curriculum vitae   |   selected exhibitions


Jay Burton Tracy

born 1956, Charles City, Iowa
studied in the US and abroad (Des Moines, Detroit, Pian di'Sco/Florence, Italy)
operated studios in Newton Centre, Massachusetts (1980–1981); Portland, Oregon (1981–1995);
Baker City, Oregon (1995–1998); Santa Fe, New Mexico (1998–2005); Oakland, California (2005–2006);
Portland, Oregon (2006–2016); and rural North Iowa (2017–present)
currently ilves in rural North Iowa

education

1979

Master of Fine Arts
Painting
Cranbrook Academy of Art,
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

student of George Ortman
   
        
1977

Bachelor of Fine Arts
Magna Cum Laude, with Departmental Honors
Painting & Philosophy (Double Major)
Drake University,
Des Moines, Iowa

student of Jules Kirschenbaum

           
1976

Independent Research
Painting, Printmaking & Italian Renaissance Architecture
Studio Art Center of Tuscany (later SACI)
Florence & Pian di’ Sco, Italy

student of Jules Maidoff

solo & two-person exhibitions

2008

Fugitive Form: Thermogenic Drawings
& Mixed Media Paintings
Chiaroscuro Gallery
Santa Fe, New Mexico

2005

Jay Tracy & Jefri Ruchti
Arts + Literature Laboratory
New Haven, Connecticut

2000

Wobbles in the Approximate
California State University Art Gallery
California State University/Stanislaus
Turlock, California

1993

Speaking from the Shadow of Doubt
Jamison Thomas Gallery
Portland, Oregon

1988

Recent Work by Jay Tracy
Mayer Gallery
Marylhurst University
Marylhurst, Oregon

1976

Festa del Perdono
Commune di Pian di’ Sco
Arezzo, Italy



selected group exhibitions

2024

CUMULUS: The Art of Meteorology
Coconino Center for the Arts
Flagstaff, Arizona

2022

Nocturne
Artlink Contemporary Gallery
Auer Center for Arts & Culture,
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Area Show 48
Charles H. MacNider Art Museum
Mason City, Iowa

2021

Painting 2011-2021
Site:Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York
curated by Peter Frank, art critic

2014

The Edges: New Work by Chris Richter,
Rebecca Bluestone & Jay Tracy
Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico

2010

New Winter Mix
Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico

2007

Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Stand
Gallery I / M / A, Seattle, Washington

Art Santa Fe International Art Fair
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Addison Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

2006

5 Angles on Abstraction:
Betts, Brice, Evanko, Ideal & Tracy
Addison Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Languages of Silence
GRACE Gallery
Greater Reston Arts Center
Reston, Virginia

Spectacles of the Real:
Truth and Representation in Art and Literature
Opensource Art / The Illinois Program
for Research in the Humanities
Champaign, Illinois

2005

Addison Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

22nd National Juried Exhibition: Works on Paper
Berkeley Art Center
Berkeley, California
          
1999

Contemporary Art 1999
The Art Center at Fuller Lodge
Los Alamos, New Mexico

1998

Whelan Gallery
Santa Fe, New Mexico

1997

Eye Contact
Art Space Gallery
Seattle, Washington

1995

End Show
Contemporary Artists Center
North Adams, Massachusetts

15th Anniversary Exhibition
Jamison Thomas Gallery
Portland, Oregon

The Land
Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma, Washington

Northwest Annual
Center on Contemporary Art
Seattle, Washington

Pacific Northwest Annual
Bellevue Art Museum
Bellevue, Washington

1994

Pacific Northwest Annual
Bellevue Art Museum
Bellevue, Washington

1993

23rd Willamette Valley Exhibition
Corvallis Arts Center
Corvallis, Oregon

1992

22nd Willamette Valley Exhibition
Corvallis Arts Center
Corvallis, Oregon

1990

AAA Painting Show
Allied Arts Association Gallery
Richland, Washington

1988

A Meeting of the Board, 1976-1987
Northwest Artists Workshop
Portland, Oregon

Selections from the Oregon Biennial 1987
    Oregon State Capitol, Salem
    Schneider Art Museum, Ashland
    Hoke College Center, La Grande
    Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay

1987

Oregon Biennial
Portland Art Museum
Portland, Oregon

1981

Drawings by Seven Artists
Northwest Artists Workshop
Portland, Oregon

1979

Cranbrook Painting and Sculpture
Rankin Center Art Gallery
Ferris State College
Big Rapids, Michigan

1978

Iowa Art Exhibition
Iowa State Fair Cultural Center
Des Moines, Iowa

Cranbrook Painting
Oakland Community College
Pontiac, Michigan

1977

Painting 1977
Cranbrook Art Museum
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Iowa Art Exhibition
Iowa State Fair Cultural Center
Des Moines, Iowa

