Home

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 - Jan.-Apr., Up Is Down, Michigan Avenue Galleries, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL.

2009 - Jan.-Feb., Mirror of Nature, Beard Arts Center, Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, IN.

2008 - Aug.-Nov., Domestic Vision: Twenty-Five Years of the Art of Joel Sheesley, Brauer Museum of Art, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN.

- March-April, The View From Here, John Brown University, Siloam Srings, AR.

- March, Not a Lifesaving Device, Finestra Artspace, Chicago, IL.

- Jan.-Feb., Above and Below, Adams Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.

2007 - Aug.-Sept., Joel Sheesley, Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI.

2005 - Sept.-Nov., Art @ Home, Draewell Gallery, Judson College, Elgin, IL.

- Oct.-Dec., Human/Nature, Gescheidle, 118 N. Peoria, Chicago, IL.

2004 - Jan-Feb., Paintings, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL

2003 - Oct., (Be)tween, Gescheidle, 300 West Superior St., Chicago, IL.

- Summer, ’03, Selected Paintings, Laity Lodge, Kerrville, Texas,.

- Jan.-March, Intimate Geography, St. Peter’s Church, 54th St. and Lexington, NYC.

2002 - Nov.-Dec., The Painted Journey, Safety-Kleen Gallery One, Elgin Community College, Elgin, Il

- May-June, Intimate Geography, Wood Street Gallery, 1239 N. Wood, Chicago.

2001 - Sept., Sheesley/Witkin, Center Art Gallery, Calvin College, Grand Rapids,MI

- Mar.-Aprl., New Paintings, Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, MI.

2000 - Oct. – Nov., Interiors, Barrington Center for the Arts, Gordon College, Wenham, MA.

- Sept. – Dec. Eve in Suburbia: Paintings by Joel Sheesley, The Olson Gallery, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

- Sept., Scenes on the Journey, Moreau Art Galleries, St. Mary’s College, Notre
Dame, IN.

- Apr., Paintings from the Journey, Union U. Gallery of Art, Union U., Jackson, TN

- Mar. - Apr., More Than Enough, Wood Street Gallery, 1239 N. Wood, Chicago.

- Feb. - Friends on the Journey, Adams Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.

1999 - Oct. - Nov., Suburban Thesaurus, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, River Forest, IL.

- Feb., Paintings: Journey Series, Robert Kidd Gallery, 107 Townsend St., Birmingham, MI.

1998 - March, The Journey, Wood Street Gallery, 1239 N. Wood, Chicago, IL.

1997 - Feb., New Paintings, Weaver Gallery, Bethel College, Mishawaka IN.

1995 - Feb., Static Migration, Kay Garvey Gallery, 230 W. Superior, Chicago, IL.1994

- March, Recent Work, Vandervelde Gallery, Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, IL.

1993 - October, Choice Lots, DeMattias Gallery, Kansas Newman College, Wichita, KS.

- February, Absence of Paradise, Adams Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.

1992 - October, Organized Play, Sloan Gallery, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN.

- September, Level Fields, Kubiak Gallery, Oneonta, NY.

- January, Suburban Thesaurus, Kay Garvey Gallery, Chicago, Il.

1990 - November, Paintings, Wilson Galleries, Anderson University, Anderson, IN.

- March, Paintings, Lower Armington Center Gallery, Greenville College, Greenville, IL.

1987 - November, Domestic Policies, Kay Garvey Gallery, Glen Ellyn, IL.

1986 - November,Provisional Measures, Adams Gallery, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL.

- September, New Paintings, Judson College, Elgin, IL.

l985 - "Appropriate Techniques, Art and Development in Estancita," Documentation of art and development project completed in March, l985, in the Dominican Republic.

Exhibition at Adams Hall Gallery, Wheaton College,Wheaton, IL.

1983 - January, "No Autonomy," Bernal Gallery, Chicago, IL.

