James Graham grew up on the prairies of South Dakota, attended Northern State University, and the University of South Dakota where he received a BFA in Painting, minoring in Classics and Humanities. He worked and painted in the Midwest until 2015, when he moved to Maine.
James Graham taking a break from the studio, 2015
Graham’s work is represented in private and museum collections, including the University of South Dakota, South Dakota Art Museum, Northern State University, Bemis Center for the Arts, and Minnesota West Community College. His work has been exhibited widely in the Midwest for the past 25 years. He is the recipient of a South Dakota Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant in 1993, and two Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Individual Artist Grants funded by the McKnight Foundation, in 2012 and 2015.
Since 2004, Graham has lived with the effects of Chronic Neuro-Lymes disease, which limits his painting activity, usually to just a few hours a day. The various symptoms of the Lymes changed how he approaches painting to a more immediate, looser style over the past 12 years. These physical limitations, combined with extensive reading of art history, philosophy, theology, and criticism, have informed and formed Graham’s personal style.
James Graham
James Graham grew up on the prairies of South Dakota, attended Northern State University, and the University of South Dakota where he received a BFA in Painting, minoring in Classics and Humanities. He worked and painted in the Midwest until 2015, when he moved to Maine.
James Graham taking a break from the studio, 2015
Graham’s work is represented in private and museum collections, including the University of South Dakota, South Dakota Art Museum, Northern State University, Bemis Center for the Arts, and Minnesota West Community College. His work has been exhibited widely in the Midwest for the past 25 years. He is the recipient of a South Dakota Arts Council Emerging Artist Grant in 1993, and two Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Individual Artist Grants funded by the McKnight Foundation, in 2012 and 2015.
Since 2004, Graham has lived with the effects of Chronic Neuro-Lymes disease, which limits his painting activity, usually to just a few hours a day. The various symptoms of the Lymes changed how he approaches painting to a more immediate, looser style over the past 12 years. These physical limitations, combined with extensive reading of art history, philosophy, theology, and criticism, have informed and formed Graham’s personal style.
For more information, see James Graham’s artist statements and James Graham’s resume.
See James’s work highlighted at the Southwest Minnesota Arts Gallery.