Bio and Resumé

Bio

Richard Whitten grew up in Manhattan, NY, a child of Asian and American parents. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of California at Davis where he studied with both Wayne Thiebaud and Robert Arneson. He has had numerous exhibitions on both coasts. Notable are major solo exhibitions at the Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ; the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington; and the Newport Art Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. He is represented by ArtMora Gallery, NY and Seoul, Korea; Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA; the William Scott Gallery, Provincetown, MA; and the John Natsoulas Gallery in Davis, CA. He is presently a Professor of Painting at Rhode Island College and recently completed a term as Department Chairperson. He is honored to have received a 2023 Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant.

Resumé

rwhitten@ric.edu

Education

University of California, Davis, CA, M.F.A., Painting 1987

Yale University, New Haven, CT, Non-Degree Studies in Painting 1980-82

Yale University, New Haven, CT, B.A. in Economics, Cum Laude 1980

Selected Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

"The Galileo Project" Bannister Gallery, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI Fall 2025

Whitten, Sabbatical Exhibition Bannister Gallery, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI Fall 2024

“Set in Motion: Kinetic Worlds from the Studio of Richard Whitten” Summer 2024

Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ

"A Cabinet of Curious Matters" Richard Whitten and Nancy Callahan, 2023

Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY

“Games” Art Mora Gallery, Ridgefield, NJ 2021

McGlothlin Center for the Arts, Emory and Henry College; Emory, VA 2021

Art Mora Gallery, Seoul, Korea 2022

William Scott Gallery, Provincetown , MA 2023, 2021, 2019

“Science FictionS”, Jamestown Art Center, Jamestown, RI 2019

Clark Gallery Lincoln, MA 2018, 2016, 2014, 2010

Chazan Gallery at Wheeler School, Providence, RI 2018

URI Main Gallery, Kingston, RI 2017

Cotuit Center for the Arts, Cotuit, MA 2017

“Hidden Worlds” Art Mora Gallery, New York, NY 2017

Art Mora Gallery, Ridgefield, NJ 2017

“Studiolo”, University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, ME 2016

“Experiments” Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, Vermont 2015

Dedee Shattuck Gallery, Westport, MA 2014

Sabbatical Exhibition, “Wunderkabinett” Bannister Gallery, Providence, RI 2014

“Sacre Rouge” Trustman Gallery, Simmons College, Boston, MA 2014

“Wunderkammer”, Anderson Gallery, Bridgewater University, Bridgewater, MA 2013

“Allegory, Metaphor, and Paradox” Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI 2011

“Details of Thought” Towne Gallery, Wheelock College, Boston, MA 2011

“Richard Whitten: Passageways”, Beard Gallery, Wheaton College, Norton, MA 2009

Lenore Gray Gallery, Providence, RI 2008, 2006

“Richard Whitten: Invisible Cities”, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA 1997

Virginia Lynch Gallery, Tiverton, RI 1994, 1992

“Reflection and Invention” Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI 1993

Mincher-Wilcox Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1990, 1989

MFA Graduate Show, Shackelford & Sears Gallery, Davis, CA 1987

“Harlequin Series” Basement Workshop Gallery, New York, NY 1986

Selected Group Exhibitions

“The Point of Precision”, OYG Projects, Brooklyn, NY 2023

“Unreal” John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA catalog essay by John Seed 2023

"Conversational", Arts on the Lake art center, Carmel, NY 2022

"Between Color and Value" Ballinglen Museum of Art, Ballycastle, Ireland 2021

“Raid the Icebox, Triple Canopy: Defining Asian, RISD Museum, Providence, RI 2019-2020

Art Mora Gallery Seoul, Korea 2020, 2019, 2017

“Art of Painting” curated by Edward Lucie Smith, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA 2017

RISCA Fellowships 2017 Imago Gallery, Warren, RI 2017

Presence of China: International Contemporary Art Forum, Sanya, Hainan Province, China 2017

“The Great California Art Movement, 1960s-1990s”, John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis, CA 2016

“Networks 2015/16” Newport Art Museum, Newport RI 2016

“What’s the Big Idea?” Paintings from the U of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, ME 2016

“The Thing Itself” (curated by John Yau) Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ 2015

“8 Visions” Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro Arts Museum 2013, 2008

Newport Art Museum: Reconnection/Recollection II, Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI 2012

