Vitae
BORN: 08-23-1916, Philadelphia, PA DIED: 03-05-1990, Gainesville, FL
EDUCATION: 1939-40 Philadelphia College of Industrial Arts
1943-44 Studio of Abe Hankins, Philadelphia, PA
1946-47 The New School, NYC (Rudolph Arnheim and Louis Schanker)
1949-50 Studio of Robert Motherwell, NYC
1950s Discussions at “The Club,” NYC
SOLO EXHIBITS: 1958 Sunken Meadow Gallery, Smithtown, Long Island, NY
1959 Camino Gallery, NYC
1961 Sunken Meadow Gallery, Smithtown, Long Island, NY
1962 City Lights Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1965 American Gallery, NYC
1982 Wessell Library, Tufts University, Medford, MA
1987 University of Florida Art Department Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1989 Thomas Center Mezzanine Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1989 Credit Union Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1990 Art in City Hall, Gainesville, FL – Memorial Exhibit “Reminiscence of NYC Life”
2011 Unity of Gainesville, FL – February & March Artist Exhibit - “Art in the Sanctuary”
INSTALLATIONS: 1973 State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) – Campus Center Mural 4’x160’
1975 WCVB-TV5, Needham, MA – (two murals)
GROUP (partial list): 1947 First Annual Print Show, Brooklyn Museum, NYC – Purchase Award
1949 New York Public Library, NYC – Purchase Award
1952 New York Art Directors’ Show – Honorable Mention (collage/painting “Night
School” (Mademoiselle Magazine)
1958 Country Art Gallery, Westbury, Long Island, NY
1958 Spiral Group Show, Riverside Museum, NYC
1959 Institute of Jazz Studies, NYC
1959 City Center Gallery, NYC
1959 Spiral Group, Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
1959 Museum of Modern Art, Art Lending Service, NYC
1961 Camino Gallery, NYC
1962 Oakland Art Museum, Art Lending Service, Oakland, CA
1963 Camino Gallery, NYC – “The Last Show”
1963 Silvermine 14th Annual Exhibit, New Canaan, CT
1964 Baltimore Art Museum, Art Lending Service
1964 American Gallery, NYC
1965 Albright-Knox Art Lending Service, Buffalo, NY
1966 American Gallery, NYC
1966 3rd Annual Chelsea Art Festival, NYC
1977 Pleiades Gallery, NYC – “Tenth Street Days”
1980 Boston Jazz Week at the BAC and Tubman House, Boston, MA
1982 Boston Visual Artists Union, Boston, MA
1986 Spiral 2, New Milford, CT
FLORIDA ART FESTIVALS & EXHIBITS:
1987 – Oaks Mall Invitation, Gainesville – 1st Place Award, collage
Downtown Festival, Gainesville – Purchase Award
Center of Excellence Grand Opening, Gainesville
1988 – Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville - Cedar Key Festival
Hippodrome Theatre Gallery, Gainesville - “Birds & Birdcages” exhibit
Center of Modern Art Grand Opening, Gainesville
Festival of the Lakes, Keystone Heights – Ocala Art Festival – Dunedin Art Festival
Downtown Festival, Gainesville
1989 – Mt. Dora – 3rd Place Award – Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville – Cedar Key Festival
Melbourne Art Festival – Mayfaire by the Lake Festival
~ Over 600 paintings, prints and collages in private collections. ~
EDUCATION: 1939-40 Philadelphia College of Industrial Arts
1943-44 Studio of Abe Hankins, Philadelphia, PA
1946-47 The New School, NYC (Rudolph Arnheim and Louis Schanker)
1949-50 Studio of Robert Motherwell, NYC
1950s Discussions at “The Club,” NYC
SOLO EXHIBITS: 1958 Sunken Meadow Gallery, Smithtown, Long Island, NY
1959 Camino Gallery, NYC
1961 Sunken Meadow Gallery, Smithtown, Long Island, NY
1962 City Lights Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1965 American Gallery, NYC
1982 Wessell Library, Tufts University, Medford, MA
1987 University of Florida Art Department Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1989 Thomas Center Mezzanine Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1989 Credit Union Gallery, Gainesville, FL
1990 Art in City Hall, Gainesville, FL – Memorial Exhibit “Reminiscence of NYC Life”
2011 Unity of Gainesville, FL – February & March Artist Exhibit - “Art in the Sanctuary”
INSTALLATIONS: 1973 State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) – Campus Center Mural 4’x160’
1975 WCVB-TV5, Needham, MA – (two murals)
GROUP (partial list): 1947 First Annual Print Show, Brooklyn Museum, NYC – Purchase Award
1949 New York Public Library, NYC – Purchase Award
1952 New York Art Directors’ Show – Honorable Mention (collage/painting “Night
School” (Mademoiselle Magazine)
1958 Country Art Gallery, Westbury, Long Island, NY
1958 Spiral Group Show, Riverside Museum, NYC
1959 Institute of Jazz Studies, NYC
1959 City Center Gallery, NYC
1959 Spiral Group, Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY
1959 Museum of Modern Art, Art Lending Service, NYC
1961 Camino Gallery, NYC
