BIO
Joshua W Murray is a fine art and freelance photographer, collagist, smuggler, musician, illustrator, designer, and genius by proximity residing in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Murray attended the College of Visual Arts where he was exposed to the history of art and the in-depth fundamentals of artistic expression he greatly needed and desired. From there, Murray expanded his artistic repertoire from creativity to leadership. He was an art director for several projects as well as the founder and president of the CVA Student Government and received a BFA in Photography.
Since graduation, Murray has been a member and volunteer for the Saint Paul Arts Collective, Soo Visual Arts Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, ZeroBudget Records, and CVA Action. In 2013, he and two other local artists started Artist Arsenal MN, a non-profit focused on temporary pop-up galleries and creative placemaking within the Creative Enterprise Zone of Saint Paul. He was recently elected to the CVA Action Board of Directors where he volunteers his time with the communications committee to help preserve the colleges’ legacy and alumni network.
Murray continues to push his creative comforts into new unexplored territory. His current projects include researching the aesthetics of failure and how the beauty of digital and analog glitches expresses a new way of looking at progress. He has been active in the Twin Cities art and music community since 1998, showing his work and playing his songs in various galleries, art crawls, and venues.
Curriculum Vitae
Solo Exhibitions
2015 Gods and Idiophones, Dubliner Pub, St. Paul, MN
2013 Miscellaneous Debris, Dubliner Pub, St. Paul, MN
2010 The Elephant Game and Other Delights, Galactic Pizza, Minneapolis, MN
Group Exhibitions
2014 Artist Arsenal MN presents Tryptophantastic, Junk Love, St. Paul, MN
2014 Artist Arsenal MN presents All Aboard Green Line Launch Pop-up Gallery, Mediterranean Market, St. Paul, MN
2010 Foot in the Door 4, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN
2010 Ghost Fargo Book Launch, Carleton Artist Lofts, St. Paul, MN
2009 Flawless Victory, Audubon, Minneapolis, MN
2008 Tiny Bits, Audubon, Minneapolis, MN
2007 The Academy Art Show and Fundraiser, Urban Arts Academy, Minneapolis, MN
2006 CVA December Graduate Show, College of Visual Arts Gallery, St. Paul, MN
2004 Disparate Observations, Occasional Art Gallery, St. Paul, MN
2000 Flesh, College of Visual Arts Gallery, St. Paul, MN
Publications
2010 Art Director for Live at the Star Bar by Two Eyes For The Dead
2008 Art Director for Outcry album by Two Eyes For The Dead
2008 Photographer for “Alexis Jean Fournier’s Time and Place”, Minneapolis Institute of Arts Magazine for Members July/August, page 14
2006 Photographer for Pax Christi Cookbook
2005 Art Director for Exodus 32:12 album by Two Eyes for the Dead
2004 Art Director for 2i4x album by Two Eyes for the Dead
2001 Art Director for regret album by Heavy Set Boulevard
Performance / Music
2013 – Present The Old Smugglers, Singer/ Guitarist/ Various Instruments/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
2002 – 2013 Two Eyes for the Dead, Guitarist/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
2001 Kitchen Wall, Bassist
2000 – 2003 Heavy Set Boulevard, Guitarist/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
1999 Lymonphore, Bassist/ Guitarist/ Singer/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
1997 Beethoven Wore a Leather Jacket, Guitarist/ Songwriter
1995 Whizzleteeth, Singer/ Guitarist/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
1994 Drain, Singer/ Guitarist/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
1993 – Present The Thing That Ate Floyd, Singer/ Guitarist/ Songwriter/ Lyricist
Professional Affiliations
2014 – present Board of Directors, Communications Committee Chair, CVA Action
2013 – present Installation Assistant for Erik Pearson, Shipwrecked Studios
2013 – present Member of Artist Arsenal MN
2012 – 2014 Volunteer Art Crawl Building Coordinator
2011 – 2012 Member of SooVAC
2010 – 2014 Member of ZeroBudget Records
2009 – present Member of Saint Paul Arts Collective
2007 – 2011 Member of Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2005 – 2006 CVA Student Government President
2004 – 2005 Founder and CVA Student Government Co-Chair
Press
2014, Tour local artist studios during St. Paul Art Crawl Posted on 08 April 2014 by robwas66, Saint Paul Monitor, http://www.monitorsaintpaul.com/tour-local-artist-studios-during-st-paul-art-crawl/
2014, April, St. Paul Monitor, Vol. 39 No. 12, Tour local artist studios during St. Paul Art Crawl by Tesha M. Christensen, page 1 & 5
2009, St. Paul Art Crawl: First of three Eggs Posted on April 27, 2009 by Matt Peiken, http://3minuteegg.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/st-paul-art-crawl-first-of-three-eggs/
Education
2006 BFA, College of Visual Arts
