John DeFrance - Artist Biography and Artist Statement

  My first memories of art were from elementary school. I did not care much about school but I was determined to have the best art project. Things did not change much as time went on and school never seemed to catch my fancy until college. I attended Texas Tech University, University of North Texas, Italy and back to Texas Tech University where I graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in painting. Eventually realizing that employers were not beating down the door to hire recent BFA graduates I decided to move to Santa Fe, New Mexico and embark on a dream.

  The dream led me to Colorado, Los Angeles, New York, England and eventually Dallas, Texas in 1998. Dallas was kind enough to introduce me to my future wife and she was kind enough to later introduce me to my daughter in 2008. We currently reside in Midland Texas, a place of little distraction and also where I spent most of my youth.

  While in Dallas, I co-founded a mural business (Resurrection Art Group Services) with my friend and mentor Daniel Emmerick Pedigo This business provided us with many opportunities to work for some of the prominent Dallas families. For me it felt as if I was getting paid to go back to school. The challenges, the expectations, the struggles, truly began to forge my artistic skills. We were forced to become sound in multiple artistic disciplines to compete and I believe that is evident in my body of work as a whole.

  Creating art has truly been a passion as long as I can remember. It?s like a parrot on my shoulder that won?t shut up. I have been creating almost daily for 20 years and I feel like I am just now getting warmed up.

Fluidity, state of change, evolution.

A reflection of the principles in life that allow us to evolve, adapt, overcome.

Discover in failure, experiment, and experience.

Bathe in a moment.

Risk, trust, UN-predict the future and pray obedient.

Art, a rebellious escape of who you have become.

A willing pursuit, revealing the nature of who we truly are.

Limitless.

John DeFrance 2012

 Exhibitions

• 2006 Meyer-Munson Gallery; Santa Fe, NM
• 2005 Edmund Craig Gallery; Ft. Worth, TX
• 2005 Barry Whistler Gallery; Dallas, TX "A Friend in Deed"
• 2005 Heliotrope Gallery; Ft. Worth
• 2004 Ft. Worth Central Library Gallery; "Texas Contemporary"
• 2004 Ft. Worth Cultural Arts Center; People’s Choice Winners of the 39 Hr. Show
• 2004 Ft. Worth Cultural Arts Center; "39 Hour Show"2002 National Cowgirl Museum; Ft. Worth, TX
• 2000 The Blackthorn; Gallery Wirral, England "Texas Uncovered"
• 1998 Midland Convention Center; Midland, TX "Celebration of the Arts"
• 1997 Gallery 1114; Midland, TX "Inspired by the Classics"
• 1997 Monica Hoelzer Gallery; New York, NY. "Fusion for Hope"
• 1996 Monica Hoelzer Gallery; New York, NY
• 1996 Monica Hoelzer Gallery; New York, NY "MOHO Art Group Exhibition"
• 1996 500X Gallery; Dallas, TX1995 Gen-Art Southwest; Santa Fe, NM "New Talent Search Exhibition"
• 1994 R.Carroll Gallery; Ouray, CO. "Panacea"
• 1993 Texas Tech University; Lubbock, TX "Innocence and Arrogance"

 Honors and Awards

• 2004 "39 Hour Show" FWCAC; People’s Choice Award 2nd Place out of 765 Artists
• 2002 National Cowgirl Museum art auction; "Mighty Aphrodite" 2nd highest selling price in show, acquired by the collection of Ed Bass of Ft. Worth
• 1995 One of fifteen artists selected for Gen-Art "New talent Southwest Exhibition", Santa Fe, NM.
• 1994 "Midland Arts Association 17th Annual Art Exhibition" Award for Realism
• 1992 Selected Student Ambassador to Italy
• 1991 Texas International Press State Competition 2nd Place Overall
• 1991 Texas International Press State Competition 1st Place Cover Design
• 1989 Texas International Press State Competition 1st Place Non-Photographic Illustration