Groundbreaking Painter Cameron Martin Joins Faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

CHICAGO–Contemporary artist Cameron Martin will join the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as the new F.H. Sellers Professor in Painting, beginning in August. Martin is a passionate educator and a groundbreaking painter, and his appointment will advance the legacy of leadership and scholarship in the Painting and Drawing Department. Martin will be the fourth person to hold the professorship, following Ray Yoshida, Susanna Coffey, and Professor Emerit Candida Alvarez.

“We are thrilled to have Cameron fill this important role as the F.H. Sellers Professor,” said Camille Martin-Thomsen, dean of faculty and vice president for Academic Affairs. “With a Painting and Drawing program ranked No. 2 in the nation by US News and World Report, bringing an artist and scholar of Cameron’s caliber to SAIC will continue to elevate the program.”

In his practice, Martin explores forms, palettes, and digital techniques, complicating the distinction between the handmade and the mechanical. His work has shifted over time from the representational to the abstract, and he has been a critical contributor to the contemporary discourse of painting.

In addition to solo shows in the United States, Japan, and Europe, he has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and most recently the University Art Museum at SUNY Albany.  His work is included in many museum collections, and he has been the recipient of a Pollock Krasner, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, among others. He received his bachelor’s from Brown University and completed the Whitney Museum’s prestigious Independent Study Program. Martin comes to SAIC from Hunter College, where he is the interim head of the BFA program. Before that, he was the co-chair of Painting in the MFA program at Bard College for seven years.

“It is an honor to receive this professorship to teach at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, whose painting and drawing program I’ve admired for some time,” said Cameron Martin. “I’m excited to work with the next generation of artists coming out of Chicago.”

The F.H. Sellers Professor is a full-time position at SAIC which Mary Morely Sellers established in 1939 in honor of her late husband. In this position, he will take a leadership role in forging the future of the department and the School; participate in student advising, committee work, and special projects; contribute to the SAIC community through ongoing curricular development; and participate in departmental administration and school governance.

“Cameron’s understanding of abstraction, color, and form has earned him worldwide acclaim—and now he will bring that expertise to SAIC’s classrooms,” said Chair of the Painting and Drawing Department Michelle Grabner. “Our students are receiving a wonderful opportunity to learn from such an accomplished painter and professor.”

About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 155 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers, and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program ranked number two in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world, and adults, teens, and kids in our Continuing Studies classes have the opportunity to explore their creative sides, build portfolios, and advance their skills. Notable alums and faculty include Georgia O’Keeffe, Nick Cave, David Sedaris, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Cynthia Rowley, Michelle Grabner, Richard Hunt, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Jeff Koons.