CV/Bio
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Material Transformations, International Peace Museum, Dayton, OH
2021 In Plain Sight, Ronewa Art Projects, Berlin, Germany
2018 Michèle Colburn: The More Things Change, MOCA Arlington, Arlington, VA
2015 Michele Colburn: Wired, MOCA Arlington, Arlington, VA
2015 Michele Colburn: War Paths, Charles Krause Reporting Fine Art, Washington, DC
INVITATIONAL
2020 Shown from Afar, WomensWork Art, Poukeepsie, NY
2019 Protection, Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington, DC
2019 Play, Hamiltonian Gallery, Washington, DC
2017 Reasoned Likelihoo, Grizly Grizzly Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2014 Americana, Gallery 39, Brentwood Arts Exchange, Brentwood, MD
2013 Fear Strikes Back, George mason University, Fairfax, VA
2013 The Newtown Project: Call to Arms, Charles Krause Reporting Fine Arts, Washington, DC
2013 To Deny Our Nothingness, Gallery Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
2012 Untitled 3, Randall Scott Projects, Washington, DC
JURIED GROUP
2024 Winter Exhibition, Blue Mountain Gallery, New York, NY
2023 The Fl3tch3r Exhibit, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
2021-2023 Collector’s Night Exhibition, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC
2023 Benefit Auction & Exhibit, MOCA Arlington, Arlington, VA
Transformer, Benefit Auction & Exhibit, Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, DC
2022 Fragile Beauty, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
Collector’s Night Exhibition, Project for the Arts, Washington, DC
Invasion, Hillyer Gallery, International Art and Artists, Washington, DC
2021 Darkest Before Dawn: Art in a Time of Uncertainty. Ethan Cohen KUBE, Beacon, NY
2020 Conversations 2020. The Puffin Foundation Cultural Center, Teaneck, NJ
2019 50 Years: A Celebration of F&M’s Alumnae Artists, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
Protection exhibition of Play, Protection, Peril, H-space. Zenith Community Arts Foundation, Washington, DC
Convergence, MOCA Arlington, Arlington, VA
2018 Defining the Art of Change in the Age of Trump, Center for Contemporary Political Art, Washington, DC
Art Speaks!, Arena 1 Art Gallery, Women’s Caucus for Art, Los Angeles
2018 Fight or Flight, The Painting Center, New York, NY
2017 Woman’s Caucus for Art DC, Phoenix Gallery, New York, NY
Reasoned Likelihood, Grizzly Grizzly, Philadelphia, PA
2016 XXChange, Area 405, Baltimore, MD
2015. Visaural: Sight, Sound, and Action, Nave Gallery, Boston, MA
2014 Readymade@100, Katzen Art Museum, American University, Washington, DC, Curator Mark Cameron Boyd
Americana, 39th Street Gallery, Brentwood Arts Exchange, Hyattsville, MD
2013 Fear Strikes Back, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Fear Strikes Back, DC Arts Space, Washington, DC. Curator Helen Frederick
The Newtown Project, Charles Krause/Reporting Fine Art, Washington, DC
Alumni Exhibition, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
2012 Untitled 3, Randal Scott Projects, Washington, DC
On Loan, Area 405, Baltimore, MD, Juror: Sarah Tanguy, Independent Curator
Nine Degrees, Graduate Thesis Exhibition, April/May, American University, Washington, DC
Momentum(Exhibition honoring the 40th Anniversary of the Woman’s Caucus for Art), Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA, Juror: Rita Gonzalez, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
2011 MFA Thesis Show, Katzen Museum, American University, Washington, DC
Hillyer Art Space, Washington, DC, Juror: Sculptor Barbara Liotta
2007 Small Rays of Hope: Fragements of a Larger Idea, Rhonda Schaller Gallery, New York, NY
LECTURES,PANELS, PRESENTATIONS, COLLABORATIONS
Panelist, Franklin & Marshall College, in conjunction with 50 years exhibition, 2019
Panelist, DC Arts and Humanities, Individual Artist Grants 2019
Panelist, You, If No One Else Panel Discussion, MOCA Arlington, 2018
Artist Talk, MOCA Arlington in conjunction with Wired exhibition, 2015
Artist Panelist, Fear Strikes Back, DC Arts Center, 2013
Artist Presenter, Under the Influence, group presentations organized by the WPA and hosted at the Corcoran. Juror, artist John Bankston, 2011
COLLECTIONS
Barlow-Gilotty Collection, Washington, DC
International Peace Museum, Dayton, Ohio
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Private Collections, Washington, DC, London, UK, and Rabat, Morocco
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2023 Artist Grant, DCCAH, Washington, DC
2022 Special Event Grant, DCCAH, Washington, DC
2020 Individual Artist Grant Recipient, DCCAH, Washington, DC
