Kenneth (Ken) Wenzel is a painter living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He paints figurative, landscape, and still life works in oil and watercolor. He draws primarily in graphite and silverpoint. The intent of his work is to communicate the feelings and spirit of forms and spaces in an engaging visual expression.
Biography
Kenneth (Ken) Wenzel is a painter living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He paints figurative, landscape, and still life works in oil and watercolor. He draws primarily in graphite and silverpoint. The intent of his work is to communicate the feelings and spirit of forms and spaces in an engaging visual expression.
Ken’s work has been exhibited and collected regionally and nationally. Shows include one-person gallery exhibits, and numerous of group shows. T. J. Solien, in presenting a painting with an award in the Art on the Plains X Exhibit at the Plains Art Museum, described the work as having roots in American Social Realism. Ken’s work has also been published, notably through the University of Pennsylvania in a visual essay format titled “Disarming Images”.
Ken grew up in metropolitan New York. His education at USMMA (Kings Point) included sailing in the Merchant Marine during sophomore year, ages eighteen and nineteen. The freighters he sailed on went to ports in numerous countries in Asia and Africa. After finishing his degree, he went back to art school. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with honors from The School of Visual Arts in New York City. He was awarded a President’s Scholarship at SVA. After graduating Ken lived on Monhegan Island, nineteen miles off the coast of Maine. There he made cyanotypes, paintings, and drawings while working on a lobster boat and house painting to make a living. He subsequently relocated to San Francisco. His first teaching experience was in the Bay Area as an art instructor in a program for emotionally disturbed boys. Ken received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. While living in California he met his love, Janet. They moved to Minneapolis in the late summer of 1989. Ken has lectured and taught drawing at the Minneapolis Institute of Art since 1990. He also taught painting and figure drawing classes at several community art centers. From 2003 to 2018 he served as an Art Faculty Member in the departments of four colleges in the Minnesota State College System.
Notable shows include Chasing Ephemera at James Wegner Gallery Riverland CC Austin Minnesota, The Hillstrom Museum Cancer Never Had Me at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter Minnesota, The Traffic Zone One Person Show in Minneapolis, The Bowery Gallery in New York, The Plains Art Museum in Fargo North Dakota, The Phipps Art Center in Hudson Wisconsin and No Name Gallery at The Soap Factory in Minneapolis Minnesota.
Painting
Drawing
Teaching
RESUME
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
“Chasing Ephemera”, One-Person Exhibit, James Wegner Art Gallery, Riverland CC, Austin, MN, 2024
“State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit”, St. Paul, MN, 2022, Juried – Mark Granlund
“Cancer Never Had Me, Hillstrom Museum, Gustavus Adolphus College”, St. Peter, MN, 2020
“Foot in the Door, Minneapolis Institute of Art”, Minneapolis, MN, 2020-21
“LOLA Exhibit, Squirrel Haus Gallery”, Minneapolis, MN, 2018, 2019, 2020
“Healing Arts Exhibition, Hudson Hospital/Phipps Art Center”, Hudson, WI, 2015-2016
“Crossings”, Solo Exhibition – Traffic Zone Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2015 \
“Lands of Water”, Minneapolis City Hall Rotunda, Minneapolis, MN, 2014-2015
“Structures”, Solo Exhibition – Riverland Community College Gallery, Austin, MN, 2012
“Art on the Plains X”, The Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND, Juried – T.L. Solien, 2008-2009, Juror’s Third Place Award
“MCAD/MCA Faculty Exchange Exhibit”, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Gallery, Minneapolis, MN 2006
“Art Connections: Minnesota Community College Faculty Exhibition”, Rochester Art Center, Rochester MN, 2005, Juror’s Honorable Mention Award
“The Bowery Gallery Juried Show”, Juried – William Bailey, New York, NY, 2004
“Sold on Art”, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, MN 2003, 2002
“Beefcake/Cheesecake, A Figurative Art Exhibit”, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA, Juried – Tyler Stallings, Laguna Art Museum, 2001
“Necessary Differences 2 @ The Soap Factory”, Minneapolis, MN, 2000
“Phipps Center for the Arts”, Solo Exhibition – Gallery Two, Hudson, WI, 2000
“Art on the Plains”, Plains Art Museum, Fargo, ND, Juried – Laurel Reuter, Director, North Dakota Museum of Art, 1999
“Aljira National Five”, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ, Juried – Archie Rand, Columbia University, Kathy Schnapper, Rutgers University, Camille Billops, 1999
“New Works”, Solo Exhibition, Beauxmage Fine Art, St. Paul, MN, 1999
“Contemporary Visions”, University of Bridgeport, CT, Juried – Dr. Judy Collischan, Neuberger Museum of Art at S.U.N.Y. Purchase, 1997
“Aljira National Two”, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ, Juried – W. Arning, White Columns, J. Szoecs, Trans Hudson Gallery, G. Stavitsky, Montclair Art Museum, 1996
