James Kimak Artist Profile | Edward Hopper House Museum Artist Members Spring 2025 Exhibition

James Kimak

KIMAK ART & DESIGN 2001 - Present

Public Space Graphic Murals, Graphic Design, Photography and Fine Art

Site-specific, award-winning graphic murals and fine art. Original photography, design and art pieces fabricated onto walls, rigid panels of including laminated glass and tiles. Collaborate with interior designers, galleries and architects, as well as facility, medical, scientific and educational staffs. Fine art shows listed below.

Selected Mural Projects:

* NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell Pediatrics: NYC Subway-themed murals (2019)

* Columbia Univ. Earth Observatory: Exterior Murals / Geologic History (2019)

* Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, CA: Concept drafts for glass mural

* University of Bridgeport (CT): Multi-panel History Wall

* Columbia University Athletics: Indoor Golf Training Center murals

* New York Presbyterian Hospital: Weill Cornell / Columbia University (ongoing)

* NYU Langone Medical Center and the Hospital for Joint Disease

* Madison Square Garden / Garden of Dreams Foundation: MSG murals for

family and teen centers sponsored by the NY Knicks, Liberty and Rangers.

Sites include: Hackensack Medical Center, Harlem Dowling Teen Center.

* James Gallery, Pittsburgh: 120’ mural commission for the UPMC Children’s

Hospital of Pittsburgh: 120’ history wall for major public corridor. Ongoing.

* Columbia University, NY: Columbia U. Sports panels and murals

* Montefiore Medical Center 100’ Glass murals, winner of two 2015-design awards.

* Hudson River Museum (Yonkers, NY): Red Grooms Exhibition signage and ads

* Manhattan College School of Engineering:

25’ ceramic tile mural (2017)

* La Roche University, (Pittsburgh, PA): 40’ history wall (2017, 2020)

Article: Gannet / Journal News: 4-part series on my mural creative process and its

effect on the hospital population at New York Presbyterian Hospital (2006-2007)

SELECTED FINE ART EXHIBITIONS (1992 on)

Solo Exhibitions:

* Perry Lawson Fine Art , Nyack, NY Sept 23

Union Arts Center / Roost Restaurant, Two-floor gallery show Sparkill, NY, May thru September 2023

Ned Kelly & Company, Piermont, NY. 1) Nov 2022 – January 2023

2) “CUBA: Mixed-media Works” –October 2016. Based on a Feb. 2016 cultural

tour of Cuba. Ongoing representation

* Roost Restaurant at Union Arts Center, Gallery One, Sparkill, NY:

First floor exhibit of nine paintings and four prints, April through June 2021

* ArtSuite NY Gallery, Piermont, NY, September 14 – November 2, 2019.

Additional side-room show through March 2020.

* The Freelance Cafe,

Piermont, NY through April 2018. With former owner

Iron Chef -winner Peter Kelly, have had 7 successful solo exhibitions.

* Allen Sheppard Gallery, NYC / Chelsea District: 5 solo shows, 1997-2003

* Piermont Flywheel Gallery, Piermont, NY (NY). Co-founder, 3 solo shows

* Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, Nyack, NY. 1993

Selected Group and Juried Shows:

* Kennedy Center, Washington DC: Inclusion in work in onstage show, PORTRAITS.

* Allied Artists of America, Salmagundi Club, NY. Gold Medal winner. 2021

* Rockport Art Association & Museum National Show, December 2020

Awards: Recipient of Gold medal/ Excellence in Painting and Honorable Mention.

* Greenwich Art Assoc. (CT): October 2020 juried show, Guggenheim

curator/juror

* Novado Gallery, Jersey City, NJ. Feb-March 2020 (825 entries, 34 acceptances)

* B.J. Spoke Gallery, Huntington LI. Expo 39 show, March 2020.

Juror: Assistant Curator, Museum of Modern Art (300 entries, 19 acceptances).

