In Profile in Blue, Ron Adams expressed—perhaps unconsciously—the frustration so many creative people of limited financial means face: the necessity to subjugate expression of artistic talent to make a living. The printmaker profiled in the lithograph stares wearily into the distance, leaning on the roller but with his back to the press. His fatigue is evident, but so also is a certain unarticulated resolve.
    Shortly after completing Profile in Blue, Adams sold the print shop he owned and directed, and began to devote himself as much as possible to his own art. For twenty-five years he had done what he had been taught as a child to do: go to work every day, all day. He did try to incorporate his love of art into his employment, working as a technical illustrator, a commercial designer, and finally as a printer. He took art classes whenever he could, focusing primarily on drawing, lithography, and metal engraving. His talents became evident during his tenures at Gemini G.E.L. [Los Angeles] and at Editions Press [San Francisco] where he quickly advanced from assistant printer to a Master Printer status and collaborated on etchings and lithographs with artist including, among others, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Ellsworth Kelly, and Francisco Zuniga. When he opened his own press in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among the artists he collaborated with were Judy Chicago, Luis Jiménez, Fritz Scholder, John Biggers, and Charles White.
     Adams’ kinship with Dürer, Goya, Kollwitz, Le Bruhn, and De Erdley, as well as with the Mexican muralists, is apparent in his work, in which the images are rendered classically and with proliferating detail, but in a manner unique to the artist. His style builds on realism, but expands into expressionism. Adams’ palette is largely monochromatic, as he utilizes form and gesture to achieve his intention for each piece. When drawing, Adams works in pen and ink, charcoal, ink wash, or sprayed ink and Conte crayons. Etchings and engravings constitute the remainder of his work.
     The dignity of the individual whose aspirations may be frustrated or never realized is a predominant theme in Adams’ work. His figures are iconic; their musculature is defined to the point of exaggeration, suggesting prolonged toil and struggle. They seem inward, as if absorbed in the difficulties they face and the dreams they are not free to voice, and they seem larger than life, so that one wants to know their stories and learn from them. The full development of the character is supported by the evocative visual details surrounding the figure. The narrative aspect of Adams’ work is more than balanced by its technical expertise. His line is confident, his sense of mass and space strong, his use of light and shadow superb, and his subtle use of color exquisite.
    His early intimation that life is hard seems to have influenced Adams’ art in more ways than subject matter. “I always pick the hardest damn thing I can find,” he says. “I work in a difficult medium. And, for example, I’ll do an engraving before I’ll do an etching. I choose difficult poses—those with foreshortening—and then I set formidable goals. I don’t look for the easy way out.”
     The obstacles in his life have not left Adams dour or bitter. Rather, he is happy, productive, and a contributing member of the art community. He was appointed by the Governor to the New Mexico Arts Commission and nominated by the Mayor of Santa Fe for a recognition award for excellence in the arts. He has been a member of the selection committee for the Capitol Art Foundation collection housed at the New Mexico State Capitol Building and a member of the Visual Arts Advisory Board for the College of Santa Fe. He developed Monothon, a juried annual exhibition that serves as a fundraiser for the college’s art department. He spearheaded an effort to encourage real estate developers to earn tax deductions by donating vacant or underutilized office space for artists to use as studio space. He has taught art at a number of colleges and universities, and has served as a juror for several invitational exhibitions. Adams has exhibited his work since 1966, and is represented in notable public and private collections, including the Albuquerque Museum (NM), the Bronx Museum (NY), the California Afro-American Museum (CA), Hampton University Museum (VA), the Little Rock Fine Art Center (AK), the Museum of Fine Arts (NM), the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (DC), the Roswell Museum (NM), Vanderbilt University (TN) and the Taylor Museum (VA).

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Resume'

Ron Adams
Born: June 25, 1934 - Detroit, Michigan
Marital Status: single

EDUCATION
1955-1956 Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Course Graphic Art
1958 Manual Arts Adult Night School, Los Angeles
Course in Drafting
1959 Los Angeles City College
Course in General Engineering
1960-1962 Los Angles Trade Technical College
Course in Technical Illustration
Course in Commercial Art
1962-1966 Certificate of Trade Proficiency 1963
Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles
Courses in Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture
1965 U.C.L.A.
Course in Advanced Drawing
1967-1968 University of Mexico
Courses in Lithography and Metal Engraving

EMPLOYMENT
1974-1987 Owner/Master Printer, Hand Graphics, Ltd., Santa Fe, NM
1973 Master Printer, Editions Press, San Francisco
1969-1973 Assistant Printer then Master Printer, Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
1968 Commercial Designer chosen by the International Olympic Committee to design poster, murals and motif for the Olympic Stadium, Mexico City
1962-1967 Technical Illustrator, Hughes Aircraft Company - began as a journeyman illustrator; by end of tenure was "Level A" illustrator

SELECTED ART RELATED ACTIVITIES
2002 Artist-in-Residence – Togaloo Art Colony – Togaloo, Mississippi
2002 Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) – Print Seminar – Santa Fe, NM
1992 Panel member for "Common Ground" public forum on printmaking - Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1992 Participating artist - Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA
1993 Guest Artist - Summer Workshop in Drawing - Memphis College of Art & Design, Memphis, TN
1991 Appointed as member of Capitol Art Foundation by the New Mexico Legislature
1991 Panelist for National Multi-Cultural Conference - "On Common Ground" - Santa Fe, NM
1989-1990 Artist in Residence - Hampton University - Hampton, VA
1990 Lithography Workshop - Hampton University in conjunction with the Taylor Museum in Hampton, VA
1988 Juror - Print & Drawing Fellowship Competition - Western States Arts Foundation
1985-1988 Gubernatorial Appointee to the New Mexico Arts Commission
1986-1987 Member - Visual Arts Advisory Board - College of Santa Fe - conceived and directed "Monothon" fundraiser
1986 Juror - "The Human Figure" - Taos Art Association/Stables Art Center
1986 Guest Lecturer - "Prints & Printmaking" - California Museum of Afro-American History and Culture, Los Angeles
1985 Chairman - committee for low-cost studio space for artists - Santa Fe, NM
1984 Guest Lecturer - "Art as a Career" - St. Johns College - Santa Fe, NM
1983 Juror - "Print & Drawing Competition" - Taos Art Association/Stables Art Center - Taos,NM
1983 Demonstrator of Ink Making - Book Arts Festival - Museum of NM, Palace of the Governors - Santa Fe
1981 Guest Instructor - University of Texas, El Paso - Printmaking Department
1979 Curator - "Santa Fe Collects - Master Prints from Private Collections" - Santa Fe Festival of the Arts

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2003 "Progressive Proof: Celebrating 40 years of Collecting at Western Michigan University"
2003 "Real Illusions: Contemporary Art from Nashville Collections" - Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN
2002 Thomas Hall Gallery – Dallas, TX
2001 "Instruments of Art & Communications" – Highlands University – Las Vegas, NM
2001 "Go Figure" – LewAllen Contemporary Art – Santa Fe, NM
2000 "Ron Adams: Master Printmaker" - Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery - Nashville, TN
2000 Group Show – River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
1996 "Southwest ‘96" – Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1994 "Sharing the Dream" - traveling exhibition - Pueblo, CO, Santa Fe, NM, Hampton, VA
1994 "Self Portrait" - David Rettig Fine Arts Inc. - Santa Fe, NM
1993 "Face to Face" - Cloud Cliff Alternative Art Space - Santa Fe, NM
1993 "The Magnificent Subject II" - College of Santa Fe Fine Arts Gallery - Santa Fe, NM
1993 Solo Exhibition, Print Festival - Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles
1992 Solo Exhibition - Clovis Community College - Clovis, NM
1992 "Printmaking in New Mexico 1880-1990" - University of New Mexico Art Museum - Albuquerque, NM
1992 "Printmaking in New Mexico 1880-1990" - Museum of fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1992 "Printmakers 1992" - Sparc Gallery - Venice, CA
1992 June Exhibition - LewAllen Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1992 "Quincentennial Perspective - Artists Discover Columbus" - traveling exhibition NY& NM
1991 Solo Exhibition - Eastern New Mexico University - Portales, NM
1990 "Selections 90" juried exhibition - College of Santa Fe Fine Arts Gallery - Santa Fe, NM
1987 "New Mexico '87" juried exhibition - Purchase Award - Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe NM
1986 "62nd Annual Prints Competition" - Society of American Graphic Artists - New York, NY
1986 "The Human Figure" invitational exhibition - Robert Ewing, curator - TAA/Stable Art Center, Taos, NM
1970 "5th Annual National Print Exhibition" - Springfield College - Springfield, MA
1967 Solo Exhibition - Downey Museum of Art - Downey, CA
1966 Group Show - Prints & Drawings - traveling exhibition to USSR - organized by US State Dept.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM
California Afro-American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
Albuquerque Airport Permanent Collection, Albuquerque, NM
Hampton University Museum, Hampton, VA
Taylor Museum, Hampton, VA
San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino Valley, CA
Golden State Mutual Life Company, Los Angeles, CA
Frank Ribelin, Riberglas, Garland, TX
Dr. Rudolph Kieve, Santa Fe, NM
Dr. Robert Bell, Santa Fe, NM
Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Little Rock Fine Art Center, Little Rock, AR
Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY
Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery, Nashville, TN
National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Mulvane Art Museum Topeka, KS
Roswell Museum, Roswell, NM
Harmon & Hairette Kelly Collection San Antonio, TX
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
MayAnne Howland, Nashville, TN
El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, TX
Kalamazoo Institute of Art, Kalamazoo, MI
Mr. & Mrs. Billy Blanks, Los Angeles, CA
Sprint Corporation K.C., KS
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Nelson / Atkins Museum of Art
Toledo Art Museum, Toledo, OH
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Albrecht Kemper Museum Topeka, KS

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
International Review of African-American Art, Vol. 19, #2
“Progressive Proof" 2003 Western Michigan University
"African-American Prints & Printmaking 1867-2002" 2002 Museum of Contemporary African Diasporian Arts
"About Faces" – 2001 Arkansas Fine Art Center
"HANDS ON - Printmaker Has A Unique Way With The Human Form" by Michael Sims NASHVILLE SCENE - 2/2000
"Read the Fine Printmaker" by Alan Bostick - The Tennessean, February, 2000
"A Master" by Paul McLean - In Review, February, 2000
"Collecting African American Art" by Halima Taha, Crown Publishing, 1998
"Southwest ‘96" Museum of New Mexico
"Voices in New Mexico Art" – Museum of New Mexico
"Contemporary Art in New Mexico"– by Jan Adelmann
"International Review of African American Art", 1992 Logo used on the envelopes
"Printmaking in New Mexico 1880-1990", Clinton Adams, University of New Mexico, Press, 1991
"Artists of 20th Century New Mexico", Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1992
"Hampton University Museum Annual Report” Hampton University, Hampton VA, 1991
"Express Drawing" by Joseph Mugnaini published by Davis Publication Inc. (text book on drawing 1988)
"Hand vs. Machine," Art Lines, 1987
Gemini G.E.L., ''Art and Collaboration," History Between Artists and the Gemini workshop, 1987
Gemini G.E.L., "Art and Collaboration," National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1986
"Pasa Tiempo: Visual Arts," an Interview with Ron Adams, March 1984
"Ten Years In The Ink," Art Lines, June 1984
Artscape, The Santa Fean Magazine, December 1984 & Spring, 1976
"An Interview with Ron Adams," Print New, The International Digest for Printmakers, published by the World Print Council, 1981
"Charles White: Art and Soul" Freedomways, volume 20, #3, 1980
"Black Artists on Art" Contemporary Crafts, Inc, Publishers, 1969

Between 1969 and 1984, Ron Adams did little of his own artwork so that he could concentrate on learning the art of lithography and etching and on running his own successful printmaking atelier. During the fifteen years of printing he has collaborated on both lithographs and etchings with artists such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Ellsworth Kelly and Francisco Zuniga while working in California, and with Judy Chicago, Luis Jimenez, R. C. Gorman, Fritz Scholder, Eugene Newmann, Woody Gwyn, Bruce Lowney, John Biggers, Charles White, and many other artists since establishing Hand Graphics in 1974.

REFERENCES
Stuart Ashman, Officer of Cultural Affairs, State of New Mexico, Santa Fe
Sidney Felson, Owner/Director, Gemini G.E.L. Los Angeles
Dr. Laron Clark, Vice Pres. of Development , Hampton Univ. Hampton Va.