Riley Brewster writes “my paintings most often employ an initiating form, which operates spatially, metaphorically and structurally as a threshold space. It is a form that measures the painting space in terms of scale, point- of - view, and metaphoric, symbolic identity. It is this form that keeps the paradigm of the reading of the painting hermetic: the viewer is kept on one side of this initiating form; the rest of the paintings spatial relationships occur within the painting space on the far side of this form. This form operates as the hinge between these worlds- the viewers and the paintings. Brewster has become interested in the thought, the possibility of the whole painting operating, functioning as this hinge. This is among my present concerns.”
Riley received his M.F.A in Painting from the Yale University School of Art and his B.A. in Studio Art from Bowdoin College. Brewster’s work has exhibited throughout the United States as well as Alaska. Riley has accepted many of prestigious awards including the Main State Commission on the Arts Biannual Award in Painting, the Bowdoin Faculty Research Award, and Highest award for excellence in painting from Yale University. Riley has also been awarded many residency and fellowship opportunities including the Visiting Artis Residency from Vermont Studio Center, Painting Fellowship from the Ingram Merrill Foundation, Painting Fellowship from the Pollock/Krasner Foundation, and a Painting Fellowship from the Esther and Adolf Gottieb Foundation. Riley’s work can be found in both private and public collections including the Davis Musuem of Art, the Museum of Art (Portland Main) Vermont Studio Center, and the Yale University Museum of Art.
Recent Solo Exhibitions
2013 Fred Giampietro Gallery, New Haven CT
2008 Gilbert Gallery, Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT
2007 Icon Contemporary Art, Brunswick, Maine
Wells St. Art Company, Fairbanks, Alaska
2006 Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington Seattle Washington
2005 "Works on Paper", Icon Contemporary Art , Brunswick Maine
"Ten Years of Printmaking", RKLGallery, Brooklyn, New York
2004 "Paintings, Drawings, Prints", RKLGallery, Brooklyn, New York
Recent Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 “Concrete and Shadows” Curated by Stevgen DiGiovanni. Creative Arts Workshop. New Haven, CT
2015 “The Faculty of the School of Visual Arts” Western Connecticut State University
2013 “A Circulating Gallery” Curated by Stephen Kobassa, Director, The Institute Library of New Haven
“Crossing the Line: A Collection of Drawings” The Institute Library of Connecticut,
Curated by Stephen Kobassa, Director, The Institute Library of New Haven
2012 "The Sideshow Annual" Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn NY
"Inside, Outside and the Window: 3 Painters and 3 Forms of Spatial Engagement" Curated by
Steven DiGiovanni. The Institute Library Gallery; New Haven CT
“Creativity and Compassion” Higgins Hall, Western CT State University
2011 "Breaking Ground" Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT
2010 "New Walls Fresh Paint" The Painting Center, New York, NY
"Shelf" group exhibition curated by Jim Hobbs, Copeland Road, London, UK
Faculty Show, Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT
2009 "New Haven Selects" 1 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT
2007 "Summer" Icon Contemporary Art, Brunswick, Maine
2006 "The Fifteenth Anniversary Exhibition" The Painting Center, New York, New York
"181st Annual: An invitational Exhibition of Contemporary American Art." Museum of the
National Academy of Design New York, New York
"Contemporary Maine Printmaking" Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport, Maine
"Gallery Artists" ICON Contemporary Art, Brunswick, Maine
2005 "University of Washington Painting Faculty Exhibition", Gallery of the Seattle Academy of Fine Art
2004 "Gallery Artists" ICON Contemporary Art, Brunswick, Maine
"The Means: Drawing" RKL Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
"Faculty of the Studio Programs" University of Washington School of Art
Collections
Davis Museum of Art, Wellesley College Bowdoin College Museum of Art Portland Museum of Art (Portland Maine)
Vermont Studio Center
Yale University Museum of Art
Bruce Brown, Andrew Forge, Ruth Miller, Graham Nickson
About Riley Brewster
American, based in New Haven, CT, United States
