CAROLE FREEMAN
Carole Freeman is an American and Canadian contemporary figurative artist known for evocative portraits and narrative paintings of cultural, social, political, and personal significance. The subjects of her pictures are intensely rendered with a distinctive intimacy, whether they are celebrities, artists, historical or newsworthy figures, family, friends, or strangers.
Freeman works from both life and varied source material such as found and personal photographs, film stills, mass media images, or famous artworks. Her paintings, produced with gestural brushmarks and a command of drawing, are processed through close observation and an instinctual understanding of the time in which she lives.
Freeman currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada.
"These transporting portraits are beautiful meditations in paint...Each is rendered lovingly and intensely; the works impart that the chariot to greatness comes in many forms ... "
Jerry Saltz
New York Magazine, April 15, 2018
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
Unsung, Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY.
2016
Something About Winnipeg, Gurevich Fine Art, Winnipeg, Canada.
Selections 2012-2016, Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Canada.
2011
Portraits From Facebook, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Canada.
Doing the Docs, Toronto International Film Festival Headquarters Hyatt Regency Hotel, Toronto, Canada.
2010
If the Paparazzi Could Paint, International Film Festival Official Headquarters Hyatt Regency Hotel, Toronto, Canada.
If the Paparazzi Could Paint, Rebecca Gallery, Toronto, Canada.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS ART FAIRS
2018
Satellite Art Show, Curatious, Miami, FL.
Boston Iternational Fine Art Show, Brenda Taylor Gallery, Boston, MA.
Art New York, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, New York, NY.
2017
Young Masters, Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK.
Art +, Van Der Plas Gallery, New York, NY.
2015
ArtToronto, Gurevich Fine Art, Toronto, Canada.
2014
ArtToronto, Gurevich Fine Art, Toronto, Canada.
Classical Values: Modern and Contemporary Drawing, Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, California.
Women's Art, Gurevich Fine Art, Winnipeg, Canada.
2013
Women's Art Now, Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles, California.
2012
Art Takes Times Square, New York, New York.
COMMISSIONS
2018
Portrait Commission, The Glass House, New Canaan, CT.
2016-18
Three paintings for Collection Jerry Saltz (Senior Art Critic, New York Magazine) and Roberta Smith (Senior Art Critic, NY Times), New York, NY.
2014
Twins (Five Paintings), Private Collection, Toronto, Canada.
2012
Portrait of Leslie Sacks, Published in African Art from the Leslie Sacks Collection, Skira.
2010-11
Nine Drawings of Man Friday, Commissioned by Blue Leaf Gallery for Lord and Lady Glentorran, Dublin, Ireland.
Portraits of Norman Jewison, David Mirvish, and Ucal Powell, Harold Green Theatre Company, Toronto, Canada.
Four Paintings of Bert, Private Collection, Toronto, Canada.
Portrait of Jeremy Chilnick, Commissioned by Morgan Spurlock, New York, NY.
TALKS
2018
Brown University, Visiting Artist Lecture, Providence, RI, November 7, 2018.
2012
Canadian Arts Summit, Guest Panelist, Making Art in the Age of New Media, Moderated by Janet Carding, Director, Royal Ontario Museum, Banff Centre, Canada.
Portrait Painting Party, Edward Day Gallery, Toronto, Canada.
GRANTS AWARDS RESIDENCIES
1990
University of Toronto, Visual Art Award, Faculty of Education, Toronto, Canada.
1982
Canada Council, Project Cost Grant, Montreal, Canada.
1980
La Cite Internationale des Arts, Four Month Residency, Paris, France.
1979
Royal College of Art, Travel Award, Italy.
1978
Canada Council, Project Cost Grant, London, England.
COLLECTIONS
Art Bank, Ottawa, Canada. Continental Oil Company, London, UK. Royal College of Art, London, UK., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. York University, Toronto, Canada, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, Winnipeg, Canada.
Private Collections: UK, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Australia, USA including Guy and Nora Barron Collection, Jerry Saltz and Roberta Smith Collection, Morgan Spurlock, Leslie Sacks Estate, Stefan Olsson (Stena Sphere), Brian Levitt (Chair, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / TD Bank Financial Group), and Lord and Lady Glentoran Collection.
PRESS
The Brown Daily Herald
Visiting artist aims to show 'ray of hope' in paintings. Jango McCormick, November 12, 2018.
New York Magazine
To Do: April 18–May 2, 2018. Jerry Saltz, April 15, 2018.
The Guardian
Unsung heroes: portraits of figures who deserve artistic recognition. Nadja Sayej, March 16, 2018.
Wall Street International
Carole Freeman, 17 Mar — 22 Apr 2018 at Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York. March 28, 2018.
Artnet News
Editors' Picks: 14 Things to See in New York This Week. Sarah Cascone, March 12, 2018.
Editors' Picks: 14 Things to See in New York This Week. Sarah Cascone, April 16, 2018.
Winnipeg Free Press
Painting the Faces of Winnipeg. Alison Gilmore, October 31, 2016.
Canadian Art
Must-Sees This Week: November 3 to 9, 2016. November 3, 2016.
Artoronto
Carole Freeman's Selections 2012-2016 at Walnut Contemporary. David Saric, August, 2016.
Arabella
Surprise Appearances. Gary Michael Dault, Summer Issue, 2016.
Globe and Mail
Carole Freeman Finds Her Muse on Facebook. James Adams, 2 December 2011.
Carole Freeman's Facebook Friends. December 2, 2011.
The National Post
Portraits from Pokes. 1 December 2011.
Celebrity Apprentice. 9 September 2010.
Berkshire Fine Arts
Friend Me: Portraits and Projects, Carole Freeman. 22 January 2012.
Canadian Jewish News
Getting Friended With a Paintbrush. 15 December 2011.
Akimbo Art and Tech
Carole Freeman Unplugged. James Fowler, April 10, 2012.
Otino Corsano
Global Paint Party. 5 January 2012.
ArtStars
Carole Freeman. Nadja Sayej, 2 December 2011.
The Star Blogs
Pretty As a Picture. 15 September 2011.
Radio
Friend Me at The Edward Day Gallery. Here and Now, CBC Radio, 1 December 2011.
EDUCATION
1991
Bachelor of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
1980
Master of Arts, Royal College of Art, School of Painting, London, England.
1977
Bachelor of Fine Arts Honors (Dean's Honors List), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.