b. 1993
Hector Acuna is a professional artist and educator living in Grafton, Wisconsin. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2015 before completing his Master of Fine Arts from Michigan State University in 2020. Hector has taught art classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, and color/design for private lessons, group workshops, and at the university level. Alongside teaching opportunities, he's been invited as a juror and award judge for various exhibitions and events.
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Hector's prolific art practice functions symbiotically between his studio and en plein air. He has found a necessary balance between each setting and continues to explore themes of place, architecture, ethnic/cultural identity, and the human body. Hector's approach outdoors is very organic, allowing shapes, colors, and textures of time in natural and human-made environments to inspire his paintings. Plein air painting is a way of documenting the present and is Hector's favorite way to find meaningful connections to the world around him, people who inhabit it, and the stories they share. At his studio easel, Hector's images drift towards surreal and imaginative compositions pulling visual references from life, photography, collage, and handmade props. These paintings unfold an ongoing personal mythology and are threaded by an uncanny, humorous, and mysterious visual language. Hector's pool of art influences has always been vast and varied. He recalls a portrait sketch of his sister, as a newborn, drawn by their mother piqued his interest in drawing at an early age. Since then he's found inspiration and truth in paintings by artists like Edward Hopper, Antonio Lopez Garcia, Giorgio de Chirico, Frida Kahlo, the Bay Figurative Artists, Alberto Giacometti, Nicole Eisenman, and Wisconsin's Magic Realists to name a few.
Hector works primarily in oil paint but he also rotates through gouache, casein, and handmade egg tempera. Each medium provides unique characteristics and challenges on the look and feel of his approach while connecting him to the rich histories of representational painting. For the majority of Hector's paintings, he constructs each one by hand from the canvas and paper-mounted panels to the hand polished frames. He takes pride in keeping a studious approach with relentless attention to the details of his craft which allows the nuances of his paintings to align with his creative vision and intent.
Hector has had small group and solo exhibitions at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Scarabocchio Art Museum, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, and Noel Fine Arts Center. His work has also been juried into exhibitions at the Wisconsin Museum of Art, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Trout Museum of Art, Baton Rouge Gallery, South Haven Center for the Arts, and Wheaton College. Hector has received various awards and grants including the Hipstamatic Entrepreneurship Award. He is honored to have received commissions to create custom paintings and drawings for clients including album art for Emmitt James and the band Soul Low. Hector has been an active participant in various art organizations since 2013, currently he serves as a volunteer committee member in the Cedarburg Artists Guild. Hector's paintings are held in public and private collections and have received numerous awards including Best of Show at the 2022 Door County Plein Air Festival, Best New Artist at the 2023 Bath County Plein Air Festival, and 2nd Place at the 2023 Plein Air Texas event. At the 2023 Plein Air Convention & Expo Hector was named the M. Stephen Doherty Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Plein Air Magazine published an article titled "Age of Exploration" on his work and journey in plein air painting in the 2023 Oct/Nov issue. At PACE24, Hector will be one of eighty invited faculty plein air artists teaching during the convention in Cherokee, North Carolina. Hector's work is available for purchase on his website and at Pink Llama Gallery in Cedarburg, WI, Levee Contemporary in Princeton, WI, Shaun Horne Gallery in Crested Butte, CO, Warm Springs Gallery in Virginia, and Kim Storage Gallery in Milwaukee, WI.
Select CV
Education
2020 Master of Fine Arts, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
2015 Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2D Emphasis, Psychology Minor, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
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Professional Employment
2022-2023 Lecturer/Assistant Professor, ArtS 3310 (remotely), University of Minnesota Morris, Three Semesters
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Professional Activities and Community Involvement
2024 Juror and Awards Judge, Alive in the Arts 29th Annual Juried Exhibition, Plymouth Center for the Arts, Plymouth, WI
Faculty Artist, Plein Air Convention & Expo, Cherokee, NC, Invited Field Artist
Instructor, Plein Air Painting and Studio Workshops, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
Instructor, Plein Air Painting and Studio Workshop and Lecture, Bluff Strokes, Dubuque, IA
Instructor, Plein Air Painting and Studio Workshop, Pacific NorthWest Art School, Coupeville, WA
Instructor, Plein Air Painting and Studio Workshop, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Judge Coordinator, Paint Cedarburg Committee, Cedarburg Artist Guild
2023 Instructor, Egg Tempera Workshop, Richeson Gallery & School of Art, Kimberly, WI
Instructor, Drawing Workshop, Ampersand Supply & Co, November, Sheboygan, WI
Instructor, Open Water Plein Air Workshop, September, Stevens Point, WI
Instructor, Plein Air Workshop, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
Invited Artist, Plein Air Demo, September, Bath County Plein Air Festival, Warm Springs, VA
Invited Artist, Plein Air Demo, July, Rahr-West Art Museum, Manitowoc, WI
Invited Artist, Emerging Artist Program, Midsummer Festival of the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
Judge, Paint Cedarburg Plein Air Event, Cedarburg Cultural Center, June, Cedarburg, WI
Judge Coordinator, Paint Cedarburg Committee, Cedarburg Artists Guild
Instructor, Casein Mini Painting Workshop, Richeson Gallery & School of Art, Kimberly, WI
Judge, Small Works Exhibition, Richeson Gallery & School of Art , Kimberly, WI
Instructor, Drawing Workshop, Cedarburg Cutural Center, February, Cedarburg, WI
2022 Instructor, Mastering the Value Scale Workshop, Cedarburg, Cultural Center, 6 Hour Lesson
2021 Co Chair, Paint Cedarburg Plein Air Festival Committee, Cedarburg Artist Guild
2020 Instructor, Adult Portrait Painting Workshop, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, MI, 3 Hour Lesson
Lecturer and Visiting Artist, Self-Portrait Puppet Project, Fennville Middle and High School,
Holland Middle School, Paw Paw High School, Black River Middle School, 300+ students, organized through
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, MI
2019 Lecturer, Artistic Practice and Teaching, STA 893 MFA Professional Seminar, MSU
Lecturer, HA 254 Latin American Art, Professor Laura Smith, MSU
Lecturer, TE 430 Teacher Education, Professor Karenanna Creps, MSU
Graduate Representative, Critical Race Studies Artist-In-Residence Search Committee, MSU
2018 Juror, 2019-2020 Open Call, Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI
Awards and Fellowships
2024 First Place, Lighthouse Plein Air Festival, Lighthouse Art Center, Tequesta, FL, Judge Michele Usibelli
2023 M. Stephen Doherty Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Plein Air Magazine, Presented at PACE23
Second Place, Plein Air Texas, San Angelo, TX, Judge Michael Grauer
Best New Artist, Bath County Plein Air Festival, Warm Springs Gallery, Judge Randy Sexton
Honorable Mention, Door County Plein Air Festival, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI, Judge Lori Putnam
First Place, Main Event Category, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, Judges Marc Anderson, Christopher Reno, Richard Moninski
First Place, Nocturne Category, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, Judges same as main event
Second Place, Postcard Category, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, Judges same as main event
Honorable Mention, Quick Paint Category, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, Judges same as main event
2022 Best of Show, Door County Plein Air Festival, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek WI, Judge Don Demers
First Place "Outside of the Box", Bluff Strokes Paint Out, Dubuque, IA Judge Lorin Willey
Best Render the Vendor Award, Walworth County Fair Plein Air Event, Elkhorn, WI
First Place, Quick Paint, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, WI
First Place, Postcard Event, Paint the Point, Mineral Point, WI
Grand Champion, WI State Fair Quick Paint, Plein Air Festival State Fair, West Allis, WI
