EDUCATION
2000
- MFA, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
- BFA, Millikin University, Decatur, IL
SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2015
- Michael Wille: Meandering in the Midst. Goodyear Gallery, Dickinson University, Carlisle, PA
- Michael Wille: Looping. The Peoria Arts Guild, Peoria, IL
- Michael Wille: Floating. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary, St Louis, MO
- Michael Wille: New Day. Times Club, Iowa City, IA
- Michael Wille: Not Exactly There. University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
- Michael Wille: Episode(s). Violet Poe Projects, Bloomington, IL
- Gates and Ways: New Paintings and Prints. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary, St Louis, MO.,
- KwaZulu-Natal Series. Jack Heath Gallery, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Tract: New Work by Michael Wille. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary, St. Louis, MO.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016
2014
2013
- Faculty Biennial. Illinois State University Galleries. Normal, IL. Curator: Barry Blinderman, Director of University Galleries, Normal, IL
- Art at Illinois State. Cinema Gallery. Urbana, IL. Curated by Carolyn Baxley, Director.
- Micro/MACRO. McLean County Arts Center. Bloomington, IL. Curator: Claire Hedden, Curator, MCAC.
- Works From Around Our State. Evanston Art Center. Evanston, IL. Curated by Cara Feeney and Paula Danoff.
- Microscopes and Binoculars: A Survey of Contemporary Abstract Painting. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary. St. Louis, MO.
- Here & Now. Galleri Urbane Marfa + Dallas. Dallas, TX. Curated by Adrian Zuniga, Assistant Director.
2014
- I’m Jealous of Your Failures. University of Illinois @ Springfield, Springfield, IL. Curator: Trew Schriefer.
- The Painting Center is Turning 21! The Painting Center. New York, NY. (Invitational)
- Ecovisions. McLean County Arts Center. Bloomington, IL. Curator: Claire Hedden, Curator, MCAC.
- Fiction (with only daylight between us). The Neon Heater Gallery, Findlay, OH University of Dayton, Dayton, OH. Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones
- Faculty Biennial. Illinois State University Galleries. Normal, IL Curator: Barry Blinderman, Director of University Galleries, Normal, IL.
2013
- Aqua Art Miami. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary (St Louis) booth, Miami Beach, FL. Curator: Alicia LaChance, Gallery Director
- Define Drawing. McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL
- Fine Time: You’ve Got Love Technique. CuratingContemporary.com (online blog/gallery) Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones
- On the Shoulders of… Hoffman LaChance Contemporary. Curator: Michael Hoffman
- Right and Other Angles. Soft-spot.net (online blog/gallery) Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones
- Faculty Biennial. Illinois State University Galleries. Normal, IL Curator: Barry Blinderman, Director of University Galleries, Normal, IL
- Behold. Dunedin Fine Arts Center. Dunedin, FL Curator: Catherine Bergmann, DFAC Curator
- In Your Neighborhood. McLean County Art Center. Bloomington, IL
- Middle States. University Gallery, Drake University, Des Moines, IA. Curated by Benjamin Gardner, Assistant Professor, Drake University.
- Ruptures: A Survey of Contemporary Abstract Painting. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary. St. Louis, MO.
- Faction. ArtStreet: Studio D, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH. Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones
- 100 @ 100 Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.
- All New and Exciting. McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL. Curator: Alison Hatcher, MCAC Curator
- New American Paintings (Midwest Edition): Juried Exhibition in Print No. 89. Juror: Lisa Dorin, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Chicago.
- The Boston Drawing Project - 10 Years On and Going Strong! Carroll and Sons Gallery, Boston, MA.
- Touch Faith. Semantics Gallery, Cincinnati, OH. Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones.
- Selections from the Permanent Collection. Jack Heath Gallery, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Disasters (Michael Wille, Vulindlela Nyoni and Angel Haro). Resolution Gallery of Digital Art, Johannesburg, South Africa. Curator: Ricardo Fornoni.
- Illinois. McLean Country Arts Center, Bloomington, IL.
- Make, Shift, Home. Space Art Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA. Curators: Mario Marzan and Sharmila Venkatasubban
- Considerable. Green Light Art Project, Philadelphia, PA. Curator: Jeffrey Cortland Jones
- Mapping the Terrain: New Directions in Abstract Painting. Southeastern Louisiana University Contemporary Art Gallery, Hammond, LA. Curator: Dale Newkirk, Gallery Director.
- Pattern and Decoration. University Gallery, Morehead State University, Morehead, KY. Curator: Jennifer Reis, Gallery Director.
- Group Show. Hoffman LaChance Contemporary, St. Louis, MO.
