John Taft OPA
Residing in Colorado since 2004, John is originally from western New York, and studied design and art at Rochester Institute of Technology, and then at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His work took him from Los Angeles to Minneapolis and then to New York City where he worked as a Designer and Art Director for a number of design groups and television networks.
Whenever he and his wife would leave “the city” for a weekend, the landscape would have a strong impact on him, reminding him of his upbringing, when, if not playing baseball, he would spend many a summer day working the fields for his father on the family tree nursery, working in “wind and rain and weather”. Living in New York City provided opportunities for a different kind of culture, that of great art in museums and galleries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art became a favorite, as did the Frick Museum and MoMa. Retrospectives on Corot, Monet, Lucian Freud, and exhibits featuring the Hudson River School Painters, Van Gogh, Odd Nerdrum, and George Inness caused John to grow in his appreciation of great art. When he became a “hands off” Design Director in 2001, he decided to get “hands on” and began painting when he could find time between work and a growing family.
9/11 happened, and soon John was meeting weekly just blocks from ground zero, with former National Council of the Arts member, Mako Fujimura, who gathered artists of various disciplines together for coffee and bagels, to engage in discussions of art, faith and purpose. Englishman, Nigel Goodwin, was a guest at the group and became a catalyst for John to pursue this call in the arts, moving his family to Colorado to begin painting in earnest in 2004.
His work has since received a number of awards and honors, including receiving the Gold Award at the OPA invitational Masters Show in 2023 for Covered Ridge and Gold as well for Worthy Ascent at the 2021 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit. In 2022, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas added his painting, Thunder Run, to their permanent collection. In 2018 at the OPA’s National show, his piece received the “Best Signature Award of Excellence”. Other awards and honors include the Fine Art Connoisseur’s Award of Excellence at the National Western Club Show in Denver, two additional “Top Landscape Awards of Excellence” from the Oil Painters of America National Exhibit, plus exhibiting at the Coors Western Art show and the American Masters at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. John is a Signature member of both the Oil Painters of American and Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA).
Awards and Honors:
2024 The Brinton Museum, “Spirit of the Bighorns”, Best in show
2023 Covered Ridge – Gold Award, Oil Painters of America Masters Show.
2022 Thunder Run purchased for permanent collection of Museum of Western Art, Kerrville, TX
2021 Worthy Ascent – Gold Award, Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibit
2018 Best Signature Painting Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National 2015 Award of Excellence, Fine Art Connoisseur, National Western Club Show
2012 Top Landscape Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National
2008 2nd place award, Nomadas del Arte Plein-Air
Selected Exhibitions:
PAPA “Out West” exhibit 2023-2024, Couse-Sharp Historic Site, Taos, NM
Oil Painters of America Masters Exhibit 2023, Illume Gallery West
Artist in Residence 2023, The Brinton Museum, Bighorn, Wyoming
Bighorn Rendezvous 2022, The Brinton Museum, Bighorn, Wyoming
PAPA, Booth Western Art Museum, winter 2022-2023
Bighorn Rendezvous Exhibit and Sale, Brinton Museum, Wyoming, summer 2022
The Heavens Declare, Museum of Western Art, Kerrville, TX, spring 2022
One Man Shows, Vail International Gallery, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2012, 2011, 2010
Coors Western Art Exhibit, National Stock Show, 2017, 2016
Maynard Dixon Country 2018, 2016
National Western Club Show/ in association with Coors Western, 2015, 2014
Oil Painters of America National Exhibit 2018, 2012, 2010, 2008-2006
Small Works Great Wonders, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, 2017
American Masters at the Salmagundi Club New York City, 2011, 2010
America in Miniature, Gilcrease Museum 2008, 2007
Windows to the Divine, Madden Art Museum, Denver, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2009
Selected Publications:
Western Art and Architecture, June/July 2019, feature article:
“Celebrating the West’s Extraordinary Vistas”
Southwest Art, show preview article, July 2017
“Meditations on Winter”, Western Art and Architecture, December/January 2016/2017 “Called to Painting,” Southwest Art, feature article, July 2012
“Inherent to the Land,” American Art Collector, July 2011
“Colorado Beauty,” Western Art Collector, August 2010
Landscapes of Colorado, book published 2007
“Artist to Watch”, Southwest Art, April, 2006.
Education:
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 1979-1981 Design
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA 1981- 1983 Illustration
Art Organization Memberships:
PAPA- Plein Air Painters of America, Signature Member
OPA- Oil Painters of America, Signature Member
Representation:
Claggett-Rey Gallery, Edwards, Colorado
Ballard’s Fine Art, Sheridan, Wyoming