Biography:
Lisa Kellner’s paintings and sculptural constructions have been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. In 2006, she began her career as an “exhibiting artist” by being curated into the Conversions exhibition in DC, curated by Sam Gilliam. Her work can be found in private residences and commercial spaces in the United States, Europe and Japan. Exhibiting institutions include the Bellevue Arts Museum (WA), the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (NY), the Brooklyn Arts Council (NY), the Weatherspoon Museum (NC), the Islip Art Museum, Washington Project for the Arts and the Muscarelle Museum of Art (VA), among others. She has created site-responsive installations for institutions including the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (FL), the Bellevue Arts Museum (WA), Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space (NY), Brooklyn Arts Council (NY), the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (ME), Lehman College Art Gallery (NY) and the Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory (VA) among many others. Kellner’s work has been reviewed and mentioned in publications including The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Sculpture Magazine in addition to several podcast and interview series. She has received several awards including the New Media Invitational from the Target Gallery, DC and was nominated a Joan Mitchell Emerging Artist semi-finalist in 2016. She recently completed an artist residency at Don Pedro Island Preserve; a place dramatically impacted by Hurricane Ian. Her work is represented by Artemis Gallery (ME), Carver Hill Gallery (ME) and Artspace (NY). A former New Yorker with roots in Virginia, Lisa lives and works on Deer Isle in coastal Maine. She travels often exploring other notions of place.
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Select Quotes:
“Lisa Kellner also took great advantage of the building, tucking silky cysts into every nook and cranny of an upstairs apartment. Sunlit and weather-cracked, the gray space complemented the bright fuchsias and magentas of Kellner’s fabric bio-forms. Scattered mohair and flax chords detracted slightly from the overall notion of the room as one giant culture, from which Kellner apparently drew out carcinogens, and distilled them in vivid fiery colors.
Kriston Capps, Reviews: Washington, DC ‘Here and Now’, Transformer Gallery, Sculpture Magazine, January/February 2009.
“It is as if the artist teased the pigment off a canvas, artfully stretching it in midair for a brief moment in time before it snaps back into place. Color as the sole remnant of memory would likely please Kellner, as in the end this is the very definition of a painting, making Kellner the latest, modern embodiment of a painter.”
Eric Hope, East City Arts; Washington, DC
“With an unparalleled level of self-awareness, Lisa Kellner’s artwork explores the particular struggle between running wild and restraint.”
Maryam Raad, Boston Hassle. Boston, MA
“Conceptually challenging and also using the most unusual combination of materials, Lisa Kellner’s imagery prompts one to think about human skin as a "canvas" on which other images and objects can be placed. These works have a somewhat milky look that makes it difficult to get a clear reading on humanity."
Mike Giuliano, Howard County Times; MD
Solo Exhibitions:
2023
Everything Already and Then, Granite Gallery, Tenants Harbor, ME
Duality; online exhibition of work from a recent artist residency.
2022
Precipice of Unknowing, Mechanics Hall, ME
2020
I Dream in Layers, The Exhibit, NZ
2019
Works on Mylar, Buy Some Damn Art, Brooklyn, NY
2018
Surface Consumption, Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
2016
Always into Now; a Painting in Space, Target Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2014
Silent Space; Ward Center for Contemporary Art, Petersburg,VA
Chamber One; Ascent Contemporary, New York, NY
2013
Bringing on the Aither; Hunt Gallery; Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, VA
2011
Love is a Place; BravinLee Programs, New York,NY
Skin Deep, Miles Wide; Cecelia Coker Bell Gallery, Coker College, SC
2009
Suspended Presence, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, MI
Surfacing Beneath, Brooklyn Arts Council Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2008
Inner Urban Sanctum, Providence Art Windows, Providence, RI
2006
Plain Matters, Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA
Group Exhibitions:
2023
Small Works, SJ Art Consulting Gallery, Haverhill, MA
Reductive; Lisa Kellner, Adam Umbach and Jean Jack, Carver Hill Gallery, Camden, ME
In Tandem, Curated by Peter Michael Martin, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
2022
Today I…Gallery Mui, Virtual exhibition
Holiday Exhibition, Artemis Gallery, Northeast Harbor, ME
Lost and Found, Curated by Jessica Straus, Umbrella Arts Center, CT
Nature Triumphs, Curated by Judith McElhone, Five Points Arts Center, CT
Granite Gallery Invitational, Curated by Ron Crusan, Granite Gallery, Tenants Harbor, ME
Group Exhibition, July, Artemis Gallery, ME
2021
Breeze at Dawn, Lodger Gallery, online exhibition
2020
Quarantine Folk, Calico Brooklyn, NY
Lush, Hush, curated by Donna McNeil, Center for Maine Contemporary Art
US Artists, Copelouzos Family Art Museum, Greece
USPS Art Project, Pelham Art Center, NY