29th Iowa Artists Annual
Des Moines Art Center
Des Moines, Iowa

1976

28th Iowa Artists Annual
Des Moines Art Center
Des Moines, Iowa

Paper Works: 12th Annual Regional Exhibition
Waterloo Municipal Galleries
Waterloo, Iowa



awards and public art commissions

2022

Juror's Excellence Award
Charles H. MacNider Museum of Art
Mason City, Iowa

2004

Distinguished Performance Award (Individual)       
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico

1998

Voice of the River Public Art Commission                         
Oregon Arts Commission
Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council

1995

Walter Hopps Visual Arts Grant
Contemporary Artists Center
North Adams, Massachusetts

Technical Assistance Grant
Regional Arts and Culture Council
Portland, Oregon

1994

Tualatin Commons Project
Public Art Commission                                                      
Metropolitan Arts Commission,
Portland, Oregon
City of Tualatin, Oregon

1992

Juror’s Award
22nd Willamette Valley Exhibition
Corvallis Arts Center
Corvallis, Oregon

1990

Skyline Elementary School 1% for Art Program
Public Art Commission
Portland Public School District No. 1
Metropolitan Arts Commission
Portland, Oregon

1978

Juror’s Award
Iowa Art Exhibition
Iowa State Fair Cultural Center
Des Moines, Iowa

1977

State of Iowa Collection
Purchase Prize
Iowa Art Exhibition
Iowa State Fair Cultural Center
Des Moines, Iowa

1976

Juror’s Award
28th Iowa Artists Annual
Des Moines Art Center
Des Moines, Iowa



artist residencies

1995

Contemporary Arts Center
North Adams, Massachusetts



teaching positions

1988-1989
           
Instructor of Drawing
Marylhurst University
Marylhurst, Oregon

1985

Instructor of Drawing
Multnomah Art Center
Portland, Oregon



bibliography

Michael Abatemarco, “This Just In
from the Invisible Place” (feature article),
Pasatiempo Magazine, The Santa Fe
New Mexican, Santa Fe, New Mexico,
May 9, 2008, pp. 42, 44.

Elizabeth Cook-Romero, “Pentamerous
Perspective” (feature article), Pasatiempo
Magazine, The Santa Fe New Mexican,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, June 30, 2006,
pp. 26, 28.

Judy Birke, “Heated-up Art Finds Balance
between Illusion and Reality” (review),
New Haven Register, New Haven,
Connecticut, September 18, 2005,
p. E4.

Leah Lopez Schmalz, “Experimenting with Heat,
Space, and Beauty” (review), Guilford Courier,
Guilford, Connecticut, September 8, 2005,
p. C-8.

Joe Brekke, "Geometric Imprecision
at CSUS Gallery" (review), The Turlock
Journal, Turlock, California, April 13, 2000,
p. A4.

Wobbles in the Approximate:
Works by Jay Tracy (brochure), University Art
Gallery, Department of Art, California State
University / Stanislaus, Turlock, California, 2000.
Texts by the artist and Sophia Isajiw, Gallery
Director. Color illustrations. 6pp.

First Thursday Gallery Group, Portland Exhibitions
Guide, July 6, 1995, p. 7.

Robin Franzen, "An Uncommon Downtown"
(feature article), The Oregonian, Portland,
Oregon, May 19, 1994, Metro West Neighbors
section, pp. 1-2.

First Thursday Gallery Group, Portland Exhibitions
Guide, September 2, 1993, p. 4.

Suzanne Richards, "Schools Become Galleries
for Fun, Functional Art" (feature article),
The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon,
February 14, 1991.

Oregon Biennial 1987 (catalog), Portland Art
Museum, Portland, Oregon.

Paul Sutinen, "Seven Ways of Seeing:
Drawing Show at Northwest Artists
Workshop" (review), Fresh Weekly, Willamette
Week's Arts & Entertainment Guide, Portland,
Oregon, May 5-11, 1981, pp. 4-5.

Cranbrook Painting and Sculpture 1979 (catalog),
Ferris State College, Big Rapids, Michigan, 1979.

Iowa Art Exhibition (catalog), Iowa State Fair
Cultural Center, Des Moines, Iowa, August 1977.

Nick Baldwin, "Fair Art" (review), Des Moines
Sunday Register, Des Moines, Iowa, August 21,
1977, p.8B.

Dix Hollobaugh, "Jay Tracy's Italian Journal"
(cover story), Des Moines Sunday Register Picture
Magazine, Des Moines, Iowa, December 5, 1976,
pp. 20-22.