Dirk Kortz grew up in New Jersey and New York. He studied painting, film and creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison,NJ, then moved to California where he graduated from San Francisco State University and did graduate work in film. His paintings, collages, assemblages and wood carvings are included in many collections throughout the U.S. and abroad. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I have worked in a number of different painting styles as well as "folk art" wood sculpture. My latest painting series "Some Americans" grew out of several (ongoing) road trips in the rural south. Though I've lived mostly in the north, my own southern heritage goes back over 400 years and I spent much of my early years in the house of my Alabama grandmother. I've tried to present these subjects as they are without comment or criticism motivated only by my fascination with American culture and, in this case, a particular regional culture for which I have both some misgivings and much affection.

EDUCATION

BA San Francisco State University - Film/Creative Writing

EXHIBITIONS

2021    “Collateral Damage” (with Dennis Larkins) Keep Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM June 18 - July 18

2020    “POV” Solo show, Keep Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM, April 4 - June 17

2019    “When Worlds Collide: Explorations Into The New Contemporary” (with Dennis Larkins)        

              Keep Contemporary Gallery,   Santa Fe, NM   June 14 - July 14

2016    “New-Mexi-Low-Down” Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM, October 1-31

            “New Mexico Painters Exhibition” NM Highlands University, Las Vegas, 9/25 – 11/10

             “Real People” The Old Courthouse Art Center, Woodstock, IL August 25 – Sept 30

            “Santa Fe Arists Medical Fund Silent Auction”, Blue Rain Gallery, SFNM,  Dec ’16

2015    “After Dark IV”, Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM,  June 6 - 27

             “Representing”  Wheelhouse Art, Santa Fe, NM August 28 - October 14

            “New Mexico Painters Exhibition” NM Highlands University, Las Vegas, NM  9/6 – 10/23

            “Legends de Lowbrow”, Greg Moon Gallery, Taos, NM, Sept. 25 – Oct 31

            “Narcissus”,  Santa Fe Community Gallery,  SFNM, Nov, 13, 2015 - Jan 14, 2016

            “Santa Fe Arists Medical Fund Silent Auction”, Blue Rain Gallery, SFNM,  Dec 13

2014    “Orale!  Lowbrow Insurgence”, Harwood Museum of Art, Taos NM,  Sept 20 – Jan 25

             “Persistence of Vision”,  Solo Show, Wheelhouse Art, Santa Fe, NM  Sept. 26 – Oct 27

            “Artfeast Circus Show”, Giacobbe-Fritz Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, February 21 – March 7

            “New Mexico Painters Exhibition”,  NM Highlands University, August 17 – October 15

            “Toy Box” group show, Wheelhouse Art, Santa Fe, NM Dec. 1 - 31

2013     “New Paintings”, Solo Show, Tom Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, October 11-25, 2013

             “Twisted Portraits”, Steven Boone Gallery, Santa Fe, NM  October 18 – November 1

2011      Dirk Kortz “New Works”, Solo Show,  Harris & Ruble  Los Angeles, CA,    April 2 - 29

2010     “SLANT – Art of a Different Inclination”   GF Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM July 10-24

             “Squared”  Hahn Ross Gallery, Dec. 10

2007     “Portraits of the Blues” Solo Show,  Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM  Nov 23- Dec. 5

2005     "Roadhouse Blues"  Solo Show, Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, Oct.21-Nov.3

            "De Libris: The Book Transformed", El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, April 8 - May 21

2004     35th Annual,  Palm Springs Desert Museum,(CA)   Feb 25 - March 28

             Gallery Series – People and Paintings”, Solo Show, Hahn-Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, 9/17 – 30

2003     "Re-presenting Representation"  Arnot Art Museum, April 11 - August 31

            “Urban and Rural”, Two artist show, Soho Gallery   Studio City, CA

2002     "Bible Stories You Never Heard in Sunday School", Solo Show,  Hahn Ross Gallery,Santa Fe, NM

             "Sideshow"   Meyer Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ

2001     "Normal People" Solo Show, Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

             "The Shoe Show"  Segreto Contempory Art, Santa Fe,NM

2000     "Sideshow", Solo Show,  Hahn Ross Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

1999      "Built For Comfort"   Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1998     "Ain't Misbehavin' ", Solo Show,  Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1997     "Delta Blues", Solo Show,  Hahn Ross Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1996     "My Life is the Blues" Solo Show,  Edith Lambert Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

             5th Annual Shrine Show, Owings Dewey Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1995      CCA Shrine Show,Center For The Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe, NM

             "The Pet Show"  Edith Lambert Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

              9th Annual Shrine Show,  Copeland-Rutherford Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

              4th Annual Shrine Show,  Owings Dewey Gallery, Santa Fe, NM        

1994     "The Gift"  Edith Lambert Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

              8th Annual Shrine Show,  Copeland-Rutherford Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

              3rd Annual Shrine Show, Owings Dewey Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

              Gallery Artists Group Show,  Edith Lambery Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1993      "New Mexico '93"   Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM

              "Collage: An Invitational Exhibition" Munson Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

              "Art From The Heart"  Edith Lambert Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

              2nd Annual Shrine Show,  Owings Dewey Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

            " Madonna Revisited"  Gallery At the Rep, Santa Fe, NM

              "Black, White and Read"   Edith Lambert Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

             "Money, Manna and Madness"  Edith Lambert Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

             "Voyeur: A Show of the Erotic"  Rod Goebel Gallery,  Taos, NM

1992     "Where's The Folk?"  Leslie Muth Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM                                                                       

1989     "Mythmakers"  William Campbell Gallery,  Fort Worth, TX

1985      "Folk, Funk & Fantasy"  Elaine Horwitch Gallery,  Santa Fe, NM

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

University of Oklahoma Art Museum,  Oklahoma City, OK

University of Arizona Art Museum,  Tempe, AZ

Carnegie Institute Museum of Art,  Philadelphia, PA

Jean and Howard Lipman,  Scottsdale, AZ

Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Beverly Hills, CA

Christopher Cross,  Los Angeles, CA

Debra and Bobby McFerrin, Minneapolis, MN

Rising Tide Productions,  Nashville, TN

Jane and Michael Rice, UTZ Quality Foods, INC.

Judith Spreiser,  Oakbrook, IL

Tom Tierney,  New York, NY

Robert and Elizabeth Pozen,  Boston, MA