- April, One Person Show, Bernal Gallery, Chicago, IL.

1980 - October, Paintings, Ludlow-Hyland Gallery, 20 East 35th Street, NYC

 

- April - May, "2007 Mid America Print Council Juried Members Exhibition," Safety-Kleen Gallery One, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL.

- Feb. - "Realism," Robert Kidd Gallery, 107 Townsend, Birmingham, MI.

- Aug.-Sept., "The Next Generation," MOBIA, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY.

- July-Aug., “Invitational Exhibition: Gallery & Guest Artists,” Denise Bibro Fine Art, 529 W. 20th St. , New York, NY.

- Sept.-Oct., "What We Have Seen," Arcadia Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI., Tim Lowly, curator.

- Jan.-Feb., "Spiritual Inquires," Struve Gallery," 309 W. Superior, Chicago,IL., Bill Struve, curator.

- Sept.-Nov., One Illinois Center, 111 E. Wacker Dr. Chicagp, four paintings exhibited in main lobby.

- July-Aug., "A Summer Sampler", The Lookout Gallery, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia.

- June-July, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 30 S Wacker Dr., Chicago, three paintings exhibited in main lobby

- April, "Revealing Light", Illinois State University, Normal, IL, sponsored by Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship.

- October, "Urban, Suburban and Rural Landscapes,"Bruce Gallery, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Curator: William Cox.

- March/April, "Illinois Painters Exhibition," Springfield Art Association, Illinois.

- February, Gallery Artists Exhibit, Gallery Yssa, 123 East 57th Street, New York City.

- August, Three-Person Show, Bernal Gallery, 612 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

- March, Florida National Competition, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL., Juror: Univesity Faculty.

- March, Kansas 14th National Small Painting and Print Exhibition, Fort Hays State University, Juror: Harold Joe Waldrum.

- March, Galex 23rd National Exhibition, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Illinois, Juror: William Struve.

- Jan/Feb, Greater Midwest International Exhibition IV, Central Missouri State University, Juror: Richard Koshalek.

- April, 38th Spiva Annual Competition, Joplin, Mo., Award: Honorable Mention. Juror, Karen Ripley.

- February-March, Galex 22, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, IL. Award: Merit Award. Juror: Gary Gordon.

- February-March, Florida National, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FLA. Juror: Eric Siegeltuch.

- January-February, Parkside National Small Print Exhibition, University of Wisconsin, Parkside, WI. Juror: Rudy Pozzatti.

- November, Sioux City Biennial, Sioux City, IA. Award: Juror's Award, Thomas N. Armstrong III, Director, Whitney Museum of American Art.

- April, Open Spectrum, David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, IL., Juror, Susan Senseman.

- March, llth Annual Harper College Illinois Print and Drawing Exhibition, Wm. Rainey Harper College, Palatine, IL., Juror, Keith Achepohl.

Reviews, Articles, Books

*Artner, Alan, "In the Galleries," Chicago Tribune, Section 7, Friday, March 21, 2008, p. 13.

*Huck, Sharon, "Art Professor Is Rubbing Elbows with Rembrandt," Daily Herald, Section 5, Feb. 23, 2007, p.1.

*Prescott, T. ed., A Broken Beauty, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids/Cambridge, 2005, pp. 83-85.

*Pongracz, P. and Roosa, W., The Next Generation: Contemporary Expressions of Faith, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids/Cambridge, 2005, pp, 14-28.

*Artner, Alan. Chicago Tribune, Section 7, p. 15, Oct. 31, 2003.

*Romaine, James, “A Conversation with Joel Sheesley,” Objects of Grace, Square Halo Books, 2002, pp. 137-149.

* Harmon, Elizabeth, Daily Herald, “A journey on canvas,” Friday, Dec. 13, 2002, Neighbor, p.1, Sec. 5 (illustrated).

