Chris Janzen:
Artist, Musician

Chris Janzen: Artist, MusicianChris Janzen: Artist, MusicianChris Janzen: Artist, MusicianChris Janzen: Artist, Musician
  • Home
  • Art
  • Music
  • About
  • Contact

Chris Janzen:
Artist, Musician

Chris Janzen: Artist, MusicianChris Janzen: Artist, MusicianChris Janzen: Artist, Musician
  • Home
  • Art
  • Music
  • About
  • Contact

Statement

Artmaking is a way to make sense of the countless tangential streams of information that I encounter daily. My creative practice draws inspiration from many places: chance encounters with sights and sounds of popular culture and social media, the pure aesthetic abstraction of music, the incidental beauty of post-consumer products like cardboard and packing foam, etc...all of these inform my work as an artist and musician.  This broad approach makes my work simultaneously personal and reflective of the complex world that surrounds us.

Bio

Chris Janzen is a visual artist, guitarist, and composer. His multimedia projects and oil paintings have been exhibited throughout the US including west coast institutions such as the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Alphonse Berber Gallery, Electric Works, Fresno Art Museum, and Arte Americas. Janzen is Assistant Professor of Art and Instructor of Music at Fresno Pacific University where he teaches painting, drawing, 2D / 3D Design, and jazz guitar. He is a member of Fig Tree Gallery.

CV

Education

2007 MFA, Painting, University of South Dakota  

2004 BA, Art, Bethel College, KS

Group and Solo* Exhibitions

2022 *Chance & Risk, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, June 

2019 *Scale, Jewel FM Gallery, Fresno, CA  August-November 

2019 When Art Meets Jazz III, Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA 

2018 Inovidable, Arte Americas, Fresno, CA

2018 *Recent Works, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA

2017 *Foodness, Fresno City Hall, Fresno, CA

2017 *Chris Janzen: Paintings, Jewel FM Gallery, Fresno, CA

2016 Reflector, Jewel FM Gallery, Fresno, CA  2016 Tandem, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA

2016 *Works by Chris Janzen, Tree of Life, Fresno CA

2016 Found Objects, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno CA

2016 When Art Meets Jazz II, Arte Americas, Fresno, CA

2016 *Stories, Betty Rodgriguez Regional Library, Fresno, CA

2015 Local Artist Showcase, Peeve's Public House, Fresno, CA

2015 Creative Journeys: A Retrospective of FPU Art Faculty and Student work from 1964-2015 College Community MB Church Gallery, Clovis, CA  

2015 Movement, Transformation, and Place, Mennonite/s Writing Conference, Fresno, CA  

2015 Annual Members Show, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  


2008-2015 *Dinner (Or A Deranged Event Staged in a Theoretical Mansion in Which Time and History Have Been Grossly Dismembered and What We Know as the Laws of Physics Wildly Subverted, Conducted as an Inquiry into the Genius of Madness and the Art of the Faux Pas, and Having as a First Course to be Served to a Cast of Sixteen Eccentrics A Dish of Carrot Cabbage Salad Meant to Tickle Every Palate)  (Art exhibition / poetry reading / music performance / mixed media work for voice, guitar, electronics)  

  • Mennonite/s Writing Conference, Fresno, CA, March 2015 Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, June 2011 
  • Spectrum Gallery (Rogue Festival), Fresno, CA, March 2011 
  • Spectrum Gallery (Rogue Festival), Fresno, CA, March 2010 
  • Reedley Peace Center, Reedley, CA, October 2009 
  • Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, CA, October 2009 
  • Alphonse Berber Gallery, Berkeley, CA, October 2009 
  • Electric Works, San Francisco, CA, April 2009 
  • Mennonite Community Church, Fresno, CA, February 2009 
  • Bethel College, North Newton, KS, October 2008  


2014 Recent Paintings by Chris Janzen, Fresno Pacific University McDonald Corridor Gallery, Fresno CA  

2014 Annual Members Show, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2013 *Seven Stories, Chris Janzen Studio, Fresno, CA  

2013 *More Again Now, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2013 Annual Members Show, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  2012 

Self, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2012 Fig Tree Gallery 50th Anniversary Exhibition, Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA  

2012 *Intervention, North Fresno MB Church Gallery, Fresno, CA, April  

2012 Artists of the Studio, Chris Sorensen Studio, Fresno, CA, March  

2011 Annual Members Show, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA, December  

2011 HOWL: Ginsberg and Beyond, Commercial Workers Union Hall, Fresno, CA  

2011 *Chris Janzen : Recent Work, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2011 Resident Artists, Chris Sorensen Studio, Fresno, CA, August  

2010 Annual Gallery Artists Show, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA, December  

2010 *Heather Anderson, Marvin Armstrong, Chris Janzen, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2010 Resident Artists, Chris Sorensen Studio, Fresno, CA, September  

2010 Black and White Show, Chris Sorensen Studio, Fresno, CA  

2010 Art by Hand Showcase, Echo Street Coffee  

2010 Artist Invitational, Fig Tree Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2009 USD Alumni Exhibition, John A. Day Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2009 Art of Concience, Art by Hand, Fresno, CA  

