Explore our world your way
Find your painting!
Weispfenning
Jeffrey Scott Weispfenning was born September 11, 1966 in Moorhead, Minnesota, the youngest of 5 children. He attended Minnesota State University, Moorhead, graduating in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree – Painting; also studying Printmaking and the Graphic Arts.
Weispfenning paints in a basement studio, dubbed “The Artcave” at his home in Minneapolis’ Longfellow Neighborhood where he lives with his wife, Sarah and one tuxedo cat. Every year he tries to participate in local art crawls: Art-A-Whirl, in Nordeast Minneapolis, as well as the LOLA Art Crawl in Longfellow, South Minneapolis.
Since 1993 Jeff has entered the annual “Midwestern Invitational Exhibition” at the Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, Minnesota, where he worked for 5 years. He was one of the original artists exhibiting at the GK Art Gallery, Cooperstown, North Dakota, once “live-painting” at an opening. He has twice painted in the White Bear Lake, MN “Open Canvas” event. Currently, Jeff is painting new work for a one man exhibition at the Rourke Art Gallery, summer 2012.
Weispfenning has been employed by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Registration Department, as a Reinstallation Technician, participating in the MIA’s major rebuilding projects. He has assisted at The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis, moving and installing paintings. Jeff has also dabbled in the craft of stained glass, at Gaytee Stained Glass Studio and now works as a graphic “computer” artist at SignArt Co. in Mendota Heights, MN
Please follow him on Facebook at Jeff Weispfenning’s Artcave or check him out on mnartists.org. Email address: jeffweispfenning@gmail.com.
Jeff Weispfenning
Minneapolis, MN – 2012
Jeffrey S. Weispfenning, Fine Artist (Printable CV)
- 3328 30th Ave South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406
Tel: (612)356-9967
Email: jeffweispfenning@gmail.com
Education
- 1997 Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, Painting
Other Concentrations: Printmaking, Drawing, Graphic Arts
Exhibitions
2012- Rourke Art Gallery, Moorhead, Minnesota
Return to Clonmacnoise – Group Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead Minnesota
53rd Annual Invitational Exhibition - Rourke Art Gallery, Moorhead, Minnesota
Dark Lives, Sad Loves, Restless Dreams – Solo Exhibition - League of Longfellow Artists, Longfellow, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Participant, LOLA Art Crawl, Open Studio
- Moto-I Restaurant, Geisha Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Solo Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, Minnesota
Let Them Eat Cake, The Heart Show – Group Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead Minnesota
52nd Annual Invitational Exhibition - Northeast Minneapolis Arts Assoc., Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota
Participant, Art-A-Whirl Art Crawl, Open Studio - League of Longfellow Artists, Longfellow, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Participant, LOLA Art Crawl, Open Studio - Sassafras Floral Studio, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Crafty Beavers Craft Sale
- Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead Minnesota
51st Annual Invitational Exhibition - Northeast Minneapolis Arts Assoc., Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota
Participant, Art-A-Whirl Art Crawl, Open Studio - League of Longfellow Artists, Longfellow, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Participant, LOLA Art Crawl, Open Studio - Sassafras Floral Studio, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Crafty Beavers Craft Sale
- Rourke Art Museum
50th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Rourke Art Museum
49th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Rourke Art Museum
48th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Rourke Art Museum
47th Annual Invitational Exhibition - White Bear Lake Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake , Minnesota
Participant, Open Canvas, donated finished Painting - Emma’s Restaurant, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Solo Exhibition in Restaurant
- North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Donated Painting for Fundraiser - Rourke Art Museum
46th Annual Invitational Exhibition - White Bear Lake Center for the Arts
Participant, Open Canvas, donated finished Painting - Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, Minnesota
Nine Artists, One Museum - Group Exhibition
- North Dakota Museum of Art
Donated Painting for Fundraiser - Rourke Art Museum
45th Annual Invitational Exhibition - Stevens Square Community Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Museum Guard Art - Group Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery, Cooperstown, North Dakota
Red - Group Exhibition
7th Annual Invitational Exhibition
Rourke Art Museum
Amorous Art - Group Exhibition
44th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery
6th Annual Invitational Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
43rd Annual Invitational Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery
5th Annual Invitational Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
42nd Annual Invitational Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery
Old Art, New Art, Borrowed Art, Blue Art - Solo Exhibition
4th Annual Invitational Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
41st Annual Invitational Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery
3rd Annual Invitational Exhibition
The Man Show – Group Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
4oth Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater
Solo Exhibition - GK Art Gallery
2nd Annual Invitational Exhibition
Drawings - Group Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
39th Annual Invitational Exhibition
The Civil War - Group Exhibition
Billy Curmano - Group Exhibition - Fargo Theater
Donated Painting for Fundraiser
- GK Art Gallery
Instant Ancestors - Solo Exhibition
Painted in front of an audience
1st Annual Invitational Exhibition - Minnesota State University, Moorhead
BFA Exhibition
University President's Office
Student Invitational - Juried Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
38th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- GK Art Gallery
Kissing The Nun - Solo Exhibition
13 Art Students - Group Exhibition - Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Student Invitational - Juried Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
37th Annual Invitational Exhibition - Mike Marth’s Studio Thirteen, Fargo, North Dakota
Restrooms, Public and Private – Group Exhibition
- Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Student Invitational - Juried Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
36th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Student Invitational - Juried Exhibition - Rourke Art Museum
35th Annual Invitational Exhibition
Awards
Rourke Art Museum
2011- Honorable Mention, 52nd Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Honorable Mention, 49th Annual Invitational Exhibition
- Honorable Mention, 38th Annual Invitational Exhibition
Minnesota State University, Moorhead
1996- Art Student Scholarship
Selected Private Collections
- Judge William Hill, Fargo Federal Court House
- Jim and JoAnne Wold, Volden Farms
- Gretchen Kottke
- James O'Rourke
- Dr. Richard Callender
- Kathleen Millard
- Dr. Blair Anderson and Fawzia Khan
- Deborah Mae Broad
- Dave King
- Mary Parker and James Diers
- Naomi Nakamoto and Terry Adams
- Gerald Emery
- John Foley
- James and Ruth Weispfenning
- Rev. Dave and Kathy Winterfeldt
- Dave and Mary Mattson
- Dr. Paul Fleisner
- Fred Sandsmark
- Eunice and Kent Kapplinger
- Ms. Stacy Poling
- Mr. Chad Wanzek
- Chad and Beth Winterfeldt
- Dan and Liz Brunsvold
- Chris Freeman and Sarah Lambert
- Kristen Bruner
- Beverly Lake
Commissions
- Ruth Weispfenning
- Chad Winterfeldt
- Thomas and Emilie Anderson
- Bryan Hoffman
Weispfenning
I make art using oil paint on canvas. My paintings are usually imaginary portraits of sad people with dark emotions. I utilize my own memories and experiences as subject matter when I paint. Sometimes I have an exact idea of what I am about to paint. Other times, I just see what appears, adding and subtracting until I feel the piece is finished.
