Joseph Sweeney – Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Joseph Sweeney graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) in 1976. He studied with and was influenced by: Isa Barnett, Sandy Ceaser, David Kettner, Boris Putterman, Gerry Herdman, Jack Andrews, Ray Spiller, Morris Schulman, Warren Rorher, David Fertig, Jane Piper, Sidney Goodman, and Lily Yeh.He received a Master’s Degree in Printmaking from the Art and Architecture department of Penn State University in 1980. While there studied with Bruce Shobaken, Diane Pepe and Peter Jogo.
A resident of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, he has taught or is teaching at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The University of the Arts, Wayne Art Center, Woodmere Art Museum, and Chester Springs Studio. Primarily a landscape painter he was awarded Best of Show at "Images '98" Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts July 1998 and Best of Show for The Philadelphia Water Color Club 98th Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper.In 2002 was awarded Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Catherine Gibbons Granger Award for Landscape, Chester Springs, PA. Also in 2002 he was awarded Best in Show by The Philadelphia Sketch Club Works on Paper. And in 2010 took second place for the same show. In 2006 took part in ART in Embassies Program. U.S. Dept. of State, (Catalog) Washington D.C. In the Embassies of Port-of Spain, Trinidad & Kigali, Rwanda.
In 2013 he was awarded a three month residency at The Master Works Museum in Paget, Bermuda. 2017 Residency at the Studios of Key West, FL. 2018 Residency At the Rose Cottage, Vinalhaven, Maine. Recently awarded the Brandywine Conservancy Award. 2019 Joseph Sweeney is currently represented by: Gallery 222 in Malvern and Cerulean Gallery in Philadelphia. Many public and private institutions, private collections, and museums own his works.
Studio in Plein Air Pastel 20 x 25” © Joseph Sweeney 1995
EDUCATION:
1980 Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA MFA in Printmaking 1976 Philadelphia College of Art, Philadelphia, PA BFA in Painting and Drawing
Faculty at PAFA Since 1993 Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, (Studio Classes, Plein Air, Travel)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS: (Selected)
2023 Images By The Sea The Gallery at Ferry Park, Cape May, NJ. Aug.4 to Aug.20
2022 Nocturnes, Cerulean Gallery, October 12 to 31, 2022
2022 Church Street Gallery , March 11 to April 2, 2022
2016 Beach Paintings, May 31 To June 24 2017 Gallery 222 Malvern, PA
2013 Joseph Sweeney, New Work Bermuda, Masterworks Museum, Bermuda
2012 Summer Paintings of Joseph Sweeney, Thos. Moser, Wayne PA
2011 Sailing, The Corinthian Yacht Club, Essington, Pa Trees, Haverford College Arboretum, Haverford, PA Along the Coast, Peninsula Gallery, Lewes, Delaware
2010 Plein Air Paintings, Carbon County Cultural Project, Jim Thorpe PA
2009 New Pastels (Rowing) Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2007 Summer Paintings, Carbon County Cultural Project, Jim Thorpe PA
2006 Pastels, Carbon County Cultural Project, Jim Thorpe PA Rivers, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia.
2002 The Irish Coast, Paintings from Donegal, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia.
2000 New Work, Cabrini College. Radnor PA
2000 Farms and Fields/Central PA. Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA
1999 Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1998 Art & Ayrshires, Plum Bottom Farm, Belleville, Pa
1991 Joseph Sweeney, Helio Gallery, New York City
GROUP EXHIBITIONS: (Selected)
2021 The Art Gallery at Devon-Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Devon, PA
2021 Seaside Garden Show Gallery222 Malvern, PA
2021 Back to Nature, a Landscape Painters Invitational, Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA
2021 Plein Air Invitational, Mainline Art Center, Haverford, PA
2021 New Work, SOMA art Gallery, Cape May, NJ
2021 Close to Home Gallery222 Malvern.PA
2021 Ice Festival Artists’Emporium Havre de Grace, Maryland
2020 “101 Artists” Show Gallery222 Malvern.PA
2019 2020 Water Works, Long Beach Island Foundation of Arts and Sciences, Love Ladies, New Jersey.
2020 Summer Scenes Online Show, Malvern PA https://www.gallery222malvern.com/summer-scenes
2018 For the Love of the Sea, Square Pear Gallery, Kennett Square PA
2016 Art of the State: Pennsylvania 49th year, Harrisburg, PA 2016 153rd Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings Ph. Sketch Club Philadelphia, PA Medal-Honorable Mention
2013 150th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings Ph. Sketch Club Philadelphia, PA
2013 Mood Indigo, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY
2012 The Romantic Impulse: Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia.
2011 Drawn to the Water, Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Plein Air for Camphill, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2010 Surviving Ourselves: Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Fall Group Exhibition, PETER McPHEE Gallery, Stone Harbor, NJ
2010 147th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings Ph. Sketch Club Philadelphia, PA Best Landscape
2010 147th Annual Exhibition of Works on Paper Phila. Sketch Club Phila, PA Second Place
2009 146th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings Phila. Sketch Club Phila, PA
2008 Summer Exhibition Anthony Rudisill, Joe Sweeney PETER McPHEE Stone Harbor, NJ Art of the State: Pennsylvania
2008, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
2007 Pennsylvania Landscape Colonial to Contemporary Haverford College, Haverford, PA (Catalog) 2006 ART in Embassies Program. U.S. Dept. of State, Washington D.C. Oct.
2006 And Port-of Spain Trinidad and Kigali Rwanda The Fellowship Show, 109th Annual Exhibition at the Plastic Club Philadelphia, PA “Art of the State”: Pennsylvania
2006, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA Masters in Montana, Chaparral Gallery, Bozeman, Montana Works on Paper Show, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
2005“Old School, New School, No School. Carbon County Cultural Project. Jim Thorpe PA. Juror
2003 The Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. 106th Annual Exhibition Chester Springs, PA The Unbroken Circle, Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA
2002 Works on Paper Show, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Best in Show, Philadelphia, PA Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Catherine Gibbons Granger Award for Landscape, Chester Springs, PA
The Gamble Mill Show, Bellefonte, PA Landscapes-Mindscapes Exhibition,
LBI Foundation, Long Beach Island, NJ
139th Annual Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings, Phila. Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA Woodmere Art Museum 62nd Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA Juror: John Yau
2001 Pennsylvania Center for Landscape Painting Group Show (Scapes and Scrapes) Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA (A show for students of the Center)
2000 Philadelphia: A Crossroads for American Art, 1750-2000. The Union League Club. New York, NY and Debra Force Fine Art, Inc.
1998 98th Anniversary International Exhibition of Works on Paper, Phila Water Color Club. Atlantic City, NJ. & Krasdale Gallery, New York, NY Award, Best of Show
101st Annual Juried Members’ Exhibitions, Fellowship of the PAFA, Yellow Springs PA Images ‘98” Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA Juror: Sarah Sargent. Award: Best of Show
“Through the Heart of the City”. Philadelphia Art Alliance. Philadelphia, PA
“Works on Paper 1998” Juror: Mark Rosenthal Curator, S.R. Guggenheim Museum NY. Beaver College Glenside, PA
1997 “Mainly Maine” Sherry French Gallery New York, NY “Bianco Galley Annual Juried Exhibition”, Buckingham, PA Marguerite & Gerry Lenfest Award
"Scenic River Days", Juried Show, Reading, PA AWARD 1st Place
"The Art of Sport", Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY Sechuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongging, China Printmaking East/West Exchange, Tianjun, China
161st Annual Exhibition - National Academy of Design, New York,