1962–1984

Brazil and England


Born in Bahia, Brazil, also lives in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo

Moves to England 1966, family homes in External link opens in new tab or windowLavenham, London and Portugal

External link opens in new tab or windowSuffolk New College, Foundation Diploma Art and Design, 1981

External link opens in new tab or windowManchester Metropolitan University, BA (Hons) Design for Communication Media (film, television and graphic design), 1984,

Commendation in Liberal Studies (art history, psychology, sociology)


1984–1988

London


Moves to London, lives in Fitzrovia, Hammersmith and Clapham, works in External link opens in new tab or windowgraphic design

Lives in Los Angeles and Portugal for a year, paints and works in External link opens in new tab or windowtelevision

Returns to London, works in External link opens in new tab or windowgraphic design, paints and makes Super 8 films, including found footage,

shown at External link opens in new tab or windowRoyal College of Art and External link opens in new tab or windowLegends nightclub, Mayfair


1988–1994

Los Angeles


Moves to Los Angeles, lives in Hollywood, North Hollywood and Burbank, paints and makes sculptures, works in External link opens in new tab or windowfilm and External link opens in new tab or windowgraphic design

First one-artist exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowAWGO Productions, Los Angeles and Solis, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1989, 1990

Lives in Santa Fe and La Puebla, New Mexico for a year

Establishes James Westwater Recycled Materials, makes design objects including furniture and home accessories,

pieces sell as far afield as Italy and Japan, and featured in External link opens in new tab or windowTweeds and External link opens in new tab or windowGreenpeace catalogs 

Sculptures shown at External link opens in new tab or windowGreenpeace, West Hollywood, 1993

Kathy Bryant, External link opens in new tab or window"Collected Thoughts," Los Angeles Times, March 6, 1993

One-artist exhibitions at LA Art, Encino and External link opens in new tab or windowLulu's Alibi, Los Angeles, 1994


1994–1998   

New Mexico, early work


Moves to External link opens in new tab or windowSanta Fe, will live on the West Side for 12 years

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowRobert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica and External link opens in new tab or windowCharlotte Jackson Fine Art, Santa Fe, 1995   

Two-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowBrenda Taylor Gallery, New York and one-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowLinda Durham Contemporary Art, Galisteo, 1996

Aline Brandauer, External link opens in new tab or window"James Westwater at Linda Durham," Art in America, October, 1996

Artist-in-residence and one-artist exhibition at OffSite, Santa Fe, 1997

Co-founds Art Pod, four-artist collective that exhibits in Santa Fe and Taos until 1999

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowAhra Lee Gallery, New York and External link opens in new tab or windowSITE Santa Fe, 1997

Produces series of monoprints at External link opens in new tab or windowSITE Santa Fe, 1997


1998–2005

New Mexico, mature work     


Group exhibitions at Thesaurus, London and External link opens in new tab or windowBrenda Taylor Gallery, New York, 1998

External link opens in new tab or windowNew Mexico Museum of Art purchases Pod piece, 1999

Receives External link opens in new tab or windowSanta Fe Art Institute scholarship to participate in External link opens in new tab or windowPat Steir Studio Workshop, 1999

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowKiron Espace, Paris and External link opens in new tab or windowJames Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, first time Corners paintings shown, 1999     

Receives External link opens in new tab or windowRobert Rauschenberg Change Inc. grant, 2001

One and three-artist exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowHelix Fine Art and External link opens in new tab or windowJames Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, first time Ovals paintings shown, 2001     


2003

Four-person exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowMuseum of Art Fort Collins, Colorado

Co-founds Peace Show, External link opens in new tab or windowArtists Resistance Movement

Co-organizes Peace Show External link opens in new tab or windowanti Iraq War exhibitions at 25 galleries and other spaces in Santa Fe

Curates Peace Show at External link opens in new tab or windowCenter for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe

Produces series of prints with External link opens in new tab or windowSanta Fe Editions


2004    

One-artist exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowKlaudia Marr Gallery, Santa Fe and External link opens in new tab or windowRule Gallery, Denver and three-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowPhil Space, Santa Fe

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowRule Gallery, Denver, External link opens in new tab or windowThe Suburban, Chicago, External link opens in new tab or windowLothringer Dreizen, Munich, External link opens in new tab or windowMax Fish, New York and External link opens in new tab or windowCream, London

Receives External link opens in new tab or windowSanta Fe Art Institute scholarships to participate in External link opens in new tab or windowKomar and Melamid and External link opens in new tab or windowRichard Tuttle Studio Workshops

and External link opens in new tab or windowPeter Schjeldahl Critical Writing Workshop

Aline Brandauer, Jon Carver, External link opens in new tab or window3-D Art/Techné, University of New Mexico Press, pp. 9, 13, 15, 17, 46–51

Sarah S. King, External link opens in new tab or window"James Westwater at Klaudia Marr," Art in America, June/July

Florian Siedel, External link opens in new tab or window"Spacemakers," Bauwelt, September


2005–2012

New York


2005

Moves to External link opens in new tab or windowBeacon, New York, converts 100-year-old school gymnasium into External link opens in new tab or windowhome and studio

One-person 10-year retrospective exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowRule Gallery, Denver

Michael Paglia, External link opens in new tab or window"Artbeat," Westword, February 3

Receives scholarship to participate at External link opens in new tab or windowArt Santa Fe, first time lightboxes shown

External link opens in new tab or windowLannan Foundation purchases piece from External link opens in new tab or windowExhibitions 2d, Marfa, Texas


2006    

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowNavtaSchulz Gallery, Chicago, External link opens in new tab or windowInstitute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and External link opens in new tab or windowExhibitions 2d, Marfa

Seb Grant producer/director, External link opens in new tab or windowArtland USA, Series One, Episode 7, presented by Charlie Luxton and Mame McCutchin,

Illuminations Films, Sky Arts, UK and Gallery Channel, US, first aired November 23

Rima Suqi, External link opens in new tab or window"Gallery Hopping in Marfa," New York Magazine, October 11

External link opens in new tab or windowMuseum Art.Plus, Donaueschingen, Germany purchases series of paintings from External link opens in new tab or windowNavtaSchulz Gallery, Chicago


2007    

One-artist sculpture and painting exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowNavtaSchulz Gallery, Chicago, first time External link opens in new tab or windowPlywood Chateaux shown

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowThreewalls Gallery, Chicago, External link opens in new tab or windowCinemaland, Los Angeles and External link opens in new tab or windowExhibitions 2d, Marfa

Steven Evans, Zane Fischer, Ryan Schulz, External link opens in new tab or windowJames Westwater: Plywood Chateaux, NavtaSchulz Gallery

Lloyd Alter, External link opens in new tab or window"James Westwater's Plywood Chateau," TreeHugger, September 21


2008    

One-artist sculpture and painting exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowVan Brunt Gallery, Beacon, first time External link opens in new tab or windowBlue Boy paintings shown

Elaine Louie, External link opens in new tab or window"Chateau: The Condensed Version," New York Times, June 5

Homeless Chateau shown at External link opens in new tab or windowHudson Beach Glass, Beacon

Participates in External link opens in new tab or windowCreative Capital Professional Development Workshop (PDP), New York

Founds The Vs culture club, Beacon


2009    

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowHeidi Cho Gallery, New York, External link opens in new tab or windowVan Brunt Gallery, Beacon and External link opens in new tab or windowHudson Beach Glass, Beacon

Lloyd Alter, External link opens in new tab or window"Homeless Chateau: A Little Privacy," TreeHugger, January 15

External link opens in new tab or window"Your Flat-pack or Mine?" Times (UK), April 13


2010    

One and two-artist exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowVan Brunt Gallery and External link opens in new tab or windowHeidi Cho Gallery, New York, first time postcard paintings and wall installations shown

Alex Johnson, External link opens in new tab or windowShedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution, Frances Lincoln, pp. 58, 59, 120, 122

External link opens in new tab or window"James Westwater: Postcards and Matchboxes," New York Times, Metropolitan section, July 18


2011    

Group exhibitions at Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque and External link opens in new tab or windowSchool of Jellyfish, Beacon

Virginia Sole-Smith, External link opens in new tab or window"Schoolhouse Rocks," ReadyMade Magazine, December/January issue, cover article

Keeps a top floor apartment and studio in a historic tenement in External link opens in new tab or windowKips Bay, Manhattan for a year


2012–2017

Texas, Portugal, Ireland and Iceland


2012

Enrolls in External link opens in new tab or windowMFA Visualization program at Texas A&M University, College Station where also teaches art and design from 2012 to 2013

Designs Westwater tartan, inclusion in External link opens in new tab or windowScottish Registry of Tartans, National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh

Awarded Arthur Harris Best in Show in FAR & WIDE at External link opens in new tab or windowWoodstock Artist's Association and Museum, New York,

juried by External link opens in new tab or windowDavid A. Ross, first time Drift shown

Certificate of Completion Teacher Training, Texas A&M University

One-artist exhibition at Projects on Ashburn, College Station


2013–2017     

Artist-in-residence at External link opens in new tab or windowFoundation OBRAS, Evoramonte, Portugal, 2013

