Ray Kelly

Arriving in New York City from his family farm in Texas in 1964 to study painting at the Art Student's League, Cowboy Ray Kelly lived an art-filled and adventurous life ever since, including ending the tumultuous decade of the 1960's as Mark Rothko's painting assistant for three years while the Rothko Chapel in Houston was being built. He apprenticed with Herbert Ferber, taught fresco, briefly, at Skowhegan School and founded the Rivington School on New York's Lower East Side in the 80's. He's shown work worldwide including P.S.1, Socrates Sculpture park, and the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

1978 Taught Fresco at Skowhegan School, Maine
1968-70 Apprentice to Herbert Ferber, New York City
1965-68 Assistant to Mark Rothko, Rothko Chapel, Houston
1964-65 Art Students League, New York City (Theodore Stamos)
1964 Gruver High School, Gruver, Texas

1983-1997 Director of the Rivington School, New York City
1980-1983 Owner of NoSeNo Social Club, New York City

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 Black Box Exchanges, White Box, New York City
2012 Orchard Windows Gallery, New York City
2009 White Box, New York City
1988 Hanku Five, Osaka, Japan
1988 Nagoya University of the Arts, Nagoya, Japan
1986 ARS Electronica, Linz, Austria
1979 Gateway National Recreation Area, Jacob Riis Park, New York City
1978 and 1977 Robert Freidus Gallery, New York City
1976 Janie C. Lee Gallery, Houston, Texas
1975 Castle Clinton, Battery Park, New York City
1974 Dord Fitz Gallery, Amarillo, Texas
1974 Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York
1968 Clyde Mack Gallery, New York City

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2011 How to Philosophize with a Hammer, White Box, New York City
2011 WALLmART, White Box, New York City
2009 10th anniversary Benefit Auction, White Box, New York City
1999 Stadtwerkstatt, Linz, Austria
1995 Le Lieu Centre en Art Actuel, Quebec City, Canada
1991 PS1, Long Island City, New York City
1991 Lookout Sculpture Park, Damascus, Pennsylvania
1991 Socrates Sculpture Park, Astoria Queens, New York City
1987 Rivington School Sculpture Project, Detroit, Michigan
1983 NoSeNo, 99 Nights, New York City
1980 PS1, Outdoor Sculpture, New York City
1979 Wards Island, Organization of Independent Artists, New...