Matthewjbest@gmail.com
Arbor Art Center
Studio 204
56 Arbor Street
Hartford, CT 06106
Academic Credentials
MFA, Painting, 2005, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
BFA, Painting, minor in Art History, 1996, University of Hartford Art School, West Hartford CT
Honors
Visiting Artist, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO February 2009
Visiting Artist, George Washington University, Washington DC March 2008
Resident Studio Artist, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA October 2007- December 2009
Solo Exhibitions
“Matthew Best: Paintings and Colleges,” January 2018, The Gallery at the Canterbury School, New Mildford, CT.
“Diary- Recent Paintings,” March-May 2017. York College Art Gallery, York College, York, PA.
"Limited Means," January-March 2015. The Gallery at Three Rivers Community College, Norwich,CT
“Matthew Best: Paintings”, March 2014. EBK Gallery, Hartford, CT
“10,000 Things: Recent Paintings,” October 2013. Eastampton City Arts+ Gallery, Easthampton,MA
"Interface: New Work," March-June 2012. 100 Pearl Street Gallery, Hartford, CT.
"Monkey Mind: New Paintings by Matthew Best," November 2010 Artworks Studio Gallery, Norwich,
“Supernature: Recent Paintings by Matthew Best”, January- April 2009
Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
“Recent Work, Ornamentation and Abstraction,” January-April 2009
Greater Reston Arts Center @ Market Street, Reston, VA
“Mighty Real” October –December 2007
Fisher Art Gallery, Schlesinger Center, Alexandria, VA
“Recent Work” March 2007
Dumbarton Concert Gallery, Washington DC
“dirty pretty things: MFA Thesis Exhibition” May 2005
Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
Two Person Exhibitions
"Matthew Best and Toni Tiller: Collages" October-November, 2014. The Studio, Laconia, NH.
"Chris Rusak and Matthew Best: Recent Painting" July-September 2013. Emery Arts Center, University of Maine, Farmington, ME.
Selected Group Exhibitions
“Social Patterns,” January-May 2018, Perspectives Gallery, Hamden, CT and Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT.
“Cool + Collected,” October-December 2017, Melanie Carr Gallery, Essex, CT.
“Alternate Facts,” March-April 2017. Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT.
“The Retrieval of the Beautiful,” June 2016. The Painting Center, New York City, NY.
“Mail Art,” June-July 2016. South Gallery, Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA.
“Artists Choose Artists,” April-May 2016. First Street Gallery, New York City, NY.
“Col-lage ko’laZH/” March 2016. Stockman Gallery, Trinity on Main, New Britain, CT.
“Art for Sale,”, June 2015. Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT.
“Artists/Educators,” April 2015. Norwich Arts Center, Norwich, CT.
“Brights,” January-February 2015. Worrell Smith Gallery, Westport, CT
"The Out-of-Towners" November 2014. Satelite Contemporary, Las Vegas, NV
"Wonder + Awe" October 2014. Silpe Gallery, West Hartford, CT
“Our Expanding Circle” June-July 2013, Artspace Gallery, Hartford, CT
“Working It Out” June-July 2013. The Painting Center, New York, NY
“New Works” June-July 2013. Gallery 19, Chicago, IL
“The New Aesthetic” May-June 2013, Gallery 19, Chicago, IL.
“CTAL at EBK Gallery” May-June 2013, EBK Gallery, West Hartford, CT
“Snowflake Salon, Biannual Winter Invitational,” Bridge Club of Center City, Philadelphia, Janurary-February 2013.
“CT Artlist Exhibition,” February-March 2013, Gaylordsville, CT
"Method of Exchange," October 2012, Points North, Farmington, ME.
"Migrations," October 2012 Las Manos Gallery, Chicago, IL.
"Harford Art School Alumni Exhibition," Slipe Gallery, West Hartford, CT.
"The Painting Show," May-June 2011. Las Manos Gallery, IL.
"New Works on Paper," March 2011. Las Manos Gallery, Chicago, IL.
"Contained," March 2011. Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA.
"Remodernist," August 2010, Las Manos Gallery, Chicago, IL
"Open Air," August 2010, Nave Gallery, Somerville, MA.
Hungry? Food and Art, April-June 2010. The Eclipse Gallery, Algoma, WI
The Art of Science/the Science of Art, April 3-April 30 2010. Hodgson Art Gallery at Frederick Community College, Frederick, MD
Mid Atlantic New Painting 2010, January 22-February 26 2010. Ridderhof Martin Gallery at the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA.
People's Choice, January 2010. ArtDC Gallery, Hyattsville, MD
Creative Inquiries, January 25-February 19 2010. Giles Gallery at Easten Kentucky University, Richmond, KY.
