User:ThuNguyenPaintings
Thu Nguyen, fine art painter based in Mukilteo Washington and Honokaa Hawaii
I was born in Saigon, Vietnam. Being very shy, I spent much of my childhood upstairs making quilts, doll clothes, and painting, instead of playing with other children. My painting won Best of Show prize at a 1974 children's exhibition in Saigon sponsored by UNICEF. In 1975, my family was split up. I ended up in Hong Kong for a year prior to immigrating to the United States as an orphan. After one very snowy and cold winter in Pennsylvania, I came to Los Angeles ( where I had a stint with Hollywood - I got a part in Oliver Stone's 'Heaven and Earth' and followed with a lead role in Elizabeth Hong Yang's 'Touch Within' in China , while working as a fashion model for 4 years). Since then I have lived, worked, and exhibited my work in many parts of the U.S.
I paint landscape, plantscape, and figures - mostly oil on panel. I love painting because it gives me great enjoyment. I lose myself in time and the day to day worries just vanish...and when I have completed a painting I feel like a part of me will be remain when I am gone.
I received my painting degree from Cal State University, Long Beach. I also studied with contemporary masters : Nelson Shanks and Bo Bartlett. Last but not least, I'm a member of Oil Painters of America.
I have received grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation two times, and three times from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. My work is represented in many public and private collections in the U.S., Europe, and Mexico.
my works are currently represented by the Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle and Taylor Contemporanea Fine Art in Hot Springs Arkansas.
RESUME
Mukilteo, WA
425-322-3740
thu@thunguyenpaintings.com
GRANTS:
Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, Montreal, Canada
Pollock-Krasner Foundation, New York, New York
http://www.pkf-imagecollection.org/html/artistresults.asp?artist=1611&testing=true
EDUCATION:
B.F.A. in paintings, California State University, Long Beach, CA 1993
A. A. in paintings, Los Angeles Valley College, Van Nuys, CA 1990
member of " Oil Painters Of America "
EXHIBITIONS:
2012
“New Work” - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA Solo show
The sixth venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is: Butler Institute , Little Rock, AR 2011
“ Music” - a group show at Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle
“18th Annual Juried Art Show “ - Schack Art Center, Everett, WA Honorable Mention
Oil Painters of America’s Online Showcase Summer 2011
Kent Summer Art Exhibit & Gala, Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, WA
"Women-to-Watch 2011 - a traveling exhibition throughout the State of Arkansas, sponsored by National Museum of Women in the Arts - Arkansas Committee
The first venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is: The Arts and Science Center of Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff, AR
The second venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is : Bentonville, AR
The third venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is: The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith, AR
The fourth venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is: Governor’s Mansion, Little Rock, AR
The fifth venue for Women-to-Watch 2011 Exhibition is: Jonesboro Public Library, Jonesboro, AR
2010
"Burien Arts First Annual Juried Exhibition" - Burien Community Center, Burien, WA Juried group show
"Barns, Boats and Bridges" - University House Issaquah, Issaquah, WA (Invitational Group show)
"Go Figure - a national figurative exhibit - Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA (juried group show - juror: George Rivera - Executive Director of the Triton Museum)
"It's not easy being green" - Lynnwood Library Gallery, Lynnwood WA (juried group show)
Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (group show)
Taylor's Contemporanea, Hot Springs, AR (group show)
"Kenmore Art Show" - Northlake Lutheran Church, Kenmore, WA (juried group show)
"Art of the Garden" - Arts Council of Snohomish County Gallery, Everett, WA (invitational group show )
"The art of Asia" - Arts Council of Snohomish County Gallery, Everett, WA (invitational group show )