* Edward Hopper House Museum Members Exhibit, 2019, 2020

* Studio Montclair, June – August, 2018

* Eisenhauer Gallery, Block Island, RI

* The

Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY

* National Arts Club, NY

* American Museum of Illustration, NYC

Collections: Gallery and commissioned works include BET co-founder / resort owner Dr. Sheila Johnson, actors Alan Ruck and Alec Baldwin, Breeders’ Cup Chair Fred Hertrich and the Rockland County (NY) Government offices, among others.

DESIGN MANAGEMENT

NBC / CNBC: Art Director, NY/NJ 1996 - 2001

CNBC: Visual design of news, investment tools and TV integration content, user interface and branding. Key role in product development, research strategy & marketing. Built and managed staff and helped expand the CNBC brand into new media.

NBC: Art Direction, staff management and hands-on creative for all NBC Interactive media including the NBC network web site. Effected considerable cost-savings through in-house redesign of NBC site look & feel and navigation, creating & supporting featured sites such as the NBC 1996 Summer Olympics, The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live. Managed projects in both New York & California studios.

ADDITIONAL NOTABLE STAFF & FREELANCE EXPERIENCE

Prodigy Services Corp: Editorial Design Manager / News and Information

CBS Venture One: Editorial / News Illustrator

The New Haven Register, New Haven CT: Editorial illustrator

Marvel Comics and DC Comics, CT, NY: Comic book artist / inker

The Herald News, Passaic, NJ: Designer / Illustrator / Editorial Cartoonist

NON-PROFIT INITIATIVES

Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, Nyack, NY: Former Board of Trustees member, graphic design / branding consultant and strategic planning.

Music to Table: Concerts to Feed the Hungry: Organize, create promotional materials and perform in a series of concerts for local non-profits such as People to People.

Other: Organized, performed in, and created publicity for numerous fundraisers, including one for first responders in Piermont, NY in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (2012). Participants included Tom Chapin and famed film director, Jonathan Demme.

Art Donations: Have contributed numerous paintings and digital prints to raise funds for local and regional non-profit, charitable organizations over the past twenty years.

ArtsRock, Graphic design for this non-profit focused on high-level performances and interviews by their Peabody Ward-winning creative director Elliott Forrest of WXQR, NY. Have performed music with Tom Chapin, David Amran and Steve Bernstein.

SELECTED RECOGNITION

CODA/Worx Top 100 Public Space Award: Montefiore Medical Center (2015)

International Creativity Design Awards for Environmental Graphics:

2007, 2009, 2013, 2015: Healthcare murals / institutional graphic murals.

Article: Pastel Journal: Work /career highlighted in 8-page feature (2011)

Rockland County (NY) Distinguished Service Award: Public Space Art 2009

Gannet / Journal News: 4-Part series following mural creation at NY Presbyterian

HOW Magazine Annual of Design: Award of Merit in Illustration.

USA TODAY: NBC Olympic site design poll winner.

Society of Illustrators, NY: Two Certificates of Merit in illustration and inclusion in shows at The American Museum of Illustration, NY.

EDUCATION

University of Bridgeport, CT BS Fine Art, cum laude

Drawing, Painting & Art History. Design Lecturer, 2016-2018

Courses /Seminars: Fairfield U., SIGGRAPH, AIGA and Aspen Design.

Statement

Perhaps Edward Hopper’s philosophical quote “If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint” is most apt. Nonetheless, I am attracted to, and find expression in, explorations of light and form, using hints of abstraction in my contemporary land/cityscapes.

One goal of my works is to, quoting one review, “evoke an almost sublime sense of stillness” (New York magazine). I always hope my treatment of light and dark provides the viewer with a sense of place and time, drawing them into a lyrical world that may be drawn from what most might consider mundane subject matter – bare trees, unremarkable houses and buildings, sunlight peering through a lone ocean wave. After all these decades, I am still learning and developing my expressive style, as cliché as that may sound. But forward movement provides excitement and joy, keeping life creatively rich.