Collaborative exhibition with Artspace, Curated by Artspace, New York, NY
2019
Subversive Stitch, Curated by Kimberly Reinagel, Whitebox, Harlem, NY
Outside the Lines, Post Office Gallery, Truro, MA
Square Fair, White Space Gallery, New York, NY
2018
Brooklyn Artists, J Collabo, Brooklyn, NY
2017
Materiality: The Matter of Matter, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland, ME
2016
The Space Between, JoAnne Artman Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Scribing the Void; ODETTA Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2015
Access Art; Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn, NY
2014
Holiday Fair; Ascent Contemporary, New York, NY
2013
ADAPTATION; Project 4 Gallery; Washington, DC
2012
2012 Biennial; Curators Suzette McAvoy, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, ME
Space Invaders, Curator, Karin Bravin, Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY
The Mysterious Content of Softness; Curator, Stefano Catalani; Cornell Fine Arts Museum, FL
_____Scape; Curator, Susan Main; The Metropolitan Center for Visual Arts, Rockville, MD
2011
In Season, Project 4 Gallery, Washington, DC
The Mysterious Content of Softness, Curator Stefano Catalani, Bellevue Arts Museum, WA
2010
Art on Paper 2010 Biennial Exhibition, Curated by Xandra Eden; Weatherspoon Museum, Greensboro, NC
7th Annual Transformer Silent Auction & Benefit, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
Multiplied Within, Curated by Sky Kim, Able Fine Art, New York, NY
Unraveling Tradition, 516 Arts, Albuquerque, NM Let There Be White, Birey Gallery, PA
Emergence, Curated by Brooke Hine, Bahdeebahdu, Philadelphia, PA
Drawn To It: The Art of Drawing, Amherst Street Gallery, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH
2009
Phantasma, Tarryn Teresa Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Mansion Project, Paul Robeson Gallery, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
A Proposition Ate My Marriage, LMCC Swing Space Residency, New York, NY
The Body Politic, Brooklyn Arts Collective, The Jungle, Brooklyn, NY
Clamoring to Become Visible, Brooklyn Arts Council, Brooklyn NY
Fluid Identity, Howard County Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, MD
Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids at Metro Pictures, New York, NY
2008
Square Foot Show: Election ‘08, Art Gotham, New York, NY
Material Meditation, New Art Center, Newton, MA (catalogue)
Boston Young Contemporaries, 808 Gallery, Boston, MA
MFA Thesis Exhibition, AIB Gallery, Boston, MA (catalogue)
Here and Now, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
Exintrinsic, Gallery 5, Richmond, VA
Contemporary Fiber, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT
Beneath The Skin, Mock Magazine Covers, Perfect 8 Magazine, Chashama, New York, NY
I Dream of Genomes, Islip Art Museum, Islip, New York
2007
9 x 10, WWP Gallery, Washington, DC
Art on the Gwynns Falls Trail 2007, Leakin Park, Baltimore, MD
Strictly Painting, McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA
Radius 250, Artspace, Richmond, VA
Saturated, Heinemann Myers Gallery, Bethesda, MD
WPACorcoran Centerpiece Project, Corcoran Museum of Art, Washington, DC
2006
Open Call/Size Matters, RHYS Gallery, Boston, MA
Conversions, WPA/Corcoran at The Ellipse Arts Center, Arlington, VA
for a(n) relation(s), ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA
Spring Fieldwork, Gallery 5, Richmond, VA
Paper Trail, Gallery 6, Rockaway Beach, NY
The Unlikely Target, Redux Contemporary Art Center, Charleston, SC
2005
Open Studios Summer Residency, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Flux Redux, Art6 Gallery, Richmond, VA
The National Arts Program, Richmond Science Museum, Richmond, VA
American Drawing Biennial 8, Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA
New Work, Pots and Prints, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA
Artworks All Media Show, Artworks, Richmond, VA
Mixed Media Show, Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY
2004
Artworks All Media Show, Artworks, Richmond, VA
2003
Mixed Media Show, Hewlett Library Gallery, Hewlett, NY
2000
Limbs, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
A Dungeon of Frescos, Accademia Cerite, Ciri, Italy
Torsos, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Reviews, Interviews and Articles:
2023
ahtcast.com - Podcast interview
Visionary Art Collective - Magazine interview
Authentic Obsessions Podcast - Podcast interview
Art_x_Artists - Interview
2022
New Community TV Artist Talk: Lost and Found, The Umbrella Arts Center
Virtual Artist Talk, Nature Triumphs, Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT
2021
Maine Arts Journal, Summer Issue
Curator’s Wishlist, Josephine-May Bailey, Rise Art
2018
Maryam Raad, Boston Hassle; November
2017
Jamie Rogers, Artist2Day United Kingdom; January
2016
Dorothe Swinkels, Textiel Plus Magazine; December.
Mark Jenkins; In the Galleries; Lisa Kellner, The Washington Post, May 13.
Eric Hope; East City Art Reviews: Always Into Now at The Torpedo Factory, East City Art; Apr 28.
2012
Fiber Art; The Mysterious Content of Softness at Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Orlando Arts Magazine, pp 32-33, Nov / Dec 2012.
Diane McEnaney, The Mysterious Content of Softness, OnView Magazine, p52, August / Sept.
