Born in the sandhills of North Carolina, Harris earned a BFA degree from East Carolina University and an MFA degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Harris went on to teach at various universities including Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh. Because of his love of the landscape and the rich history of painting in the Hudson Valley of New York, he settled there 25 years ago. His work has been included in exhibitions at various museums, colleges and galleries, and is in private and corporate collections throughout the country.
Harris's current work, focusing on the landscape using oils, is similar to earlier works which depicted mesmerizing and expressive qualities of light. Unlike those earlier abstract pieces, the new work addresses the sublime and ethereal by both formal and representational means.
EDUCATION
1981 MFA, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, St. Louis, Missouri, Painting
1976 BFA, EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, Greenville, North Carolina, Painting and Drawing
1974 AA, CHOWAN COLLEGE, Murfreesboro, North Carolina
TEACHING
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Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, Artist-In-Residence, foundation classes in 2-dimensional-3-dimensional Design, all levels of Drawing, and Painting
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Moorhead State University, Moorhead, MN, Assistant Professor, foundation classes in Color Theory-Design, 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional Design, all levels of Drawing, and Painting
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Washington University, St Louis, MO, Instructor, foundations, 2-dimensional Design and Drawing
EXHIBITION JUROR
2002 Boston Mills Arts Festival, Cleveland, OH
2000 Longs Park Arts Festival, Lancaster, PA
WORKSHOP–LECTURES
2005 Phillip Harris, Piedmont Valley Community College, Charlottesville, VA
2004 Phillip Harris, Drawing in Clay, Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY
2003 Phillip Harris, University of Akron, Akron, OH
2003 Phillip Harris, Impressions in Clay, Art Baltimore, MD
2000 Phillip Harris, Tile Making, Fairfax Co. Schools, Fairfax, VA
ONE ARTIST EXHIBITIONS
2021 PHILLIP HARRIS, Intimate Landscape, Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
1988 PHILLIP HARRIS, RECENT WORKS, Woodstock Art Association, Woodstock, NY
1987 PHILLIP HARRIS, Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
1983 PHILLIP HARRIS, NEW WORKS, Hewlett Gallery, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
1982 PHILLIP HARRIS, LIGHT ABSTRACTIONS, Plains Museum of Art, Moorhead, MN
1976 PHILLIP HARRIS, PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS, Kate Lewis Gallery, East Carolina University
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS, SHOWS, AND NATIONAL ART FESTIVALS
2019-2022 RITTENHOUSE SQUARE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Philadelphia, PA
2021-2022 TEPHRA ICA FESTIVAL (formerly Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival), Reston, VA
2021-2022 THE VIRGINIA MOCA BOARDWALK ART SHOW, Virginia Beach, VA
2022 THE OLD TOWN ART FAIR, Chicago, IL
1987-18 BOSTON MILLS ARTS FESTIVAL, Cleveland, OH
2017 FOUR BRIDGES, Chattanooga, TN
2001-2022 LONGS PARK ARTS FESTIVAL, Lancaster, PA
2009 AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, Atlanta, GA
2007-09 AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, Charlotte, NC
2006, 2022 CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL, Denver, CO.
2004-06 COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL, Miami, FL
2005-06 BOCA RATON MUSEUM ARTS FESTIVAL, Boca Raton, Fl.
1988-09 NORTHERN VIRGINA ARTS FESTIVAL, Reston, VA.
2002-05 MILWAUKEE MUSEUM LAKEFRONT ARTS FESTIVAL, Milwaukee, W
2004 ST. LOUIS ARTS FESTIVAL, St. Louis, MO
1987-09 AMERICAN CRAFTS COUNCIL, Baltimore, MD
1994,06 ANN ARBOR ARTS FESTIVAL, Ann Arbor, MI
2002-03 KANSAS CITY PLAZA ARTS FESTIVAL, Kansas City, MO.
2000 EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, NCECA, Charlotte, NC
1999 SMITHSONIAN CRAFT SHOW. Washington, DC
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WINTER PARK ARTS FESTIVAL, Winter Park, FL
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CRAFTS AT THE CASTLE, Boston, MA
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INVITATIONAL ALUMNI EXHIBITION, East Carolina Univ. Greenville
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1991 THE TEA PARTY, American Craft Museum, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
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HOLLOWED VESSEL, Chicago, IL
1988 CLAY SPECTRUM 5, Craftsman Gallery, Scarsdale Gallery, NY
1988 BEWITCHED BY CRAFT, American Craft Museum. NY
1988 DUTCHESS GRANT RECIPIENTS, Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
1985 HUDSON VALLEY ’85, Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
1984 SEVEN NEW ARTIST, PITTSBURGH TODAY, Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh
1983 ARTIST FROM THE NORTHEAST, University Museum, Indiana University, Indiana, PA
1982 23rd ARTIST FROM THE MIDWEST, Plains Museum of Art, Moorhead, MN
1980 MARIETTA NATIONAL PAINTING & SCULPTURE EXHIBITION, Marietta, OH
1980 TELIC’81 INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTIVIST EXHIBIT, Art Research Center, Kansas City
1977 NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST, Kingston Art Center, Kingston, NC
1976 39th ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF NORTH CAROLINA ARTIST, NC Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Grants and Awards
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Ceramic Award, Boston Mills Art Festival
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Ceramic Award, Winter Park Art Festival, FL
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1987 Dutchess Artist Fellowship, Dutchess Arts Council, NY
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1977 WHICHARD, A HISTORY Mural Commission, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bresnan, Debra. New York’s Hudson Valley Potters, Ceramics Monthly, summer 2003
Cushing, Val. Chris, Rich. The Ceramic Design Books, Ashville, NC 1998
Forman, Alice. Painted Relief’s, Phil Harris, Poughkeepsie, Journal, NY, 1987
Penella, Florence. Walls Open New Vistas for Artist. Poughkeepsie Journal, NY, March 1987
Caldwell, John. Seven New Artist, Pittsburgh Today. Museum of Art, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 1984
King, Elaine. Phillip Harris, New Work. Carnegie-Mellon University 1984
O’Neil, Patrick. Phillip Harris, New Art Examiner, Chicago, IL 1984