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 PAINTING, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, St. Louis, Missouri
1976 BFA PAINTING - DRAWING, EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY Greenville, NC
1974. AA FINE ARTS, CHOWAN COLLEGE, Murfreesboro, NC
TEACHING
-
1982-84 Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. All Levels Drawing- Painting foundation classes 2-3 dimensional design
-
1981-82 Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Mn. Assistant Professor, All levels
Painting-Drawing, foundation classes color theory, 2-3 dimensional design -
1980-81 Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. Instructor, foundations
​
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 Landscapes, Cunneen-Hackett Art 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, Pittsburg
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
2024 ST LOUIS FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, St Louis, Mo.
2023-25 PARADISE CITY ART EXHIBITIONS, Northhampton and Marlborough, Mass
2023 KANSAS CITY PLAZA ARTSFESTIVAL, Kansas City, Mo
2022-23 CHERRY CREEK FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Denver, Co
2021-25 VIRGINIA BEACH MOCA Festival, Va. Beach Va
2022 OLD TOWN FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Chicago, Il
2019 -25 RITTENHOUSE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Philadelphia, Pa
2021- 25 Tephra Art Institute, NORTHERN VA. FINE ARTS FESTIVAL, Reston, Va
2019- 87 BOSTON MILLS ART FESTIVAL, Cleveland, Oh
2019 -25 LONGS PARK ARTS FESTIVAl, Lancaster, Pa.
2017 FOUR BRIDGES FESTIVAL OF ARTS, Chattanooga, Tn
2014 ARMONK ARTS FESTIVAl, Armonk, NY
2009-88 NORTHERN VA. ARTS FESTIVAL, Reston, Va
2009-87 AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, Baltimore, Md.
2009-07 AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, Atlanta, Ga,
2009-07 AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL, Charlotte, NC
2006 CHERRY CREEK ARTS FESTIVAL, Denver, Co
2006-04 COCONUT GROVE ARTS FESTIVAL, Miami, Fl
2006-25 ANN ARBOR ARTS FESTIVAL, Ann Arbor, Mi
2005-25 MILWAUKEE MUSEUM LAKEFRONT ARTS FEST. Milwaukee
2004 ST. LOUIS ARTS FESTIVAL, St. Louis, Mo
2003-02 KANSAS CITY PLAZA, Kansas City, Mo.
2000 EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, NCECA, Charlotte, NC
1999 SMITHSONIAN ARTS99 FESTIVAL, Washington, DC
1999-93 WINTER PARK ARTS FESTIVAL Winter Park, Fla
1998-95 CRAFTS AT THE CASTLE, Boston, Mass
1991 THE TEA PARTY, American Craft Museum , NY
​
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1990 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
2025 Ann Arbor National Festival of the Arts, Best in Show
2025 4 Bridges Festival of the Arts, Chattanooga, Best In Show
2024 Vero Beach Arts Festival, Painting Award Best in Show
2023 Honorable Mention , Plein Air 12th Annual PleinAir Salon Compétition, Top 10 Internationally
2023 Boston Mills Arts, Best In Show, Painting Award
2022 People Choice Award, Plein Air Magazine
1992 Ceramic Award, Boston Mills Arts Festival
1993-98 Ceramic Award, Winter Park Arts Festival
1987 Dutchess Artist Fellowship, Dutchess Arts Council, NY
1977 WHICHARD, A HISTORY, Mural Commission, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
​