Born 1977, Oklahoma City, OK
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
Favoring malleable structures and expressive color palettes, Wheat’s tactile paintings merge process and narrative to ponder individual and collective human experience as seen through various moments in art history. Drawing on rich traditions from Egyptian relief sculptures to Modernist painting, Wheat’s textural art objects destabilize material boundaries and elevate quotidian life through scale and movement. Borrowing from the logic of medieval tapestries hung as symbols of authority, Wheat allows acrylic paint to ooze through fine wire mesh causing figures to emerge and dance upon lush, fiber-like surfaces that coalesce into heroic history paintings.
Born in Oklahoma City, the artist’s understanding of institutional art centered on Native American traditions of art production, focusing special attention on the connection between human and animal behavior respective to their environment. Rather than making quaint the lives of those who struggle, Wheat dignifies her subjects and decidedly refutes the gender specific representations found in various cultures through history by swapping women into the traditional roles of men. Her figurative scenes aggrandize the invisible work of women by focusing on both their experience and their craft.
Wheat’s practice deftly flattens hierarchies between the fine and domestic arts and crafts, embracing the intuition of felt experience as rival to conventional reason and logic. Inserting swaths of gold leaf and jeweled embellishments, Wheat meticulously makes the mundane regal and monumental.
EDUCATION
2005
Savannah College of Art and Design, M.F.A.
2000
University of Central Oklahoma, B.A.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020
Summer Wheat: Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Kemper Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO
Summer Wheat: Shallow Water, Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Luxembourg
2019
Summer Wheat: Heavy Lifting, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY
Summer Wheat: Royal Jelly, Dirimart, Istanbul
Summer Wheat, Wasserman Projects, Detroit, MI
2018
Catch and Release, Shulamit Nazarian Gallery, Los Angeles
Gamekeepers, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY
Frieze Art Fair, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY
Summer Wheat: Inside the Garden, Smack Mellon, Brooklyn, NY
2017
Earth Tones, Braverman Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
Full Circle, curated by Nina Bozicnik, Henry Museum of Art, Seattle, WA
Noble Metal, Savannah College of Art and Design, Trois Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2016
Pry the Lid Off, Oklahoma Contemporary Museum of Art, Oklahoma City
NADA NY, solo booth project, presented by Fridman Gallery
2015
Walk-In Pantry, Fridman Gallery, New York, NY
2014
NADA NY, solo booth project, represented by Samson Gallery
Everything Under the Sun, Pocket Utopia, New York, NY
2013
Few and Far Between, Cress Gallery of Art, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, TN
2012
Hi - Lo, Samsøn, Boston, MA
It Was The Best of Times, Valentine, Ridgewood, NY
Purple Buff, TPP, Puerto Rico
2007
Succulent, 2 Car Garage Gallery, Savannah, GA
2005
No Dumping, Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, GA
Office Work, Orleans Hall, Savannah, GA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
In Vivid Color, Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
2019
Summer Exhibition: Recent Works, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY
America Will Be! Surveying the Contemporary Landscape, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
The Magnetic Fields, Gio Marconi, Milan, Italy
Summer Wheat, Galerie Anne de Villepoix, Paris
2018
Summer of Love, Freight + Volume, New York, NY
SEED, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York
2017
The Secret Life of Plants, Freight+Volume, New York, NY
Jillian Meyer, Dasha Shishkin, Summer Wheat, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York
Hard, curated by Samuel Toabe, University Hall Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA
Character Study, Gutstein Gallery, Savannah, GA
2016
Art Bo Art Fair, Y Gallery, Bogota, Colombia
Crossroads Art Fair, Y Gallery, London, UK
Untitled Art Fair, DeChiara Projects, New York
We Run Things, Y Gallery, New York
2015
Common Thread, Mixed Greens, New York, NY
2014
More Material, curated by Duro Olowu, Salon 94, New York, NY
Pouring it on, Hester Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2013
Collectors Exhibition, ICA Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA
Mira Dancy, Jessica Williams and Summer Wheat, Thierry Goldberg Gallery, New York
PAINT THINGS: beyond the stretcher, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA
Paradox Maintenance Technicians: A Comprehensive Manual to Contemporary Painting from Los Angeles and Beyond, curated by Max Presneill and Jason Ramos, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
Calamity and Ruin, Project 722, Brooklyn, NY
A Group Show, curated by Camilo Alvarez, Samson Projects, Boston, MA
Upsodown, curated by AJ Liberto and Kate True, New Art Center, Newton, MA
2012
Go Face Yourself, Nancy Lincoln Gallery, Beaver Country Day School, Chestnut Hill, MA
Committee’s Choice: Beyond Boundaries, St. Butolph, Boston, MA
Color Go Lightly, curated by Laurie De Chiara, Gallery Valentine, Hamptons, NY
Boston Contemporary, Four Eleven Studio, Provincetown, MA
Bushwick Basel, presented by Valentine, Starr Space, Brooklyn, NY
Twisted Sisters, curated by Kristen Dodge with Janet Phelps, DODGE Gallery, New York
zonaMACO with Samsøn, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico
Pretty Ugly, curated by Nina Gara Bozicnik, Mills Gallery, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA
The Calendar’s Tales, curated by Lynne Cooney, 808 Gallery, Boston University, Boston, MA
What Only Paint Can Do, curated by Karen Wilkin, Triangle Arts Association, Brooklyn, NY
2011
I am who I am. The Portrait Reconsidered, Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston, MA
Romantic Agony, Horton Gallery, New York, NY
2010
Momenta Gallery Art Benefit, White Columns, NY
Under the Radar, Front Street Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
The Real LR, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, Ligne Roset, New York, NY
Triangle Arts Open Studio, Triangle Arts Association, Brooklyn, NY
2009
About Face, Ed Thorpe Gallery, New York, NY
Summer Guest House, Marcia Wood Gallery, Atlanta, GA
A Dry Run, Charlie Horse Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Art Lot, Installation by John Bjerklie and Matthew Blackwell, contributing artist, Brooklyn, NY
2008
Exhibition Preview, curated by Amanda Parmer, Postspace, Brooklyn, NY
2007
CAS Fine Art Group, Reynolds Street Gallery, Savannah, GA
Telfair Art Ball, Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, GA
Art Papers Annual Auction, Mason Murer Fine Arts, Atlanta, GA
2006
Armstrong Atlantic State University Faculty Exhibition, AASU Main Gallery, Savannah, GA
2 Car Garage Group Exhibition, 2 Car Garage Gallery, Savannah, GA
New Material, 2 Car Garage Exhibition, Savannah, GA
CAS Fine Art Group, Reynolds Street Gallery, Savannah, GA
Armstrong Atlantic State University Faculty Exhibition, Main Gallery, Savannah, GA
2004
Small Works, Red Gallery, Savannah, GA
Contes Fantastiques, Gallery Fpriem, Lacoste, France
Vernissage, Lacoste School of the Arts, Lacoste, France
Site Specific Collaborative with Dr. Friedhelm Mennekes, Lacoste, France
2003
Boys and Squares, Turner and Associates Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Emerging Artists of Oklahoma, Omniplex Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
2002
Mixed Media Explorations, IAO Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
Mixed Media Exhibit, Norick Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2016
NADA Artadia Award, New York, NY
2010
Triangle Arts Association International Residency Program, Brooklyn, NY
2009
BRIC Arts Media Brooklyn, Contemporary Art Center, awarded Artist of the Month September 2009, curated by Elizabeth Ferrer
2004
Graduate Residency Lacoste School of the Arts, Lacoste School of the Arts, Lacoste, France
WRITING
2015
Passing Through, contributing writer for Art 21 magazine, July/August issue
ARTICLES
2018
Gittlen, Ariela, "Summer Wheat," Elephant Magazine, Autumn
Jones, Alex A., "Summer Wheat: Swamp Hunters (2018)," The Brooklyn Rail
Kukielski, Tina, "Summer Wheat," Bomb Magazine
Li, Jennifer S., "Summer Wheat at Shulamit Nazarian," Art in America
Rina, Amelia, "Critics' Picks: Summer Wheat," Artforum
2017
“Summer Wheat’s ‘Noble Metal’ at Braverman Gallery, Tel Aviv," Blouin Art Info
2015
Goldrich, John, “The Painted Pantry of Vermeer's Milkmaid,” Hyperallergic
2014
Indrisek, Scott, “NADA offers Relief from Frieze’s Market Madness,” Blouin Art Info
Johnson, Ken, “Pluralism, with Bug Zappers and Doll People: A critics guide to the Best of the Lower East Side,” The New York Times
Knudsen, Steven, “Deferall of a Vanguard,” Art Pulse Magazine 5, no. 19: 50-54
Smith, Roberta, “Clash of the Items, at a Gallery Near You,” New York Times
Vartanian, Hrag, “NADA NY Does it better than Ever,” Hyperallergic
2013
Bergeron, Chris, “Upsodown Captures the magic of carnival,” MetroWest Daily News
Gleisner, Jacquelyn, “Summer Wheat and her flight away from ‘Cowboy Space Gangsters,” art:21 blog
Davis, Lindsey, “Upsodown at New Art Center,” Art Scope
McQuaid, Cate, “They are off the wall,” Boston Globe
McQuaid, Cate, “Whats up Boston? Upsodown.” Boston Globe
"Paint Things Beyond the Stretcher," Sculpture Magazine 32
Pyper, John, "Paint Things at Decordova," Big, Red, and Shiny
2012
Baldwin, Rosecrans, “North American Scum,” The Morning News
McQuaid, Cate. “At the edge of expectation,” Boston Globe
2011
Garza, Evan, “11 to Watch in 2011: Editor’s Pick,” New American Paintings blog.
Holz, Evanice, Eye See Hue Issue 3
McQuaid, Cate, “Monstrously Provocative Portraits,” Boston Globe
2009
Wilson, Letha, Artist of the Month at BRIC|Media|Brooklyn
Hrag, Vartanian, “Summer Wheat: 'My First Rap Song,” Hyperallergic
2007
Hersh, Allison, “Go Beyond the Studio Door," Savannah Morning News: AA
2005
Bennet, Allison, “Art Picks”, Savannah Morning News," Coastal Art and Antiques: 17
Hersh, Allison, "Fairy Tale Fever," Savannah Morning News: 5
Miller, Ken, “King of Zine,” Tokion 49: 55-56, September/October
Morekis, Jim, “Painting the Town Red," Connect Savannah: 5
Morris, Amy, “Emerging Artists,” Coastal Art and Antiques: 19
2004
Boss, Monique, “Wheat Re-imagines Office Supplies," The Chronicle 5, no. 15: 5
O.M., ”Une Exposition Collective A Decuver Jusquá Cecoir," La Provence, Lacoste, France
2001
Brandenburg, John, “Media exhibit captures artistic detail,” The Daily Oklahoman, Art Review Arts A2
Hinton, Mick, “Making Walls Flower,” The Daily Oklahoman
COLLECTIONS
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
Peréz Art Museum,in Miami, FL
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY