John Paul Kesling
johnpaulkesling@gmail.com
Instagram: @johnpaulkesling
Education
2011 Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, MFA in Painting
2003 Morehead State University, Morehead, KY, BA in Art (emphasis in painting)
2002 Murray State University, Murray, KY Kentucky Institute for International Studies Study Abroad Program (KIIS-Summer), Bregenz, Austria
Gallery Representation and Associations
2023 – Present Ground Floor Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
2021 - Present Wheelhouse Arts/B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, KY
2021 - Present White Columns Curated Online Artist Registry, New York, NY
2018 - Present The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Past Gallery Associations
2020 - 2022 Galactic Panther, Alexandria, VA/ Morgantown, WV
2018-2020 Tim Faulkner Gallery, Louisville, KY
2017 Galerie Tangerine, Nashville, TN
Artist Residencies
2024 Byrdcliffe, (September), Woodstock, NY
On::View, Sulfur Studios, (May/June), Savannah, GA
2023 Mudhouse Residency, (July/August), Agios Ioannis, Crete, Greece
Jx Farms, (March/April) Cleveland, MS
2019 Azule (May) , Hot Springs, NC
2018 Art Residency Chattanooga (A.R.C) - STAR Program (December), Chattanooga, TN
2016 Vermont Studio Center (March), Fellowship Award, Johnson, VT
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Glued To The Horse, Ellis Gallery at Sulfur Studios (Arts Southeast), Savannah, GA
2022 Fleur Du Jour, (online), The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Why Do Anything?, Wheelhouse Art, Louisville, KY
2021 Tippy Toes, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
2020 Pony Daddy, Tim Faulkner Gallery, Louisville, KY
2019 Camping Alone, Oz Arts Nashville, Nashville, TN
Panic And Purpose, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN 2017 Broken Mic, Galerie Tangerine, Nashville, TN
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Proto, Ground Floor Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
Matriarch, 59-74 Freshpond Road, Maspeth, Queens
Cathartic Dreams, Wheelhouse Art, Louisville, KY
Nashville Hot Summer: Part Two, Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Dreamscapes, Lilienthal Gallery, Knoxville, TN
A Retrospective, Galerie Tangerine Pop-Up, Arcade Arts, Nashville, TN
These Dreams Won’t Last, Rockwall Gallery, Nashville, TN
10 Out of 10: 10 Year Anniversary, Oz Arts Nashville, Nashville, TN
Untitled, two-person show, Ground Floor Contemporary
I Will Tell You Mine, Tyger Tyger Gallery, Ashville, NC
Wild Beasts, Ground Floor Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
When We Last Spoke, two-person show, Gadsden Museum of Art, Gadsden, AL
2023 Locus Solus, Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, TN
Make__>Forward, Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment, Huntsville, AL
10 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Julia Martin Gallery, Nashville, TN
Up In Arms, MOCAN (Museum of Contemporary Art Nashville), Merritt Mansion, Nashville, TN
And We’re Back, Gallery 85 with Artrepreneur (Curated by Victoria Gildersleeve), Chelsea, NY, NY
Brief Encounter, three-person show, Ground Floor Contemporary, Birmingham, AL
Issue No. 3 “Threads of Perception”, London Paint Club, online and print
(Un)Blank Slate, Rock Wall Gallery, Nashville, TN
Momentary, three-person show, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Nowadays, Florence Contemporary Gallery, online
NY Crit Club / Plum Line Finalists (curated by MEPAINTSME), online
Tempter, Bobby Hotel, Nashville, TN (curated by Joshua Edward Bennett, gallery manager Tinney Contemporary, Nashville, TN)
2022 I Like Your Work 2022 Winter Exhibition, I Like Your Work Podcast (online), (curated by Eric Hibit, co-director of Ortega y Gasset Projects, New York)
That's A Wrap, Gutstein Gallery, SCAD Exhibition, Savannah, GA