*Ackerman, Lindsay, Advance, Grand Rapids, “Arts & Entertainment,” Aug. 28, 2001, p.2, sec. B.

*Krissoff, Sylvia, The Grand Rapids Press, “Fortitude and Forebearance,” Sunday, Sept. 9, 2001, B4.

*Roosa, Wayne, The Sacred Art Exhibition Series, “Paradise Lost, Paradise Sublimated: The Suburban Paintings of Joel Sheesley,” pp. 6 – 8, (Exhibition Catalog).

*Grant, Jennifer, The Wheaton Sun, Community, “Urban Canvas: Area Artist’s Works Portray His View of Life in the Suburbs,” pp. 4&8, Sept. 1, 2000.

*Mahmoud, Ben, DeKalb Daily Chronicle, Life Styles, “’Shake the Coat’ A Perfect Example of how realism Should Be Done,” pp. D1 – 2, Nov. 19, 2000.

*Cohen, Deri Guten, Detroit Free Press, Entertainment, “Imagination Closes Gaps in Understanding,: p. 8G, March 25, 2001.

*Polanski, G. Jurek, Artscope.net, Reviews: “Joel Sheesley; Deborah Maris Lader; Joyce Owens,” April 2000

*Ostrowski, Darlene, The Wheaton Leader, Section 2, pp.1&3, (illustrated)March8,’95

*Victoria, Lautman, "Artistic License," WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, Mar. 3, 1995.

*Artner, Alan. Chicago Tribune, Section 7, p.45, March 3,1995.

*Walford, E. John. Image: A Journal of the Arts & Religion, "Joel Sheesley: A Profile," (illustrated) pp. 23-36. Fall 1993.

*Lewis, Diane. The Wichita Eagle, Art Section, (illustrated) Nov.6,1993.

*Artner, Alan. Chicago Tribune, Section 7, p. 46. Jan. 24, 1992.

*Wintner, Barbara S. Daily Herald, Section 2, p.1. (illustrated) Jan. 20, 1992.

*Kotlarczyk, Carol. Daily Herald, Section 5, p.1. (illustrated) May 2, 1991.

*Seigenthaler, K. Chicago Tribune, Du Page, Section 2, p.1 (illustrated)May 1, 1991.

*Hocker, Bev. Daily Herald, Section 6, p.1. March 3, 1991

*Brown, Robert. Wheaton Daily Journal, p.5, (ilustrated) Dec. 5,1986.

*Schelkopf, Eric. Carol Stream Press, p.2, (illustrated) Nov. 26, 1986.

*Haydon, Harold. Chicago Sun-Times. p.52, April 17, 1981

*Collins, Kevin. State Times, SUNY Oneonta, p.5, Sept. 23, 1980.

*Elliott, David. Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 1980.

*Vastol, Wen. New Art Examiner, May, 1979.

Furious Lullaby, Cover Art "Interior with Crucifix and Nothing Special," Chapbook Poetry by Oliver de la Paz, Southern Illinois University Press, 2007.

My Father's Bones, Cover Art "What Goes Up?" Chapbook Poetry by Jill Pelaez Baumgaertner, Finishing Line Press, Georgetown, Kentucky, 2006.

Winter Conversation, Program Cover for Advent-Christmas Vespers, 2006, Valparaiso University.

Goudzwaard, Bob. "De zelfbevestiging voorbij," LEV Tijdschrift uitgegeven door stichting L'Avri - Nederland, jaargang 9 nr. 1 2004, pp. 3-6.

Anderson, C. and Bowden, S. eds., CIVA XXV Faith and Vision, Square Halo Books, Baltimore, 2005, p.41,178,187.

Image a Journal of the Arts and Religion - web site, "Artist of the Month," Summer/Fall '05.

The Christian Century, Aug. 28 – Sept. 10, 2002, “Art” p. 40.

Independent Publisher's Group, Spring 1996 Catalog, cover.

The Other Side, July/ August 1995, pp.21-22.

