about the artist
From Joe Fyfe
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Phenix City, Alabama
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To this day many persons ask me whatever became of that artist that I showed who did those paintings of dogs and bear hunts.”– Michael Walls, 1982
CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oldest Racer in Red Hook Crit3X New York State Champion
2X Atlantic Coast Regional
2X Pan Am Masters National Champion
USA Track Cycling Masters National Champion 2019
USA Road Cycling Masters National Champion 2024
New York Rider Of The Year 50+ 2000 Kissena Velo
Best All Around Rider Masters
Nationals Championships 2017 2018 2019
2X World Championship Bronze 2024
Howard’s continuous pursuit and interest in performance art and art as an exploration of space, comes from his affiliations with the Fluxus movement and his artistic comrades whom he met while teaching drawing and painting at Rutgers University. Geoff Hendricks, Bob Watts, Al Hansen and Leon Golub were friends and influences.
While working for Don Judd and attending The Whitney Museum Independent Program, Howard performed his first Fluxus event in 1970 (“Approved”), which entailed the artist performing a series of weight lifting poses for the crowd while donning bikini shorts. Trisha Brown was in attendance during a performance and soon invited Mike to perform with her dance troupe. In 1973 Howard performed in a Fluxus event at Rutgers University with other students & faculty including Geoff Hendricks and Sid Sachs. The artist grew a red beard and painted a version of Van Gogh’s "Wheatfields.” The performance involved Howard pulling out a revolver loaded with blanks and shooting himself in the stomach upon completion of the painting. Special effects included ketchup covering the artist’s shirt as well as some of the audience.
In 1975 dealer Michael Walls gave Howard his first gallery show in New York. Howard passed around an L.L. Bean cover asking nine other artists to paint their own versions. Michael Walls exhibited the paintings in one room. In another room there were four large-scale bear hunting scenes painted by Howard. In 1982 Michael Walls recommended Howard to the studio program at P.S. 1.
In his letter of recommendation, Walls wrote “with the exception of a small number of superb artists such Malcolm Morley and Neil Jenney, Michael was one of the first painters in New York to work in a manner that combined a tough and rambunctious conceptualization, strong social commentary, and an approach to the handling of paint that was both gestural and diagrammatic. The paintings made a deep and lasting impression on the large number of young artist who frequented the gallery at that time – including such persons as Julian Schnabel, Richard Bosman, and Martin Silverman. To this day, many persons ask me whatever became of that artist that I showed who did those paintings of dogs and bear hunts.“
Howard went on to show with Gracie Mansion Gallery and staged a project entitled “Win a Trip to Paris Sweepstakes”. The show concluded with the artist and dealer spinning a carnival wheel to determine the sweepstakes winner.
Howard, Gracie and Sur Rodney dispensed assorted gifts including a motor scooter, color television, dinner for two, and airline tickets to Paris. Gracie Mansion sold 100 paintings in one week as raffle tickets and the money that was made from the sales was spent on prizes. The recently deceased artist Al Hansen was present and purchased a painting in hopes of winning a trip to Paris. Hansen unofficially deemed the show a Fluxus event despite his disappointed in not winning a prize.
EDUCATION
Rutgers University, MFA, 1974Columbus College, BS Art Ed., 1972
University of Georgia, 1968-1971
Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, NYC, 1969-1971
Information through 2012 - updates coming soon
AWARDS
New Jersey State Arts Council GrantNational and International Studio Program, PS 1, 1983-1985
Pollock Krasner Grant
Adolph Gottlieb Grant
New York Arts & Letters
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 - Yalo Studio and Gallery , Water Valley , Miss.2012 - Outside , Cohen Gallery .Reading ,Pa.
2011 - Good Ole Boy , Atlanta Contemporary Art Center . Atlanta, Ga.
2011 - Crossing the Bridge , Columbus State University , Corn Center o f Visual Arts .Columbus ,Ga.
2009 - Autographed Baseball Paintings, with Gracie Mansion on ARTNET
2007 - Mike Howard on Orchard Street, NYC
1993 - Present - Museum of Ordinary People, year round exhibit, Hurtsboro, Ala.
1993 - Jason Rubell Gallery, Miami, Fla.
1991 - Baby Doll Lounge, Installation, NYC
1987 - Gracie Mansion Gallery, NYC
1986 - Eliat Gordon Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1985 - Gracie Mansion Gallery, NYC
1984 - Hall Walls Museum, Buffalo, NY
1981 - Concord Gallery, NYC
1980 - Virginia Commonwealth University Museum, Richmond, VA
1975 - Michael Walls Gallery, NYC
1973 - Whitney Museum Art Resource Center, NYC
1971 - Whitney Museum Art Resource Center, NYC
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2010 - Rupert Ravens Contemporary ,Newark, NJ2008 - Rupert Ravens Contemporary , newark , NJ
2007 - In Memory of Richard Mock, NYC
2006 - Downtown Show, NY Art Scene 1974-1984, N.Y.U., NYC
1996 - Horodner Romley Gallery, NYC
1993 - Jason Rubell Gallery, Miami FLA
1992 - Horodner Romley Gallery, NYC
1991 - Rene Fotouhi FIne Art, Hamptons, NY
1990 - Hall Barnett Gallery, New Orleans, La.
1988 - Little John Smith, NYC
1987 - Auburn University, Auburn, Ala & University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.
1986 - San Francisco Camera Work, San Francisco, CA
1985 - The Clocktower, NYC
1984 - The Clocktower, NYC
1983 - Yves Arman Gallery, NYC
1982 - Concord Gallery
1979 - Barbara Fendrick Gallery, Washington, DC
1976 - Carl Solway Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
1975 - American Seating Company, Museum of Modern Art Advisory Service, Chicago, ILL.
1974 - Douglass College, Rutgers Univesity, New Brunswick, NJ
1973 - Whitney Museum Arts Resource Center, NYC
1972 - High Museum, Atlanta, GA
1971 - High Museum, Atlanta, GA
SHOWS OUTSIDE OF GALLERIES
2007 - Orchard Street Vacant Building, NYC2003 - Chicken Comer Bar B Que, Phenix City, Alabama
1994 - present - Perry Hardware Store, Hurtsboro, Alabama
1991 - Baby Doll Lounge, NYC 1991
SELECTED REVIEWS, ARTICLES & BOOKS
ARTnews, E. Heartney, Eight Imagist Painters, Nov. 1984. P.177Arts, R. Mahoney, Mike Howard, May 1987. P.11
Art in America, A. Sargent Wooster, Michael Howard at Malinda Wyatt, Sep. 1985
Artforum, A. Moore, Michael Howard, May 1975, P.80
Baltimore Sun, E. Stevens, Slightly Surreal New Image/1960's POP, 1982
The Los Angeles Times, K.McKenna, Mike Howard, July 25, 1986
Newsleader R. Merrit, Contemporary at Pace Webber: Michael Howard, Feb. 21, 1980, Richmond, VA
New York Post, Staff, Statue of Liberty, June 29, 1986
The New York Times, A. Hardy, Mural in local bar, Dec. 8, 1985
The New York Times Magazine, Maureen Dowd, A Different Bohemia, Nov. 17, 1985
The New Yorker, Staff, Art: Mike Howard, June 24, 1991
People Magazine, Staff, Gracie Mansion, Dec. 23, 1985
Philadelphia Enquirer, B. Kantrowitz, PS 1, NY's Newest Haven for Artist, Jan. 14, 1984
The Village Voice, K. Levin, Choices/Picks, Oct. 28, 1981, NYC
Little Museums, Lynne Arany and Archie Hobson, Henry Holt and Co. NY. 1998
Art of the 80's, Jerry Saltz and Michael McKenzie, 1985
PUBLIC AND CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Vera G. List, New York, New YorkHarvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Best Products, Mr. & Mrs. Sydney Best, Richmond, Virginia
I. Magnin, Jerry Magnin, Los Angeles, California
Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, New York
Don & Mera Rubell Foundation, New York & Miami
Thomas Aaman Foundation, Zurick, Switzerland
Lajolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Lajolla, California
Security Pacific National Bank, Los Angeles, California
The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, New Jersey
First National Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio
Synovus, Columbus, Georgia
Artforum Magazine, New York, New York
Mead Corp. Phenix City, Alabama
Don Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas