“Perhaps that’s why his paintings, dominated by the human shape, pop so strongly despite a purposeful lack of definition. They have the immediacy of a news bulletin, leaving interpretation up to the viewer.”
Press
Artsy Shark. Featured Artist John Carlson. February 2019.
CAN Journal. Joseph Clark. Form and Feeling: John W. Carlson and Steven Standley at NYC’s Field Projects. February 2019.
Canvas. Michael C. Butz. HEDGE Gallery’s “Don’t Be Still” stirs emotions, spurs conversation about gender inequality.” April 2018.
CAN Journal. Joseph Clark. “Don’t Be Still: Robert Banks and John W. Carlson Collaborate at Hedge. March 2018.
ARTWATCH. Tom Wachunas. Bilingual Utterances. May 2017.
CAN Journal. Joseph Clark. Bay Arts’ “Presence and Projection"“: Humanity at Extremes and in Intimacy. January 2017.
Canvas. Carlo Wolf. John W. Carlson; A Different Kind of Tension. May 2016.
Artdaily.org. Jose Villarreal. Exhibition Challenges Our Perception By Altering The Photographers’ Original Intent. July 2015.
Cleveland Scene. Josh Usmani. Destruction of Form Exhibition. July 2015.
Westlake Observer. Joseph Psarto. The Heart of the Matter. November 2009.
Past Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitons
BLUES, HEDGE Gallery, Cleveland, OH, February - April 2020
Paintings and Drawings by John W. Carlson, The Massillon Museum, Massillon, OH, May - June 2017
Solo Show: John W. Carlson, Rotten Meat Gallery, Cleveland, OH, October 2013
Negative Space – THE ART OF JOHN W. CARLSON, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2013
JOHN W. CARLSON Fine Art 2000 – 2009, Case Western University Mandel School of Applied Sciences (MSASS) Gallery, Cleveland, OH, October 2008 – January 2009
DANCERS BY JOHN W. CARLSON, The Art Gallery, Willoughby, OH, July 2008
SHADOW and SUBSTANCE: Recent works by John W. Carlson, Chicago Matrix Gallery, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL, May 2007
PAINTINGS by John W. Carlson, Local Girl Gallery, Lakewood, OH, August 2006
DRAWINGS by John W. Carlson, Ashtabula Art Center, Ashtabula, OH, August 2006
Select Drawings by John W. Carlson, The Art Gallery, Willoughby, OH, September 2005-2007
Drawings By John W. Carlson, Harbor Perk, Ashtabula, OH, May 2004
Focus Exhibitions
The Carlson/Standley Experience, Field Projects, New York, NY, February 2019
University Hospitals Juried Show, Trudy Weisenberger Gallery, January 2019
The NewNow, Tri-C Gallery East, Cleveland, OH, September 2018
CAN Triennial, W 78th Street Studios, Cleveland, OH, July 2018
The Peer Show, Cleveland Print Room, Cleveland, OH, June 2018
Don't Be Still, HEDGE Gallery, Cleveland, OH, April 2018
DRAWN TOGETHER- Emotional Intelligence and the Vernacular of the Heart, HEIGHTSARTS, Cleveland Heights, OH, March 2018
PRESENCE AND PROJECTION, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, January 2017
DOF2, FORUM ARTspace, Cleveland, OH, September 2016
The Return of KOCARLSON, The Art Gallery, Willoughby, OH, October 2015
Destruction of Form; Photography and the Aftermath, The Cleveland Print Room, Cleveland, OH, August 2015
It Figures: John W. Carlson and Joe Ayala, August 2014HEDGE Gallery, Cleveland, OH, August 2014
Exposed: John W. Carlson, Ron Johnston and Kirsten Tradowsky, Loren Naji Studio Gallery, Cleveland, OH, December 2012
CONTRAST – Figurative Works by John W. Carlson and George Kocar: Multiple works by contemporary art of John W. Carlson and George Kocar, Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH, April 2012
KOCARLSON – The art of John W. Carlson and George F. Kocar, The Art Gallery, Willoughby, OH, September 2008
50/50: John W. Carlson and David Baldanza, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2008
INCURSIONS and IMMUNITIES Interpret at will… the works of John W. Carlson and David Baldanza, True Art Gallery, Collinwood, OH, September 2007
A PAINTER and A POTTER – The art of John W. Carlson and Moira Beale, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, April 2007
Group Exhibitions
Night Gallery, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, October 2019
Outside the Mainstream: Douglas Max Utter Selects, ARTneo, Cleveland, OH, September 2019
Waterloo Arts Juried Exhibition 2019, Waterloo Arts, Cleveland, OH, June 2019
74th Ohio Annual Exhibition, Zanesville Museum of Art, Zanesville, OH, June 2019
NewNow 2018, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH, September 2018
BAYarts Juried Show, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, April 2018
FRESH Juried Show, Summit Art Space, Akron, OH, March 2018
Darkness Visible II, Pennington Art Services, Columbus, OH, October 2017
26th Bowery Gallery National Competition, The Bowery Gallery, New York, NY, August 2017
ARTmeow :The Cool Cats of Cleveland, ARTneo, Cleveland, OH, June 2017
The Peer Show, Cleveland Print Room, Cleveland, OH, June 2017
Cleveland Creates, ARTneo, Cleveland, OH, March 2017
Eighth Annual Figurative Drawing Competition, Lore Degenstein Gallery, Selinsgrove, PA, October 2016
22nd Annual People’s Art Show, The Galleries at Cleveland State, Cleveland, OH, October 2016
BAYarts 10: 10 Artists, 10 Years, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, July 2016
Face Value, HEDGE Gallery, Cleveland, OH, July 2016
Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit, Cox Fine Arts Center, July 2016
80th Midyear Show, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH, June 2016
Fundamental Gestures: Figures From Life, ARTneo, Cleveland, OH, April 2016
From the Ground Up: Surface and Dimension, Morgan Conservatory, Cleveland, OH, April 2016
JUNTOS, Beth K Stocker Gallery, Lorain, OH, December 2015
Inaugural Juried Show, The Riffe Gallery, Columbus, OH, November 2015
The Drawing Show: From Doodles to Digital, Florence O’Donnell Wassmer Gallery, Pepper Pike, OH, September 2015
HEDGE REPRESENTS, HEDGE Gallery, Cleveland, OH, October 2015
BAZAARBEQUE Vol. 6 at, FORUM artspace, Cleveland, OH, July 2015
[RE]define 3rd Annual Regional Juried Exhibition of Works, Morgan Conservatory, Cleveland, OH, April 2015
6th Annual May Show, Lakeland Juried Art Exhibition, Kirtland, OH, May 2015
FRESH 11th Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Summit Art Space, Akron, OH, May 2015
ART CARES AUCTION and BENEFIT: ARTCARES 14, Cleveland, OH, April 2014
ARTCRAFT STUDIO SHOW! Annual Holiday Open House & Sale, ARTCRAFT Building, Cleveland, OH, December 2013
TALL WALLS – Uncensored: CWAL (Cleveland West Art League), Loren Naji Studio Gallery, Cleveland, OH, August 2013
TAG Annual Juried Show, Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH, August 2013
Out of the Box – Group Show, Doubting Thomas, Cleveland, OH, October 2013
CAN Journal Benefit and Auction, Convivium, Cleveland, OH, June 2013
May Show – Lakeland Community College Annual Juried Exhibition, Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, OH, May 2013
Sketch Book Show, Forum Art Space, Cleveland, OH, April 2013
Zygote Press – Holiday Off-the-Wall Sale, Cleveland, OH, December 2012
TALL WALLS – Uncensored: CWAL (Cleveland West Art League), Loren Naji Studio Gallery, Cleveland, OH, August 2012
PRIMAL – John W. Carlson, Doug Utter, Dana Depew, Matt Dibble, Ron Johnston, Loren Naji, Judith Brandon, Tim Herron, Randall Tiedman, Jim Morana, Melinda Placko and others, Loren Naji Studio Gallery, Cleveland, OH, July 2012
ART CARES AUCTION and BENEFIT: ARTCARES 12, MOCA, Cleveland, OH, April 2012
FACULTY SHOW – “Water”, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, March 2012
App to the Future: SPACES Annual Benefit and Auction, SPACES, Cleveland, OH, November 2010
Annual Juried Show, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2010
Second Place Award – “The Jacket”
ART CARES AUCTION and BENEFIT: 10, Cleveland, OH, April 2010
Tremont West Fundraiser, Asterisk Gallery, Cleveland, OH, April 2010
TAG Annual Juried Show, Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH, August 2009
SPACES Member Show, SPACES, Cleveland, OH, March 2009
50 Dolla Holla – Group Show, The Pop Shop Gallery, Lakewood, OH, January 2009
ANNUAL JURIED SHOW, VALLEY ARTS CENTER, Chagrin Falls, OH, October 2008 – January 2009
OUTSIDE THE LINES – GROUP SHOW, The Pop Shop Gallery, Lakewood, OH, August 2008
TAG Annual Juried Show, Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH, August 2008
HONORABLE MENTION AWARD – “Rain 2” Charcoal, Ink and Gesso on paper.
HONORABLE MENTION AWARD – “Vortex” Oil on canvas.
STARRY NIGHT, Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood OH, July 2008
ANNUAL JURIED SHOW, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2008
LIFE AS WE SEE IT – GROUP SHOW, Heeschen Gallery, Meadville, PA, May 2008
LAKEWOOD ARTWALK – Group Show, The Pop Shop Gallery, Lakewood, OH, May 2008
VALLEY ARTS CENTER – ANNUAL JURIED SHOW, Valley Art Center, Chagrin Falls, OH, October 2007
TAG Annual Juried Show (50th Anniversary), Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, OH, August 2007
HONORABLE MENTION AWARD – “The Struggle” 36×40 Oil on Canvas.
ANNUAL JURIED SHOW, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2007
FEATURED ARTIST SHOW, Pentagon Gallery, Cleveland Heights, OH, September 2006
ANNUAL JURIED SHOW, BAYarts, Bay Village, OH, June 2006
HOLIDAY GROUP SHOW, Pentagon Gallery, Cleveland Heights, OH, November 2006
INTO THE LIGHT – Recent Acquisitions Showcase, Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA, April 2006