Artists Biography

Mike Holsomback is a well-known artist and art department faculty member at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While being the primary painting instructor at Chattanooga State, Mr. Holsomback is also a productive painter himself, having a considerable regional and national exhibition record. His work has been selected for exhibitions in such venues as: the San Diego Art Institute, the University of Mobile, the Stage Gallery in Merrick, NY, the Huntsville Museum of Art in Huntsville, AL, and Nassau College in Nassau, NY. Mr. Holsomback's paintings and collages are found in the holdings of numerous private, corporate and government collections, including most notably, the corporate law offices of King and Spalding of Atlanta, GA, and the Park Avenue offices of Dr. Jacqueline Dryfoos of New York, NY.

Born in rural north Georgia in 1961, Mike Holsomback is the self described son of a son of a white sharecropper, as his father’s parents lived in a string of depression era sharecropper shacks. It is through his own early veil of poverty, and the illnesses which arise within it, that he has sharpened his vision as a painter. He has seen and participated in the long and often painful journey of southern cultural evolution. Mr. Holsomback’s passion for art developed early, he earned a MFA degree in painting in 1989, and began his teaching career shortly thereafter. He continues to live in north Georgia with his wife and a houseful of rescued cats and dogs, teaching, painting and observing the changing world around him.

Resume

EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Fine Arts / Painting and Drawing
The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
1981-1984
Master of Fine Arts / Painting and Printmaking
East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
1987-1989
EMPLOYMENT:
Art Department, Adjunct Faculty, 1989-Present
Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Chattanooga, TN
Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award-Art Department, 1997

Exhibitions and Awards:
2009- Solo Exhibition, New Work by Michael Holsomback, the Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
2008- Mural, the Chattanooga Humane Education Society, Chattanooga, TN
2008- First Place, the National Arts Program, Memorial Hospital Competition and Exhibition, Chattanooga, TN
2007- Exhibition, Contradictions and Collaborations: New Work by Michael Holsomback and Ken Page, the Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2006- Group Exhibition, New Work by Michael Holsomback, Ken Page, Jeff Morris and Moe Mitchell, the Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2006- Individual Artist Grant, Allied Arts of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
2006- Exhibition and representation, the Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2006- Regional, Publication and reviewed in Creative Loafing, Felicia Feaster, Atlanta, GA
2005- Exhibition and representation, Chrysalis Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2005- Exhibition and representation, Studios on the Square Gallery, Roanoke, VA
2005- National Publication, New American Paintings Journal, Volume 58, Southern Edition, Open Studios Press, Boston, MA
2005- Solo Exhibition, Bad Days, Better Days and Dog Days, Association for Visual Artists, Chattanooga, TN
2004- Solo Exhibition, Bad Days, Better Days and Dog Days, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
2003- Group Exhibition, Carrollton Cultural Arts Center, Carrollton, GA
2003- Solo Exhibition, Bad Days, Better Days and Dog Days, Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, TN
2002- Art at Work in Chattanooga, a one year Corporate Lending Exhibition, Developmental Resource Center, Chattanooga, TN
2002- Artstravaganza, 15th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Juror- Robert Stackhouse, The Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN
2001- Solo Exhibition, Association for Visual Artists Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2001- Art at Work in Chattanooga, Corporate Lending Exhibition, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprises Offices, Chattanooga, TN
2000- The Red Clay Survey, the Eighth Biennial Regional Exhibition of Contemporary Southern Art, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL
1999- Purchase Award, Art in the City, a Juried Exhibition and Competition, Chattanooga City Hall, Chattanooga, TN
1999- Festival ‘99, 36th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1999- Artstravaganza, Twelfth Annual National Juried Exhibition, The Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN
1998- Curator’s Special Mention for Excellence, Solo Show National Competition, the Stage Gallery, Merrick, NY
1998- Merit Award, Art with a Southern Drawl, Southeastern Regional Competition and Exhibition, University of Mobile, Mobile, AL
1997- Curator’s Choice Award, Mixed-Media ’97, National Competition and Exhibition, the Stage Gallery, Merrick, NY
1997- Festival ‘97, Regional Competition and Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1997- Art with a Southern Drawl, Southeastern Regional Competition and Exhibition, University of Mobile, Mobile, AL
1996- 4th Annual Salon Show, a Regional juried Exhibition, The River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
1995- Festival 95, Creative Arts Guild Regional Competition and Exhibition, Dalton, GA
1994- South 94, Tennessee Valley Art Association Southeastern Regional Competition and Exhibition Tuscumbia, AL
1994- Artstravaganza, National Competition and Exhibition, the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN
1993- Grumbacher Gold Medallion Award, Festival 93, a Regional Competition and Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1992- People’s Choice Award, Area Artists Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1991- Best in Show Award, Festival 91, Regional Competition and Exhibition, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, GA
1990- First Place Award, Area Artists Show, Cleveland State Community College, Cleveland, TN
1990- Works on Paper Exhibition, National Competition and Exhibition, Nassau Community College, Nassau, NY
1989- Best in Show Award, 25th Annual Regional Exhibition, First American Bank, Kingsport, TN
1989- Best in Show Award, Cabaret for the Arts, Regional Competition and Exhibition, Johnson City, TN
1988- 34th Annual National Competition and Exhibition, San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, CA

