Biography
Jesse Connor’s paintings develop in conversation with the miraculous and quotidian moments of his daily life, in which every experience—talking with family, running errands, noticing animals or architecture—evoke joy, humor, and mystery. Visions of paintings may emerge from interactions between shadow, light, and color, configurations of clouds, and other phenomena that catalyze the liminality in time, place, and memory within which Connor’s paintings live.
A dedicated mentor to artists developing their craft, Connor has taught at several colleges in the Northeast, including the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Springfield Technical Community College, and Bennington College. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor of Art at Mount Wachusett Community College, as well as co-owner and founder of Boat Yard Art Space in Leverett, MA, where he paints and curates small exhibitions featuring emerging artists. He holds a BFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an MFA from the University of Michigan.
Born: Northampton, MA, USA
Resides: Leverett, MA, USA
Education
2003 MFA Printmaking/Painting, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
1998 BFA Printmaking, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
Awards
2009 Blanche E. Colman Award, Boston, MA
2005 Beverly Horlick Award, Key West, FL
2002 Dybvig Award, University of Michigan, MI
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Mesic/.5, Leverett Craft & Arts Center, Leverett, MA
2023 Mesic/.5, Binney Gallery, Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA)
2016 Far Reaches, East Wing Gallery Mount Wachusett Community
College, Gardner, MA
2016 Wanderings, Laughing Dog Bikes, Amherst, MA
2015 Far Reaches, Taber Gallery, Holyoke Community College,
Holyoke MA
2013 Amend, Worcester Windows, Worcester MA
2013 Intersection, Binney Gallery, Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Wilbraham, MA
2009 Inherent, Kent Gallery, Key West, FL
2007 Inherent, Hampden Gallery, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
2005 Sweet Dreams Baby, Kent Gallery, Key West, FL
2003 Home, The Guild Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
Collaborative Exhibitions
2023 Mesic, Jesse Connor and Mikael Petraccia, Student Union Gallery,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2022 Recent Work, Jesse Connor and Mikael Petraccia , East Wing
Gallery, Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA
2016 Wanderings, Jesse Connor and A.D. Tinkham, Nash Gallery,
Easthampton, MA
2014 Alterscape, Jesse Connor, Thortsen Dennerline, Mikael Petraccia,
A.P.E., Northampton, MA
2012 Intersection, Student Union Gallery, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
Group Exhibitions
2023 North East Sketchbooks, Pulp Gallery, Holyoke, MA (Juried)
2023 Under Currents, Amherst, MA (Juried)
2019 Page’s Barn, Hadley, MA
2017 Laws Change. People Die. The Land Remains.
Historic Northampton, MA
2016 Open Studios, Paper City Studio, Holyoke, MA
2015 Fifty Shades of Red, Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
2015 Eyewitness, Hampden Gallery, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
2013 STCC Faculty Exhibition, Amy H Carberry Gallery, Springfield
MA
2012 A Novel Idea, Hampden Gallery/Incubator Space, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2009 Paint Present, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY
2009 The American Dream/When Worlds Collide, Trakt Project
Raum, Berlin, Germany
2009 Americaura, The University of Massachusetts and Yaounde
National Library, Cameroon, W. Africa
2006 Springfield Museum Exhibit, MA Mutual Center, Springfield, MA
2004 Nomad’s Land, Warren Robbins Gallery, University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI
2000 Three Key West Artists, Lucky Street Gallery, Key West, FL
Professional/Community Engagements
2023 Glazing/Oil Painting Workshop, Binney Gallery, Wilbraham &
Monson Academy, MA
2022 Gallery Talk/Recent Work, East Wing Gallery, Mount Wachusett
Community College, Gardener, MA
2018-19 Monotype/Mixed Media Community Building Workshop,
Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield, MA
2015/16 Guest Speaker, Far Reaches, East Wing Gallery, Mount Wachusett
Community College, Gardner MA & Taber Gallery, Holyoke
Community College, Holyoke, MA
2013 Mixed Media Workshop, Hampden Gallery, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2010 External Juror, Junior/Senior Show, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
2007 Guest Speaker, Inherent, Hampden Gallery, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2005 External Juror, Junior/Senior Show, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, MA
1999 Guest Speaker, Painting II with Richard Yarde, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Curatorial/Show Installation
2023 A Retrospect, A.D. Tinkham, Leverett Crafts and Art Center,
Leverett, MA
2023 Fitchburg Art Museum, Painting II/Drawing III, Student Exhibition
Fitchburg, MA
2020 Upper Bend, Installed Community Art Auction for Community
Meals, Turners Falls, MA
2019 Emerging Artists, Recent MassArt Grads Exhibitions, Boat Yard
Art Space, Leverett, MA
2018 Paper Space, MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA (curation,
installation, Print Assemblage, end of semester show, Bennington
College
2014 Art Handling, Smith Museum of Art, Northampton, MA
2013 Gallery/Art Handling/Installation, Hampden Gallery, University of
Massachusetts
2009 Sailing the Barbary Coast, Colin Matthes and Anthony Smith,
Curator, Central Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
MA