Stass Shpanin [small works]

On view April 1-April 30 , 2017

Art reception on April 15 Saturday 6 – 8:30 pm

EBK Gallery [small works].
218 Pearl St.
Hartford, CT

EBK Gallery is pleased to announce Coltland Souvenir Shop – a solo exhibition of new paintings and works by Stass Shpanin. This ehibit is a continuation of the Coltland project started by Stass Shpanin in 2015.
During his most recent exhibition at Temple Contemporary in Philadelphia, Shpanin transformed the gallery/museum space into an improvised theme park dedicated to the well-known Hartford native gun manufacturer Samuel Colt. Starting as a performer and a clown, and selling laughing gas, Colt becomes the focal point character to investigate American culture, politics, and history.

This time, Stass transforms EBK Gallery space into the “Coltland Souvenir Shop”, a store with the installation of Samuel Colt busts wearing clown noses, and “poster” like paintings. Shpanin says, “I am interested in creating an attractive space that welcomes viewers; however, through their participation, I want my audience to be trapped in the absurdity of juxtaposed images, ideas, surfaces, and histories.” Commenting on the title of the exhibition, the artist continues, “I called it a souvenir shop, not a gift shop, because souvenirs refers to a memory of a place. There is a certain absurdity in making a souvenir shop for the place that does not physically exists. It all plays part in a larger context of “institutional critique” I am very involved with.”

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Gallery Sheet and Pricing PDF

Recent Press

“Coltland souvenir Shop” article form Hartford Courant by Susan Dunne (click here)

Stass Shpanin was born in 1990 in Baku, USSR. In 2012 he graduated from the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford and then went to Russia as a Fulbright Fellow. In 2016 he received his MFA in painting from the Tyler School of Art. His works have been shown internationally and venues include Smack Mellon Gallery in New York, Gridchinhall Gallery in Moscow, Russia, Five Points Gallery in Torrington, CT, and Temple Contemporary in Philadelphia, among others. Currently, Shpanin’s studio is based in Philadelphia and he teaches at Rutgers University, NJ.

CV / Resume

Selected Solo Exhibits

2017 – EBK Gallery, Hartford, CT

2016 Coltland, Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA

2015 Predicting the Past, curated by Vitaly Patsyukov, Gridchinhall Art Center, Moscow, Russia

2014 Displacement, curated by Judith McElhone, Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT

2012 Abolished Memories, curated by Faith Lund, Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery, Westfield, MA

2011 Age of Empires, Waltuch Art Gallery, Tenafly, NJ

2011 Age of Empires, From Russia with Art Gallery, Cambridge, MA

2011 Age of Empires, SJCC Gallery, Springfield, MA

2010 Art Exhibit, Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford, CT

2009 Art Exhibit, Jasper Rand Art Museum, Westfield, MA

2008 Art Exhibit, Stamford JCC Art Gallery, Stamford, CT

2006 Art Exhibit, Umbria Galleria, Boston, MA

2003 Art Exhibit, Gallery 44, Elicott City, MD

2001 Art Exhibit, Netaniya Arts Center, Netaniya, Israel

2000 Art Exhibit, Salerno Art Center, Salerno, Italy

Selected Group Exhibits

2016 Peace Among Savages: The Gun Show, curated by Mary Gagler, Amos Eno Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

FORCES, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Art Votes: Visualizing the Democratic Process, curated by Amy Lipton, Gallery Burgen, Paramus, NJ

Don’t Take This The Wrong Way, Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA

2015 A Story of a Story, curated by Shlomit Dror, Smack Mellon Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2013 VII Moscow International Art Festival, Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia

2012 An Interruption, curated by Judith McElhone, ArtSpace Gallery, Torrington, CT

2012 University Honors, Silpe Gallery, University of Hartford, CT

2012 Metonymy, Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, CT

2012 From Russia with Art, Newton Cultural Center, Newton, MA

2011 Goldfarb Exhibit, Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, CT

2010 Juried Art Exhibit, Manchester CC, CT

2009 Russian Block, Greater Hartford JCC Gallery, CT

2008 Permanent Exhibit, Museum of Contemporary Russian Art, NJ

Education

2016 MFA Painting, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2015 Teaching in Higher Education Certificate, College of Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2013 Postgraduate Studies, Surikov Moscow State Academic Institute of the Russian Arts Academy, Moscow, Russia

2012 BFA Painting, Hartford Art School, University of Hartford, (University Honors), West Hartford, CT

2008 Portfolio Lab, School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston/Tufts University, Boston, MA

Selected Bibliography

2016 Baku Magazine, “Alternative History” review of the Coltland exhibit by Anna Matveeva, Moscow, Russia

2015 Metro newspaper, “Great Equalizer Samuel Colt” review of the Predicting the Past Exhibit by Lubov Egorova, Moscow, Russia

