Rudy Vavra is a fine artist with an active studio in New York's Hudson Valley. His work has been exhibited nationally. Although mostly known as an abstract painter working primarily in oils, Vavra has also exhibited drawings, watercolor paintings and woven projects.. In the late 1980's in Texas, he was also known for his floor collage installation performances.

Vavra's early works often referenced the landscape and were explorations of abstracted imagery with a structured sense of place. His current oil paintings speak more of the painter's search, with mark making, to locate the painting. A painter's painter, Vavra applies layer upon layer of colorful marks, applied over time, to achieve a balance of tonal value, spatial depth and texture that defines the painting. Vavra is now working on the Codex Project, a series of large woven panels referencing his journey as an artist. The Codex Project is a material narrative of his life experience. He is also working on a series of smaller woven projects using plastic and other materials.

PUBLICATIONS

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• Rudy Vavra Monograph 2017 ‘Emanations’ - By Tatiane Santa Rosa

• Sarah Rogers Lafferty’s - “About Landscape”

• Artist Praxis Podcast Episode - Codex Project (Sept. 28, 2021)

EDUCATION

• MFA painting - School of Visual Arts, New York, NY

• BED environmental design - Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

EXHIBITIONS

• “Rudy Vavra: Trash, News and Paint,” Gallery at Lifebridge Sanctuary, Rosendale, NY 2023

• Invitational “Tightly Knit, Loose Fit,” Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn, NY 2023

• “Rudy Vavra: Paintings and Drawings,” Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY 2019

• “Rudy Vavra: Holiday Trees,” Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, NY 2019

• Spencertown Academy Gallery Juried Show, Spencertown, NY 2019

• “Rudy Vavra: Palette Paintings,” The Artist’s Palate, Poughkeepsie, NY 2019

• “Rudy Vavra: Holiday Trees,” Argazzi Gallery, Lakeville, CT 2015

• “New Work: Lynn Palumbo/Rudy Vavra,” Atwater Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY 2014

• “Rudy Vavra: Paintings & Drawings,” Atwater Gallery, Rhinebeck, NY 2013

• Group Exhibition, Argazzi Gallery, Lakeville, CT 2008

• “Rudy Vavra 1974-2004,” Betsy Jacaruso Gallery, Red Hook, NY 2004

• “Plane Dozen,” One-Man Show, Charleston Restaurant, Hudson, NY 2000

• “Rudy Vavra—Conceptual Landscapes,” Brownson Gallery, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY 1998

• “City, Room, Garden,” University of Houston, Houston, TX; traveled 1993-1994

• Group Exhibition, Z Gallery, New York, NY 1993

• “About Landscape,” Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH; curated by Sarah Rogers 1991

• Group Exhibition, Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY; curated by Jackie Winsor 1988

• Group Exhibition, Andreas Gallery, Washington, DC; curated by George Andreas 1988

• “Mile Show,” Visual Arts Gallery, New York, NY; curated by Will Insley 1987

• Fiftieth National Mid-Year Exhibition, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH; curated by Tom Hinson 1986

• Austin Visual Arts Juried Exhibition, Austin, TX 1986

• Second Annual Juried Exhibition, Lubbock Fine Arts Center, Lubbock, TX 1986

• “Selections from the Creature Series,” Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 1986

• Forty-Seventh Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Palm Beach, FL curated by James T. Demetrion 1985

• Texas A&M University Art Faculty Exhibition, College Station, TX 1985

• Seventh Annual Desert West Art Show, Antelope Valley College, Lancaster, CA 1985

• All-Texas Two-Dimensional Art Competition Exhibition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 1985

• Thirteenth Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Hill Country Arts Foundation, Ingram, TX 1985

• Juried Exhibition, Montana Institute of the Arts, Great Falls, MT 1984

• Twelfth Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Hill Country Arts Foundation, Ingram, TX 1984

• Paper/Fiber Vll, The Arts Center, Iowa City, IA 1984

• “Texas in Two Dimensions,” Llano Estacado Museum, Plainview, TX 1984

• One-Man Show, Medical Sciences Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 1984

• Faculty Work 84 Exhibition, College of Architecture and Environmental Design Gallery, Texas A&M University,

• College Station, TX 1984

• “Casa Di Dante” Invitational Show, Florence, Italy 1983

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

• Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH

• Texas A&M University Medical Library, College Station, TX

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

• Mr. and Mrs. Joel Mallin, New York, NY

• Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hort, Scarsdale, NY

• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kimmel, Livingston, NJ

• Ms. Nanette Campbell, Boulton, MA

• Ms. Veronica Chambers and Jason Clampet, Hoboken, NJ

• Ms. Winship Cook, Los Angeles, CA

• Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Dealy, Pawling, NY

• Drs. Nina and Bailey Freund, New York, NY

• Mr. and Mrs. Lee Hill, Chicago, IL

• Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Johnson, New York, NY

• Ms. Julia Kagan, New York, NY

• Ms. R. Lynn Keller, Madison, WI

• Dr. Clarissa Kimber, College Station, TX

• Ms. Kim Knowlton and Mr. Allen Coulter, New York, NY

• Ms. Alexandra Logue and Mr. Ian Shrank, New York, NY

• Ms. Annmaria Mazzini, New York, NY

• Mrs. Jennifer Murray, Dallas, TX

• Ms. Noreen O’Brien, Boulder, CO

• Ms. Sarah Rogers, Columbus, OH

• Ms. Ann Seamster, Portland, OR

• Mr. and Mrs. Michiel Vandervoort, New York, NY

• Mr. and Mrs. Clark Still, New York, NY

• Mauri Small and Andy Schulz, Austin, TX