Terry Thompson’s realist paintings concentrate on the depiction of old neon signs that have made their mark on Western urban centers and are now part of the modern landscape. The artist sees these sculptural signs as historically and emotionally charged metaphors for the unrelenting passage of time, and he strives to reveal the hidden beauty of these relics by rendering them with honest consideration and tenderness in oil paint. EDUCATION 2005 M.F.A. San Jose State University, San Jose, CA2003 B.A. Studio Art, summa cum laude, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA1995 B.S. Industrial Technology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CASOLO EXHIBITIONS2024 Signs of the Times, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2021 Nothing But Neon: New Paintings, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2018 Sign Language, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA2017 Words & Pictures, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2015 Dive Motels and Cheap Eats, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2013 Rich Text, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2011 Signs of Life, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 2011 Everything is Electrified, b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA2010 Recent Work, ArtZone 461 Gallery, San Francisco, CA2009 New Paintings, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2009 The Streets of San Francisco, Caffe’ Museo, SF MOMA Artist’s Gallery 2007 Terry Thompson, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2006 Roadside Art, The California Museum for History, Women & the Arts, Sacramento, CA2006 Recent Work, b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA2005 Neon Nights, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA2004 New Work, Voshan Gallery, Palo Alto, CA2003 Recent Paintings, Voshan Gallery, Palo Alto, CA2002 Cityscapes, d.p. fong galleries, San Jose, CASELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS2023 The de Young Open 2023, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA2023 Art Market San Francisco, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2023 Modernism Show - Palm Springs, CA, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2022 Art Market San Francisco, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2021 The Cityscape Show XII, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2019 Art Market San Francisco, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2018 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2017 The Cityscape Show VII, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2017 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2015 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2014 The Cityscape Show IV, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA2014 Image Hungry, Gary Francis Gallery, Alameda, CA2014 Red Dot Art Fair, George Billis Gallery, Miami, FL2014 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair2013 Cover to Cover: A Survey of Artist Members' Photo Books, SF Camerawork, San Francisco, CA2012 Three Artist Exhibition: SFMOMA Artists Gallery, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA2012 Photographs by Terry Thompson, Stanford Art Space, Stanford University, CA2012 Contemporary Realism Biennial (catalogue), Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN2012 Chain Reaction: Artists Consider the Bicycle, de Saisset Museum of Art, Santa Clara University, CA2012 George Billis Gallery, San Francisco Fine Art Fair—Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA2011 The San Francisco Fine Art Fair, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA2011 16 @ 49, ModernBook Gallery, San Francisco, CA (photography)2010 The San Francisco Fine Art Fair, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA2010 Biennial: Contemporary American Realism, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN2010 The Seduction of Duchamp, Los Gatos Art Museum, Los Gatos, CA (Catalog)2010 The Seduction of Duchamp – Bay Area Artists’ Response, 461 Gallery, San Francisco, CA2009 Los Angeles Art Show (George Billis) L.A., CA2009 A Sense of Place, de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA2009 Environments, Louie Meager Art Gallery, Ohlone College, Fremont CA (photographs)2008 2008 Biennial: Contemporary American Realism, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN (Catalog)2008 City Light- A Cityscape Group Show, George Billis Gallery, NY, NY2008 Building a Team: 11th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA2008 Los Angeles Art Show (George Billis), Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA2007 Friends and Artists, b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA2007 San Francisco Scenes, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA2007 Pop Realism, George Billis Gallery, L.A. CA 2007 Red Dot Art Fair (George Billis), New York, NY.2007 City Life, SFMOMA Artist’s Gallery, San Francisco, CA2006 The Last Picture Show, F8 Fine Art Gallery, Austin, Texas2006 ICA 26th Annual Fall Art Auction, Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA2006 Lift Off, SJSU MFA Graduates, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA2005 New California Masters, WORKS Gallery San Jose, CA (statewide, juried) 2004 Catherine Urban Scholarship, SJSU ICA 25th Annual Fall Art Auction, Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA2004 Fresh Strokes, Heritage Fine Arts Collaborative, San Jose, CA2004 ICA 24th Annual Fall Art Auction, Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA2004 Introductions 2004, b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA (Catalog)2004 Landscapes & Cityscapes, d.p. fong Galleries, San Jose, CA2003 Art Bowl III - Juried Northern Cal. M.F.A. Exhibition, b. sakata garo, Sacramento, CA2003 Los Gatos Art Association Juried Show, Los Gatos Art Museum, Los Gatos, California2002 Current SJSU Faculty and Student Work, Heritage Fine Arts Collaborative, San Jose, CA2002 Los Gatos Art Association Juried Show, Los Gatos Art Museum, Los Gatos, CA2002 WORKS 25th Anniversary Members Show, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CA2002 Los Gatos Art Association Juried Exhibition, Los Gatos Art Museum2002 WORKS Annual Member Show, WORKS Gallery, San Jose, CAHONORS AND AWARDS2005 Violet Speddy Scholarship, San Jose State University2003 Helen Dooley Scholarship, SJSU • Randall Sadler Scholarship, SJSU2003 Honorable Mention, Los Gatos Art Association Annual Juried Exhibition, Los Gatos Art Museum2002 Merit award, AVA Exhibition, Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA2002 First Place, Los Gatos Art Association Annual Juried Exhibition, (Juror - Randall Sexton)COMMISSIONSRed Car Wines, L.A., CASan Jose Jazz Society, San Jose, CALos Gatos Chamber of Commerce, Los Gatos, CAIBM Corporation, San Jose, CAPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2004-05 Instructor - San Jose State University, School of Art & Design, San Jose, CA2005, 2007 Invited Lecturer – San Jose Art History ClubBIBLIOGRAPHYJaccarino, Pamela, “2015 Gold List” Luxe Interiors & Design, Los Angeles, Vol. 13, Issue 1, 2015. Print.Hernandez, Jo Farb. A Celebration of 100 Years of the Department of Art. San Jose, Natalie & James Thompson, SJSU Art Dept. 2013. PrintRose, Joshua, “Banal Beauty” - American Art Collector (July, 2009)Contemporary American Realism. Essays by Annette Blaugrund and Donald Kuspit, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, 2008 Biennial, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2008 Elliott, Amy, “January Art Fair Preview” American Art Collector (January, 2008)Rose, Joshua, “Signs of the Times” American Art Collector (July, 2007) Dalkey, Victoria, “Critic’s Pick” Sacramento Bee (March 24, 2006)Swanson, Ben, et al, The Santa Clara Review – Volume 93, no.1 2006, Santa Clara UniversityWhite, Tim, “Urban Images” Sacramento News & Reviews (July 22, 2004).Gant, Michael S., “Neon Notions,” Metro Newspaper (22 August, 2002).FILM2008 Opal- Reflective Films, stop motion animation drawing sequence.PUBLIC COLLECTIONSCrocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CAThe San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CAThe California Museum, Sacramento, CA The Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NVThe Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, INDe Saisset Museum of Art, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CAMetro Newspaper, San Jose, CA IBM Corp., San Jose, CA
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