Education
MFA, Boston University, Boston, MA
BFA, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Sean Downey: Books-Eyes-Red, The Times Club, Iowa City, IA
2017 Wholly Idle, Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston, MA
2015 MARS, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
2014 Hunker Hawser, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
2012 Sean Downey: Recent Work, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
Petrified Forest, Flying Object, Hadley, MA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 (forthcoming) In Crystallized Time, MoM, Seattle, WA
2020 Black & White vs. Color, Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
LOVE 2020: Perfect Vision, Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY
2019 beneath the beach, seamless paving stones, Rhizome Parking Garage
ToPaintersToPaintings Online Exhibition #2, curated by Kurt Beers
Figure Focus, Gallery 360, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
2018 Sun Worship and Solar Machines, Assemblage Gallery, Boston, MA
Out of Our Closet, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
You Never Know How You Look Through Other People’s Eyes, ICA at Maine College of
Art, Portland, ME
Circle Time, Able Baker Contemporary, Portland, ME
2017 The Work on Paper Show, Park Place Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Transmutations: Esteban del Valle, Sean Downey, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, Montserrat
College of Art, Beverly, MA
Space as Narrative, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA
Got it for Cheap, The Hole, New York, NY; Soulland, Copenhagen, DK; Macaulay & Co
Fine Art, Vancouver, BC
The Human Form, Park Place Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2016 Irregular Landscapes, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA
A Somatic Fall, Ess Ef Eff, Brooklyn, NY
Interiors, Dorchester Arts Project, Boston, MA
2014 MCC Artist Fellows in Painting, New Art Center, Newton, MA
Convergence: BU Alumni Exhibition, Boston University, Boston, MA
Wild and Wooly, New Art Center, Newton, MA
2013 All Our Tomorrows and Yesterdays, Proof Gallery, Boston, MA
2013 PUNCH Invitational, PUNCH Gallery, Seattle, WA
Sean Downey / Rachelle Agundes: Travel in My Borrowed Lives, University of Maine
Museum of Art, Bangor, ME
2012 Four Young Boston Painters, LaMontagne Gallery, Boston, MA
Take Shelter in the World, Boston University Art Gallery, Boston, MA
Hung Jury, 225 Friend Street, Boston, MA
2011 Brooklyn Transmigration Part II, TaB Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY
Chain Letter, Samson Projects, Boston, MA
Brooklyn Transmigration Part I: Portals & Poets, TaB Fine Art, Tabernash, CO
2010 I-95 Triennial 2010: A Survey from Four New England States, University of Maine
Museum of Art, Bangor, ME
2009 Winter Solstice: An Exhibition of Small Works, The Lincoln Building, Waltham, MA
2008 Sting!3, The Beehive, Boston, MA
La Romeria/Viva Last Blues: Paintings by Alfredo Gisholt and Sean Downey, The Lincoln
Building, Waltham, MA
Sting!2, The Beehive, Boston, MA
South Press Print Invitational, Carillon Gallery, Fort Worth, TX
2007 On Paper: Prints by Contemporary Artists, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill,
MA
Heads, Studio A.I.R., Brooklyn, NY
2006 Spot On, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
2005 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Boston University, Boston, MA
Summery Summary, 58 N3, Brooklyn, NY
Curatorial / Writing
2018 Catalog essay - Jim Shrosbree: Apparent / Appearance, The Times Club at Prarie Lights
(Iowa City: UICB/Prarie Lights, 2018); exhibition catalog.