The Wilson Quarterly, Spring 1995, "Religion and the Writer," pp.8,9,16.

*Sheesley, Joel, Books and Culture: A Christian Review, “The Beauty of Borrowing,” pp. 16-18,
volume 8, number 1, Jan/Feb 2002.

*Sheesley, Joel, Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, “Wreckage and Rescue: the Art of
Bradford Johnson, Spring 2000.

*Sheesley, Joel, Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion, "Jerome Witkin: a Profile," Fall 1995.

*Codex CIVA, James Stambaugh, The Billy Graham Center Museum, 1995.

*Sheesley, J. and Bragg, W. Sandino in the Streets, Indiana University Press, 1991.

*Sheesley, J. Nuevo Diario, (Nicaragua), "Las Imagenes de Sandino." Aug. 1986.

*Sheesley, J. New Art Examiner, "Images of Sandino," June 1986.

2010

*Award: Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award, Rockford Midwestern Exhibition, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL. ("All the Days")

*Award: Best of Show, Rockford Midwestern Exhibition, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL. ("Dream at a Crossroads")

2009

*Workshop Leader: Glen Workshop, Santa Fe, NM, Plein Air Painting

2008

*Workshop Leader: CIVA Summer Workshop in Figure Drawing, July, Gordon College, MA.

2007

*Grant: National Endowment for the Arts: $10,000 grant in support: Domestic Vision: 25 Years of the Art of Joel Sheesley, granted to the Brauer Museum, Valparaiso, IN.

2006

*Award: Finalist, Arlin G. Meyer Prize in the Visual Arts, Lilly Fellows Program, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN.

*Sabbatical Leave Wheaton College, Fall Semester, 2006.

*Grant: Printmaking Workshop: Corridor Press, Corridor Press, Otego, New York, Sept. 15 - Oct. 14, 2006, Wheaton College Alumni Faculty Grant Program.

2004

*Schoenhals Symposium, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY.
Speaker and Guest Artist

Roberts Wesleyan Cultural Life Lecture Series: “Richard Niebuhrs Christ and Culture: An Artistic
Response.

2003

*CIVA Conference, Images of the Body, Gordon College, MA, June
Panel/Paper: “Visual Encounter: Biblical Prophecy and Contemporary Art”

* A Narratable World: The Theological Implications of Story, IMAGE Conference, Seattle Pacific
University, WA, Nov.
Panel/Paper: “Narrative and Authoritative in the works of Witkin, Gober, and Richter”

2002

*Award: Artists Fellowship, Illinois Arts Council monetary award for 2002.

2001

*Geneva Lecture, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, Oct. 5&6.
Lecture: “Nourishing the Religious in Art and Artists”

* A Presence Seen, CIVA Conference, University of Dallas, Dallas, TX, May 31 - June 3.
Plenary Paper: “Strategies of Engagement”

*Lutheranism, the Arts, and Higher Education, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, April 27 – 29.
Panel: “Three Speculative Proposals for Lutheranism, the Arts, and Higher Education.

2000

* Sacred Arts Exhibition Series, organized by Basilica of Saint Mary’s Millennium 2000 Committee, at Bethel College, St. Paul, MN., Oct. 12.
Paper: “Eve in Suburbia: Reflections on Inspiration, the Transcendent and the Mundane.”

*CIVA Scholars Symposium, U. of Notre Dame, IN, June 8-11,
Paper: “Artist-Scholars in the Cultural Marketplace.”

Award: Senior Scholarship Achievement Award, Wheaton College monetary recognition for scholarship, 2000 – 2002.

*Anderson University Fine Arts Festival, Anderson, IN, March 21,
Address: “Artistic Faith”

1999

*Gordon College Convocation, Gordon College, MA, Oct. 29, Convocation Address: “The Stalker’s Thesaurus.”