"UNCLAD 2010 - the fine art of the figure" - Gallery by the bay, Stanwood, Washington. ( Juried group show)
2009
Grand Prairie Festival of Arts, Stuttgart Junior Highschool, Stuttgart, AR (group show)
Taylor's Contemporanea, Hot Springs, AR (group show)
Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (group show)
"Best of America" - a traveling show : Ella Caruthers Dunnegan Gallery, Bolivar, Missouri, KATY Depot Historic Site, Sedalia, Missouri, and Stone Crest Mall Gallery, Osage Beach, Missouri
"Bold Expressions" - Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sacramento, California. (Juried group show)
"Americas 2009" - Minot State University, Northwest Art Center, Minot, North Dakota(juried group show) Merit Award
"2009 Annual Juried Art Competion" South Artkansas Arts Center, El Dorado, Arkansas(juried group show)
"The Arts Scene in Arkansas Today - 4th annual Arts in the Air Professional Art Exhibit and Sale" - Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Morrilton, Arkansas. (invitational group show). Merit Award
"Southworks - Juried Art Exhibition" - Watkinsville, Georgia (Juried group show)
"Regional Juried Art Exhibition" - MSC Forsyth Center Galleries, Memorial Student Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas (Juried group show)
2008
Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (group show)
Taylor's Contemporanea, Hot Springs, AR (group show)
"Bold Expressions" - Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sacramento, California. Honorable Mention Award (Juried group show)
" Art on the corner " - Hot Springs Fine Arts Center, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Honorable Mention Award (Juried group show)
"Northern Disclosure" an exhibit from the permanent art collections - University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska
"Plantscape" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo show)
" 2008 Annual Juried Art Competition" - South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado, Arkansas
"UNCLAD 2008 - the fine art of the figure" - Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center, Stanwood, Washington. ( Juried group show)
"National Art Premiere 2008" - Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL (juried group show)Award of Merit.
"Opposites Attract" - San Jacinto College, Houston, Texas. Juried by William Stover - Curator of Contemporary Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA (juried group show)
2007
Taylor's Contemporanea, Hot Springs, AR (feature show)
"13th Annual Fall Regional Art Exhibition" - Arts Center of the Ozarks, Springdale, Arkansas. (juried group show)
"Water Lilies" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA(solo show)
"Reflections"- Osterville Fine Art, Osterville, MA (group show)
"Best of America" - a traveling show : Ella Carothers Dunnegan Gallery, Bolivar Missouri, KATY Depot Historic Site, Sedalia,
and Thompson Hall of Harper Chapel Methodist Church, Osage Beach Missouri. Award of Merit (juried group show-juror Mr. M. Stephen Doherty - Editor-in-Chief of American Artist Magazine)
"Art Happens Everywhere" , Women Painters of Washington, Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Seattle, WA (juried group show)
"Americas 2000 ", Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot, Nort Dakota (juried)
Unclad 2007, figurative group show in Stanwood, WA and Portland, OR (juried)
2006
Kent Cornucopia Days Juried Fine Art Exhibition, Green River Community College @ Kent Station, Kent, WA
"Architectural Art" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (group show)
"Waterbeings" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA(solo show)
2005
"Boats" - Rouge Blanc Gallery, Newberg, Oregon (group show)
16th Annual Canterbury Faire's Juried Fine Art Exhibit - Main Show, Kent, Washington (Purchased Award)
"Expression West 2005" - Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon
Tacoma Tallships Art show - Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, WA (juried group show - honorable mention)
"Beauty Revisited"- Mt. Scott Art Center, Portland, Oregon (juried group show)
"Beyond Borders: A celebration of our Ethnic Diversity" - Arts Council of Snohomish County Gallery, Everett, WA (Group show)