2009 *Healing the Whole, Mennonite Community Church, Fresno, CA  

2009 *The Dinner Guests, North Fresno MB Church Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2008 *Recent Work, Bethel College Gallery, North Newton, KS  

2008 *In the World, Not of it: Recent Works by Chris Janzen, North Fresno Church Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2008 *Marcos Dorado and Chris Janzen, Tower Mosaic, Fresno, CA  

2007 *Paintings, McDonald Hall Gallery, Fresno, CA  

2007 Conflict and Resolution, Gallery 110, Vermillion, SD  

2007 *Popular Confusion, Nuance Gallery, Beresford, SD  

2007 Briar Cliff Review Art Exhibit, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, IA  

2007 The Color of Sound, Touch of Europe, Sioux Falls, SD  

2007 *Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, John A. Day Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2007 Stillwell Student Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, John A. Day Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2007 Recent Paintings, Coffee House Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2006 Juried Exhibition, Craftsman Creek Gallery, Sioux Falls, SD  

2006 Draw!, Washington Arts Center, Vermillion, SD  

2006 Be Heard, Riverwalk Caf�, Sioux Falls, SD  

2006 Recent Graduate Student Work, South Dakota touring exhibit  

2006 Stillwell Student Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, John A. Day Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2006 Chris Janzen and Matt Schaefer, Washington Arts Center, Vermillion, SD  

2005 Paintings and Prints, Gallery 110, Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts, Vermillion  

2005 Vermillion Artworks, South Dakota Board of Regents Gallery, Pierre, SD  

2005 Dakota History Conference, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD  

2005 Stillwell Student Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, John A. Day Gallery, Vermillion, SD  

2004 Recent University of South Dakota Student Work, South Dakota State University Gallery, Sioux Falls, SD  

2004 New Graduate Student Paintings, Gallery 110, Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts, Vermillion, SD  

2004 *Paint and Sound, Bethel College Gallery, North Newton, KS

Teaching

2007-present Assistant Professor of Art, Campus Galleries Director, Adjunct Faculty in Music, Fresno Pacific University  Courses Taught: 

  • Design I 2D, 
  • Drawing I, 
  • Drawing II, 
  • Figure Drawing, 
  • Painting I, 
  • Painting II, 
  • Sculpture I, 
  • K-8 Art Education, 
  • Jazz Guitar Private Instruction, 
  • Jazz Ensemble Director, 
  • Introduction to American Popular Music.


2004-2007 Teaching Assistant, University of South Dakota  Courses Taught: Design I 2D, Drawing I, Drawing II

Publications

  • Travelers to the Grave, Poetry and Arts Zine, Volume 2, 2021. Includes five recent artworks.  
  • Shaghoian, Tim. "The Unravelled Climb", 2021 digital single cover illustration.  
  • Henry, Jesse. DAWNA, 2020, vinyl record cover illustration.  
  • Barrett, Christopher. The Holotropics, 2019, cd/vinyl illustration, design, and layout.  
  • Barrett, Christopher. Phaze Theory, 2016, cd/vinyl illustration, design, and layout.  
  • "Three Groups One Story", 2018, documentary film produced by the Heritage Hall Museum and Archives, Freeman, SD. Features oil painting "President Grant and the Hutterites", 2004, oil on matboard  
  • Henry, Jesse. Strutterfly, 2013, cd illustration, design, and layout.  
  • Fig Tree Gallery 50th Anniversary monograph. Published by Fig Tree Gallery. May 2012.  
  • Nathan, Jesse and Chris Janzen. Dinner - A Record of Madness, June 2011, Vinyl record and inner-jacket illustrations.  
  • Janzen, Rod. The Hutterites in North America, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010, illustration p. 37  
  • The Pacific Journal, Fresno Pacific University Journal, Vol. 4, 2009, illustration p. 110  
  • Nathan, Jesse and Chris Janzen. Dinner, Milk Machine Press, San Francisco, April 2009, illustrations throughout book; sound collage cd  
  • Rhubarb Magazine, Mennonite Literary Society Journal, Winter 2009, #24, cover illustration  
  • Janzen, Rod. Paul Tschetter. Wipf and Stock, 2009, illustration p. 81  
  • The Pacific Journal, Fresno Pacific University Journal, Vol. 2, 2007, cover illustration  
  • Briar Cliff Review, Briar Cliff University Arts Magazine, 2007, illustration p. 34 and 63

Articles & Interviews

  • Munro, Donald. "Chris Janzen Gets Personal at Fig Tree". The Munro Review, October 4, 2018  
  • Munro, Donald. "Art and music together for ArtHop". Fresno Bee, August 5, 2015  
  • Munro, Donald. "For ArtHop artist, this riff plays on painting and music". Fresno Bee, October 3, 2013  
  • Nathan, Jesse and Chris Janzen. Interview by John Murphy. WHUS 91.7fm, University of Connecticut, Hartford CT. August 25, 2011. Radio  
  • "Fresno Artist Chris Janzen". Salt Fresno Magazine, Vol 7, Issue 4, May 2010  
  • "Chris Janzen". The Syrinx, Fresno Pacific University Newspaper, January 29, 2008.  

Copyright © Chris Janzen - All Rights Reserved.