“Art Center of Northern New Jersey National”, New Milford, NJ, Juried T. Bashkoff, Guggenheim Museum, 1995
“Cooperstown Art Association - 60th Annual National Exhibition”, Cooperstown, NY, Juried - Holland Cotter, New York Times Art Critic, 1995
“Morality”, E.I.O. Gallery/The Powerhouse, Cleveland, OH, Juried - David S. Rubin, Phoenix Art Museum, 1995
“Still Life”, Alabama State University Art Gallery, Montgomery, AL, 1992
“Realism with a Twist”, Three Person Show, Pearl Conard Gallery, Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH, 1992
“Fresh Currency”, Artifex Alternative Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN, Juried - Peter Boswell, Walker Art Center, 1991
“Borderworks”, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Juried – Nilda Peraza, Museum of Hispanic Art, NYC, 1990
AWARDS:
“Art on the Plains X”, Plains Art Museum, Third Place Award, 2008
“Art Connections: Minnesota Community College Faculty Exhibition”, Rochester Art Center, Juror’s Honorable Mention Award, 2005
“President’s Scholarship Award”, School of Visual Arts, 1982 – 1983
PUBLICATIONS:
Breathing In II, 2009, Cover Painting, Century College Publication, White Bear Lake, MN, 2009
East Side Neighborhood Services, 1995 Annual Report Cover, Minneapolis, MN 1996
Public Culture, “Disarming Images”, Cover and Visual Essay, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1990
RELATED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Demonstration Artist: White Bear Art Center, Artwatch, 2008
Juror: White Bear Art Center Annual Northern Lights Exhibit, 2007
Lecturer: Embryos, Amoebas, and the Biomorphic, Slide lecture, The ROGUE Buddha Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2002
Figure Drawing Artist: Figure Drawing Demonstration Artist, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Family Day, Master Drawings from the Collection of Alfred Moir, 2000
Participating Artist: National Native American Special Arts Festival, 1997
Painting Demonstrator: Painting Demonstration Artist, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Family Day Event, Earth, Water, Air and Fire, 1996
Figure Drawing Artist: Figure Drawing Demonstration Artist, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Family Day, Katalan Collection - Italian Drawings, 1995
Juror/Panelist: Minneapolis Arts Commission, Neighborhood Gateway Public Art Program, 1992 – 1993
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
CAA, College Art Association, 1989 – Present
FATE, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education, 2008 – 2015
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Century College, White Bear Lake, MN, 2006 – 2018
Position – Art Faculty
Teaching assignments include Art Appreciation, Painting, Drawing, Design, and American Art History classes. Experiences also include committee assignments, participation in college initiatives, and faculty development activities through the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Saint Paul College, Saint Paul, MN 2014 – 2018
Position – Art Faculty
Teaching assignments include Art Appreciation, Drawing, Design, and American Art History classes.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN, 1990 – 2020
Position – Drawing Instructor
Teaching assignments are in adult level continuing education drawing classes. These are thematic classes that include lecture and studio components. Lectures cover issues from the technical/formal aspects of art and drawing to the exploration and progression of Art History in the visual arts. Drawing is done from works in the museum’s collection.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minneapolis, MN, 2003 – 2006
Position – Art Faculty
Teaching assignments included Painting, Drawing, and Introduction to Art classes. Experiences also included faculty development activities, and participation in the design stages of the college’s AFA Program.
University of Minnesota Extension Program, Compleat Scholar Minneapolis, MN, 1997, and 1999 – 2004
Position – Drawing Instructor
Teaching assignments in adult level continuing education drawing classes. These classes covered a range of drawing topics from introductory level classes to figure and portrait drawing classes.
Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Wayzata, MN, 1995 – 2003
Position – Painting/Drawing Instructor
Teaching assignments in adult level continuing education painting and figure drawing classes. Figure drawing sessions included group critiques in collaboration with a stone carving class.
Edina Art Center, Edina MN, 1996 – 2009
Position – Painting/Drawing Instructor
Teaching assignments in adult level continuing education painting and figure drawing classes.
Menlo Park Alternative High School, Minneapolis, MN, 1989 – 1996
Position – Art Instructor
The Minneapolis Park System, Minneapolis, MN, 1990 – 1995
Position – Art Instructor
The Walker Art Center, Family Art Program, Minneapolis, MN, 1991
Position – Art Instructor
EDUCATION:
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA Master of Fine Arts, Painting
University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Art Therapy Workshop, (Ten Week Program)
The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honors, Photography
USMMA, Kings Point, NY, Bachelor of Science, Marine Engineering