh, and Ruprecht von Kaufmann," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2002 - "Solace," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
2002 - "Small Works," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, California
2002 - "Winter Group Show," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001 - "Re-presenting Representation" The Corning Gallery, New York, New York
2001 - "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida
2001 - "Third Annual Realism Invitational," Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, (catalog)
2001 - "The Solitary Figure," Davidson Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001 - "The Dream Mill," Lakewood Cultural Center, Lakewood, Colorado
2001 - "The Male Vision: Wes Hempel, Gerard Huber, Wade Reynolds," Lizardi/Harp Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2000 - "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida (catalog)
2000 - "Together/Working," Gallery of Contemporary Art, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
2000 - "The Male Form in Contemporary Art," Hollywood Art Center, Hollywood, Florida
2000 - "Thinking Outside the Box," Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
2000 - "Dallas International Art Fair," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Dallas, Texas
1999 - "Art Miami," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Miami, Florida (catalog)
1999 - "Art Palm Beach," (Claire Oliver Fine Art) Palm Beach, Florida
1999 - "Boston International Fine Art Show," (Claire Oliver Fine Art), Boston, Mass.
1999 - "Corporate Collections '99," Republic Plaza, Denver, Colorado
1999 - "Real to Surreal," Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver, Colorado
1999 - "Re-presenting Representation IV," Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York
1998 - "On the Occasion of Dreams," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1998 - "New Acquisitions," Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia
1998 - "Grand Opening Exhibition," Claire Oliver Fine Art, Philadelphia, Pa.
1998 - "Paradise Lost: Evolving Visions of the Colorado Landscape," Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, Co.; Frances Chavez, Curator
1997 - "Private Worlds: 200 Years of American Still Life Painting," Aspen Art Museum Aspen, Colo.; Julia Augur and Ann Daley, Curators (Catalog)
1997 - "Art Fair, Seattle," (Robischon Gallery) Seattle, Washington
1995 - "11th Annual Invitational Exhibition," Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash.
1994 - "Focus on Colorado/The Front Range: Wes Hempel, Jack Balas and Scott Chamberlin," Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, Colorado
1994 - "You Call That Art?" One West Art Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
1994 - "Caste of Stone," Boulder Public Library, Boulder, Colorado
1994 - "Art Fair, Seattle," (Robischon Gallery) Seattle, Washington
1993 - "Boulder Flow," Sibell-Wolle Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder
1993 - "2 Much," UMC Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
1993 - "Holy Wars," Arte Vitale Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1991 - "Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1990 - "Small Sculpture," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1990 - "The Right to View," Robischon Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1988 - "Objects and Place," Sibell-Wolle Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder
1987 - "Boxes/Books," River Art Works, Denver, Colorado

PUBLICATIONS
2014 - Wes Hempel, Re-envisioning Art History; American Art Collector, November
2012 - Gorgeous Gallery: The Best in Gay Erotic Art. by David Leddick, Bruno Gmunder, Berlin. pp. 32-35.
2009 - Powerfully Beautiful: Classically Inspired Living Painters of the Male Figure (Volume 1), Firehouse Studio Publishing
2008 - American Art Collector, August. "Season of Abundance," by John O"hern.
2008 - The Nude Male: 21st Century Visions, David Leddick, Universe Publishing / Rizzoli, p. 102
2008 - Elements of Literature, Fourth Course (high school textbook), Holt, Rinehart & Winston
2008 - Menninger Perspective Medical Journal
2006 - American Art Collector, September. (Artist's Profile)
2005 - Southwest Art, October. "Personal Mythologies: Wes Hempel's Narrative Paintings Reveal Revisionist Cultural Views with a Purposeful Ambiguity." By Devon Jackson. pp. 132-135, 201.
2005 - Pleides Literary Journal, Vol 25, No 2 (cover)
2003- XY Magazine #41 San Diego, California. "No Worry is Necessary on Your Part: Paintings by Wes Hempel," (portfolio) pp. 19-25.
2003 - Blue #47 (November), Studio Magazines, Sydney, Australia. "Modern History," (portfolio of paintings) pp. 60-67
2002 - Great American Writers of the Twentieth Century, Vol 7, Marshall Cavendish Publishers
2001 - Dialogos con Leuco, Cesare Pavese, Tusquets Editores, Barcelona, Spain, cover
2001 - Male Nude Now, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/Rizzoli, pp. 62-63
2000 - Naked Men Too, David Leddick, Universe Publishing/ Rizzoli, pp. 134-135
2000 -New American Paintings #30 (November), The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, Mass., Michael Lash, Director of Public Arts, City of  Chicago, Curator. pp.98-101(portfolio of paintings)
1999 - The Humanist Tendency, Claire Oliver Fine Art
1999 - Re-presenting Representation, Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, New York
1997 - New American Paintings #12 (October), The Open Studios Press, Wellesley, Mass., Jeffrey Weiss, Dept. of 20th Century Art, National Gallery of Art Washington D.C., Curator. pp. 26-27 (Portfolio of Paintings)

SELECTED EXHIBITION REVIEWS 
2016 - "Past As Prologue," by Margaret Regan; Tucson Weekly, February 18, 2016, p. 18.
