Education
1979 M.F.A., Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
1976 B.F.A., University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
Teaching Experience
2012 - 2024
Anglo-American University
Adjunct Lecturer of Painting & Drawing
Prague, Czech Republic
1986 - 2012
The School of The Art Institute of Chicago
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Painting & Drawing
2000 - 2012
Resident Director, SAIC Prague Studio Program
with The Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
Exhibitions
Individual Exhibitions:
2017
Thurn - Taxis Palace
Prague, Czech Republic
2015
Kunratice Zámek
Prague, Czech Republic
2010
Cressman Center for Visual Arts Gallery
Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
2002
Sonia Zaks Gallery
Chicago, Illinois
1999
University Club of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
1998
Sonia Zaks Gallery
Chicago, Illinois
1996
Sonia Zaks Gallery
Chicago, Illinois
1993
Sonia Zaks Gallery
Chicago, Illinois
Group Exhibitions:
2018
Sweet, Golden, Delicious
Northern Illinois University Art Museum
DeKalb, Illinois
2008
Ahh...Decadence!
Sullivan Galleries
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2007
Dekadence Dance
The Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
2005
Love-Art-Religion-War-Decadence-Death
Gallerie Doubner
Prague, Czech Republic
2000
The Figure at the Millenium,
Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago
Self-Portraits,
Printworks Gallery, Chicago
1997
Chicago Post-War Paintings,
The Smart Museum, University of Chicago
1996
Art in Chicago: 1945-1995,
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
1995
Seeing the Figure Now,
The Betty Rymer Gallery, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Flora: Contemporary Artists and the World of Flowers,
The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin (traveled to Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont; New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque; Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina; Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis, through 1996)
1993
Party Mix,
Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
1992
Face to Face: Self Portraits by Chicago Artists,
Chicago Cultural Center
1991
Realism, Figurative Painting, and the Chicago Viewpoint:
Selections from the Permanent Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
1989
New Still Life,
Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Illinois
Dennis Adrian: A Critical Subject,
Struve Gallery, Chicago
1988
Madonna and Child,
Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago
1987
Figure Painting in Chicago,
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
1986
Portraits from the Permanent Collection,
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Chicago Painters,
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
1985
Then and Now,
Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
1984
80th Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity,
The Art Institute of Chicago
Observations: Four Realist Painters,
N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago
1983
Chicago: Some Other Traditions,
Madison Art Center, Wisconsin (traveled to Sheldon
Memorial Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Norman MacKensie Art Gallery, University of Regina, Saskatchewan; Sarah Campbell Blaffer Art Gallery, University of Houston; Loch Haven Art Center, Orlando; Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum; Arkansas Art center, Little Rock through 1986)
1982-83
Emerging Artists,
The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago
SELECTED COLLECTIONS:
Anne Abrons and David Sharpe, New York
Rolf AchiIles, Chicago
James Adkins, Chicago
Dennis Adrian, Chicago
Gretchen and Tom Anderson, Chicago
Lisa Audi, Chicago
Don and Frances Baxter, Houston, Texas
Richard Born, Chicago
Martin Bourgeault and Dita Limová, Paris, France
John Bross, Chicago
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Buchbinder, Chicago
Jana Burianková, Prague, Czech Republic
Richard Caitung, Chicago
Chicago Public Library
Mary and Roy Cullen, Houston, Texas
Meredith Cullen, Dallas, Texas
George Danforth, Chicago
Edward Dickson, Chicago
Denise and Stephen F. Doctor, Chicago
Ann Englander, Chicago
Marjorie Friedman, Riverwoods, Illinois
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Gerber, Highland Park, Illinois
Wally Goodman and Patrick Duffy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Dr. Bill and Ginny Gordon, Chicago
Andrew Greeley, Chicago
Klaus and Gisela Groenke, Berlin, Germany
Keith Hartley, Edinburgh, Scotland
Peter Hawrylewicz and Ken Lieber, Miami Beach, Florida
Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville
Ruth Horwich, Chicago
Matt Houtsma and Linda Ross, Chicago
Jones/Faulkner Collection, Chicago
Patricia John and Kenneth Northcott, Chicago
Jan and Sheldon Kirshner, Chicago
Vladina Krumpová, Prague, Czech Republic
Carl Lewis, Houston, Texas
Leon Lyons, Newport Beach, California
Deeann Levy, Chicago
Alice Medel, Laguna, California
Mark Pollack, Chicago
Inge Maser, Chicago
Marilyn Oshman, Houston, Texas
Rayovac Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin
Tom and Lisa Sebastian, San Franciso, California
Linda Sandel, St. Louis, Missouri
John and Aileen Schleob, Chicago
David Schwartz, Seattle
David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago
Susan Snow, Chicago
Michael Stavy, Chicago
Donna and Howard Stone, Chicago
Lolli Thurm, Chicago
Howard Tullman, Chicago
Union League Club of Chicago
Cathy Upjohn, Chicago
Otto Urban, Kovary, Czech Republic
Jan and Barbora Vančura, Prague, Czech Republic
Michelle Vishny, Chicago
Lisa Wainwright, Chicago
Timothy Wittman, Chicago
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Adrian, Dennis. Richard Willenbrink - New Paintings, Chicago, Illinois: Sonia Zaks Gallery, 1998
____________. "Richard Willenbrink" In Seeing the Figure Now, Chicago, Illinois: The Betty Rymer Gallery at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1996.
____________. New Still Life, Evanston, Illinois: Evanston Art Center, 1989.
____________. "Richard Willenbrink:" In Chicago: Some Other Traditions, Madison, Wisconsin: Madison Art Center, 1983.
Artner, Alan. "Realists Repeat History to Distraction:" Chicago Tribune, 30 March 1984.
____________. “New Goods at Carson’s:” Chicago Tribune, 4 September 2008.
Bonesteel, Michael. "New Life for StilI Life," Pioneer Press Newspaper, 28 September 1989.
Furnari, Rachel. “Disaster and Progress,” Newcity Art, art.newcity.com, September 2008
Garver, Thomas H, "Flowers and the Spheres of Life: Some Personal Thoughts about Artists and Flowers" and "Richard WilIenbrink." In Flora: Contemporary Artists and the World of Flowers. Wausau, Wisconsin: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, 1995.
Hanson, Henry. "Artworks:” Chicago Magazine 40:1 (January 1991): 17-19.
____________. "Discovering a Painter in Pilsen” Chicago Magazine 32:5 (May 1983): 114.
____________. "Go figure” Chicago Magazine 42:4 (April 1993): 16.
Hafferkamp, Jack. “Ah…Decadence,” Edge; edgechicago.com, September 2008
Hixson, Kathryn. “New Still Life.” Arts Magazine 64:4 (December 1989): 105-6.
Holg, Garrett. "New Still Life [at] Evanston Art Center.” New Art Examiner, 17:5 (January 1990): 41-42.
____________. "Self-Portrait Chicago:” Chicago Sun-Times, 23 February 1992.
Isaacs, Deanna. “From Department Store to Art Department:” Chicago Reader, 4 September 2008.
Leonhart, Mark Michael. "Observations: Four Realist Painters," New Art Examiner 11:10 (September 1984): 16.
Linn, Bruce. “Richard Willenbrink: Figure Paintings, Drawings & Etchings,” Hite Art Institute, Louisville, Kentucky, 2010
McCracken, David. "Hollywood Makes an Impression on Artist:” Chicago Tribune, 3 November 1989.
Polanski, G. Jurek. “Self-Portaits 2000: An exhibition of Portraits by 66 Artists,” www.artscope.net, 2000.
Richter, Marianne. “Richard Willenbrink” in Union League Club of Chicago Art Collection, Chicago, Illinois: Union League Club of Chicago, 2003.
Vine, Richard. “Where the Wild Things Were,” Art in America, May 1997
Wainwright, Lisa. “Richard Willenbrink” in Ahh...Decadence, Chicago, Illinois: Sullivan Galleries at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2008.
Warren, Lynne. “Richard Willenbrink” in Art in Chicago, 1945-1995, Chicago, Illinois: The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1996.