About

Philip Ayers, Georgia, 1948

Philip Ayers’ work has been included in numerous museum and gallery exhibitions of contemporary art since 1976, including the Queens Museum of Art, the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, the New Jersey State Museum of Art, Trenton, NJ, Newport Museum, Newport, Rhode Island, Indiana University Art Museum, Bloomington Indiana, and Florida International University Art Museum, Miami, Florida, among others.

Philip has been a recipient of Artists Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts three times, all in painting, a grant from The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and three Individual Artists Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

His work is in art collections nationally Including the Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, the Chase Manhattan Bank collection, and numerous private collections.

Selected Exhibitions

  • 2022 New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, New Jersey. Arts Annual: Re-Emergence (Thru to April 2023)
  • 2017 Rubelle & Norman Schafler Gallery, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, Foundation Faculty Exhibition
  • 2014 Rubelle & Norman Schafler Gallery, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, Faculty Exhibition
  • 2013 Salena Gallery, Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York; “Making Faces”
  • 2013 The Painting Center, 547 West 27th Street, Suite 500, New York, New York, PHILIP AYERS, "PORTRAITS" March 26 –April 20.
  • 2012 McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana, "National Drawing Invitational"
  • 2012 Rubelle & Norman Schafler Gallery, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, Foundation Faculty Exhibition
  • 2011 The Painting Center, 547 West 27th Street, New York, New York, “Philip Ayers: Paintings, History in Nature”, Catalogue Available with Essay by Kenneth Gross. Solo
  • 2010 University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art, “Philip Ayers and William Itter, Found in Nature, Paintings and Drawings”
  • 2010 The Painting Center, 547 West 27th Street, Suite 500, New York, New York, New Walls/Fresh Paint.
  • 2009 The Painting Center 547 West 27th Street, New York, N.Y., 2 Person exhibition with William Itter (Traveled to University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia June 2010)
  • 2007 Rubelle & Norman Schafler Gallery, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, Foundation Faculty Exhibition
  • 2005-06 The State Museum of New Jersey, Trenton NJ, NJSCA Visual Arts Fellowship Exhibition, Color Catalogue
  • 2003-04 Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, "The Bold 80s: A Collector's Vision"
  • 2001 Abercrombie Gallery, McNeese State U., Lake Charles, Louisiana, "National Drawing Invitational"
  • 1998 Forum Gallery, 745 Fifth Avenue, New York City, “It's Still Life”
  • 1998 The Noyes Museum of Art, Oceanville, NJ, “Mindscapes” Five Person Exhibit
  • 1997 Forum Gallery, 745 Fifth Avenue, New York City, “New Figuration, Familiar Faces, New Faces”
  • 1996 Forum Gallery, New York City, “Men and Machines”
  • 1996 The Noyes Museum of Art, Oceanville, New Jersey, “New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship Exhibit,” Catalogue
  • 1995 The Brodsky Gallery, The Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey, “Philip Ayers” Solo
  • 1994 New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, “New Jersey Arts Annual”, Catalogue
  • 1994 Newport Art Museum, Newport, Rhode Island, “Landscape as Metaphor”, Catalogue
  • 1993 Fitchburg Museum, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, “Landscape as Metaphor”, Catalogue
  • 1992 Stiebel Modern, New York City, “Nature Fabrilis”
  • 1992 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, “30 Years”
  • 1990 Ruth Siegel Gallery, New York City, “Philip Ayers” Solo
  • 1988 The Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, New Jersey, Catalogue
  • 1988 Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine , Fresco Competition; Winning Design
  • 1987 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California, “Reveal”
  • 1987 Florida International University, Miami, Florida, “American Art Today – Narrative Painting” Color Catalogue
  • 1987 Los Angeles Art Expo, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California
  • 1987 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California, “Philip Ayers, Paintings“ Solo
  • 1987 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, California, “Figure in Context”
  • 1987 Semaphore Gallery, New York, NY, “Philip Ayers, Martin Wong, Duncan Hannah, and friends”
  • 1987 Semaphore Gallery, New York, NY, “Oneiric”
  • 1986 Semaphore Gallery, New York City, “Philip Ayers” Solo
  • 1986 Art et Industrie, New York, “Art for Money Benefit” for Fashion Moda
  • 1986 William Paterson College, Wayne, New Jersey, “American Landscape”
  • 1986 Queens Museum, Queens, New York, “Television’s Impact on Contemporary Art” Catalogue
  • 1986 Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, “Painting and Sculpture Today” Catalogue
  • 1986 Semaphore East, East Village, New York City, “Semaphoria”
  • 1984 Indiana University Museum of Art, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, Faculty Show, Catalogue
  • 1983 Indiana University Museum of Art, Bloomington, Indiana, “New Faculty” Exhibit
  • 1983 Allan Stone Gallery, New York City, “New Talent”
  • 1982 New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, New Jersey “Twenty Years Rutgers University Art” Catalogue
  • 1982 University of New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, Faculty
  • 1981 Creative Arts Center, New Haven, Connecticut, NEAs from Connecticut
  • 1979 Organization of Independent Artists, 76 Federal Plaza, New York, New York

Selected Bibliography

  • 2012 "100 Boston Painters" [Hardcover]; Chawky Frenn; Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. (May 28, 2012); ISBN-10: 0764339761; ISBN-13: 978-0764339769
  • 1995 Newark Sunday Star Ledger Sept.3, Eileen Watkins Review, "Philip Ayers at ETS"
  • 1994 New American Paintings: Mid-Atlantic Region. Open Studio’s Press, Needham, Massachusetts, "Philip Ayers"
  • 1994 The Trenton Times, May 20, Janet Piggott, "Proof of New Jersey’s Aesthetic Vigor", Arts Annual (painting & sculpture) New Jersey State Museum
  • 1994 Art, New England, April-May; Alicia Faxon, "Landscape as Metaphor", Newport Art Museum, Newport, Rhode Island
  • 1994 The Providence Journal-Bulletin, Jan. 14,94; Review, Bill Van Siclen, "Landscape as Metaphor", Newport Art Museum , Newport, Rhode Island.
  • 1992 New York Times, July 3. Review. Holland Cotter, "Nature Fabrilis"
  • 1988 WNJN-TV’s State of the Arts Segment, October and November, "Philip Ayers"
  • 1988 The Miami Herald, May 6. Review. "American Painting Today", Florida International University
  • 1988 The Miami Herald, May 20. Review. American Painting Today, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
  • 1987 Art Forum, May issue. S. Freudenheim, "Suburban Hamlets".
  • 1987 Los Angeles Times, September 18. Review. "Philip Ayers".
  • 1987 Art Scene, Los Angeles, California, Vol.7, No.2, October. Continuing and Recommended: "Philip Ayers , Koplin Gallery"
  • 1987 New York Times, September. Review. "Televisions Impact on Art, Queens Museum".
  • 1986 Arts Magazine, May issue. Album: "Philip Ayers", pp. 114-115.
  • 1986 Downtown, No.10, June 4. Cover. Andy Sichel, "Expecting the Barbarians" pp.4-5.
  • 1986 Appearances, No.13, Fall/Winter. pp. 7, 58.

Grants & Awards

  • 2004, 1993, 1986 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Artists Fellowship in Painting
  • 1990 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
  • 1987, 1982, 1980 National Endowment for the Arts, Artists Fellowship in Painting

Education

  • 1976 Rutgers University M.F.A., New Brunswick, New Jersey
  • 1972-summer Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine & New York, New York
  • 1973 Massachusetts College of Art B.F.A., Boston, Massachusetts (Award in Painting)
  • 1967-70 Atlanta College of Art, (Now SCAD) Atlanta, Georgia (Ford Foundation Scholarship Student)