*Sabbatical Leave, Wheaton College
project: paintings for “More than Enough,” one person show, Wood St. Gallery

* Fellowship Grant, Finalist, Illinois Arts Council

* International Arts Movement, New York City, March 13
Key Note Address: “Content: The Substance of Things Hoped For.”

1998

*Wheaton College Chapel, Wheaton, IL, Dec. 2
Chapel Address: “Combine It With Faith.”

* Mid America College Art Association Conference, Lexington, KY, Oct.
Paper: "Spiritual Content and Postmodern Rhetoric"

1995

*Artrageous, Cornerstone Festival, July.
Speaker: "Biblical Narrative and Popular Culture," and "Shaping a Christian Narrative."

1994-95

*PEW Christology Seminar
Paper: "A Christian Mind Considers the Painting of Lucian Freud."

1994

*InterVarsity Summer Institute for Graduate Students in the Visual Arts, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada.
Papers: "A Biblical Framework for Artistic Narrative," and "Silence and Voice in Art."

*Image Conference, Wichita, KS.
Speaker: "The Vocation of the Visual Artist."

* Columbia Seminary, Decatur, Georgia, Walter Brueggemann seminar.
Speaker: "Styles of Biblical Narrative in Art and Popular Culture."

1992

*Sabbatical Leave: Wheaton College.
Project: Create paintings for "Suburban Thesaurus."

1991

*Mid America College Art Association, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Paper: "Postmodern Art Practice and the Representation of Religious Belief."

*Mid America Latin American Studies Conference, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Paper: "Sandino in the Streets: A Productive Use of the Artist's Point of View."

1990

*World Relief, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Consultant: "Art and Community Development."

*Visiting Artist, Bethel College, Mishawaka, IN.

*Schoenhals Fine Arts Symposium, Greenville College, Greenville, IL.
Keynote Address: "Weeds Among the Wheat: Diversity of Expression in Contemporary Art."

1989

*Mid America College Art Association, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Paper: "The Artist as Map Maker: A Taxonomy of Strategies."

*International Conference on Representing Revolution in Literature and the Visual Arts, West Georgia College, Atlanta, Georgia.
Paper: "The Image of Sandino in Revolutionary Nicaragua."

1988

*Mid America College Art Association, Kansas City, MO.
Paper: "The Tacit Dimension in Art: Discovery and Silence."

*PEW Grant: Writing Across the Curriculum, Wheaton College.
Project: "Relevancy of Writing: An Experiment Testing the Effect of Short In- Class Writing Assignments on the Question of Perceived Course Relevance."

*University of Chicago Midwest Faculty Seminar, University of Chicago.
Topic: "Self and Its Representations: Constituting the Self in Prose, Painting and Poetry."

* Foundations in Art, Theory, and Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.

1987

*Mid America College Art Association, Minneapolis, MN.
Paper: "Studio Art Education: Impediments to Humanistic Concern."

* PEW Grant, Wheaton College.
Seminar: "Writing Across the Curriculum."

1987

*Third World Conference, Chicago, IL.
Papers: "The Popular Images of Sandino: Communication a National Identity in the New Nicaragua," and "Writing On the Walls: An Experiment in Popular Communication of Development Concepts Through Participatory Public Art in the Dominican Republic."

1986

*Nuevo Amanacer, Nuevo Diario, Managua, Nicaragua, June, '86.
Article: "Las Imagenes de Sandino."

*New Art Examiner, June, '86.
Article: "Images of Sandino."

1985

*Mid America College Art Association, Indianapolis, IN.
Paper: "Processing Sandino."

* State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY.
Lecture: "Revolutionary Art in Nicaragua."

* Sabbatical in Central America, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic.
Projects: Nicaragua: Photographic documentation of popular political art; Dominican Republic: Participatory Public Art and Issues of Community Development.

1984

*Study Tour: Nicaragua, Sandinista Association of Cultural Workers, Managua, Nicaragua