2016 Dan Boardman, Contact Sheet, issue 187, 2016 Light Work Annual, pp. 80-87
Dan Boardman/Audrey Hope, kijidome, Boston, MA
2015 kijidome, James and Audrey Foster Prize Exhibition, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
2014 Green Dream, kijidome, Boston, MA
The Hovering Life (curated by kijidome)
2013 Co-founder of artist collaborative kijidome (Boston, MA)
S01E01 (curated by kijidome), kijidome, Boston, MA
Awards/Residencies
2017 Theodore and Jane Norman Award for Faculty Scholarship, Brandeis University
2015 (with kijidome) James and Audrey Foster Prize, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
MacDowell Colony Fellowship
2014 Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship
2013 Blanche E. Colman Foundation Award
2011/12 Theodore and Jane Norman Award for Faculty Scholarship, Brandeis University
2010 Residency/Fellowship, Ucross Foundation
2001 Residency, Vermont Studio Center
Teaching/Presentations
2018-present Associate Professor of Art, Maharishi University, Fairfield, IA
2007-18 Senior Lecturer in Fine Arts / Post-Baccalaureate Coordinator, Brandeis University,
Waltham, MA
2018 Visiting Critic, Boston University, Boston, MA
Visiting Artist, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Visiting Critic, Spring Semester, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA
Mentor, Lesley University Low-Res MFA Program, Cambridge, MA
Mentor, New Hampshire Institute of Art Low-Res MFA Program
2017 Mentor, Lesley University Low-Res MFA Program
Visiting Artist, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IA
2016 Mentor, New Hampshire Institute of Art Low-Res MFA Program
2015 Mentor, New Hampshire Institute of Art Low-Res MFA Program
Visiting Critic/Artist Presentation, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH
Visiting Critic, BFA Reviews, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
Visiting Critic/Artist Presentation, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Visiting Critic/Artist Presentation, Massachusetts College of Art
Visiting Critic, Junior Painting, Rhode Island School of Design
Visiting Critic/Artist Presentation, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IA
Visiting Artist Presentation, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
2014 Visiting Artist Presentation, Boston University, Boston, MA
Visiting Lecturer, Rhode Island School of Design
2013-14 Artist Mentor, MassArt MFAWC MFA Program, Boston, MA
2012 Visiting Critic, Sophomore Painting, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA
Visiting Artist, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
Visiting Artist Presentation, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
Presenter, Salon Series: Artists Inspired by Film, Somerville Arts Council, Somerville, MA
2005-2006 Visiting Lecturer in Fine Arts, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Bibliography
Hess, Erika. “Artist Sean Downey: From Oil Painting to Virtual Reality, Meditation, & being an Artist Parent.”
I Like Your Work Podcast, December 20, 2019, https://www.ilikeyourworkpodcast.com
Art Maze Magazine, Issue 10, November 2018
Maake Magazine, Issue 6, curated by Holly Coulis. January 2018
Michelman, Elizabeth. “Evoking Curiosity and Empathy: Transmutations at Montserrat.” Artscope,
January/February 2018
Pyper, John. “Seeing our digital lives more clearly through painting.” Hyperallergic, November 2, 2017
Hajmiragha, Sholeh. “Sean Downey.” Work in Progress, January 2017.
Rushford, Sarah. “Dan Boardman / Audrey Hope at kijidome.” Big Red & Shiny, July 21, 2016
McQuaid, Cate. “Pious conversions, dazzling domesticity, and ghosts made tangible.” The Boston Globe,
May 10, 2016
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Hutchinson, Scout. “Compass Ketchup: kijidome.” Boston Hassle, April 11, 2015
Browning, Celine. “2105 Foster Prize interviews: kijidome.” Big Red & Shiny, March 30, 2015
McQuaid, Cate. "At Miller Yezerski Gallery desire meets creation." The Boston Globe, May 6, 2014
Caldwell, Edmond. “Review: Green Dream at kijidome.” Big Red & Shiny, February 19, 2014
Bergeron, Chris. "Newton exhibit explores history and myth of the Old West." MetroWest Daily News,
January 23, 2014
McQuaid, Cate. "The myth of the Wild West, and its murky construction." The Boston Globe, January 21,
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2014
Cardon, Stephanie. “Review: All Our Tomorrows and Yesterdays at Proof.” Big Red & Shiny, December 5,
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2013
Cardon, Stephanie. “Welcome to Kijidome.” Big Red & Shiny, October 9, 2013
Kany, Daniel. "Paintings in the key of Dylan anchor strong lineup at UMMA." Maine Sunday
Telegram, August 25, 2013.
McQuaid, Cate. “States of Being.” The Boston Globe, March 14, 2012.
McQuaid, Cate. “Deft, Detailed, Apocalyptic.” The Boston Globe, February 8, 2012.
Paper Monument, ed. Draw it With Your Eyes Closed: The Art of the Art Assignment, n+1 Foundation, 2012.