Collections:

2008- Collection of the Chattanooga Humane Education Society, Chattanooga, TN
2008- Collection of David Hutton, Chattanooga, TN
2008- Collection of Bruce and Denise Heinly, Chattanooga, TN
2008- Collection of Laurel Abernathy, Fort Oglethorpe, GA
2008- Collection of Pearl Hogan, Ringgold, GA
2007- Collection of Jonathan and Jabrina Willard, Chattanooga, TN
2006- Collection of Vernon Abrams, Atlanta, GA
2005- Collection of Nathan Gorman, Atlanta, GA
2005- Collection of Paul Grant, Chattanooga, TN
2005- Collection of Leslie Graiter, Atlanta, GA
2004- Collection of Susan Robinson, Executive Director, Arts and Education Council, Chattanooga, TN
2004- Collection of King and Spalding Corporate Law Offices, Atlanta, GA
2004- Collection of Robert Webb, Dalton, GA
2004- Collection of Andreas Brumwhiler, Dalton, GA
2004- Collection of Muncie Cooper, Rocky Face, GA
2004- Collection of Chriss and Cheryl Suddeth, Dalton, GA
2004- Collection of Stephanie Byrd, Atlanta, GA
2004- Collection of Mark and Tammie Wood, Chattanooga, TN
2003- Collection of the City of Chattanooga, TN / Developmental Resource Center, Chattanooga, TN
2003- Collection of Bob Bullard, Chattanooga, TN
2003- Collection of Stroud and Cynthia Watson, Chattanooga, TN
2002- Collection of Robyn and Victor Jabour, Chattanooga, TN
2001- Collection of Margy Oehmig, Chattanooga, TN
2001- Collection of Charlotte Landis, Chattanooga, TN
2001- Collection of Brad Reagan, Cleveland, TN
2000- Collection of the Chattanoogan Hotel, Chattanooga, TN
1999- Collection of the City Hall of Chattanooga, TN
1999- Collection of Bill and Lori Crosly, Dalton, GA
1999- Collection of Lauren Pieniaszek, Chattanooga, TN
1998- Collection of Olga deKlien, Chattanooga, TN
1998- Collection of Dr. Jacqueline Dryfoos, New York, NY
1997- Collection of Joe and Janet Helseth, Chattanooga, TN
1997- Collection of Mark and Tammie Wood, Chattanooga, TN
1997- Collection of Chattanooga State Community College, Humanities Department, Chattanooga, TN
1997- Collection of Sally Chazen, Chattanooga, TN
1996- Collection of Eddie Reddish, Signal Mountain, TN
1994- Collection of Chattanooga State Community College Library, Chattanooga, TN
1994- Collection of David Crownover, Chattanooga, TN
1994- Collection of John Talbott, Chattanooga, TN
1992- Collection of Bill Grant / the Design Company, Dalton, GA
1991- Collection of Bill Grant / the Design Company, Dalton, GA
1982- Collection of Dalton College, Dalton, GA

You may also click here to download the resume .

Shows

Upcoming Shows:  "New Work by Mike Holsomback" Belmont University, Nashville, TN , 2010