2015 Artist Grant Recipient, The Puffin Foundation, Teaneck, NJ
RESIDENCIES
2023 ACI Residency, Umbria, Italy
2018 Muong Residency, Hoa Binh, Vietnam
2014 School of Visual Arts, New York, Ny
2013 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2013-2019 Resident Artist, MOCA Arlington, Arlington, VA
EDUCATION
American University, MFA Studio Art, 2012
American University, GCAT Teacher Certification, 2004
Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. B.A. Art History, 1976
HONORS AND AWARDS
Performance/Event Grant, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington DC, 2023
Exhibition Grant, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC, 2022
Artist Grant, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC, 2020
Visual Artist Grant, The Puffin Foundation, Teaneck, NJ. 2015
Partial Fellowship to Vermont Studio Center, April, 2014
Artist Residency, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, May-June, 2013
Teaching Fellowship, American University, 2010-2012
Ted & Elizabeth Leon Art Scholarship, American University, 2011-2012
Mellon Conference Travel Grant, 2012
PUBLICATIONS, PRESS, AND REVIEWS
WAMU Radio, Washington, DC. The Kojo Nnamdi Show: A D.C. Exhibit is using Gun Violence To Inspire Jarring Artwork. August 13, 2019
https://wamu.org/story/19/08/13/a-d-c-exhibit-is-using-gun-violence-to-inspire-jarring-artwork/?fbclid=IwAR13-nsGuJffBMpOK0h_HF_pNzjgSz_i6Fee-GVs5i-8jWr0z7bU-4i7GPk
Ruminate Magazine, literature and visual arts publication, Consume, Summer Issue, 2019
Fight or Flight, The Painting Center, New York, NY. 2017. https://www.thepaintingcenter.org/fight-or-flight/
In the Galleries: Gunpowder and Teddy Bears reviewed by Mark Jenkins, 2015. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/museums/in-the-galleries-gunpowder-and-teddy-bears/2015/07/23/a6bc67b6-2fb8-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html?utm_term=.27c3f271476d
Fear Strikes Back, reviewed by Mark Jenkins. May 30, 2013. http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/alchemical-vessels-offers-bowls-full-of-healing/2013/05/30/96beedcc-c898-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_story.html
Artists Contribute to 'Newtown Project: A Call to Arms!, Mark Jenkins. The Washington Post, January 24, 2012. http://www.charleskrausereporting.com/
Exhibition of Art Inspirded by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting Opens in DC, January 25, 2012. ://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2013/01/25/exhibition-of-art-inspired-by-the-sandy-hook-elementary-shooting-opens-in-d-c/
Postal7600, (Argentinian art publication) Septiembre/octubre, 2012. p 38
Nine Degrees: MFA Thesis Exhibition, Introduction "Ideas, Identity, Communication, Community," Jamie L. Smith, Founding Partner Conner Contemporary. Michele Colburn, p.5, 2012
Momentum: 40th Anniversary of the Women's Caucus for Art catalogue. pp. 39-40. 2012
AmLit, Spring 2012 edition. Student Literary Magazine, American University. pp. 21 & 76
Liberal Art: Science, Nature and Philosophy Help Fuel the Passion of Five Alumni Artists, Franklin 7 Marshall Magazine, Jan. 2008. Vol 52.
1460 Wall Mountables, DCist.com (July); Art with Heart, The Washington Examiner, August, 25 and 26, 2007
The Torch, Smithsonian Employee Newspaper, 2004
Smithsonian Magazine, Staff Artists, p.102. 1996
PUBLISHED WRITTEN WORK
Guiermo Kuitca: An Artist's Quiet Take on Mass Murder, 2011. Artifice: Fear and Loathing in Washington, DC.
Winter/Spring art reviews, 2011.
PROFESSIONAL
Adjunct Lecturer, Marymount University and American University 2018
Teaching Assistant – American University, Painting, Level 200 and The Studio Experience, 2010-2012
Art Instructor - Arlington Arts Center. 2010 -11 and 2016-Present.
Teaching Artist – Adult and children’s workshop for the Hirshhorn, 1997-2001
Kreeger, and National Museum of Women in the Arts 2007-2008
Embassy of Switzerland, Washington, DC. Manager, Cultural Projects, Communications and Cultural Section, 2008-2010
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO. Marketing Survey Interviewer, 2006-2007
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Public Affairs Specialist, Smithsonian Institution, 1991-2001
Bio
Born, Washington, DC. The artist continues to live and work in the nation's capital. Colburn earned a BA in Art History from Franklin & Marshall College and an MFA from American University (2012). The artist has worked in the arts for better than 20 years, and currently works as a teaching artist. She has lived in various states in the U.S. including New York, Maryland, Arizona, and Colorado. Although born in America, her maternal family is French-Swiss.