Called an "Expressionist without angst" (Ken Johnson, Art in Review), Connelly's work is executed in  myriad styles, textures and pallets.  In 1989, his paintings were  featured in Martin Scorsese's film, "New York Stories: Life Lessons."  The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not For Sale, a documentary directed by Jeff Stimmel, premiered at the L.A. Film Festival in June 2008 and was shown on HBO in July 2008.  The film included much footage of the artist's personal struggles, his darkest sides, but when the focus became his paintings, the sun came right out.
 
A canvas painted by Chuck Connelly is an exploration, and in many cases, an insightful journey.  In his existential work titled The Drain, 1985, he dares us to explore our own consciousness and our relationship to time, space and the universe. The White Flag, 1992, depicts a temporary truce in urban life; we stand at the front of a decimated lot in the East Village, with optimism and peace expressed by a single white flag. 

Each of his paintings has a thematic motif which provokes thought, question and/or a response.

Education:

1977  Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA, B.F.A.

Awards and Grants:

1999  Gottlieb Foundation Grant.

Solo Exhibitions:

2008  “Selected Work,” 1977-2008, DFN Gallery, New York, NY
“In Fashion,” Knapp Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2007  “East Oak Lane,” DFN Gallery, New York, NY

2005  DFN Gallery, New York, NY

2004  Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Arts, New York, NY

2002  Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY

2001  “Chuck Connelly: Paintings 1996-2001,” Galerie L’Enfant, Washington, DC

1999  Chuck Connelly: Paintings 1990-1998,” Galerie L’Enfant, Washington, DC

Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY

1998  Alexander de Folin, New York, NY

1997  Alexander de Folin, New York, NY

1996  Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY

1994  “Chuck Connelly: Flowers,”  Exhibition Space, Elizabeth Moore, Curated by Mary Lou Swift, New York, NY
Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY

1993  Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1992  “Chuck Connelly: Portraits,” Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY

Lennon, Weinberg, New York, NY    

1991  Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

1990  “Chuck Connelly: New Paintings 1989-1990,” New York, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc. October 4-November 10   (Catalogue.)

1989  “Chuck Connelly: New Paintings,”  New York, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., March 11-April 22

1988  “Chuck Connelly,” Thomas Segal Gallery, Boston  

1987  Rome, Galleria La Planita. (Catalogue).

“Chuck Connelly,” New York, Annina Nosei Gallery, April 4-30

1986  “Chuck Connelly,” Los Angeles, Asher/Faure Gallery, January 7-February 1 New York, Annina Nosei Gallery

1985  “Chuck Connelly: Paintings,” Philadelphia, Lawrence Oliver Gallery.  May 17-June 11

 “Chuck Connelly: Paintings,” New York, Annina Nosei Gallery. November 16-December 12 (Catalogue.)

1984  Chicago, Northern Illinois University Art Gallery

1984  New York, Serra di Felice Gallery

“Chuck Connelly: Paintings,” New York, Annina Nosei Gallery. October 6-31

1982“Chuck Connelly: Bilder and Sculpturen,” Dusseldorf, West Germany, Arno Cohen. December 3, 1982 - January 12, 1983

Group Exhibitions:

2007  “Wet,” DFN Gallery, New York, NY

“New York at Night,” DFN Gallery, New York, NY

2005  “10th Anniversary Show,” DFN Gallery, New York, NY

2005  “Animal Tales,” DFN Gallery, New York, NY

2004  “Summer Group Show,”  Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2002  “Aviary,” Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, NY

2002  “New Year New York New Work,” Lennon, Weinberg Inc. New York, NY, January 19- February 16

2000  “THE FIGURE Another Side of Modernism,” Staten Island, NY, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art   Curated by Lilly Wei.

1999  “Looking for the Light,” The Gallery on the Hudson, Irvington, New York, March 7-April 11 Curated by Lester P. Kane

1998  Group Exhibition, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc. New York, NY, Ferbruary 6-March 7

“Summer Show,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, June 9-July 31    

1997  “Intimate Universe (Revisited),” Robert Steele Gallery, New York, NY, April 2-26 Curated by Michael Walls.

1996    “Rediscovering the Landscape of the Americas,” Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, July 12-August 26

Traveled to: Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, January-March 1997;

Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, April-June 1997;

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico, June-August 1997;

Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, NY, Sept.-Nov. 1997, and elsewhere. (Catalogue: Text by Allan Gussow)

1995  “A Gift of Vision: The William A. Susan S. Small Collection,” The Tucson Museum of Art, Tuscon, AZ, December 22,1995-February 11,1996 (Catalogue.)

Group Exhibition, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, September 5-30

1994  “Gallery Artists,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, January 8-29

“Novices Collect: Selections from the Sam and May Gruber Collection,” The Currier Gallery of Art.  Manchester, NH, September 11-December 4 (Catalogue.)