ArtMaze Mag, Issue 28 (curated by Paola Oxoa, founder and director of Mother Gallery, New York)
Free To Be, CultureLabLIC at The Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, NY
Show Up!, Nashville Parthenon with The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Rise, Create Magazine (online),(curated by Erika B. Hess of I Like Your Work Podcast)
2021 To Get To The Other Side, Elephant Gallery, Nashville, TN
Forbidden Fruit, I Like Your Work Podcast, Piano Craft Gallery, Boston, MA
FRC10, Flat Rate Contemporary (online)
E.S.P., Galactic Panther, Alexandria, VA
Good Bones, I Like Your Work Podcast (curated by Catherine Haggerty)
Phases, DearArtists, Open Call Honorable Mention (curated by Jean Nagai and Ben Amatayakul Kuipers)
International Biennial Portrait Competition, (Juror: David Hummer), Wassau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wassau, WI
ArtFields, April 23rd-May 1st, Lake City, SC
2020 Culture of Contamination, New York Hall of Science & SciArts Initiative, Queens, NY
Breathless, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
12th Annual National Juried Exhibition, (Juror: Susan Lichtman), Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
2019 FieldDaze, Fieldhouse Jones, Nashville, TN Works On Paper Holiday Show, The Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN
Critical Drinking, (Presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon and Fieldhouse Jones) Fieldhouse Jones, Nashville, TN
Portrait Show, Tim Faulkner Gallery, Louisville, KY Group Show, Tim Faulkner Gallery, Louisville, KY
2018 Bevy 2018, Julia Martin Gallery, Nashville, TN Crisis and Excess, The Gallery at Fort Houston, Nashville, TN
2017 Bevy 2017, Julia Martin Gallery, Nashville, TN
Collections
Paula Wallace, President of Savannah College of Art and Design (personal collection)
Vanderbilt University Medical Center Community Arts Initiative
Savannah College of Art and Design Permanent Collection (Lacoste, France)
Savannah College of Art and Design Permanent Collection (Atlanta, GA)
The Soho House Nashville Permanent Collection
Metro Arts Nashville Lending Library
Awards and Recognition
2024 SCAD Painting Alumni Mentorship Program, Guest Mentor
Milton and Sally Avery Fellowship, Byrdcliffe Artist Colony, Woodstock, NY
2022 Gumtree Art and Wine Festival 50th Anniversary, Guest Juror, Tupelo, MS
2021 Nashville Metro Arts Lending Library Artist (Purchase award)
2020 Tri-Star Arts $1,000 Emergency Relief Fund Grant Recepient (Current Art Fund)
2016 Fellowship Award, Vermont Studio Center (March)
Publications/Press
2024 ARTnews, February 6th, 2024, The ARTnews Culture (And Food) Lover’s Guide To Nashville (online)
I Like Your Work Studio Visit Artist (online)
2022 Ruckus Journal, Review by Alexandra Blair, Opioid Portraits (online)
Create Magazine, Studio Sunday by Sarah Mills (online)
The Contributor, Nashville, Article by Joe Nolen (online and print)
Number: INC Magazine, Verso Episode 1:Boyd County Blues interview by Joe Nolen (online)
The Daily Independent, July 9th, 2022, review by Emily Porter (print and online)
Nashville Voyager, April 1st, 2022 (online)
Nashville Interiors, Fall/Winter Edition, (print and online)
Leo Weekly, Staff Picks by Jo Anne Triplett, Why Do Anything? at Wheelhouse Art (print and online)
2021 Tri State Living Magazine, January 2021, Pages 9-14 (print and online)
2020 YngSpc, interview by Kate Mothes, August 20, 2020 (online)
2019 Nashville Scene, March 7-13, 2019, Volume 38, Number 5 (print and online)
RED 225, March 27th, 2019, Interview by Kathleen C. Boyle (online)
2017 Nashville Arts Magazine November, 2017 (print and online)
The Tennessean, September 3, 2017 (print and online)
Nashville Arts Magazine, My Favorite Painting by Annette Griffin, November 2017, (print and online)
Nashville Arts Magazine, August 2017 (print and online)