2015 Baku Magazine, “Remember Everything” review of the Predicting the Past Exhibit by Anna Matveeva, Moscow, Russia

2015 Our Russia magazine, “History Via Aestheticized Physics: The Latest Art of Stass Shpanin” review of the Predicting the Past Exhibit by Olga Malik, Moscow, Russia

2014 The Hartford Courant newspaper, “’When Marco Polo Saw Elephants,’ ‘Displacement’ At Five Points” review of the Displacement Exhibit by Susan Dunne, CT

2014 The Register Citizen newspaper, “Russian-American Artist Stass Shpanin Explores Identity, History Through Paintings” review of the Displacement Exhibit by Esteban L. Hernandez, CT

2013 The Moscow Times newspaper, “Record-Smashing Artist Celebrates Romanovs”, review of the Art Exhibit at the Central House of Artists by Delphine d’Amora, Moscow, Russia

2013 Russia Beyond the Headlines newspaper, “Baku Born American Fulbright Artist Rediscovers His Roots”, review of the Art Exhibit at the Central House of Artists by Dmitry Romendik, Moscow, Russia

2013 Eclectic Magazine,” Am I worse than Picasso?” review of the Art Exhibit at the Central House of Artists by Yulia Smolyakova, Moscow, Russia

2012 The Republican American newspaper, “Inside the World of Dreams, review of the Interruption Exhibit by Tracey O’Shaughnessy, CT

2012 Observer Magazine, “Painting the Past: Means a Bright Future” by Trish Charles, CT

2012 The Republican newspaper, “Area Artist Stass Shpanin Exhibit Features History, Cultural Background “review of the Abolished Memories Exhibit by Justin Morales, MA

2009 Hartford Courant newspaper, “Artists’ Roots In the Old Block” review of the Russian Block Exhibit by Bill Leukhardt, CT

2009 Krugazor Magazine, “Two Years Later” by Maxim Litvinov, MA

2009 Stamford Plus newspaper exhibit Age of Empires review, CT

2009 The Reminder newspaper, “Brush Before Business for Baku Prodigy” review for the Jasper Rand Art Museum Exhibit by Katelyn Gendron, MA

2009 Azerbaijan Izvestia newspaper, “New Chapter” by Nailya Bannaeva, Baku, Azerbaijan

2008 The Stamford Times newspaper, exhibit announcement, CT

2007 Krugazor Magazine, “Gift of the Destiny” by Maxim Litvinov, MA

2006 The Republican newspaper, “Young Artist Makes Boston Debut” exhibit review by Alex Peshkov, MA

2005 Izvestia Newspaper, “Culture” by Nailya Bannaeva, Moscow, Russia

2004 National Geographic magazine, “Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things”, Washington, DC

2003 The Washington Post newspapaer, “Azerbaijan Prodigy Gets Local Showing” review of the Exhibit at the Gallery 44 by Susan DeFord, Washington, DC

2003 The Baltimore Sun newspaper, “Best Bets” review of the Exhibit at the Gallery 44 by Lori Sears, Washington, DC

Selected Professional History

2016 – present Part Time Lecturer in Art, Rutgers University, NJ

2014 – present Visiting Lecturer for the Art+Science courses at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the Masters and Doctors of Science program, Moscow, Russia

2014 – present Board of Trustees member for the University of Hartford School of Art

2014 – 2016 Presidential Fellowship with Teaching Assistantships, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, PA

2012 – 2013 Fulbright Fellowship

2012 Visiting Critique (TA) for Painting I class at the University of Hartford. CT

2011 – 2012 Visual Arts Internship at the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Hartford, CT

2011 Public Arts Internship at the Art Basel Miami Beach and the Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, FL

2007 – 2008 Teacher Assistant at the Thousand Cranes Studio, Agawam, MA

Selected Awards/Grants/Fellowships

2015 Dean’s Travel Grant, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, PA

2014 Presidential Fellowship, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, PA

2014 U.S. Department of State Federal Assistance Award

2012/13 Fulbright Fellowship Award

2012 Rudolf Zallinger Painting Prize

2010-12 Alan Tompkins Scholarship Award, University of Hartford

2010/11 Wilmarth-Rabineau Scholarship Award, University of Hartford

2009 Anna Ball Pierce Scholarship Award, University of Hartford

2009 Alan Tompkins Scholarship Award, University of Hartford

2009 Mayor of Stamford Arts Grant

2008 Artistic Merit Scholarship, University of Hartford