“Le Cirque,” Renee Fotouhi Fine Arts East, East Hampton, NY, July-August

“Transport,” Maier Museum of Art, Lynchburg, Virginia, October 23-December 11

“Songs of the earth: Twenty-Two American painters of the Landscape,” AHI Gallery, New York, NY, October 26-November 26

1993  “Recent  Acquisitions,” Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, New York, NY, February-March

“Men, Myths & Masculinities,” LedisFlam, New York, NY, May 27-June 26. Curated by Amanda Trager

“Interior Outlook,” The Gallery at Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, Municipal Building, October 24-December 5. Curated by Lester P. Kane

1992  “Big Ideas,” Tuscon Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ, June-July 26

1991  “American Narrative Painting  and Sculpture: The 1980’s.” Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, NY,  From the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  August 4-November 3   (Catalogue.)

“Personal Portraits,” Annina Nosei Gallery. New York, NY, January-February

“Directions,” Locks Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

“Spring/Summer Exhibition, Part One: Painters,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY May 18-June 22

1990  Group Show, Annina Nosei Gallery, New York, NY, January 3-24

“A Group Exhibition,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, January 10-February 24

Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, September 6-29

1989  Group Exhibition, Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, January 24-February 25

“The New/Old Landscape,” University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ, January 20-February 14   (Checklist.)

“Painting and Sculpture,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, May 2-June 3

“American, Italian, Mexican Art from the Collection of Francesco Pellizzi,”  Hempstead, NY, Hofstra Museum, Hofstra University, April 16-May 26

Traveled to: Bethlehem, PA, Ralph Wilson Gallery, Lehigh University Art Galleries,

Lehigh University,   September 8-November 2 (Catalogue.)

“Works on Paper,” Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., New York, NY, June 13-August 11

1986  “Landscape, Seascape, Cityscape,” Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA Traveled to: New York, New York Academy Center

“Fifth Anniversary Exhibition,” Lawrence Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 

“David Bowes, Michael Byron, Chuck Connelly, McDermott & McGough,” Mario Diacono Gallery, Boston, MA,  April 11-May 3 (Catalogue.)

“Summer Group Show,” Annina Nosei Galery, New York, NY

“Painting and Sculpture Today: 1986.,” Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN 

“Aspects of Nature,” Aldrich Museum of Cotemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT      

“New Narrative Painting: Selections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ, March 14-April 27

1985  “Nuove Trame dell’Arte,” Genazzano, Palazzo Cononna, Rome, Italy.Curated by Achille Bonito Oliva

“The Door Show,” Annina Nosei Gallery, New York, NY

“Drawing the Line-Painting,” Annina Nosei Gallery, New York, NY    

1984  “Dialoghi Nell’Arte: New Lanscape Painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Ducale, Gubbio, Perugia, Italy, Palazzo, June 16-September 30

“New Narrative Paintings from the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” D.F., Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico, November-December

“American Neo-Expressionists,” Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT  “Summer Group Show,” Annina Nosei Galery, New York, NY      

1983  Susan Caldwell Gallery, New York, NY

Serra di Felice Gallery, New York, NY

1981  P.S. 122, Long Island City, NY

1980  Cheltenham Art Center, Philadelphia, PA

Public Collections:

Broad Family Foundation, Santa Monica, California.

Brooklyn Museum, New York.

Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Ithaca, New York.

J.B. Speed Museum, Louisville, Kentucky.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Palm Spring Desert Museum, California.

Portland Art Museum, Oregon.

Tampa Museum of Art, Florida.

Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona.

University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona.

Film Credit:

HBD Documentary Film Series. “The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale,” Produced and Directed by Jeff Stimme

New York Stories. “Life Lessons” segment, Dir. Martin Scorcese. Perf. Nick Nolte. Feat. Paintings by Chuck Connelly, 1989.                   

A&E Biography.  Feat. Nick Nolte, 1999.

Selected Publications and Reviews:

Exhibition Catalogues:

Chuck Connelly. East Oak Lane, New York, NY: DFN Gallery, 2007.

Chuck Connelly. New York, NY: DFN Gallery, 2005.

Chuck Connelly.  Washington D.C.: Galerie L’Enfant, 2001.

The Figure: Another Side of Modernism. Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, NY, 2000.

Chuck Connelly. New York, NY: Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., 1996.

American Narrative Painting and Sculpture: The 1980’s. From the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Roslyn Harbor, NY: Nassau County Museum of Art, 1991.

Chuck Connelly. New York, NY: Lennon, Weinberg, Inc., 1990.

Pellizzi Francesco and others. 1979-1989 American, Italian, Mexican Art from the Collection of Francesco Pellizzi.  Hempstead, NY: Hofstra Museum, Hofstra University, 1989.

Aspects of Nature: A Contemporary View of Nature.  Ridgefield, CT: Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, 1986.                                                                        

The Burning Brush. Boston, MA: Mario Diacono Gallery, 1986.

