We are pleased to announce an opportunity to own or represent work from master artist Melvin N. Strawn. A lifetime of deep thought, vision, exploration, and skill is evident in this body of work that includes paintings and prints created from the 1950’s to 2020.
Strawn was a leader in the evolution of modern art from post-war abstract expressionism to twenty first century digital work. One of his contributions was blending images and themes across media – from drawings and prints to large pattern paintings, including some of the earliest explorations of digital fine art and ink jet printing. His work uniquely combines layering of color, shape, form, calligraphy and other images that creates depth and evokes thought and emotion.
A graduate of California College of Arts and Crafts and co-founder of the Bay Area Printmakers Society, Mel continued his professional career as an instructor, eventually becoming the Chairman of the Art Department at the University of Denver and Western Michigan University. His legacy includes paintings and prints that are in public and private collections nationally and internationally, including universities, libraries, museums, and corporations. He was featured in Art Space magazine, Colorado Abstract and other publications, including his own self-published books of drawings, paintings, prints, and poetry. In his later years, Mel explored the meaning of art making and shared his thought processes in a blog entitled “Brushed” (melsbrush.blogspot.com).
To inquire about available pieces, please contact Jennifer Kesler at 719-429-2205 or email: strawn.art.1@gmail.com
Education:
Chouinard Art Institute, L.A. County/ Otis Art Institute,
Jepson Art Institute, California, 1947-1950
California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC) - BFA 1955, MFA 1956
Postgraduate study in sculpture, CCAC 1959
Professional Teaching/Administration:
Midwestern University, Wichita Falls, Texas 1956-57
Michigan State University, Lansing, Michigan, 1959-59
Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1959-69
Professor and School of Art Director Emeritus: University of
Denver 1969-85; Western Michigan University 1985-88
Publications and Writings:
COLORADO ABSTRACT- PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE,
M. Paglia and M.V. Chandler, Fresco Fine Art Publications LLC, 2009
IDEA (Indian Directory of Electronic Arts), V.’s 6 & 7
Transitions (re traditional to digital imaging in own art
Drawings - Mel Strawn
Color Consulting-A survey of International Color Design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, publisher
Responsive Drawing-Third Edition, Nathan Goldstein, Prentice Hall, publishers
Various on-line writings: World Printmakers (White Paper on Digital Fine Art) at: http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/strawn/melwhite.htm
https://www.caprintmakers.org/in-memoriam/#strawn
Gallery Representation:
Previously: The Sandra Phillips Gallery, Denver Colorado
Exhibitions:
First National Printmaking Exhibition, Oakland Art Museum, Oakland, California, 1956 (Bay Printmakers Society, co-founder with Will Petersen and first president)
15th Annual International Serigraph Exhibition, New York, New York, 1954
73rd San Francisco Painting Annual, San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, California, 1954
American Painters in France, U.S. Foreign Service Cultural Office, 1954-56
All Colorado Annual, Denver Art Museum, Denver,
Colorado, 1974
Colorado State University Centennial, (First Purchase Award), Colorado, 1970
1-25 AGAIN, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, 1988
COLOR! Colorado Gallery of Art, Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colorado, 1989
Digitized and Manipulated, National Exhibition of Computer Images, Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Pueblo, Colorado, 1995
Techno Artists, Metropolitan State College (Denver), 1995;
Art and Technology 97- Beyond the Virtual Edge, Orlando Museum of Art, 1997;
Major Retrospective- Fall 2006, Denver Public Library_ “All Together Now”
Others including studio tours and one person shows in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Michigan, Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado and Venezuela
Collections:
Colorado Historical Society, Denver, Colorado
Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado
University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
Colorado State University, Ft Collins, Colorado
Taylor Museum of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Pueblo, Colorado
Kirkland Museum, Denver, Colorado
Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio
Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio
Ohio State University, Ohio
Safeco Corporation, Denver, Colorado
Ball Corporation, Bloomfield, Colorado
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center,
Salida, Colorado
Ottawa College, Kansas
Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Including private and corporate collections
