ARTIST STATEMENT

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ARTIST BIO

RICHARD J. WATSON
Born: 1946 in Badin, NC
Residence: Philadelphia, PA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 “Black & White Dreams in Color”, ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2006 “Notes From A Diary”, The Swain School, Allentown, PA
2004 “Abbreviated Memories”, ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2002 “Survival Songs: Paintings, Collage, Construction”, ArtJaz Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1996 “Call & Response”,  Dizyners Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1993 “Points of Departure”, Ubiquitous Arts Space, Charlotte, NC
1992 “Into the Light”, Delaware State College, Dover, DE.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007
“Abstractions of Reality”, Thelma Harris Gallery, Oakland, CA
2006
“10th Annual National Black Fine Art Show”, ArtJaz Gallery, Soho, NY
“Visual Metaphors: Three African-American Artists”, Delaware County Community College, Sharon Hill, PA
NCA:”Reunion”, Art Around Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2005 
“9th Annual National Black Fine Art Show”, ArtJaz Gallery, Soho, NY
“The Chemistry of Color”, African-American Artists in Philadelphia, 1970-1990, The Harold A. and Ann R.Sorgenti Collection
of Contemporary African-American Art, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
“Saturday Night/Sunday Morning”, The African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA
“Still Standing”, The Walt Whitman Cultural Center, Camden, NJ
“Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals”, The African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA
“Reinventing Collage”, Art Around Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2004
International Art Expo New York, ArtJaz Gallery, New York, NY
“A Celebration of Color”, Banana Factory, Bethlehem, PA
“Contemporary African-American Artists”, Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA
2003
“African American Perspectives”, Philadelphia Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA
2002
“Black American Artists”, Freyberger Gallery, Penn State University, Berks-Lehigh Valley College, Pennsylvania
2001
“Absence of Color”, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
“Then and Now”, 30th Anniversary Exhibition, The Painted Bride Center, Philadelphia, PA
“Contemporary Romanticism”, Louis Delsarte, Howardena Pindell, Betye Saar, Richard Watson, The African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA
1999
“Nudes Off The Wall”, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
“Locating the Spirit in African American Art”, The James A. Porter Memorial Colloquium, Smithsonian Institution, Anacostia Museum, Washington, DC
“Folk Arts of Social Change, In The Big Shoes To Fill”, The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia Folklore Project, Philadelphia, PA
“Artists Selections: Six African American Artists Select Six Emerging Artists, Nexus Foundation for Today’s Art, Philadelphia, PA
1997
“Figures into Landscapes Horizontals”, the Painted Bride gallery, Philadelphia, PA
“Precious Objects”, the Painted Bride Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1996
“Philadelphia 6”: Truth of Consequences, Sheridan Art Gallery, Kutztown, PA
1995
“A Little Art Music”, Laurie W. and Irvin J. Borowsky Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1994
“Blues for Bird”,  Contemporary Collection Exhibition, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, PA
1993
“Notes from a Diary, Paintings, Watercolors”, YMI Cultural Center Inc., Asheville, NC
“Recherché`”, Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, 1983-1993, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1992
“First In The Heart Is The Dream”, African –American Artists in the 20th Century, The Philadelphia Connection, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
1991
“Five From Philadelphia: Works On Paper”, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA

RELATED PROJECTS
Mural Commissions
2000
The Free Library of Philadelphia, 56th and Haverford Ave., Kelly/Maielo Architects, Philadelphia, PA
The Free library of Philadelphia, Lawncrest Branch, 5900 Rising Sun Ave., Kelly/Maielo Architects, Philadelphia, PA
Loews Hotel, Interior Mural Treatment, Sole Restaurant, 12th and Market St, Philadelphia, PA
1999
Sarah Allen Residence For Seniors, interior Murals, 40th & Parrish Sts., Philadelphia, PA
Non-Commission
1974
Richard Watson, Walter Edmonds, “So God Called Douglass and Harriet…Saying Let My People Go”, Oil on Panel, Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, PA

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2005
Sajet, Kim, “The Chemistry of Color”, African-American Artists in Philadelphia, 1970-1990, The Harold A. and Ann R. Sorgenti Collection of contemporary African-American
Art, pages 9,16,17,27,33,74,90, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2003
Spady, James G., “HOLLA BACK”: Visual Representations, Metamorphosis and Revelations in the works of Richard Watson, Y’vonne Page and Leroy Johnson, Stanford University’s Committee on Black Performing Arts, Black Quarterly, Vol.8, Issue 1, Spring, 2003
2002
Carter, Yamina, “The Philly Sound Collection at AAMP”, Philadelphia New Observer, March 20
Spady, James, G., “Holla Back, Revelations, and Rephillyizations in Richard Watson’s Survival Songs”, pages 14 & 20, Philadelphia New Observer, October 16 “Art Matters, Woodmere Art Museum, Catalogue, page 17
2001
Strauss, R.B., “Music for the Eyes and Heart”, page 12, Avon Grove Sun, July 5-11,
2000
Lockwood, Maggie, “Intergenerational Symposium at the Bride”, page 30, Art Matter, March
Shira, Ron, “Freyberger Gallery Explores Issues of Race”, pages W5-W6, Reading Eagle/Reading Times, February 4
“Known Locally, Shown Globally, page 44, Philadelphia Daily News, February 10
Rice, Robin, “True Colors”, City Paper, august 16
Sims, Phyllis, “Museum Exhibit Displays State of the Blues”,  page 2D, Philadelphia Tribune, July 7
1995
Kane, Paul, “Teaching Tomorrow’s Leaders”, The Reporter, March 27
1994
Kraus, Scott, “It’s Not Just a Month, It’s a Celebration”, page A4, The Reporter, February 26
“Art Exhibit and Benefit”, Vol.34 NO35, Scoop USA, October 21
Twyman, Anthony, S., “Goode Embarrassed”, Philadelphia Daily News, February 25
1993
Greig, Scott, “Visual Watson”, page 8L, Carolina Clipping Service, June 13

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2007 – 1986
 The African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2007
Curator of Exhibits, The African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA

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