2016 - "Palette of Talent: Gallerist George Billis has an Eye for Spotting the Next Big Artists," by David Masello; CBS Watch Magazine, October 2016, p. 102
2015 - "El Pintor Californiano Wes Hempel," by Omar Gomez Gutierrez. Milenio (Grupos Multimedios Mexico City )(Mexico), August 7, 2015
2014 - "Anzugtrager in Der Wuste: Wes Hempel Pfeift Auf Gewohnheiten," by Felix Just, Mate Magazine (Berlin) Winter, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel and an Open Art History," by Jeffrey Carlson. Fine Art Today (online). February 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel at George Billis Gallery," by Stephanie Buhmann. The Villager Newspaper (New York City). October 2, 2014.
2014 - "Wes Hempel at George Billis Gallery." Best Gay New York (New York City). July 30, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel Has Something For Everyone," by Benjamin Lindsay. Next Magazine (New York City), Sept. 26, 2014
2014 - "Wes Hempel Chelsea North." Time Out New York. (New York City). September 18, 2014.
2014 - "Wes Hempel New Paintings." The Art Voice (Los Angeles). January 31, 2014
2013 - "Art Scene Full of Wonderful Things," by Wesley Pulkka, Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico) Dec 29, 2013 (image)
2012 - "Homoerotic Art Meets Fine Art in Gorgeous Gallery," by Daniel Villanueva, Outword Magazine, Sacramento, CA.
2011 - "Revisioning Art History," by Kate McGraw; Albuquerque Journal / Venue (New Mexico) April 1, 2011
2011 - "Pintura Wes Hempel," Gay Files de Luis, Wordpress.com, December 8, 2011
2010 - "Conversations at LewAllen Galleries" by Harmony Hammond, Albuquerque Journal, (New Mexico) Jan 1, 2010
2006 - "The New Male Gaze: Artists Wes Hempel and Jack Balas Revisit the Male Figure," by Rafael Risemberg THE NEW YORK BLADE. Sep. 18, 2006
2005 - "Teamworks," by Mary Voelz Chandler, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS (Denver). October 5, 2005. p. 10D.
2005 - "Changing Scenes," by Michael Paglia, WESTWORD (Denver). Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 2005. p. 56.
2003 - Black, Noel, Colorado Springs Independent, Vol.11 No. 3, Jan 16-22, 2003
2003 - MacMillan, Kyle: "Fantastical Visions," Denver Post, Mar 11, 2003
2003 - Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Every Painting Tells a Story," Rocky Mountain News (Denver), Mar 14, 2003
2003 - Paglia, Michael: "Different Realities," Westword (Denver), Apr 10, 2003
2002 - Langer, Sara: "Wes Hempel at Robischon Gallery," Eye Level, Issue #2, March 2002
2001 - Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Something Serious," Rocky Mountain News (Denver), 10-8-2001
2001 - Paglia, Michael: "Go Figure," Westword (Denver), 10-11-2001
2000 - Paglia, Michael: "Altering Currents," Westword (Denver), 1-13-2000
2000 - Adams, Bob: "From Poet to Painter," Philadelphia Gay News, Feb 18-24, 2000
1999 - Watson, Donna: "Creativity from the Inside Out," The Artist's Magazine, Dec 1999
1998 - Miller, Joe: "Report From Colorado: Looking to the Future," Art in America, May 1998
1998 - Paglia, Michael: "Rebels With Causes," Westword (Denver), 6-11-98
1998 - Paglia, Michael: "View Masters," Westword (Denver), 10-15-98
1997 - Chandler, Mary Voelz: "A Magical Mystery Tour," Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 4-4-97
1997 - Paglia, Michael: "Facts and Fantasies," Westword (Denver), 4-24-97
1995 - Paglia, Michael: "Double Your Pleasure," Westword (Denver), 4-5-95
1994 - Mason, Marilynne: "The Language of Memories &Dreams," The Christian Science Monitor, 1-6-94
1994 - Hayden, Niki: "Stone Temple," Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 5-27-94
1994 -Jenkins, Loren: "Rediscovering Surrealism," The Aspen Times Gazette, (Aspen), Winter 1994-95
1994 - "Art Comes Alive in Museum's Winter Season," Artifacts (Aspen), Vol.1, No.2, Winter 1994-95
1994 - "Front Range Artists Featured in New Show at Art Museum," The Aspen Times, 11-17-94
1994 -"Focus on Colorado:The Front Range," Aspen Daily News, 11-17-94
1994 -Wilson, Jane: "Front Range Surrealism; New Aspen Art Museum Updates Dali and DiChirico,"The Aspen Times, Nov. 19-20, 1994
1993 - Art Now Gallery Guide: "Wes Hempel at Robischon Gallery," Sept 1993
1993 - Rosen, Steven: "Critics' Choice," The Denver Post 9-26-93
1993 - Chandler, Mary Voelz: "Write Your Own Story to Go with These Pieces," Rocky Mountain News (Denver), 9-26-93
1993 - Hill, Hart: "Text and Texture," Westword (Denver). 10-6-93
1993 - Mason, Marilynne: "Not Quite on the Map: Magic & Art," Colorado Expression (Denver) Vol.3, No.1, Winter, 1993
1991 - Zalkind, Simon: "Jack Balas & Wes Hempel at Robischon Gallery," Icon (Denver) Oct 91
1991 - Dickenson, Carol: "Frame-by-Frame," Rocky Mountain News (Denver), 9-27-91
1990 - Clegg, Nancy: "Pay Per View," Westword (Denver), Vol. 13, No.24, 2-24-90
1990 - Frank, Patrick: "The Right to View," New Art Examiner, Vol.17, No.8, April 1990
1988 - Shannon, Mark: "'Objects & Place' at Sibell-Wolle," Colorado Daily (Boulder, CO) 3-4-88