Graham Preston

Graham Preston, penniless drifter, handsome- hipless wonder, and fancy dancer, was formerly a master surfboard shaper and avid East Coast surfer who abandoned his craft to become a full-time artist. A proud grad school dropout of the Brooklyn college MFA program, Graham has returned to grad school at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and is currently represented by Gitler&_ gallery in NYC. Aptly for a surfer, he has a fascination with cultural narratives surrounding youth and their inherent associations with memory, identity and romanticism. "Metaphorically, I am attempting through painting to reach a gut reaction among my viewers that shares similarities to the first time a young man from New Jersey might stumble upon the Nebraska album by the Boss; It’s an indescribable anxiety surrounding the irreversible past, our unrequited loves, and neon lights in the salt air.."

CV

Graham Preston

Education:
1. 2009-2011 Ocean County College, Toms River,NJ
2. 2011-2013 Montclair State University, Montclair,NJ, Bachelor of Fine Arts / Painting
3. 2013- 2014 : Brooklyn College, Brooklyn NY, Master of Fine Arts Painting/
4. Present: Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, Low Residency MFA program in Painting.


Exhibition record:


SOLO EXHIBITIONS/ two person shows/ special projects:

2017

1. 1. "Inside/Outside", curated by Avi Gitler, Gitler &_, Harlem, NYC.


2016


1."Small winds, light change" curated by April Zanne Johnson, Warren County Community College, West Washington, Nj.

2. "Inside passing", curated by Matt Burton, M.T. burton gallery, LBI, NJ.


2014

1. "The Fabulous International Art Extravaganza", pop-up solo exhibition curated by Louis Sparre, Artspan artspace, Lambertville, Nj.


2013

1. "Fountain Art Fair", represented by Republic Worldwide, The Armory, NY, NY.


2012

1. "Our Ladies of Infamy and Grandeur", curated by FABNYC and Keith Schweitzer, FABNYC, LES, NY, NY.

2. "Graham Preston, le solo Åçèêùê anzahl uno... (the solo exhibition number one) Parlor Gallery", Montclair ,NJ.


Group Exhibitions:

2016:

1. "NEENAN/PRESTON" curated by Avi Gitler, Gitler &_, Harlem NYC

2. "The4sons" curated by Avi Gitler, Gitler &_, Harlem NYC

3. "Go Figure" curated by Gary Giordano, THE MILK CRATE GALLERY, Frenchtown,NJ

4. First/shift/Third, curated by Graham Preston, The Milk Crate Gallery, Frenchtown, Nj

5. "Loose Change", curated by Brian Greene and Lauren Johnson, The MILK CRATE GALLERY, Frenchtown, Nj

6. "Co-Optic" curated by Ryan Ward, Phaze2 Gallery, Sheperd university, Sheperdstown, WV.

2015

1. The Hunt of the Unicorn, curated by Peter Daverington and Tom Sanford, Gitler &_, Harlem, NYC.
2. Conversion, curated by Myles Cavanaugh, Conversion Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa.

3. PROXIMITY, curated by Elizabeth Ayerle, The New Leaf Club, Philadelphia, Pa.


2014

1. Birds On Broadway, curated by The Audubon Society, Harlem, NYC.
2. The Project Rooms, Installation # 2, curated by Alison Richard and Sean Mount, Lambertville, New Jersey.
3."Lambetville Legends", 2014 shadfest scholarship poster auction, Lambertville, Nj.
4.Brooklyn College MFA Open Studios, Spring Semester, Brooklyn, NY.

2013

1.Brooklyn College MFA Open Studios, Fall Semester, Brooklyn, Ny.

2. Montclair State University BFA Thesis Exhibition, George Segal Gallery, Montclair, NJ

3. "Die Wunderkammer", curated by Jason Patrick Voegle and Keith Schweitzer, The Lodge Gallery, L.E.S., Ny, Ny.


(continued)

4. "Rabble Rousing Acts", Curated by Jeremy Bell, Gallery 73, Montclair, NJ.

2012

1. "100 little deaths", curated by Tom Sanford, BRAVEN LEE PROGRAM, Chelsea, New York.

2. "The Saints of the Lower East Side", with Tom Sanford, Curated by FABNYC and Keith Schweitzer, FABNYC, LES, NY, NY.

3. "Montclair State BFA Painters", Gallery 3.5, Upper Montclair, New Jersey

4. "Connections 8", George Segal Gallery, Montclair, New Jersey

5. "Abstract Dreams", Design Domaine gallery, Bernardsville, New Jersey

2011

1. Gallery representation in M.T. BURTON GALLERY, Long Beach Island, New Jersey

2. "Santa is that you?", Le Souterrain gallery, Seaside Heights, New Jersey

3. "Lambertville Legends" curated by the Lambertville Chamber of Commerce, shadfest scholarship poster auction, Lambertville, NJ

4. "Born Of Wonder", curated by Diana Moore, D&R Greenway Land Trust, Princeton, New Jersey

2010

1. "Stampede", Le souterrain gallery, Seaside Heights, New jersey

2. Gallery representation in "Gary Giordano Gallery" Lambertville, New Jersey

Press:

1. https://proximityarts.org/2017/02/17/insideoutside-at-gitler-_____/

2. The Asbury Park Press:http://www.app.com/story/news/local/southern-ocean-county/2016/06/17/annual-lbi-art-opener-featured-dozens-artists/86031724/
3. The Philadelphia Inquirer: http://articles.philly.com/2016-06-26/news/74013212_1_gallery-art-snobs-exhibit
4. The New York Times: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/nyregion/where-audubon-found-repose-sprayed-on-specimens-alight.html?referrer=&_r=0
5. Artnet: https://news.artnet.com/in-brief/john-james-audubon-takes-flight-in-harlem-164374
6. The national Audubon society:
https://www.audubon.org/news/the-audubon-mural-project

7. NYC ART SCENE: http://nycartscene.info/post/25716179680/graham-preston
8. Bowery Boogie: http://www.boweryboogie.com/2012/07/recap-our-ladies-of-infamy-and-grandeur-at-fourth-arts-block/

9. The New York Times: http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/tag/tom-sanford/
10. The L Magazine: http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2012/06/14/heroes-and-heroines-of-lower-manhattan
11. ArtLog: http://www.artlog.com/2012/404-remembering-the-folks-who-made-the-les-awesome#.T-simXDgJdg
12. HyperAllergic: http://hyperallergic.com/52876/tom-sanford-saints-of-lower-east-side/
13. NOCD-NY: http://nocdny.org/2012/06/26/saints-and-ladies-in-the-les/
14. My central jersey.com: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20120803/NJENT/308030035/Signs-wonders


Scholarships/Awards:

2016:
1. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Merritt scholarship

2015:
1. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Merritt Scholarship
2. The Jonathan D. Krist Foundation Scholarship for excellence in the arts.

2014:
1. The Charles G. Shaw Award for Distinction in painting, Brooklyn College MFA Program.

2013:
1. Montclair State University BFA Painting Award, for excellence in the studio practice of painting.
2. The John and Rose Cali scholarship, Montclair State university
2012:
1. The Dingler Foundation Scholarship, Montclair State university
2011:
1. The Lambertville Chamber of Commerce Shadfest Scholarship.
2010:
1. The Catherine Don Diego memorial award for excellence in the humanities. Ocean county college.