Brian was born in 1959, raised in a home with movable walls designed by his father, an aspiring artist. The fluidity of the modular arrangement captured Brian’s imagination. His mother, a kindergarten teacher, encouraged Brian’s constant building.
As a student, Brian considered following his passion for stage design, but sought the more personal expression of fine arts. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy and settled into mixed media. He later began to explore installation using the exhibition location as an essential part of the piece.
A life long resident of Pennsylvania, Brian has been in Philadelphia since 1984 with his life partner Keith Breitfeller. He began exhibiting with Vox Populi and remained an active member for 15 years. He has held solo exhibits at the Philadelphia Art Alliance, Sande Webster Gallery, Fleisher Challenge and recently in Krems, Austria. He has been granted an Independence Foundation Fellowship and other awards.
Awards & Honors
2001 Fellowship, Independence Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
1995 Punch Point. N, Artfronts Partnership, Philadelphia, PA Selected Site Specific Installation
Solo Show Awarded From Juried Exhibition, Shrouded Schemes, The Baum School Of Art, Allentown, PA
1994 Winner 1994 Elf Atochem/Kynar 500 Design Competition: “All The World Is A Stage”, Lou-See-All/Spiked Night, Stage Design, Beaux Arts Ball, The Foundation For Architecture, Philadelphia, PA
1994 Tobeleah Wechsler Annual Award, Annual Award Show, Cheltenham Center For The Arts, Cheltenham, PA
Bibliography
2014 Brewer, Don “Keith and Brian”, DonArTNeWs.com, April 28, 2014
2013 Booker, Bobbi “Sande Webster tribute …”, The Sunday Tribune, December 8, 2013
2011 Friedman, Sally “A river of talent”, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 10, 2011,
2009 Ludovich, Joe’l and Katherine Sender, “The Brian Dennis Project”, Video Documentary, 2009
Donohoe, Victoria “Show of seven”, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 14, 2009
2006 Sozanski, Edward J. “Some dialogues, some duds”, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 4, 2006
Booker, Bobbi “Artists, protégés, debut works”, Philadelphia Tribune, July 14, 2006
2005 Sifuentes, Hervey “Pintores de Filadelfia...”, Zócalo De Ciudad, Acuña, November 5, 2005
Fallon, Roberta “A-List”, Philadelphia Weekly, March 9, 2005
Rosof, Libby “Shadows, falsehood and deceit”, Artblog, March 22, 2005
2004 Fallon, Roberta “Local Muses”, Philadelphia Weekly, November 3, 2004
Rosof, Libby “Five at Art Alliance”, Artblog, October 12, 2004
2002 Ludovich, Joe’l and Katherine Sender, “Cradle”, Short Film, 2002
Hill, Lori “First Friday Focus”, Philadelphia City Paper, June 6, 2002
2001 Sozanski, Edward J. “The magic, not the meaning matters”, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 14, 2001
1995 Rubin, Daniel “An Artistic Notion...”, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 22, 1995
Brown, Gerard “To Strike or Maneuver, Conceal or Reveal?”, Philadelphia Weekly, March 15, 1995
1993 Rice, Robin “Architecturama”, Philadelphia City Paper, January 22, 1993
1992 Rice, Robin “Glass House”, Philadelphia City Paper, June 26, 1992
D!versions, Best Bet, Philadelphia Gay News, January 10, 1992
Exhibitions
Solo
2016 Tumble Well, Paper Moon Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2016 Echo (Nightscapes), Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA Commission
Call It, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA
2012 Spliced Notions, Galerie Göttlicher, Krems, Austria
2005 Hold, Perkins Center For The Arts, Collingswood, NJ
Bridgehead (2), Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2004 Leaning Keep, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
2002 (sunday’s) Bridgehead, Ashley Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Roll Call, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
2000 Radio Cradle, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1999 Firewall, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1995 Skylock, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1994 Sheltering Considerations, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1992 Figure Head And Other Talk, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1990 Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1989 Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
1988 Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
Two person
2015 Oberfläche, Galerie Göttlicher, Krems, Austria with Brian David Dennis
2014 Abeyance, 110 Church Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Brian David Dennis
2011 3 Dimensions, Perkins Center For The Arts, Collingswood, NJ with Laura Demme
2010 Continuum: New Works, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Keith R. Breitfeller
Brian David Dennis and Keith R. Breitfeller: Current Work, Firehouse, Del Rio, TX
2009 Adrian J. Falcon Gallery, Del Rio, TX
2007 Adrian J. Falcon Gallery, Del Rio, TX
Pause, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Keith R. Breitfeller
2005 Layers & Undercurrents, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Keith R. Breitfeller
2003 Pigment and, Paste, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Keith R. Breitfeller
2001 Surfaces and Subsurfaces, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA with Keith R. Breitfeller
Three Person
2016 being in the woods, Artspace 1241, Philadelphia, PA
Group
2014 Listening In: Philly Artists Speak, Grizzly Grizzly, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA Invitational
2013 Against The Odds, A tribute to Sande Webster Gallery, Lawrence Gallery, Rosemont, PA
Natural Selection, 110 Church Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
Found Light, JUNK, Snowball Silent Auction Curated by Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2012 Pop-Up, Bainbridge Club, Philadelphia, PA
4 X 10: Ten American Artists, Sande Webster Presents, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Battle Of The Bowls, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2009 Battle Of The Bowls, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
Yes We Did!, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2007 Pink, Perkins Center For The Arts, Collingswood, NJ Invitational
Art & The City, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
Out Loud & Proud, William Way Community Center, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2006 Dialogues, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2005 The Digital Process, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2004 Don’t Forget, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
2004 - 2008 USArtists at the Armory, Philadelphia, PA
2001 Roustabout’s Hold, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA Challenge Competition
2000 Black, White And Grey, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
1998 Optimist’s Society Presents: New Nehilism Now, Institute Of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA
Out On The Farm, Chester Springs Studios, Chester Springs, PA
1996 On The Edge, Painted Bride Arts Center, Philaelphia, PA Curator: A.M. Weaver
1994 Sixth Juried Painting Exhibition, The Baum School of Art, Allentown, PA Juror: Peter A Tatistcheff, Tatistcheff & Co. Gallery
A Group Of Grids, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, PA Invitational
Shouts And Whispers, Venue, Philadelphia, PA Curator: Barbara During
Allentown Art Museum Biannual, Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, PA Juror: Charlotta Kotic
1993 - 1994 Gala Visual Arts: Annual Gay And Lesbian Group Shows, Philadelphia, PA
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