Kurt Solmssen lives and works in the remote hamlet of Vaughn, Washington. Swaths of sharp color, minimal detail, and architectural composition filter through his work.
"Though a realist, Kurt Solmssen does not so much record what he sees as use his surroundings as a point of departure for poetic homages to waterside life, the delights of color and light, and the joys of the loaded brush"--Gary Faigin, southwestart.com
Born in Philadelphia, Solmssen received a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and is collected by many private and public sources. The Bakersfield Museum of Art mounted a retrospective exhibit of Solmssen's paintings and works on paper in 2007.
RESUME
EDUCATION
BFA University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 1986
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA 1982
Certificate, William Emlen Cresson Scholarship 1983
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2013 Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle, WA
2010 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY 2008 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY
2007 Kurt Solmssen Paintings and Works on Paper 1986-2006, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Bakersfield, CA
2006 George Billis Gallery, New York, NY 2005 Adler and Co. Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003 Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2002 Terrence Rogers Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA
2000 Tatistcheff & Co., New York, NY
1998 Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
1996 Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
1995 Tatistcheff/Rogers, Santa Monica, CA
1994 Tatistcheff/Rogers, Santa Monica, CA
1991 Tatistcheff Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1990 Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1987 Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1985 Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS2013 2-person show, Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle, WA
2012 Spring Group Show, Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle, WA
2011 "Narcissus in the Studio: Artist Portraits and Self Portraits," Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Philadelphia, PA
2010 "Thriving in Seattle: A Retrospective," Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA
2006-7 "Building Tradition: Contemporary Northwest Art from The Tacoma Art Museum," Watcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, WA
2005 "Go Figure," George Billis Gallery, New York, NY; "Northwest Landscape," Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA; "Reflections in Art," Curator's Choice Gallery at the Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
2004 "George Nick Selects Realist Paintings," Concord Art Association, Concord, MA; National Open Juried Exhibition, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
2002 "Treasure," Terrence Rogers Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA
2001 "George Nick Selects," Concord Art Association, Concord, MA; "Pleasure Craft," Tacoma Art Museum Biennial Exhibition, Tacoma, WA
2000 "In the Eye of the Beholder," Terrence Rogers Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA; "Summer Show," Tatistcheff and Co., New York, NY
1999 "Exhibition and Art Auction Eight," Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA; Foster/White Gallery, Kirkland, WA
1997 "Viewpoints: The Landscape," Foster/White Gallery, Kirkland, WA
1996 Tatistcheff/Rogers, Santa Monica, CA; "Contemporary American Realist Painters – 1996," Halls Gallery, Kansas City, MO
1995 "Summer "Tatischeff/Rogers, Santa Monica, CA
1994 "The Natural World," Foster White Gallery, Kirkland, WA
1993 "Blue," Tatistcheff/Rogers, Santa Monica, CA
1991 Seattle Art Fair, Seattle, WA
1990 Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle, WA; "Contemporary Philadelphia Artists," Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
1989 Philadelphia Group Show, The Governor's Mansion, Harrisburg, PA
1988 Woodmere Art Museum, Chestnut Hill, PA
1987 Fellowship Show, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1986 20th Juried Exhibition, Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA
1984 "New Talent Show," Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1983 The Cresson Show, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1982 The Cresson Show, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
1981 The Cresson Show, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Annie Wright School; ARA Services; Atlantic Richfield; Bakersfield Museum of Art; Coopers and Lybrand; Deloitte, Touche; Duane, Morris, Heckscher; EDS; Exxon Mobil Corporation; The Fairmount Institute; Federal Reserve Bank; Fellheimer, Eichen and Goodman; First Fidelity Bank; Gardner, Carton and Douglas; Glaxo Smith Kline; Greitzer and Locks; Harron Corporation; Kleahr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg & Ellers; Multicare; Payden and Rygal; Perkins Coie; Provident Mutual Insurance Company; Rohne Poulenc Rorer; Saul, Ewing, Remmick and Saul; Smith Kline Beckman; Swedish Hospital; St. Anthony Hospital; Tacoma Art Museum; The Directors Guild; Wolf, Block, Schorr, Solis-Cohen and private collections
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baker, Brett, "Painters Table: Top 10 Best Posts: February 2012," The Huffington Post, March 15, 2012; www.huffingtonpost.com/news/kurt-solmssen
Groff, Larry, "Conversation with Kurt Solmssen." Painting Perceptions, Feb. 20 2012, http://paintingperceptions.cm/landscape-painting/conversation-with-kurt-solmssen Albala, Mitchell, "The Harmony of Neutrals," Artist and Illustrators Magazine (UK), August 2011
Arts Agenda, City Arts New York's Review of Arts and Culture, Feb. 9, 2010, 14
Albala, Mitchell, Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice, Watson-Guptill, Nov. 2009
Kurt Solmssen: Light and Shadows of Puget Sound, American Art Collector, June 2008
Schneider, Wolf, California Best of the West, Sounding Off, Southwest Art, January 2007
Naves, Mario, A Group Show Figures Out Aesthetics of Human Form, The New York Observer, Aug. 15, 2005
Rebello, Stephen, Familiar Places Southwest Art, July 2004
Faigin, Gary, Review Kuow Radio NPR, Oct., 2003
Fauntleroy, Gussie, Representing Washington, Southwest Art, Nov., 2002
Los Angeles Times, Calendar Weekend, May 2, 2002
Bernstein, Fred, A New Lease, Metropolitan Home, Sept.-Oct. 2002
Gazing West end page feature, Southwest Art, April, 2001
Johnson, Ken, Review, The New York Times, February 25, 2000
Hamard, Karine, Things to do and See in Seattle, Alaska Airlines Magazine, May 1994
Donahoe, Victoria, "Landscapes Address Environmental Issues," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 13, 1994
Kapitanoff, Nancy, Northwest Exposure, Los Angeles Times, November 10, 1991 Crohn, Jennifer, "Painting Like, and Unlike, Hopper's," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 1990
Fisher, Robert I. C. Philadelphia Scores, American Artist, Sept. 1990
Donahoe, Victoria, "In Art Now, Lively Ventures From II Artists," The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 20, 1990
Wright, Heather, Philadelphia Art Now, Traditional Home, June 1990
Donahoe, Victoria, "Realistic Scenes Richly Painted," Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 5, 1987
Mossman, Tam, Suburban and Urbane, Art Matters, March 1985 Vol. 4, No. 6
Donahue, Victoria, Review Philadelphia Inquirer, February 23, 1985
Southwell, William, "Looking Forward: New Talent," New Art Examiner, Summer 1985 Donahue, Victoria, "New Talent is Spotlighted in Annual Summer Show," Philadelphia Inquirer, July 21, 1985