- Secrets 2007: Invitational. Artworks Gallery. Cincinnati, OH
- Without Like or As: Painting and Poetics. Illinois State University Galleries (Gallery 2), Normal, IL Curator: Benjamin Gardner
RECENT CURATING
2015
- Microscopes and Binoculars: Abstract Painting (Lucy Mink Covello, Marck Joshua Epstein, Thomas Berding, Jason Karolak, Clare Grill, Christopher Kuhn, Henry Samelson, Vince Contarino, Nichole Van Beek, Todd Arsenault, Rubens Ghenov, Gina Hunt, Rema Ghuloum, Michael Wille)
- Ruptures: A Survey of Contemporary Abstract Painting (Jered Sprecher, John Kissick, Zachary Buchner, Michael Perrone, Melissa Oresky, Trew Schriefer, Linnea Paskow, Thomas Vance, Jeffrey Cortland Jones, Gianna Commito, Michael Wille). Hoffman LaChance Contemporary. St. Louis, MO.
GALLERY AFFILIATIONS
- Hoffman LaChance Contemporary, St. Louis, MO
- Soho Myriad, Atlanta, GA (works on consignment), Los Angeles, CA and London, UK
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- David Linneweh. "Soaring Gardens Interview." 7/13. Podcast. StudioBreak.com
- In the Galleries: Floating, Jessica Baran. Riverfront Times. St Louis, MO 2/14/13.
- In the Galleries: Floating, Jessica Baran. Riverfront Times. St Louis, MO 2/14/13.
- “New Day”, Mary Laube. 10/12. Times Club catalog essay.
- Art Guild exhibits contrast each other, Jennifer Towery. Peoria Journal Star. Peoria, IL 2/5/12.
- All Black Everything. Weston Cutter. (book front, back cover image) New Michigan Press. 2012
- The Motive of Form: Michael Wille at Violet Poe Projects, Benjamin A Gardner. 12/2/11. Exhibition announcement essay.
- Middle States. Pages 16-17. (works featured). Drake University, 2011.
- You’d Be a Stranger, Too. Weston Cutter. (book front, back cover image) BlazeVOX books. 2010..
- David Linneweh. "Michael Wille Interview." 11/28/11. Podcast.StudioBreak.com
- St. Louis Art Capsules: Ruptures, Jessca Baran. Riverfront Times. St. Louis, MO 5/19/11.
- Cracks in the System, Paul Friswold. Riverfront Times. St. Louis, MO 4/28/11.
- Ruptures at hoffman lachance contemporary, Sarrita Hunn. Temporary Art Review. St. Louis, MO 5/18/11.
- New American Paintings Volume 89. (works featured). The Open Studio Press, Wellesley, MA. 8/10.
- Soul of the City, Paul Friswold. Riverfront Times. St. Louis, MO 3/31/10.
PUBLIC LECTURES and PRESENTATIONS
2016
- College Art Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., Professional Practices Committee Panelist, CAA’s MFA Standards
- Dickinson College, Clarion, PA: Visiting Artist Lecturer (including individual critiques)
- Illinois State University Faculty Forum, Normal, IL: Four-person Panel Discussion in conjunction with Faculty Biennial
- University of Mississippi: Visiting Artist Lecturer (including graduate individual critiques)
- University of Dayton: Panel Discussion in conjunction to Faction exhibition
- Drake University, Des Moines, IA: Gallery Talk in conjunction with Middle States exhibition at Anderson Gallery (including undergraduate individual critiques)
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA: Visiting Artist Lecturer (including graduate individual critiques)
- Minnesota State University @ Mankato, Mankato, MN
- Drake University, Des Moines, IA: Artist Talk in conjunction with Special Topics class “Space and Place”
- University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: (1) Artist Talk (2) Topics in International Curricula in Painting
- The 7th Biennial Thomas R. Watson Conference in Rhetoric and Composition, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
- Conference Title: “The New Work of Composing” Session Title: Collaborative Teaching: Across Disciplinary Borders. Co-presenter of "Once Removed, Twice Removed” with Weston Cutter, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Conference Title: “Beyond Other Boundaries: Sport within/against/across Borders.” Panel Title: “Sporting Spaces”. Co-presenter of "Crossing Boundaries: How Art and Sociology Interface at Jacobs Field" with Dr. Timothy Jurkovac, Associate Professor, Firelands College, OH
- Temple University in Japan, Tokyo, Japan: Visiting Artist Lecturer in conjunction with Tyler School of Art Summer Workshop: Drawing
- Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA: Artist Talk in conjunction with "Mapping The Terrain: New Directions in Abstract Painting"
- Morehead State University, Morehead, KY: Artist Talk in conjunction with "Pattern and Decoration"
TEACHING and ADMINISTRATIVE
2016 -
- Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Director, School of Art
- Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Interim Director, School of Art
- Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Associate Professor of Art
- Illinois State University, Normal, IL. Assistant Professor of Art