The Art of Painting in the 21st Century is an annual conference and exhibition in its 15th year and is geared towards nurturing dialogue on contemporary painting and the shared ideas that define current trends in the field. Many painters work alone, an isolated process that deprives the artist of thriving debate until the work is shown. This conference provides a unique opportunity and an intimate setting to interact with top artists. UC Davis, home to artist Roy de Forest, Roland Petersen, Wayne Thiebaud, and Robert Arneson, was instrumental in defining a new direction for a uniquely West Coast style. Nowhere else in the country will the participants be able to interact and discuss the purity of painting in one place. Meet face-to-face with distinguished artists you might only otherwise read about.
“This is the kind of educational, intellectual event one expects from museums or universities, but which public institutions seem less and less able to provide.” – Artweek Magazine
Co-curated by John Natsoulas and John Seed
The exhibition’s opening reception will be held on October 12, immediately following the free conference.

Patrick Siler, Little Joe Goes for a Walk, 1996, Acrylic on canvas, 97" x 91"

Laurelin Gilmore, Birdbathing, 2021, oil on canvas, 36" x 48"

Timothy Smith, Passageway, 2022, Acrylic on polytab mural cloth, 96" x 96"

Sumire Kudo, Female, 2022, oil on canvas, 48″ x 36″

Gabriel Sainz, Fiske, 2024, acrylic on canvas, 19.67″ x 23.62″

David Fobes, Last Embrace, 2023, Hand manipulated vintage Paint-By-Numbers painting, 19.75″ x 19.75″ x 0.75″

Avery Palmer, The Fountain, 2022, oil on canvas, 41″ x 51″

David Fobes, Mobius Laborious, 2024, Hand manipulated vintage Paint-By-Numbers painting, 23.25″ x 32″ x 0.25″

Deirdre Ferrell White, Capricorn, 2023, oil on panel, 40" x 30"

Adam Forfang, Paris, 2024, oil on panel, 18" x 24"

Bill Maul, Fantastic Sights to Stagger the Imagination, 2024, oil on canvas, 36" x36"

Boyd Gavin, Cyress at Dusk, 2022, oil on panel, 36" x 24"

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco, Belt, 2024, oil on canvas, 17.75″ x 17.75″

Chester Arnold, Inlets, 2013, oil on linen panel, 12" x 16"

Deborah Oropallo, Uprising, 1992, oil on canvas, 96" x 76"

Eulogia Merle, Good Child, acrylic on canvas, 29" x 36"

Doug Webb, Homeland Security, 2008, acrylic on linen, 16" x 12"

Eulogia Merle, Kid with Cat, acrylic on canvas, 24.4" x 31.5"

Alejandro Cortés, Spirit Cat, 2019, oil on canvas

Eulogia Merle, Kid II, acrylic on canvas, 19" x 23"

Jose Luis Ceña Ruiz, Behind the Scene, 2024, oil on linen, 31.5" x 31.5"

Eulogia Merle, Tonal II, acrylic on canvas, 26" x 36"

Gabriel Sainz, Urdidora de Nubes, 2024, arcylic on canvas, 15.75" x 27.56"

Ian Harvey, No. 172, 2023, oil, oil stick, enamel, shellac, and acrylic on wood panels, 42" x 126"

James Bland, Scene in a Public House, 2023, oil on canvas, 19.69" x 19.69"

Jeff Myers, Cloud Woman, 2023, oil on canvas, 60" x 48"

Danielle Muzina, Pink on the Inside, 2021, Oil on panel, 20" x 24"

Jerald Silva, Self Portrait In Steamy Window 1, 2018, Watercolor, 59" x 44"

Richard Whitten, Looking Glass, 2016, Oil on panel, 31" x 32"

Jose Manuel Arevalo, A Room With Views, 2024, oil on linen, 17.7" x 23.6"

Sima Jo Benson, Homestead, 2023, oil on canvas, 24" x 36"

Jose Manuel Arevalo, On My Own III, 2024, oil on linen, 17.7" x 28.7"

Maija Peeples-Bright, Margay Matterhorn with Marigolds and Marlin Minuetists, c. 1982, oil on canvas, 41" x 55"

Philippe Gandiol, Blue Line, 2024, oil on linen, 36" x 30"

Judith Linhares, Woman and Woodpecker, c. 1984, oil on canvas, 78" x 96"

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco, Toaster I, 2024, Oil on canvas, 17.75" x 17.75"

Kati Thomson, Happy Hour III, 2024, acrylic and oil on canvas, 24" x 24"

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco, Toaster II, 2024, Oil on canvas, 17.75" x 17.75"

Seongmin Yoo, Offering, 2022, ink, oil and acrylic paint on canvas, 9.5" x 11"

M. Louise Stanley, Homage to the Weeping Woman, 1997, Gouache on paper, Framed: 34" x 47"

Pat Mahony, A Fall Trail, 2024, oil on canvas, 48" x 36"

Peter Zokosky, Flora, 2014, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

Troy Dalton, Boat Dream, acrylic on canvas, 72" x 90"

Judith Linhares, Pony, 1999, acrylic on paper, 29" x 40.5"

Alejandro Cortés, Spirit Cat, 2019, Oil on canvas