2nd Place, Main Event Jefferson Plein Air Festival, Judges Lori Beringer, Bethann Moran-Handzlik
First Place, Quick Paint Jefferson Plein Air Festival, Jefferson, WI, Judges same as main event
Best of Show Cedarburg Art Museum Purchase Award, Paint Cedarburg Plein Air Event, Judges Tom Kubala, Andy Fletcher, James Hempel
2021 Sunshine Award, Paint the Towns En Plein Air, Plymouth, WI, Judge James P. Neilson
First Place, Paint the Town Barrington Plein Air Festival, Barrington, IL, Judge Nancie King Mertz
Award of Excellence, Between the Bluffs Plein Air Festival, La Crosse, WI, Judge Ben Bauer
Third Place, Between the Bluffs Plein Air Quick Paint, La Crosse, WI, Judge Jon Erickson
Grand Champion, WI State Fair Plein Air Festival, West Allis, WI
Grand Champion, WI State Fair Quick Paint, Plein Air Festival State Fair, West Allis, WI
Best of Show, Port Wing Plein Air Festival, Port Wing, WI
Honorable Mention, Paint Cedarburg, Cedarburg, WI, Judge Lori Beringer, Antwan Ramar, Paul Bergquist
2020 2nd Place, Best Use of Medium, November Self Portrait Challenge, New Masters Academy
2019 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, College of Arts and Letters, MSU
Research/Professional Development Fellowship, Department of Art, Art History, and Design, MSU
2018 Summer Support Fellowship, Department of Art, Art History, and Design, MSU
2nd Place, Teenage Merit, Michigan Collegiate Art Exhibition, Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI
Research/Professional Development Fellowship, Department of Art, Art History, and Design, MSU
2016 Excellence Award, Marshfield Art Fair, New Visions Gallery
2015 2D BFA Arts Bash Scholarship, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Hipstamatic Entrepreneurship Award, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
First Place, Portrait of the Poet: Emmitt James, Gamblin Torrit Grey Competition
2014 Best of Show, Self Portrait, UWSP Student Juried Show
James R. Hill Award, Model With Hoop, UWSP Student Juried Show
Chancellor’s Citation for Artistic Achievement, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Juror's Choice, The Passing of Greed, Visions XVI Juried Art Show
Honorable Mention, Restoration 1A, Visions XVI Juried Art Show
Best of Show, The Passing of Greed, CGSAC Student Juried Show at UWSP
COFAC Dedication Scholarship, UWSP
Solo and Small Group Exhibitions
2024 Expressions of Place: Painting en Plein Air, Curated Small Group Exhibition, Miller Art Museum, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Indiana Green Invitational, Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fon du Lac, WI, Curator Frank Juarez
Evolving Site, Curated Small Group Exhibition, Ruth Foster Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Curator Ned Gannon
2022 Indiana Green Invitational, Levee Contemporary, Princeton, WI Curators Frank Juarez and Samantha Timm
2021 Shoulder to Shoulder, Solo Exhibition, Richeson Gallery, Kimberly, WI
2020 The Barn, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Group Exhibition, Eli and Edyth Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, MI
Alien Nation, Solo Exhibition, Corridor Gallery, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Saugatuck, MI
2018 Súper Duper, Solo Exhibition, Kresge Art Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Hector Acuna, Solo Exhibition, Re:Vision Gallery, Kenosha, WI
2017 The Desert and the Farm, Solo Exhibition, University of Wisconsin Marshfield/Wood County, Marshfield, WI
2014 A Portrait Of Place-Stevens Point, WI, Scarabocchio Art Museum, Stevens Point, WI
Group Exhibitions
2024 30x30x30 Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, Var Gallery, Milwaukee, WI, Jurors Jeffrey Morin, Josh Hintz, CK Ledesma
2023 TMA Contemporary, Juried Exhibition, Trout Museum of Art, Appleton, WI, Jurors Frank Juarez, Riley Niemack, Christina Turner
Art of Water VII, Juried Exhibition, James May Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2022 Annual Juried Exhibition, Cedarburg Artist Guild, Cedarburg Cultural Center, Jurors Debra Brehmer, Richard Hartman
TMA Contemporary, Juried Exhibition, Trout Museum of Art, Appleton, WI, Jurors Samantha Timm, Mutòpe Johnson, Christina Turner
Art of Water VI, Online Juried Exhibition, James May Gallery
Wisconsin Artist Biennial, Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI Jurors Dan Gun, Phyllis McGibbon, John Salminen
Artlink Regional Juried Exhibition, Artlink Contemporary Art, Fort Wayne, IN, Juror Kim Rae Taylor
The Uncanny, Online Juried Exhibition, The Chateau Gallery, Louisville, KY
2021 Faces and Places, Online Juried Exhibition, Dodomu Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Flat Rate Contemporary 11, Artist-Juried Flat File Exhibition
Annual Winter Juried Show, Anderson Art Center, Kenosha, WI Juror William Doug Singsen
Teeny, Tiny, BOLD, Rountree Gallery, Platteville, WI Juror Frank Juarez Artdose Magazine
Artdose Magazine Exhibition, Honey and Ace, Sheboygan, WI, Juror Frank Juarez Artdose Magazine
Richeson75 Figure & Portrait, Richeson Gallery, Kimberly, WI, Group Jury
The Skin I’m In, South Haven Center for the Arts, South Haven, MI, Juror Donna Jackson
One Square Mile, Cedarburg Art Museum, Cedarburg, WI, Juror Evelyn Patricia Terry
2020 Surreal Salon 12, Baton Rouge Gallery, Baton Rouge, LA, Juror Dan Quintana
Drawing, Site:Brooklyn Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Juror Olga Valle Tetkowski
2019 15th Annual Small Works Show, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Juror John Gagné
Brush Coat Cover, 2019 Wheaton Biennial, Wheaton College, Norton, MA, Juror Cade Tompkins
2017 New Works For A Live Audience, Group Exhibition, Eli and Edyth Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, MI
2016 Phantom Gallery Party, Group Invitational Exhibition, Create Portage County, Stevens Point, WI
The Art of Landscape, Invitational Show, Smith Scarabocchio Art Museum, Stevens Point, WI
2014 Visions XVI, Juried Art Exhibition, Riverfront Arts Center, Juror Susan Morrison
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Residencies
2024 Artservancy, Artist in Residence, Gallery 224, Juried, Port Washington, WI, Partnered with Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
2022 Cedarburg Cultural Center, Artist in Residence, Cedarburg, WI February
2020 Growing Young Artists Program, Saugatuck MI, Teaching Artist in Residence, July
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Saugatuck MI, Low Residency January - February
2018 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT, August Session
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Public Collections
Cedarburg Art Museum, Cedarburg, WI
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Public Art
2021 Life in Lansing, Mural, Lansing Art Path, Juried by Lansing Art Gallery
2019 Collaborative Mural, MLK and Pasadena St, Flint Public Art Project, Flint, MI
Robin, Mural, Lansing Art Path, Juried by Lansing Art Gallery,
(Sponsored by Dan and Bonnie Warmels, located under Cedar St and Elm St. Lansing, Michigan
Life is a Groovy Opportunity, Collaborative Mural, East Lansing, MI
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Podcasts
2024 Vining Gallery Podcast with Justin Vining, https://www.vininggallery.com/podcast/43s4uhdi3cpcg9yvvzqnfh8ok1yeis
2022 Reasonably Fine Art Talk with Charlie Hunter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKelVxDcvJ8&t=1151s
Press/Features
2024
This Helped My Art Journey, Artist Profile, Outdoor Painter.com, Plein Air Today, https://www.outdoorpainter.com/this-helped-my-art-journey/
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2023
Age of Exploration Feature Article, Plein AIr Magazine, October/November issue, written by Bob Bahr
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2022
Artists to Watch feature, Plein Air Magazine, October/November issue
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Cover Artist and "View from the Studio" Feature, Artdose Magazine, Vol 32, Winter 2022 https://artdosemagazine.com/
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2021
Artists ‘Paint the Town’ of Barrington in open air art competition, Pioneer Press Staff, October 2021
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Hector Acuna Leaves Mark on City with Mural - Lansing ArtPath Profiles, June 4th 2021, Sophia Saliby,
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2020
SCA Live Community Conversation with Hector Acuna, Podcast Interview, Saugatuck Center
for the Arts, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=309123813775350
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EXAMINING A SENSE OF BELONGING BETWEEN THE FIGURE AND GROUND, Pikchur Magazine
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Oh, the Humanity, Marla R. Miller, Revue Magazine, January 28, 2020.
https://revuewm.com/arts/visual-arts/item/4715-oh-the-humanity
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2019
Lean In and Stand Back, Lawrence Cosentino, City Pulse, March 7, 2019.
http://lansingcitypulse.com/stories/lean-in-and-stand-back,59
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2018
Artist Hector Acuna displaying works at Re:Vision Gallery Kenosha, Kenosha News, June 7, 2018.
https://www.kenoshanews.com/get_out/arts/artist-hector-acuna-displaying-works-at-re-vision-galler