“Lineweight- Exhibit of Contemporary Drawing” January-February 2009. University Art Gallery, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
“Art Crosses the Sea II: From Northern Virginia to Seoul” Oct-Nov 2008. Yuhan College, Seoul, South Korea
“Quart Bag” August 2008. Civilian Arts Projects, Washington, DC
"Arts Council @ GRACE 2008” June-August 2008. Greater Reston Arts Center, Reston, VA
“Arlington Arts Center Resident Studio Artists Group Exhibition” January-March 2008. Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
“Art Crosses the Sea: From Seoul to Northern Virginia ” January 2008.Verizon Gallery, Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center, Annandale, VA
“art in transition continued” October 2007. Alternative Space, Washington DC
“1460 Wall Mountables” July-September 2007. District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington DC
“1460 Wall Mountables” July 2006. District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington DC
"Engendered Species," April-May 2005. CSULB Gatov and Merlino Galleries, Long Beach, CA. Travelled to Advocate Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
"Hey, Is That A Boy Or A Girl: Artists Look At Gender," Nov-Dec 2005. Warehouse Gallery, Washington, DC
"1460 Wall Mountables," July 2005. District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington, DC
“Small Works” December 2004, Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton, MA
“Homegrown,“ September 2004. Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
“The Mid-Way Show“ March 2004. Student Union Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts, MA
“Perspectives“ September 2003. Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, MA
Public Art
“Supernature”, Arlington, VA July 2009 to present
Part of Crystal City Business Improvement District’s Art Walls Project
Large scale installation of reproductions of work in underpass
http://www.crystalcity.org/content/26/108/7/Programs/Artful/Art-Walls
Curation
Curator, “Subdivision: Images of Suburbia” May-June 2006. District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington DC
Teaching Experience
Adjunct Faculty, Three Rivers Community College, Norwich, CT. 2010 to present.
“Two-Dimensional Design:
“Drawing I, two sections”
Adjunct Faculty, University of Hartford Art School, West Hartford, CT. Fall 2017
“Introduction to Painting.”
Adjunct Faculty, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD
“2D Design Fundamentals” Fall 2009
“Elements of Drawing I and II, Advanced Drawing” Winter 2009
“Elements of Painting” Spring 2009
Assistant Professor, Adjunct Northern Virginia Community College, Loudon Campus, Sterling, VA
“Drawing I”, (six week session) Summer 2008 and 2009
“Drawing II” Spring 2008 and 2009
“Drawing I” Fall 2006-2009
Adjunct Faculty, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, Annandale, VA
“Painting I and II” Fall 2008
“Independent Study, Painting”
“Drawing I and II Summer 2008
“Drawing I, II, and III” Fall 2006 to Spring 2008
“Foundations of Design II” Spring 2007
“Drawing I, II and IV” Summer 2007
Part Time Lecturer, Three Rivers Community College, Norwich, CT
Responsible for the creation and execution of course syllabi, creation of slide lectures, exams and grading
“Art Appreciation,” Summer 2005
Instructor of Record, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Responsible for the creation and execution of course syllabi, critiques and grading
“Advanced Drawing,” Spring 2005
“Advanced Drawing Problems, “ Fall 2004
“Basic Studio Design,” Fall 2003, Spring 2004 and Spring 2005
Collections
Marie Baumann, Arlington, VA
William and Rhonda Petruzzi, Vienna, VA
Brent Wetters, Providence, RI
Christina and Alex Hamlin, Ann Arbor, MI
Kirk Wetters and Amy Ulrich, New Haven, CT
Kristen Sikes, Glastonbury, CT
Melissa Foetsch, West Hartford, CT
Thomas Smeterin, Ghent, Belgium
Bonnie Ralston and Mark Yarm, Brooklyn, NY
Johan Harsevoort and Anne Gedderis, Antwerp, Belgium
Bibliography
“Collage Art Show at Stockman Gallery in New Britain,” Frank E. Bradley, New Britain City Journal, March 2016.
http://nbcityjournal.com/archives/12600
“15 Artists About to Dominate 2015.” Holly Howe, Complex Magazine, January 2015. http://www.complex.com/style/2015/01/artists-about-to-dominate-2015/matthew-best
Featured artist and interview with Alan Pocaro in Bluestem Journal, Eastern Illinois University, 2015.
http://bluestemmagazine.com/print/spring-2015/
Radio Interview with Hannah Hemmelgarn on Enviromentality Radio, Kirksville, MO. February 2009
http:enviromentality09.worpress.com/2009/02/17/framed-foraging-with-matthew-best/