Bio
Mark Rospenda’s meticulous nature always presents itself through his work. Using paper as a means of exploring the delicate, mutable nature of our thinking processes, he physically cuts into, shreds, and converts his drawings into pulp. Parts and elements are exchanged between works with some evolving over a number of years. The images that result are moments within a stream of thinking and forgetting — records of memories lost, found and transforming. His work has been exhibited at the Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, SC; DEMO Project, Springfield, IL; Herron Galleries, Indianapolis, IN; and other locations nationally. As the winner of the Director’s Choice Award in the 2016 Art From the Heartland exhibition, he was granted a solo exhibition at the Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN, in 2019. From 2011–2022 he was Curator at the South Bend Museum of Art, where he organized and oversaw more than 125 exhibitions. Since 2021, his artwork has been included in the White Columns Curated Artist Registry. Rospenda lives and works in South Bend, IN, where he is Adjunct Faculty in Fine Arts and Gallery Director at Indiana University - South Bend.
Education
2006 MFA, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2000 BA, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
1999 College Year in Athens, Greece
Selected Exhibitions
2024
Graphite +, Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers, MI
2023
(solo) Filter Feeder, Peeler Art Center, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Gemstones, UIS Visual Arts Gallery, University of Illinois at Springfield, Springfield, IL
24 Hours of Wonder, Norman Hall Art Gallery, Arkansas Tech University, Russellville, AK. Traveling exhibition created and curated by Leticia Bajuyo and Sabine Senft.
2023 Fall Faculty Exhibition, Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts - Art Gallery, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN
2022
Shaping Reality, The DAAC, Grand Rapids, MI
24 Hours of Wonder, Moving Poets NOVILLA, Berlin, Germany. Traveling exhibition created and curated by Leticia Bajuyo and Sabine Senft.
Fall Faculty Exhibition, Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts - Art Gallery, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN
2021
(solo) An Unfinished Monument to Truth, Ripon College, Ripon, WI
Nature Now, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Michigan City, IN. Lora Fosberg, Curator.
2020
(solo) My Library is a Garden, Buchanan Art Center, Buchanan, MI
Rockford Midwestern Biennial, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL. (catalog)
Carry Weight, Hold Light, Collaborative exhibition conceived and curated by Heather Brammeier, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Peoria, IL
2019
(solo) Breathing Room, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
The Alchemy of Paper, Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Galleries, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN
Fun Squad: Four Walls and a Dance Party, 225 Fifth St., Benton Harbor, MI
Small Works, IU Kokomo Downtown Gallery, Indiana University Kokomo, Kokomo, IN
2018
Fun Squad: The Kids Table, Lyons Gallery, Southwestern Michigan College, Dowagiac, MI
Drawn to Print, (SCENE) Metrospace, East Lansing, MI. (catalog)
To Carry, To Hold, Collaborative exhibition with Heather Brammeier in Studio #222, International Studio and Curatorial Program, Brooklyn, NY
Fun Squad: With Our Powers Combined, The GhostLight, Benton Harbor, MI
demo DEMO, DEMO Project, Springfield, IL
Under Pressure, Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts - Art Gallery, Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN
2017
(solo) A Forgetting Place, DEMO Project, Springfield, IL
(solo) Slow Slow Down, Moreau Galleries, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
Paper Worlds, Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, SC
2016
Inked, Pressed, Cut & Sewn, ArtPrize 8, (106) Gallery, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
Art From the Heartland, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
Alumni Art Exhibition, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
29th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA. (catalog)
2015
(solo) Small Monuments, Colfax Campus Gallery, Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend, IN
2014
(2-person) Affect Effects: A Two-Person Exhibition Featuring Artworks by Mark Rospenda and Megan Myers Schweitzer, Greiner Art Gallery, Hanover College, Hanover, IN. Leticia Bajuyo, Curator.
(solo) Unbreakable, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, IL. Julie Nelson, Curator.
This Can't End Well (This Can't Go Wrong), The Mary-Frances and Bill Veeck Gallery, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL. Rachel Herman, Curator.
Zine! Zine!, Roos Arts, Rosendale, NY
2012
Rock Paper Scissors: Process & Perception, Schingoethe Gallery, Aurora University, Aurora, IL. Meg Bero, Curator.
2011
Cut, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL. Eleanor Spiess-Ferris and Beth Hart, Curators.
Chain Letter, Samson Projects, Boston, MA
The Perpetual Motion of a Still Life, Ryerson Woods, Deerfield, IL. Sara Black, Joseph Belknap and Sarah Belknap, Curators.
2010
Artist Made Books, Dittmar Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Faculty and Staff Art Show, Schingoethe Gallery, Aurora University, Aurora, IL
2008
The Crowded Space Below the Giant, H.F. Johnson Gallery, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. Joseph Cory, Curator.