Claudia Rousseau, Exhibits play with toys and ‘____scapes’, Gazette.Net, July 10..
2011
Joey Veltkamp, The Mysterious Content of Softness/BAM, Best of, A Northwest-centric Art Blog, Mar.
Deborah Stone, BAM Highlights Unique Quality of Fiber in New Exhibit, The Woodinville Weekly.
Barbara Steadman, Skin Deep, Miles Wide’ Art Exhibition to Open at Coker College, Coker College, SC.
Rachel Hodin, BravinLee to Showcase Latest Avant-Garde Works, New York NearSay, August 31. 2009
Molly Kimelman, Weighty topics, The Grand Rapids Press, December 17.
Catherine Bui, Interviews: Lisa Kellner, Title Magazine, Issue No. 4.
Mike Giuliano, Five local artists conspire to reveal ‘Identity’, Howard County Times, Feb. 12.
Esther Kim, Q & A with Artist Lisa Kellner, Maryland Art Place On- line Newsletter, Winter.
Kriston Capps, Reviews: Washington, DC ‘Here and Now’, Transformer Gallery, Sculpture Magazine, January/February.
2008
Chris Bergeron, Living in a ‘Material’ whirl – Six artists ‘Meditate’ on everyday stuff, The Metrowest Daily News, October 5.
Denise Taylor, Exploring The Material World, Boston Globe West, Sept. 18.
Bob Thayer, Not Just Another Dive, The Providence Journal, Sept 16.
Hope Stockman, Current Galleries; Material Meditation, ArtScope, Sept/Oct ed.
Maura Judkis, “Closed Call: Transformer wanted to comment on urban change. It came sooner than expected, Washington City Paper, May 20.
Benjamin Genocchio, Looking into the World of Genomes and Seeing an Unreliable Future, The New York Times, March 2.
Jennifer Landis, Opinion: I Dream of Genomes, The East Hampton Star, March 26.
2007
Kevin Mellema, 9x10: WPA/Corcoran Member Shows at the WWP Gallery, Falls Church News-Press, August 2.
Kriston Capps, Strictly Painting 6: Color Field Revisited, Washington City Paper, June 28.
Kate Paul, Washington Project for the Arts draws a Summer Crowd, WRC.
2006
J.T. Kirkland, Conversions Opening Tonight, Ellipse Arts Center blogspot, July 28.
J.T. Kirkland, Thinking about Art; Lisa Kellner@Conversions, Thinking About Art Blog, July 25.
Robin Tierney, The Art of Becoming is Very Becoming, DC Examiner, July 22.
Awards, Residencies, Talks:
2016
Semi-finalist, Joan Mitchell Emerging Artist Award
2015
New Media Invitational Award, Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, VA
2012
Artist Talk, VisArts, MD
Visiting Artist, Slippery Rock University, PA
2010
BRIC Media Art Fellowship, BRIC Arts, Brooklyn, NY
2009
Swing Space Residency, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY
Finalist, RGASA Exhibition, NY Studio Gallery, New York, NY
Semi-Finalist, Trawick Prize, Bethesda, MD
2007
Semi-Finalist, Trawick Prize, Bethesda, MD
2005
First Place, All Media Show, Artworks, Richmond, VA
2004
Honorable Mention, All Media Show, Artworks, Richmond, VA
Studio Residency Program, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
2003
Residency Program, Jon Imber Studios, Stonington, ME
2000
Residency Program, Accademia Caerite, Rome, Italy
Publications and Projects:
2020
US Artists, Copelouzos Family Art Museum Publication
2019 - Present
Editor and Creator of: Five Questions for Artists
2020 - 2019
Editor and Creator of: A Space for Artists
2011
Lisa Kellner; Look. See. Be. A publication documenting my site responsive sculptural installations.
2009
Anonda Bell, Forward and Artist Essay; Decadence and Decay,The Mansion Project.
2008
Judith Barry, Director, Forward; MFA in Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition Catalogue.
Michael Newman, Thesis Advisor, Artist essay; MFA in Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition.
Ceci Mendez, Forward; Material Meditation, New Art Center, MA.
Lisa Kellner, Mock Magazine Ads; Perfect 8 Magazine, New York, NY.
2007
Lisa Kellner; Journal entries and public art performance for Adrian Piper, Everything #10, Creative Time, New York, NY.
2006
Lisa Kellner; "Two Thousand and Counting", Daily Constitutional Magazine, Issue #2.
- An installation and writing piece regarding human loss in the Iraq War.
G.O.A.T., Group of Artists Talking, Founder and Member, New York.
Representation
Artemis Gallery, Northeast Harbor, ME
Artspace, New York, NY
Carver Hill Gallery, Camden, ME
Granite Gallery, Tenants Harbor, ME
Education:
2008
Master of Fine Arts, Lesley University College of Art & Design, Boston, MA
2004-1999
Drawing and Painting, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
1999-1996
Drawing and Painting, Art Students League, New York, NY
1987
Bachelor of Science, Boston University, Boston, MA