Phase Change Photography

09/04/2026

Because of inferno conditions, Wake Brewing's Dark Market scheduled for Saturday, September 5, has been moved to October 17. I won't be able to participate, but it's always a fun event!

09/03/2026

I have a piece in this show. The reception is Thursday, September 10, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The “44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition” opens this Saturday at the Figge!

Featuring 65 works by 58 artists living within 200 miles of the museum, this year’s exhibition offers a compelling look at the breadth of artistic practice in our region today, from painting, sculpture, and photography to experimental video, assemblage, and collage.

What can 65 works by 58 artists tell us about art being made in our region today? Co-Senior Curator Joshua Johnson takes us inside this year's exhibition, sharing what surprised him as it came together, the connections he discovered among the works, and what the exhibition reveals about contemporary art in the Midwest.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?

First and foremost, it demonstrates that the Midwest is home to an extraordinary range of talented artists. Because arts coverage tends to focus on the coasts and major urban centers, there can be an assumption that the middle of the country does not have the same richness of cultural and artistic activity. Exhibitions like the Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition prove that is simply not true.

The exhibition also reflect certain artistic traditions that have long been associated with the Midwest. Figuration has deep roots in the region, from American Regionalism to the Chicago Imagists and the Hairy Who. Although this exhibition includes some excellent abstract work, most of the selected pieces are representational, and many incorporate the human figure in some way. It is interesting to see contemporary artists continuing that history while bringing their own perspectives and concerns to it.

📍 Plan your visit today!
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🖼️ Installation view: "44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition," Figge Art Museum, 2026

EXHIBITION SPONSORS 🙏
Premier Sponsor: Rock Island Art Guild
Media Sponsor: KLJB FOX-18

09/02/2026

It's nearly time for Wake Brewing's world-famous Dark Market, this Saturday (September 5) from noon to 4pm. I'll be selling stuff along with a bunch of other vendors, with Mexies Food Truck providing the food. It looks like we'll have some lovely late-July weather. Come see me!

09/02/2026

Applications for the Illinois Arts Council's Creative Accelerator Fund are open through October 14. It's basically a lottery for artists who live in Illinois, with $10,000 prizes.

Have you consistently worked as an artist since at least 2023? Can you show some examples of your work? Do you live in Illinois? If you can answer yes to those questions, you are almost certainly eligible.

If you're an artist, apply. If you know artists, spread the word.

The Creative Accelerator Fund (CAF) provides holistic support to Illinois artists. A primary goal of the program is to bolster a creative workforce that composes a significant portion of Illinois’ creative and economic activity.

08/27/2026

Just a friendly reminder that we'll be celebrating the third birthday of The ARTery on Friday, August 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. -- also the closing reception for my show.

I'll have $40 archival prints of nearly everything in the exhibit, plus a few other photographs on the same theme. (Every piece on the wall is also for sale. Just not for $40.)

We'll have snacks, drinks, and live music. I hope to see lots of people there!

08/26/2026

08/20/2026

We're just eight days from the closing reception for my Leavings show at The ARTery. It's also a birthday party for the gallery!

I will remember (this time) to bring 8x10 and 8x12 prints of things in the show for sale, although all of the big stuff is priced to only cover my printing and framing costs. Cheap art!

And I'm planning on thinning out the w**e rack for those inclined to that sort of thing. (This will absolutely include a chocolate w**e!)

Hope to see lots of folks on Friday, August 28, from 6 to 9 p.m.!

(This exhibit was partially funded by Quad City Arts through the Arts Dollars re-granting program – supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency; The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation; and the Quad Cities Community Foundation's Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment.)

07/28/2026

A sculptor told me last year that he thought my work was all over the place. My initial reaction was that I enjoy being all over the place; it means I'm never bored.

But I took that comment as a gentle push, and I'm learning to appreciate the value and challenge of a themed body of work.

So here is "Leavings," my first(/last?/only?) solo exhibit. Most of the work is new, shot from late March to early May, and built on an idea I developed last year. In the simplest terms, it's about things left behind.

The show is up through August at The ARTery (3913 14th Avenue in Rock Island), with receptions from 6 to 9 p.m. on July 31 (this Friday!) and August 28. I'm looking forward to sharing and talking about this work with anybody willing to listen.

(This exhibit was partially funded by Quad City Arts through the Arts Dollars re-granting program – supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency; The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation; and the Quad Cities Community Foundation's Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment.)

07/02/2026

We hung my July-August show at The ARTery last night -- 26 pieces, 20 of which have never (or barely) seen the light of day before now.

The theme "Leavings" encompasses residues, departures, goodbyes, legacies, remembrances, markings, memorials, and things left behind purposefully or accidentally.

I'll be at the receptions on July 31 and August 28, but you can also see the show anytime that The ARTery is open over the next two months.

(This project is partially funded by Quad City Arts through the Arts Dollars re-granting program -- supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency; The Hubbell-Waterman Foundation; and the Quad Cities Community Foundation's Isabel Bloom Art Education Endowment.)

05/08/2026

I'm out of hibernation, so here's what I have scheduled so far this year.

• I have one piece in the Rockford Art Museum's Midwestern Biennial 2026, running May 22 to September 27. Opening reception 6-7:30pm on Friday, May 22.

• I'll be selling at Wake Brewing's Dark Market noon-4pm on Saturday, June 6.

• Also at Wake, we have a concept for something fun on Sunday, June 14. Prepare your finery and ask your favorite plant if it's available for an outing.

• My first solo exhibition will be at The ARTery in July and August, with receptions on July 31 and August 28.

• Finally (for now), I'll have a booth at Quad City Arts' Riverssance Festival of Fine Art 2026, September 19 and 20 at Lindsay Park in the Village of East Davenport.