Bruce Walters

Bruce Walters (born November 29, 1954 in Davenport, Iowa), is an artist who has exhibited digital artworks, graphite drawings and paintings primarily in the American Midwest. Walters received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and BA from the University of Iowa. He retired from Western Illinois University in 2021 and was conferred with the title Professor Emeritus. [1]

Artwork

Walters' artwork has been included in more than one hundred solo, invitational, and competitive exhibitions.[2][3][4] Working in collaboration with some forty musicians, technicians, scientists and artists, Walters created Exploring NASA, which was first displayed as a 100' wide projection on the exterior of the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibition "NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration" in 2012.[5][6] In December 2013, Exploring NASA was displayed as multiple projections at the Iowa Historical Museum in Des Moines, IA. Multiple Exploring NASA videos and astronaut drawings were exhibited at the Moline International Airport Gallery in 2019.[7][8]

Walters' series of artworks based on Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was exhibited in conjunction with a symphony orchestra concert at the Alder Theatre in Davenport, IA in 2013.[9] [10] His 30' canvas mural of jazz musician, Bix Beiderbecke was displayed on the exterior of the German American Heritage Center and Museum in Davenport, IA in conjunction with a museum and art exhibition in 2015.[11]

Walters has exhibited and published artworks centered on the history, traditions and symbolism of Halloween since 2007. Drawings from the Halloween Flight series were first exhibited at the Des Moines Art Center as part of the Iowa Artists 2008 exhibition.[12] Vultus, a video sequence of one hundred cultural and Halloween masks, was projected on five art centers and galleries in October 2010 -ranging from forty foot high projections on the Figge Art Museum [13][14][15] to an interior projection at the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, IL.[16] The first solo exhibition of Halloween Flight, at the Western Illinois University Art Gallery in 2009, displayed large paintings (the largest 12 x 10'), drawings, digital paintings, lenticular prints, exterior and interior video projections. The exhibition also incorporated dancers, actors and musicians -including a harpsichordist and violinist.[17]

As a graphic designer and illustrator, Walters has created life-sized paintings for permanent display at the Hauberg Museum for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency [18] (temporarily displayed in Millennium Park in Chicago), political cartoons for the Quad City Times’ Editorial page;[19] designed websites and created the artwork for book covers.[20][21][22][23]

Walters' career in education began at Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa where he assisted Alan Garfield in creating the first Bachelor of Arts program in computer graphics in 1984 (recognized by SIGGRAPH). He taught at Marycrest for twelve years, serving as Chairperson of the Communication and Fine Arts Division for six years before beginning to teach at Western Illinois University in 1997. He taught the first graduate art classes at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, IA for Western Illinois University in 2005.[24] Walters also taught computer art classes at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL for ten years, 2000-09.

Walters currently writes a continuing series of feature articles, "Buried Stories" and has written more than fifty "Art in Plain Sight" feature articles on public works of art published in the River Cities Reader. The Art in Plain Sight series began in 2010.[25][26]

References
  1. http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php?release_id=17719
  2. https://www.bhc.edu/event/artspace-gallery-exhibit-drawings-by-bruce-walters/
  3. "Faculty - Department of Art - Western Illinois University". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
  4. http://ilikeillinois.com/living/arts-culture/393-illinois-artist-of-the-month-bruce-walters Illinois Artist of the Month: Bruce Walters JUne 2015
  5. "Figge Art Museum - Exploring NASA". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
  6. "Exhibition, Exploring NASA, Multimedia, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, United-States".
  7. https://ezine.moodiedavittreport.com/ezine-266/airports-as-artports/ Electric Experiences, Cover and feature article, MoodieDavitt Report ezine 266
  8. https://qctimes.com/news/local/davenport-artists-new-airport-exhibit-honors-space-age-accomplishments/article_b45542a9-b62c-56dc-a674-048a6fb601c7.html Davenport artist's new airport exhibit honors space-age accomplishments July 2019
  9. "Quad City Symphony Orchestra | Press Releases". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
  10. https://qctimes.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/visual/qcso-music-inspires-artist-bruce-walters-to-create-his-own-exhibition/article_a0574fc8-84d7-11e2-84e7-001a4bcf887a.html QCSO music inspires artist Bruce Walters to create his own ‘Exhibition’ Quad City Times, March 2013
  11. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2015/07/05/bix-beiderbecke-german-heritage-exhibit/29652843/ Mural and Exhibition: Exhibit celebrates jazz legend's German heritage, Des Moines Register, July 2015
  12. Iowa Artists 2008: Drawing, Des Moines Art Center Downtown, April 25 - August 9, 2008. Artwork page 39, ISBN 978-0-879003-56-9, Library of Congress Control Number 200892606
  13. Morain, Michael (October 27, 2010). "Artist projects spooky masks onto museums". Des Moines Register.
  14. "Slipknot Masks Included in Western Illinois University 'Vultus' Project on Halloween | Roadrunner Records". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
  15. "Animation of Masks in Illinois & Iowa Museums and Centers; "Halloween Flight" Exhibit - Western Illinois University News - Office of University Relations".
  16. https://www.pjstar.com/story/entertainment/local/2010/10/24/halloween-party-video-examines-100/42526118007/ Halloween video examines 100 different masks in 14 minutes, Peoria Journal Star, October 2010
  17. "Bruce Walters' "Halloween Flight" Takes Wing Oct. 27 at WIU Art Gallery - Western Illinois University News - Office of University Relations".
  18. "Faculty Works, Environmental Exhibits on Display at WIU Art Gallery - Western Illinois University News - Office of University Relations".
  19. "Picture perfect | Editorials | qctimes.com".
  20. Passages: A Collection of Personal Histories of Chippiannock Cemetery. Razor Edge Press. 2006, artwork cover, 1, 55, 125, back cover. ISBN 978-0-9774018-1-9
  21. Does The Shed Skin Know It Was Once A Snake?, Sean Leary, CreateSpace, 2011. ISBN 9781467945769, cover artwork
  22. Frankenstein's Mistress: Tales of Love & Monsters, Michael McCarty, Grinning Skull Press, 2020 ISBN 978-1947227569, cover artwork
  23. A Brief History of Bucktown: Davenport's Infamous District Transformed, Jonathan Turner, The History Press, 2018, ISBN 978-1626199095, artwork
  24. WIU Offers Graduate Art Classes at Figge Art Museum
  25. "Art for the Quick and the Dead: Exploring the Sculptures of Quad Cities Cemeteries". Archived from the original on 2014-03-30. Retrieved 2014-05-21.
  26. "Art in Plain Sight: Sol LeWitt Works". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  • Wiebenga, Terri (2006). Passages: A Collection of Personal Histories of Chippiannock Cemetery. Illustrated by Bruce Walters. Razor Edge Press. illustrations: cover, 1, 55, 125, back cover. ISBN 978-0-9774018-1-9.
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