JAMES ALLEN
James Allen currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon where he shows at Russo Lee Gallery. He has shown his work at museums and galleries across the country including Bellevue Arts Museum, Morris Museum, Whatcom Museum, Cameron Art Museum, and Brooklyn Central Library. His book excavations are also in special collections libraries at UCLA, Ringling College of Art and Design, John's Hopkins University, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, University of Puget Sound, Baylor University, Swarthmore College, Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Colorado Boulder.
contact
Exhibitions
2017 Northwest Bound, Russo Lee Gallery, Portland, OR (solo exhibition)
Book Works: Recent Excavations, Pendleton Center for the Arts East Oregonian Gallery, Pendleton, OR (solo exhibition)
Cut Up/Cut Out, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA (traveling exhibition)
Built, 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland OR
Book Art: A Novel Idea, Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ
2016 Anesedora, Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA (solo exhibition)
This Is Not A Book, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA
Unbound Narrative, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
30 Years: New Work By Gallery Artists, Russo Lee Gallery, Portland, OR
Portland Biennial Salon, Disjecta, Portland, OR
Chasing Paper, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Lake Oswego Oregon
2015 Book Excavations, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland OR (solo show)
Ten Years of Artists Books, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn NY
Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
Measures of Depth, George Fox University, Newberg, OR
Codex Book Fair, Craneway Pavilion, Richmond, CA
10th Annual Art of the Book, Seager Gray Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
Art MRKT San Francisco Art Fair, Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
2014 Bound and Beyond: Structure in Book Art, UWM Union Gallery, Milwaukee WI
Altered Books and Mixed Media, Guardino Gallery, Portland OR (solo exhibition)
Altered Visions , 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR
Undercover Stories: The Secret Lives of Books, Art Up Front Gallery, Issaqua, WA
2013 Group Show, 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR
Group Show, Outerlands Gallery, Vergennes, VT
2012 Petit Tableaux, Winston Wachter Fine Art, Seattle, WA
2010 Dream, Artist Trust Benefit Auction, Seattle, WA
Dress Envy, Winston Wachter Fine Art, Seattle, WA
Home, The Canoe, Seattle, WA
2009 The Book Borrowers, Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA
2008 Excavations, Winston Wachter Fine Art, Seattle, WA (solo exhibition)
2007 The Edge of Excess, Foundry Art Center", St. Charles, MO
Seattle Erotic Art Festival, The Fenix, Seattle, WA
Artists Only, Victrola Coffee and Art, Seattle, WA
2006 12th Annual International Exhibition, SOHO 20 Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
Artfutura 2006: Transformation, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2005 Randomness, Chance, and Chaos, OK Hotel, Seattle, WA
Masters Mystery Art Show, Florida International University, Miami, FL
2004 Gravity Racers: 10th Anniversary Show, Pierogi Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2003 Characterism: Pop Art, USA & Japan, Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn Painters Show, Brooklyn Working Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
Pier Show 11, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
2002 Wearable Sculpture Fashion Show, The Oriental, Milwaukee, WI
Pier Show 10, Brooklyn Working Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
2000 Digital Printmaking, Woodland Pattern Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
How Memory Works, One Nation Gallery, Milwaukee, WI (solo show)
Lens-Bot, INOVA Gallery, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI (solo installation)
Wearable Sculpture Fashion Show, Thai Joes, Milwaukee, WI
1999 Parkside National Small Print Exhibition, University of Wisconsin Parkside, Kenosha, WI
Public Collections
UCLA, Louise M Darling Biomedical Library, Los Angeles, CA
UCLA, Fine Art Library, Los Angeles, CA
Johns Hopkins University, Milton S Eisenhower Library, Baltimore, MD
Ringling College of Art and Design, Verman Kimbrough Memorial Library, Sarasota, FL
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Golda Mier Library, Special Collections, Milwaukee, WI
University of Colorado, Special Collections Library, Boulder, CO
Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
University of Puget Sound, Collins Memorial Library, Tacoma, WA
Baylor University, Waco, TX
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Education BFA, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 2000
Awards/Honors
Regional Arts and Culture Council Professional Development Grant, Oregon, 2014
Selected to participate in Portland Community College Art Beat, 2014
Artist Trust Fellowship, Washington State, 2011
Honorable Mention, Seattle Erotic Art Festival, 2007
Honorable Mention, Artfutura 2006:Transformation
Bibliography
Kaitlyn Bolduc, "Portland Artist Turning Old Books Into Rare Sculptures", KPTV, September 6, 2017
Michael Upchurch, "Cut Up/Cut Out Surprises With Art on the Edge", Seattle Times, July 14, 2017
Allyn Cantor, "James Allen: Northwest Bound", Preview: The Gallery Guide, May 2017
Justin Lacy, "In Cameron Art Museum's Unbound Narrative", Star News, August 16, 2016
Kori Hirano, "James Allen, Book Excavator", About Face Magazine, July 2016
Katrina Sarsen, "Oregon Art Beat, Season 17, Episode 1", Oregon Public Broadcasting, October 2015
Driftwood, "Artist On Artist", August 2017
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Art Source Portland, Cover Art, 2014
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Huffington Post, PHOTOS: 7 Stunning Pieces of Book Art, 2013
· Chronicle Books, "Art Made From Books: Altered Sculpted, Carved, Transformed", 2013
· Louis Varichio "New Art Gallery Opens in Vergennes" Addison Eagle, May 10, 2013
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Michael Upchurch, "'The Book Borrowers: Contemporary Artists Transforming the Book,' at BAM", Seattle Times, February 27, 2009
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Jonathan Shipley, "Breaking Books Open", City Arts, March 2009
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Deborah Stone, "Quilts, books take center stage at BAM", NW News, March 9 2009
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Danielle Dreger-Babbitt, "Book Borrowers exhibition at Bellevue Arts Museum is worth checking out", Seattle Books Examiner, April 4, 2009