About

Jennifer Riley (b. Sharon, CT). Riley’s work has earned critical attention for her solo exhibitions in NYC, Boston, Las Vegas and across the U.S. In 2017 she received a three year Studio Space Grant from Two Trees Cultural Foundation. In 2004 she was the recipient of the Award in Painting from the Massachusetts State Cultural Council.

Riley is known for her color-rich abstract and semi-abstract paintings. In addition to making abstract paintings, large scale steel sculptural projects have developed from Riley’s studio practice. Recent large-scale collaborative work includes a 65' x 8' x 8' permanent commission at Mercedes House in Manhattan NYC and a 50' x 18' x 8' work for Cummins Inc.’s new building in Indianapolis. Riley's paintings and works on paper draw inspiration from some of the same steel elements used in those sculptures. These works address aspects of industry, anthropology, technology and nature.

Riley is a contributing editor at ArtCritical.com, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Triangle Arts Association. She has been active as a teacher, curator, panelist and guest critic (Harvard Graduate School of Design (where Riley co-developed and led the Rome Seminar in in Italy from 1996-2013), Indiana University, Pratt Institute, MICA, Columbia and Yale, MIT, RISD (among others). She has written for The New York Sun and the Brooklyn Rail she has written numerous catalogue essays for contemporary artists.