"Harmonious Navigation" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (group show)
2004
"On the waterfront" - Marghitta Feldman Gallery, Portland, Oregon (solo show)
" Urban Rivers" - Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, WA (solo show)
"Town & Country" - Jasper Arts Center, Jasper, Indiana (4 person show) Honorarium Paid
2003
17th Annual Canterbury Faire's Juried Fine Art Exhibit - Main Show, Kent, Washington
Paintings by Thu Nguyen - DNDA Gallery, West Seattle, Washington (solo show)
Kent Arts Commission Gallery, Kent, Washington (solo show)
LGBT Gallery, Seattle, WA (2 person show)
Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, Honorarium Paid (solo show)
East meets West - Lynnwood Library Gallery, Lynnwood, WA. Sponsored by Lynnwood Arts Commission ( solo show )
Along the Oregon Trail - National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Baker City, Oregon, (group show - Honorarium Paid)
2002
William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO (group show)
"Taken from the sea " - Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, California.(goup show - Honorarium Paid )
Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL. Honorarium Paid (solo)
Pima Community College, Tucson,Arizona. Honorarium Paid (solo)
Olive Hyde Gallery, Fremont, California (solo)
"Simple honesty" - Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds, WA. Sponsored by Edmonds Arts Commission (solo)
"Painting from the heart by Thu Nguyen "- Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA. Sponsored by the City of Bellevue (solo)
Microsoft, Issaquah, WA (as part of their celebration of Women's History Month) (solo)
2001
Sonia Zaks Gallery, Chicago, IL (solo show)
" Red Lotus" - City Gallery at Chastain, Atlanta, Georgia. Catalog. (Group show - Honorarium Paid )
California State University, Long Beach, CA (solo)
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), Philadelphia, PA
2000
Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (solo show)
Precious Metal Gallery, Boulder, CO (solo)
Women of the world - White Columns, New York City (USA Traveling Exhibitions)
1999
Sonia Zaks Gallery, Chicago, IL(solo show)
SITE Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (solo)
Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, Easton, PA. Honorarium paid. Catalog.
Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection - San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA. Catalog
Artcore Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Art Forum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
The Drawing Room, Santa Monica, CA. Second Prize Award
1998
Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (solo show)
The university of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL. Honorarium paid (solo)
Festival of Vietnamese Arts, Quay Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, CANADA. Honorarium paid. Catalog. Visiting Artist
1997
Bachman Gallery - Northern Indiana Arts Association, Munster, Indian (solo)
Chico Art Center, Chico, California. Honorarium Paid (solo)
Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (solo show)
1996
" Les Parfums de L'exil " - Centre Interculturel Strathearn,Montreal, Quebec, CANADA. Honorarium paid. Catalog. Visiting Artist
"Skin and Bone'- Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Honorarium paid. Catalog
California State University, Long Beach, CA (also 1992)
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California (solo)
1995
WOMEN/Beyond Borders - World Traveling Exhibition 1995-present
"20 years after to fall of Saigon" - Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA (group show)
L. A. Artcore Gallery ( group show )
Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio. Honorarium Paid (solo)
1994
"A New Generation: Contemporary Vietnamese American Art" - California State University Fullerton's main gallery, Fullerton, California (group show - Catalog )
Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana (group show)
California State University Long Beach. Annual Student Group Exhibits 1990- 1993. Best of show Awards
Acme Art Company, Columbus, OH Honorarium paid (solo)
Contemporary Arts Center, Burbank, CA (solo)
1993
Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA (juried group show)
PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS:
Soundtransit, Seattle, WA
Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle, WA
Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, Oregon
Rockwell International World Headquarters, Los Angeles, CA
Everett Train Station, Everett, WA
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Butler Institute , Little Rock, Arkansas
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, Texas
University of Alaska Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Bass Museum of Art, Miami, Florida
Downey Museum of Art, Downey, California
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California
VIFON-Vietnam Food Industries Company, HoChiMinh City, Vietnam
City of Kent portable art collections, Kent, WA
Las Vegas Arts Commissions' portable art collections, Las Vegas, NV
Regional Arts & Culture Council 's portable art collections, Portland, OR
Lynnwood Arts Commission, Lynnwood, Washington
Longview Art Museum, Longview, Texas
The Art Center of Waco, Waco, Texas
Wingluke Asian Art Museum, Seattle, Washington
Whatcom Museum of History and Art, Bellingham, Washington
McDonald Corporation, Berkeley, California
Monroe School District - Location: Monroe Highschool, Monroe, WA
City of Monroe - location: city hall , Monroe, WA
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
Lynne Hardy, MountLake Terrace, Washington
David and Michele Hasson, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
CRAIG V MCCONNELL, PRESCOTT, Arizona
Nance Myers, Seattle, Washington
Knapp, Chris and Holly, Everett, Washington
Mr. Anton Spisak, Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic
Tom Nelson, Seattle, WA
Pat Norikane Logerwell - Board of Director of Wing Luke Asian Museum, Seattle, Washington
Blanche Hill - Board of Director of Elmhurst Art Museum, Chicago, Illinois
Mimi Gates - Seattle Art Museum 's Director, Seattle, Washington
Welly Yang, Los Angeles, California
Margaret McKay-Green, Everett, Washington
Junie Moore, Lake Stevens, Washington
Marcia Schneider, Anacortes, Washington
Don and Wanda Stein, Anacortes, Washington,
Ms. Liz Bui, San Diego, CA
Marlies Egberding, Everett, WA
Donna Lou and Peter Bladin, Seattle, WA
Erik and Hope Bernstein, Portland, OR
George and Maribeth Newland, Everett, WA
Thomp Harrington, Seattle, WA
Dan Jost, Seattle, WA
Wendy Coffman, M.D. , Monroe, WA
Rena Cornell, Monroe, WA
Sue McKay, Monroe, WA
Mr. Michael Killoren, Seattle, Washington
Mrs. Rebecca Halse, Lake Stevens, Washington
Michael Richards and Rita Brogan, Seattle, Washington
Nancy Murphy & Ken Kenickeberg, Renton, Washington
Mr. Thu Huu Nguyen, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mr. Tuan Nguyen, Rockville, Maryland
Mr. Michael Weidenbach Honolulu, Hawaii
Mr. Michael O'Brian - Director of Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver,Canada
Ms. Beata Z. Gerritsen, Boulder, Colorado
Ms. Susan McDonnell, Los Angeles, California
Ms. Lenora Preciado, Seattle, Washington
Ms. Kathleen Carey, Seattle, Washington
Mr. and Mrs. Handler, Seattle, Washington
Rose & John Afalla, Honokaa, Hawaii
Mr. Guy Benson, Evanston, Illinois
Ms. Randy Rosenberg, Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Deeann Levy, Chicago, Illinois
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khoi, Brossard, Quebec
Mr. Bruce Thacker, Tustin, California Ms. Anita Holguin, Pico Rivera, California
Ms. Linda J. Hough & Mr. Nelson Petrovich, Laguna Beach, California
Mr. Thomas Kelly, Sacramento, California
Mr. Fred Feldmesser, Boston, MA
Mr. Edward Chue, Everett, Washington
Mr. Alec Clayton, Olympia, Washington
Ms. Nancy Sloan, Las Vegas, Nevada
Mr. Barry Tuddenman, Toronto, Canada
Mr. Ben Ferguson, Puyallup, Washington
Mr & Mrs. Gladney, Geneva, Florida
Ms. Naomi Ely, Limon, Colorado
Mr. Bruce Goto, Seattle, Washington Mr. W. Michael Harris, Seattle, Washington (Artistic Director of ArtsWest, Seattle)
Mr & Mrs. Jim and JoAnn Burkett, Everett, Washington
Mr. Gary Snyder, Princeton, New Jersey(the owner of Gary Snyder Fine Art, NYC)
Mr. Marcio Fajardo, Seattle, Washington
Ms. Trang Tu, Seattle, Washington
Ms. Terry Bursett, Seattle, Washington
and others...
Publication:
My paintings are featured in : “Contemporary Painters”, page 164, Danijela Kracun (Author), Charles McFadden (Author) , published by Schiffer Publishing