Enrolls in External link opens in new tab or windowPhD Architecture program at Texas A&M University, 2013 

Artist-in-residence at External link opens in new tab or windowFire Station Artists' Studios, Dublin and External link opens in new tab or windowNes Artist Residency, Skagaströnd, Iceland, 2014

Inducted as member of External link opens in new tab or windowTau Sigma Delta Honors Society in Architecture and Allied Arts, 2014

One-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowMad Dooley Gallery, Beacon, first time Edges shown, 2014

Artist-in-residence at External link opens in new tab or windowFoundation OBRAS, Evoramonte and one-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowEvoramonte Castle, Portugal, 2015

Andrea Weber, External link opens in new tab or window"Nes Artist Residency," Skagaströnd Review (Paris), March, 2016

External link opens in new tab or windowAcademic Excellence Award, Texas A&M University, 2016

Receives External link opens in new tab or windowPhD in Architecture, External link opens in new tab or windowUnknown Architectures: Agnes Martin and Ian Curtis, Oak Trust, Texas A&M University, 2017   


2017–2019

Cornell University


Teaches Art+Science course in the External link opens in new tab or windowDepartment of Human Centered Design, Cornell University

Rebecca Roake, External link opens in new tab or windowMobitecture: Architecture on the Move, Phaidon, p. 191, 2017

Guest lecturer, External link opens in new tab or windowDepartment of Fashion Design and Management, Cornell University, 2018

One-artist exhibition at External link opens in new tab or windowMartha Van Rensselaer Gallery, Cornell University, 2018

Group exhibitions at External link opens in new tab or windowNes Artist Residency, Skagaströnd, External link opens in new tab or windowCatalyst Gallery, Beacon, External link opens in new tab or windowWoodstock Artists Association and Museum

and External link opens in new tab or windowInlet Valley Arts Center (EyeVee), Ithaca, 2018


2019–present

Washington, DC

     

2019

Moves to External link opens in new tab or windowWashington, DC, teaches drawing in the Department of Plant Science and External link opens in new tab or windowLandscape Architecture, University of Maryland

Guest reviewer in the School of External link opens in new tab or windowArchitecture, Planning and Preservation, UMD

Paintings installed at External link opens in new tab or windowGrayhaven/External link opens in new tab or windowEyeVee, Ithaca, ongoing

Smith Schwartz, External link opens in new tab or window"Jodi and Ryan's Immaculate Whimsy," Apartment Therapy, December 19

Returns to Edges paintings after a break of several years


2020    

Receives External link opens in new tab or windowTeaching Innovation Grant, with Drs. Byoung-Suk Kweon and Naomi Sachs, by UMD's Office of the Provost

Creates Land Art class and curates External link opens in new tab or windowAt Home and Elsewhere: Land Art Under Lockdown, PSLA, UMD

Marcina Garner, External link opens in new tab or window"Through the Lens of Art: LARC Professor Dr. James Westwater Talks Art...." PSLA Newsletter, UMD, July 14


2021

Teaches Land Art class for second year and curates External link opens in new tab or windowSpiral Found: Land Art under Lockdown II, PSLA, UMD

Samantha Watters, External link opens in new tab or window"UMD Students... Online Exhibition, Spiral Found: Land Art Under Lockdown II," AGNR News, UMD, July 27


2022

MFA committee member, External link opens in new tab or windowDepartment of Art, UMD

Teaches Land Art class for third year and curates External link opens in new tab or windowNotes from the Underground: Land Art Under Lockdown III, PSLA, UMD

Graham Binder, External link opens in new tab or window"Landscape Architecture Students Present Special Land Art Exhibit," AGNR News, UMD, May 6

Declines to renew teaching contract with UMD and returns to Ovals paintings after a break of several years


2023

Group exhibition External link opens in new tab or windowHver er Munurinn, curated by Birta Dögg Bessadóttir, University of Iceland, Reykjavik

Establishes private collection, Museum of Ground Plane Objects (MOGPO), Washington, DC,

part of land art practice of finding objects while walking, previously explored and developed in Portugal, Iceland, etc.

Painting practice returns to Corners and Edges and continues with Ovals


2024

Paintings shown at External link opens in new tab or windowManse, first public exhibition in Washington, DC

Begins to bag MOGPO finds by calendar quarter and explores new configurations for Corners, Ovals and Edges

Returns to use of ornate and gilt frames for first time since Blue Boy and Pinkie paintings, circa 2008

Group exhibitions include Transcendence, Honorary Chairs Mera and Don Rubell, The Rubell Museum,

American University Katzen Arts Center, for Transformer, Washington, DC