My portraits show the natural human condition we all have within ourselves. I am making a commentary on the world around me, poking fun at some types, while being more sympathetic towards others. Each portrait is a sad mixture of human frailty, innocence lost, addiction, misguided adventure, or just plain ugliness. Most of my work involves some kind of damage or failure.
I don’t always paint with that intention. I can be happy and content, but I do dwell on the sadness and badness of life. I want to say something about society and humankind and their choices using my cynical mindset and humor. This may be why I paint imaginary portraits, rather than directly portraying real people. I enjoy exaggerating the overall feel of the idea, using color or lack of color to my advantage.
My paintings show that love, pain, illness and death are natural outcomes of being human. People are always searching for love, but rarely do they find it. They may think they have it, but the feeling is only fleeting. Everyone gets hurt physically or mentally, gets sick, and experiences the death of loved ones and eventually themselves. This is what makes us all human. This is basic human nature.
About Me
I’ve always been interested in the “Visual Arts”, whether I was looking at my mother’s face or drawing funny pictures and laughing as a preschooler. In grade school, I pretended to be an Architect and enjoyed drawing pictures in art class. During high school, like most boys, I took the graphic arts courses. Studying in college, I meandered all over the place, but eventually came back to my senses, slowly, with Graphic Communications, then on to Printmaking and finally Painting.
I never thought I could make a living as an artist. But in the painting studio at Moorhead State University, I felt I was in the right place. I was learning a new skill, but was it really so new? It was at this time that I met most of my best friends and learned a great deal about myself. I also met my wife, Sarah. I was having the best time of my life!
Around this time, during a field trip to the Rourke Art Gallery, in Moorhead, MN, I met James O’Rourke, gallery director. He asked if I could help out, and eventually I was working weekends! It was here where I learned the most about art… and artists. I learned how to interact with people as well, working in a public space. It was one of the craziest 5 years of my life!
About My Art
My paintings are portraits of imaginary people. A teacher of mine once said that people were the most difficult things to paint. I enjoy trying to paint the person as realistically as possible, yet they always become skewed, expressive somewhat. They show emotion, portraying an idea. I call it Expressive Realism.
I love using color. Colors represent feelings and help the viewer see emotion. I also enjoy the use of outline, perhaps from my days in the drawing and printmaking studios.
The most intriguing thing about painting a portrait is that the artist gets to know their subject well, after many, many hours! It’s very emotional to finish a painting. Most pieces take many days and weeks of work, and finally when done, there is something very beautiful and wonderful to look at. I love looking at most of my paintings, both old and new, and have a difficult time parting with them. They are my creations, part of myself, my children in a way! I can’t wait to show them to other people, to see their reactions, good or bad!
As I start a painting, I may have an idea in mind, but other times, I have no clue. Happy Accidents! The paintings always get finished one way or another. I may have a hard time with the piece, but after many hours of smearing paint around, the kinks seem to work themselves out. There once was an artist who’s wife would take away paintings when she thought they were finished! I prefer to decide for myself, often under or overworking them!
As I am painting, I notice that certain images or themes keep reappearing. Beautiful women, young girls, crazy sadness, dark insanity, green eyes, orange hair, religious overtones, human sexuality, simple humor, piercing satire. Whatever may be, they come from inside my brain. They make up who I am, where I have been, etc. I think everything inside the artist comes out in their work! It can’t help but escape, and I suppose that’s the only thing which keeps them sane! When I paint, I am at my happiest, creating something new and beautiful or ugly. This must be art making at it’s very core.
Someone asked me why my portraits were so dark, so crazy looking. They wouldn’t be able to live with these paintings. I didn’t know how to react! They were commenting on my individual personality characteristics, my whole life, so to speak. I paint for myself, first of all, portraying an idea from deep within me. If that painting pleases someone, that’s good! Art is a personal thing for the patron as well as the artist.
What you see is something I made, from deep within my soul, my very psyche. Take some time to look and If you like it, thank you. But if you don’t, keep looking… that next piece might be the one to grab you and shake you to your knees...