Chuck Connelly. Philadelphia, PA: Locks Gallery, 1985.

Becker, Robert, “Chuck Connelly’s Architecture,” Chuck Connelly. New York, NY: Annina Nosei Gallery, 1985.

Periodicals:

Kreime, Julian, “Chuck Connelly.” Art in America October 2007

“Philadelphia Freedom,” American Art Collector Review March 2007

Heller, Karen, “Paint and Life by the Gobs,” The Philadelphia Inquirer 22 March 2007

“Art,” The New York Times 28 March 1999: Westchester Section. (Reproduction of The Studio,1998.)

Bonney, Anne, “Profiles & Positions: Chuck Connelly.” BOMB Summer 1991: pp. 32-34.

Boyce, Roger, “Chuck Connelly.”Art in America March 2003: pp. 122-123.

“Chuck Connelly,” The New York Times 29 November 1985.

Cohen, Ronny, “Chuck Connelly.” Art Forum February 1993.

Cyphers, Peggy, “Chuck Connelly,” Arts Magazine January 1991: p. 101.

“On Galleries,” The Philadelphia Inquirer 1 June 1985.

English, Jane, “Chuck Connelly: Lennon, Weinberg.” ARTnews September 1989: p.184.

“Lollypop mit Kapfauf Stengel,”  Rheinische Post 17 December 1984.

“The Art Galleries: Chuck Connelly,” Los Angeles Times 19 January 1986.

Gimmelson, Deborah, “Lights, Camera, Art.” Art & Auction January 1989: pp.112-114.

“A Neo-Expressionist Survey that’s Worth a Journey,” The New York Times 22 July 1984.

Gonchar, Joann, “Chuck Connelly.” Cover March 1995.

“Chuck Connelly,” The New York Times 12 October 1984.

Hartney, Eleonore, “Chuck Connelly.” Flash Art February-March 1986.         

“Chuck Connelly at Lennon, Weinberg,” Art in America May 1992: pp. 140-141.

Johnson, Ken, “Chuck Connelly at Lennon, Weinberg,” The New York Times 11 October 2002.

Kaplan, Cheryl, “Chuck Connelly at Lennon, Weinberg,”   ARTnews January 2003: p. 122.

Larson, Kay, “I Hear America Thinking,” New Yorker Magazine December 1985.

Levin, Kim, “The Familiar and the Sublime,” The Village Voice 11 September 1984.

“Voice Choices: Chuck Connelly,”  The Village Voice 20 December 1994: p.8.

“Voice Choices: Chuck Connelly”, The Village Voice 4 June 1996.

Lipson, Karin, “Summer, Clowns and Flesh.” Newsday 15 July 1994.

Low, Charlotte, “Local artists come up big at TMA ,” Citizen  Tucson, AZ:1992.

“Moving Pictures,” New Yorker Magazine 24 April 1989: p. 86.

Naves, Mario, “Rumbling with Love,” The New York Observer 7 October 2002.

Newhall, Edith, “Chuck Connelly,” ARTnews  April 1992: p. 120.

“Openings: Chuck Connelly,” Esquire Magazine May 1984.

“Chuck Connelly,” The New Yorker 19 December 1994.

Page, Judith, “Chuck Connelly,” Art Papers March 1995.

Table of Contents Illustration, Paris Review Winter 1993: p.12.

Pohlen, Annelie, “Hiroshima und Danach,” Kunstforum International February 1983.

Raynor, Vivien, “The Door Show,” The New York Times June 28, 1985 .

“Chuck Connelly,” The New York Times 17 April 1987.

“Views of Nature on Exhibit at Ridgefield’s Expanded Aldrich,” The New York Times 11 January 1986: p.30.

Regan, Margaret, “The Power of Paint,” The Tucson Weekly, 1 July 1992: p. 23.

Schwabsky, Barry, “Chuck Connelly,” Arts Magazine February 1986.

Servetar, Stuart, “Chuck Connelly,” The New York Press 15 May 1996.

Silverstein, Joel, “Chuck Connelly,” Review Magazine November 1999.

Smith, Roberta, “The Art World Painted in Films,” The New York Times 5 April 1989: p. C19.    

Solomon, Deborah, “Back To Nature,” House & Garden Magazine November 1988: p. 64.

Sozanski, Edward J., “On Galeries: Locks Gallery,” The Philadelphia Inquirer 31 October 1991, p. 5-D.

Westfall, Stephen, “Chuck Connelly at Lennon, Weinberg,”  Art in America December 1989: p.171.

Yau, John, “Chuck Connelly,” Artforum March 1986.

Zimmer, William, “Gaining Space & Optimism, Two Galleries Head North,” The New York Times 4 April 1999: Westchester Section.   

Sources include:
the artist