2007
Another Story, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL. Pat Swanson, Curator. (catalog)
Drawing No Conclusions: A Survey of Contemporary Drawing, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids, MI. Juror: Dominic Molon, Associate Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
2006
(solo) Rickety, Masters Thesis Exhibition, University of Chicago, Midway Studios, Chicago, IL
9 x 12 Works on Paper Show, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth, TX
Night of 1,000 Drawings, Artists Space, New York, NY
The Space Between, MFA Group Exhibition, Del Prado Building, Chicago, IL
2005
Experiment 400/5, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
On Notes, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Chicago, IL
Annual Student Show, smART Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
Two If By See, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Chicago, IL
2004
Narrative Purgatory, Franke Institute for the Humanities, Chicago, IL
2003
(solo) 5 Recent Paintings, Gallery Mornea, Evanston, IL
2001
(solo) Works From the Basement, Lorimier Gallery, Arts Council of SE Missouri, Cape Girardeau, MO
Selected Artist Talks, Visiting Artist and Juror Positions
2023
Indiana University South Bend, Artist talk, South Bend, IN
DePauw University, Artist talk, Greencastle, IN
DePauw University, Juror’s talk, Greencastle, IN
DePauw University, Juror, Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Greencastle, IN
2022
gener8tor Art, Juror, Milwaukee, WI
2021
Ripon College, Artist talk, Ripon, WI
Colfax Cultural Center, Juror, Art and Social Justice, South Bend, IN
Concours d’Elegance at Copshaholm, Judge, South Bend, IN
2020
Buchanan Art Center, Artist talk, Buchanan, MI
2019
Bowling Green State University School of Art, Visiting artist talk, Bowling Green, OH
2017
Saint Mary's College, Artist talk, Notre Dame, IN
Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, Juror, Another’s Treasure: Fine and Functional Art From Recycled Materials, Evansville, IN
Northern Indiana Pastel Society, Artist talk, South Bend, IN
2016
Saint Mary’s College, Juror, End of the Semester Student Exhibition, Notre Dame, IN
2015
Harper College, Juror, Small Works: 38th Annual National Art Exhibition, Palatine, IL
2014
Hanover College, Artist talk, Hanover, IN
2013
Artpost Gallery, Co-Juror, We Are The River, South Bend, IN
Public Projects and Collections
Buchanan District Library, Buchanan, MI
DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Ripon College, Ripon, WI
24-foot painted mural, DePaul University, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Chicago, IL
Various private collections
Awards, Fellowships and Grants
2023
Professional Development Grant, Indiana University - South Bend, South Bend, IN
2016
Director's Choice Award, Art From the Heartland, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2006
Department of Visual Arts Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
University Fellowship, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2005
University Fellowship, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Bibliography
2023
Cecil, Sarah. “Mark Rospenda Talks ‘Filter Feeder’ and His Creative Process,” The DePauw, October 11. (image)
2021
Volmert, Isabella. “Black Lives Matter and Pandemic Focus of this Year’s ‘Art and Social Justice Exhibition,’” South Bend Tribune, July 17.
2019
Waxman, Lori. “The 60 Wrd/Min Art Critic Reviews 30 Artists’ Works,” NUVO, May 7. Retrieved from nuvo.net
Elder, B. Mark, host. "Mark Rospenda, Paper Pulp King." The Buffalo Bro 1/2 Hour, Radio DePaul. March 11.
2018
“SMC Art Gallery Exhibits Berrien Artist Collective,” The Southwester. (n.d.). Retrieved from southwester.swmich.edu
2008
Hornickel, Mark. “Putting Things in Perspective,” Kenosha News, October 31, Get Out section, 22–23.
2007
Bad at Sports podcast, episode 109, September 30.
Jameson, A D. “Newcity Picks” selection, Newcity, September 13.
Swanson, Pat. Another Story, Hyde Park Art Center exhibition catalog essay. (images)
Puma, Amy B. “Of Mouse and Man,” University of Chicago Magazine, September/October, 54. (image)
2006
Philbin, Gail. “Drawings Defy, Define Category,” The Grand Rapids Press, December 24.
“Tips & Picks” selection, NY Arts Magazine, http://www.nyartsmagazine.com, December 2006–March 2007. (image)
2001
Blackwell, Sam. “Of Dreams and the Abstract,” Southeast Missourian, November 2. (image)
Professional Affiliations
2021–Present
White Columns Curated Artist Registry, New York, NY
2014–2022
Curator, Exhibitions and Collections, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN
2011–2013
Associate Curator, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN
2006–2014 (closed and archived)
Slide Registry and Viewing Program, Drawing Center, New York, NY