“Director’s Choice” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA 1998

“Artists of New England Triennial,” Fuller Museum of Art, Brocton, MA 1996

Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY 1995

“Invitational” Michael Walls Gallery, New York, NY 1990

Awards and Fellowships

Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant 2023-24

RI State Council on the Arts Make Art Grant 2022, 2023

Berkshire Taconic Artist Resource Trust Grant 2021

Golden Apple Residency, Fellowship 2021, 2023

Gilbertsville Expressive Movement Fellowship and Residency 2019

Vermont Studio Center Residency Fellowships 2019,2018,2017,2013

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowship in Painting Merit Award 2017

Speaker, Presence of China: International, Sanya, Hainan Province, China 2017

Speaker, Leonard Lecture Series, University of Maine Museum of Art 2016

Keynote Speaker: Art of Painting Conference, John Natsoulas Gallery Davis, CA 2016, 2019

Networks 2015, RI PBS Video 2015

Ballinglen Foundation Fellowship, Ballycastle, Ireland 2007

The E. D. Foundation Grant, Kearny, NJ 1995, 1996

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Artist Project Grant, Providence, RI 1993

Graham Foundation Grant, Chicago, IL 1990

University of California Regents’ Fellowship, Davis, CA 1986-87

University of California Regents’ Fellowship, Davis, CA 1985-86

Artists’ Space Exhibition Grant, New York, NY 1983

Bibliography (selected)

Mudfish 22 2021

“Science Fictions” Art New England, Alexander Castro May/June 2019

Cover Image: October Issue “Artist’s Magazine” October 2017

“Time, Money, and Mentoring” by Richard Whitten, “Artist’s Magazine” October 2017

The Art of Painting, Edward Lucie Smith February 2017

“Richard Whitten: Portals to the Unconscious” Artists Magazine, Holly Davis Jan/Feb 2017

“Networks 2015-2016, Art as impetus in RI” Suzanne Volmer, Artscope Jan/Feb 2017

“Networks 2015-2016”, Networks, RI/Newport Art Museum 2016

“Limitless Creativity” Sophie Nelson; Maine Home and Design Magazine: Arts April 2016

“On the Cover – Étude by Richard C. Whitten” Kate Hays (Cover Illustration) January 2016 American Psychologist Magazine

Richard Whitten “Experiments”, Suzanne Volmer, Artscope March/April 2015

“Objects of Wonder: Painting and Sculptures by Richard Whitten” Sept. 27, 2014

Hyperallergic Review, Natasha Seaman

“Richard Whitten”, Essay by Isabel Mattia, Lead Curator September 2014

Exhibition Catalogue: Dedee Shattuck Gallery

“Toy Story”, Lindsay Tucker, Boston Magazine Home Summer 2014

“Wunderkabinett: A Cabinet of Curiosities April 2013

Catalog article by John Yau, Professor of Art Criticism, Rutgers University

“Sacre Rouge: Richard Whitten”, Brigitt Lynch, Director, Trustman Gallery February 2014

Exhibition Catalogue: Trustman Gallery, Simmons College

“Wunderkammer: Paintings by Richard Whitten”, J. Winters, Art New England July-August 2013

“Richard Whitten: Wunderkammer”; Bridgewater University Exhibition 2013

Catalogue Essay by Judith Tolnick Editor Art New England

“Richard Whitten: Passageways”; Wheaton College Exhibition Catalogue 2009

Catalogue Essay by Ann Murray, Prof. of Art History and Director, Beard Gallery

“Richard Whitten” Frye Art Museum, Seattle, Washington 1999

Catalogue Essay by Richard West, Director, Frye Art Museum

Public Collections

Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA

Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA

Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ

Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NJ

Manetti Shrem Museum, Davis, CA

Ballinglen Museum of Contemporary Art, Ballycastle, Ireland

Triton Art Museum, Santa Clara, CA

Zillman Art Museum, (University of Maine Museum of Art), Bangor, ME

Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI

Transmedia Art Walk – a collection of outdoor Murals and Sculptures, Davis, CA

Attleboro Art Museum, Attleboro, MA

Gilbertsville Expressive Movement Foundation Sculpture Park, Gilbertsville, NY

Fidelity Investments, Smithfield. RI

Collegiate School, New York, NY

Teaching

Rhode Island College, Providence, RI; Professor 2006-present

Rhode Island College, Providence, RI; Professor, Department Chair 2016-2018

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI; Instructor: Summer Programs 1998-present

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, MA; Lecturer 1996-2005

University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; Visiting Assistant Professor 1995-97

Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; Visiting Critic, School of Architecture 1992-2006

Penn State University, University Park, PA; Assistant Professor 1989-91