Julie Puma is an artist and Professor,
based in the Denver Metro Area.
jgpuma1966@gmail.com
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Brought as a baby to England by well-traveled parents, Julie Puma spent her first fourteen years there with summers spent in her native Brooklyn. Her earliest memory of art is at age five when her mother gave her a set of oil paints which she used to paint a flower on a Styrofoam meat package. Only a year later her mother would pass away from breast cancer. Her father remarried and his work with IBM moved Julie, her sister, and the new family back to the United States where they settled in the Chicago area. An interest in art wasn’t apparent in high school, but after graduating from Western Illinois State University, Julie went on to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to achieve a Masters of Art in Art Therapy. Her passion for painting was kindled as she practiced art therapy while experiencing its healing powers for herself and deepening her own creative talent.
Julie made her way to Colorado to care for her sister who was also afflicted with breast cancer. Here she met her husband, gave birth to a daughter, and continued to refine and cultivate her artistic growth. Fueled by her family tragedies, Julie’s painting and art evolved as a means for greater communication and exploration of social and political themes. She earned a second Master’s degree in Fine Art in Visual Art with the Vermont College of Fine Art. Currently, Julie is a full-time Faculty Member in Foundations at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver. Julie’s work has been exhibited nationally and locally in several solo and collaborative shows since 1997. Prized by collectors, her drawings and paintings are personal and powerful, resonant and relevant contemporary realism.
Follow My Messy Beautiful Life!
JULIE PUMA { MAAT / MFA }
1859 Clermont Street, Denver, Colorado 80220
303-882-7597 / / juliepuma.com
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{ EXHIBITIONS }
Solo Shows
2024 Leon Gallery, Denver Colorado, Field Day
2020 Emmanuel Gallery, Denver, Colorado, Urgent Importance
2018 Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, Colorado
2017 Firehouse Art Center, Longmont Colorado
2016 Rude Gallery, Denver Colorado
2013 Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder Colorado – The Immortal Jelly Fish
2012 Ice cube gallery, Denver Colorado – Let’s get it straight
2010 Rude Gallery, Denver Colorado – Early Onset
2010 Space Gallery, Denver Colorado - Home
2006 Space Gallery, Denver Colorado - The pink and Green Afterlife
2005 Singer Gallery, Denver Colorado - Letter’s to Stanley
2005 Studio Aiello, Denver Colorado - Dear Diary
2003 Pirate: A contemporary Art Oasis, Denver Colorado - Manor House Races
2002 Pirate: A contemporary Art Oasis, Denver Colorado - Post Card’s From Barbie
Invitational/Group Exhibition
2023- Daily Specials, (Hyperlink Art Collective) Phillip J Steele Gallery, Denver, CO
2023 – Remains, (Artnauts art collective) Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2022 – Figurative, The in Art Gallery, Online Exhibition, Jury selection 3rd place
2022. UNHEALTHY PRACTICES: A SHOW OF DISGUST, East Window South, Boulder, CO
2022 2nd Annual Painting Exhibition, The In Art Gallery - 3rd place, virtual gallery
2021 In Skin, Phillip J Steele Gallery, Denver, CO
2021 Viral Influence, Arvada Center Main Gallery, Arvada, CO
2020 Artists Residency Project at School Of Visual Arts & Tiger Strikes Asteroid NY TSA_PDF Exhibition
2020 Pink Progression, at the Arvada Center, Arvada CO
2019 All Colorado Show, Curtis Center for the Arts, Englewood, CO
2016 CSArt Colorado artist, BMoCA, Boulder, CO
2016 Denver Art Museum, Culture Haus fundraiser, Denver CO
2015 Philip J Steele, Living Gallery, Denver CO
2012 Colorado Creative Industries: Creative Capitol Highlights Higher Education Faculty, Capital Building, Denver, CO
2011 Pixels – Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Orange County, CA
2010 Dedication to Spike Lee, Salena Gallery, long Island University, Long Island, NY
2009 Dairy Center For The Arts, Boulder, CO - Figure Matters
2007 Capsule Gallery, Denver Colorado - Heaven on Earth
2009 Singer Gallery, Denver Colorado – Spittin image
2006 The Art’s student League , Denver Colorado - Image of Words
2005 Sliding Door Gallery, Denver, Colorado - Naked
2005 Studio Aiello, Denver, Colorado, - Group Show
2004 Edge Gallery, Denver Colorado - Group show
2004 Edge Gallery, Denver Colorado - Member show
2004 Pirate: A Contemporary art Oasis , Denver, Colorado - Member show
2003 Denver Performing Arts Complex , Denver, Colorado - Windows to the Devine
2003 825 Santa Fe Gallery, Denver, Colorado - Group show
2003 Zwolf Gallery, Denver, Colorado - Group Show
2003 The Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Peoria, Illinois - Breast Cancer show
2002 Zwolf Gallery, Denver, Colorado- Woman Painting Woman
1996 The Chicago School of Psychology, Chicago, Illinois
1993 The School of the art Institute, Chicago, Illinois, MFA Show
Faculty Exhibitions
2019 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado
2016 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado
2014 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado
2008 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado
2006 Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, Colorado
2004 Emmanuel Gallery, Metro State College of Denver
2003 Center for Visual Arts - Metro State College of Denver
1999 Metro State College of Denver
1998 Metro State College of Denver
1997 Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado
{ PRESS }
2023 Showing Face, The Daily Camera
2023, Southwest Contemporary Art, Hyperlink and Land Report Collective Re-Activate a Uranium Mine Ghost Town in Remote Wyoming
2020. Westword Magazine - 100 Colorado Creatives - a-honored-as-a-colorado-creative-11786071
2020 The Sentry- Emmanuel Gallery exhibit explores memory through portraiture- - http://cu-sentry.com/tag/julie-puma/
2020. CU Denver News - Snapchat Paintings & Front-Line Realism: Julie Puma at Emmanuel Gallery
2016 Month of Modern - The Culture of Modern: Colorado Modern Artists - http://www.monthofmodern.com/the-culture-of-modern-colorado-modern-artists/
2016 Art Slant Magazine
2013 Daily Camera ‘Pick of the Day The immortal Jellyfish”
2013 Boulder Weekly “The immortal Jelly Fish”
2013 5280 “Best Bets "The Immortal Jellyfish”
2013 Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art announces BMoCA at Macky exhibition with Julie Puma More Information: http://artdaily.com/news/64708/Boulder-Museum-of-Contemporary-Art-announces-BMoCA-at-Macky-exhibition-with-Julie-Puma#.U6MBOqjc3dA[/url]
Copyright © artdaily.org
2012 Live Urban Real Estate
2010 Westword Magazine - Edge is filled to the rafters with artist pairings - https://www.westword.com/arts/edge-is-filled-to-the-rafters-with-artist-pairings-5106768
2007 Denver Post, “Foothills exhibit proves realism isn’t so real” - Kyle MacMillan
2006 Denver Post , “Realism is Alive and Well” - Kyle MacMillan
2006 Rocky Mountain News, “Portraits of survival Painter Puma takes radical steps to deliver message - Mary Voelz Chandler
2005 Westword Magazine - “Alternating Currents” - Michael Paglia
2005 Rocky Mountain News - “incognito follows a career” - Mary Voelz Chandler
2005 Jewish Community Center - Centerline/Arts Line- “On the Wall”
2005 Denver Post - Friday Best Bets - 09/02/05 - Kyle MacMillan
2005 Denver Post - “1 More” - Kyle MacMillan
2005 Denver Post “Art work born of a tragic family history” - David Harsanyi
2003 Westword Magazine - Art Beat” - Michael Paglia
2003 Westword Magazine - “Now showing” Westword calendar reviews
{ COLLECTORS }
2017 Julie McCloud, Boulder, Colorado
2016 Chris Marconi, Denver, Colorado
2016 Becky Morris, Denver, Colorado
2010 Maria Puzziferro, Denver Colorado
2010 Chris Marconi, Denver Colorado
2010 Valissa Tsoucaris, Denver, Colorado
2009 Valissa Tsoucaris, Denver, Colorado
2007 Becky Epstein, Denver Colorado
2006 Stephanie Kinning, Denver Colorado
2006 Lori Helmick, Denver Colorado
2006 Valissa Tsoucaris, Denver, Colorado
2006 Monica and Tyler Aiello, Denver, Colorado
2005 Dr. Scott and Claudine Brandt, Denver, Colorado
2004 Priscilla Ingebrigtsen, Denver, Colorado
2004 Dr. Michelle Basche, Denver, Colorado
2003 Candice Kiesow, Denver, Colorado
2003 Max Ruppeck, Denver, Colorado
2003 Jodi Galivan and Mike Manseth, Denver, Colorado
{ PROFFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE }
2015 – present Full Professor Foundations/Fine arts department, Rocky Mountain College of art and Design, Lakewood, Colorado
2010 –2015 Chair of Online Education + Director of the CLI + Director of Student and Alumni Galleries, Rocky Mountain College of art and Design, Lakewood, Colorado
2006 - 2007 Adjunct Instructor, Rocky Mountain College of art and Design, Lakewood, Colorado
1998 - 2006 Lectureship faculty, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, Colorado -
1997 - 1999 Internship Coordinator, Adjunct Faculty, The Naropa Institute - Boulder, Colorado
1994 - 1996 Art Therapy Coordinator, The Institute for Therapy through the Arts, Northfield, Illinois - 1993 - 1994 Lawrence Hall Youth Services, Chicago Illinois, Art Therapist
{ AWARDS GRANTS }
1982 Gwendolyn Brooks , poet Laureate of Illinois - State Poetry contest - second place
2008- Faculty Development Grant - Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
2016 Faculty Development Grant - Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
{ RESIDENCIES/COLLECTIVES }
2023 Hyperlink Art Collective, Denver CO
2023. Artnauts Collective, Current member
2023. Redline Contemporary Art Center- The Evans School satellite Residency
2020 School of Visual Art, New York, NY
2018 Open Wabi, Fredericktown, OH
2017 Arts Letters and Numbers, Lake Averill NY
2017 Demystifying Artists Residencies, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver
2017 Faculty Lecture, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Denver, CO
2015 Philip J Steele, Living Gallery, Denver CO
{ EDUCATION }
2008 Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpellier, Vermont, Master of Fine Art in Visual Art
1993 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Masters of Art in Art Therapy
1988 Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, Bachelor of Arts