1962 Oakland Art Museum, Art Lending Service, Oakland, CA
1963 Camino Gallery, NYC – “The Last Show”
1963 Silvermine 14th Annual Exhibit, New Canaan, CT
1964 Baltimore Art Museum, Art Lending Service
1964 American Gallery, NYC
1965 Albright-Knox Art Lending Service, Buffalo, NY
1966 American Gallery, NYC
1966 3rd Annual Chelsea Art Festival, NYC
1977 Pleiades Gallery, NYC – “Tenth Street Days”
1980 Boston Jazz Week at the BAC and Tubman House, Boston, MA
1982 Boston Visual Artists Union, Boston, MA
1986 Spiral 2, New Milford, CT
FLORIDA ART FESTIVALS & EXHIBITS:
1987 – Oaks Mall Invitation, Gainesville – 1st Place Award, collage
Downtown Festival, Gainesville – Purchase Award
Center of Excellence Grand Opening, Gainesville
1988 – Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville - Cedar Key Festival
Hippodrome Theatre Gallery, Gainesville - “Birds & Birdcages” exhibit
Center of Modern Art Grand Opening, Gainesville
Festival of the Lakes, Keystone Heights – Ocala Art Festival – Dunedin Art Festival
Downtown Festival, Gainesville
1989 – Mt. Dora – 3rd Place Award – Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville – Cedar Key Festival
Melbourne Art Festival – Mayfaire by the Lake Festival
~ Over 600 paintings, prints and collages in private collections. ~
1990 - May-July - Gainesville, FL - Art in City Hall "Reminiscence of New York City Life" Memorial Exhibit
2011 - Feb-March - Unity of Gainesville, FL - "Jazz + Art at Unity" featuring art exhibit and concert with "jazz jackets"
2011 - Feb-March - Unity of Gainesville, FL - "Jazz + Art at Unity" featuring art exhibit and concert with "jazz jackets"
Interest in Painting
"What interests me in painting," he wrote, "are color shapes placed at random -- consciously and spontaneously developed, modified or eliminated, until an exciting balance and interplay between negative and positive areas occur. I try to express visually what Whitney Balliett said about Jazz, "the element of surprise.""
Background
Artist and professional illustrator, Jon Henry (1916-1990), was a native of Philadelphia and first-born son of immigrant parents from Ireland (his pop) and Germany (his mom). At the age of 5, he was placed in an orphanage to be raised after his mom died in childbirth and his father was unable to raise him and his infant brother Harry. While Jon had a difficult time as a youngster, it did not diminish the creative spirit within him.
Jon attended the Philadelphia College of Industrial Arts and studied with Philadelphia artist, Abe Hankins. At 29, he moved to New York City with his wife and young daughter. It was in NYC that his second daughter was born.
Jon attended the Philadelphia College of Industrial Arts and studied with Philadelphia artist, Abe Hankins. At 29, he moved to New York City with his wife and young daughter. It was in NYC that his second daughter was born.
Jon was employed as a commercial artist and photographer, studied at the New School with Rudolph Arnheim and Louis Schanker, and studied at artist Robert Motherwell’s studio. He was Art Director for Grey Advertising, one of the larger advertising firms in New York City, and also became a member of Camino Art Gallery. For almost 40 years he was a member of that elite group identified as “New York artists.”
He then worked for the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and later as a freelance commercial artist in Newton, MA. Retired to Gainesville in 1986 and continued to paint and participate in numerous art festivals. He joined the Center of Modern Art, the Gainesville Friends of Jazz, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association and the Artitorium.
He then worked for the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and later as a freelance commercial artist in Newton, MA. Retired to Gainesville in 1986 and continued to paint and participate in numerous art festivals. He joined the Center of Modern Art, the Gainesville Friends of Jazz, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association and the Artitorium.
Jon Henry primarily worked in painting and collage although when it came to art his interests and talent incorporated much more. He created works in photography, graphic arts, woodcuts, murals, sculptural displays, multi-media productions using music and multiple slide projectors, created colorful jigsaw puzzles, “color-in” books of abstract art, as well as black ‘n white postcards featuring his humorous graphic commentary on the art world. Jon also wrote and played rhythm guitar; always finding inspiration in his love of jazz.
Jon Henry died in Gainesville, FL, on March 5, 1990, at his home. He was 73.
Jon Henry died in Gainesville, FL, on March 5, 1990, at his home. He was 73.
