Dennis Ziemienski Biography

Dennis Ziemienski Biography

A native San Franciscan, Dennis graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California College of the Arts. His knack for composition paired with his eye for color gave him a distinctive look and he was able to establish himself as an illustrator in San Francisco. Wanting to explore more opportunities as an illustrator, he moved to New York in 1980. While there, he flourished as an artist, which eventually led him to a successful career as one of the nation’s top illustrators. His compelling poster images include the NFL Super Bowl XXIX and the 2006 Kentucky Derby. His paintings were featured on many well-known book covers including, the Tales of the City series by Armisted Maupin, and several covers for authors Elmore Leonard and James Lee Burke. Dennis was the featured cover artist for Hemispheres, United Airlines in-flight magazine, the National Lampoon and, more recently, Western Art Collector, American Art Collector, Southwest Art, and the Jackson Hole Traveler.

Dennis’ strong and richly colored images borrow much of their inspiration from early 20th century paintings and posters. His early influences, J.C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, Ludwig Hohlwein and Tom Purvis, were all master designers in composition. The demands of illustration and poster design, with its simplified, sculpturally rendered images gave Dennis the discipline and draftsmanship that gives strength to his paintings today. Dennis is not only an artist, but has taught at the California College of the Arts, the Academy of Art in San Francisco, as well as Syracuse University in New York.

In 1986 he returned to his roots in California, bought property, and settled in the Sonoma wine country. About this time, Dennis turned his attention to fine art, when continuous requests of his original images were made and private paintings were commissioned. For the last 30 years, Dennis has been painting in oils for his galleries and private clients.

Dennis’ work is in the permanent collections of the Tucson Museum of Art, Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Booth Western Art Museum, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, and the Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

Education
  • 1972 California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA BFA
  • 2015 - William E. Weiss Purchase Award, Buffalo Bill Show and Sale, Whitney Western Art Museum
  • 2014 - Jesse Arms Botke Award, California Art Club 103rd Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, Autry Museum, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2011 - Sonoma Treasure Artist, Sonoma, CA
  • 2010 - The 99th Annual California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, Pasadena Museum of California Art, CA
  • 2006 First Place at Point Reyes Plein Air Show, CA
  • Axiom Wines (makers of Red Truck Wine), CA
  • Breakaway Cafe, CA
  • Conley Museum of the West, AZ
  • Infineon Raceway collection, CA
  • Kentucky Derby, KY
  • Manka’s Inverness Lodge, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
  • National Football League
  • Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, CA
  • Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts, Maynard Dixon museum, UT
  • Time Life, Inc. collection, NY
  • Tucson Museum of Art, Weavings of the Dine’, AZ (Cover painting)
  • United Airlines / Hemispheres collection, IL
  • The University of Arizona Museum of Art, AZ
  • 2021 - "Grand Canyon State" Solo Show, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2020 - "Cowboys and Cowgirls," Solo show, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2019 - "New Works" Group Show, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2019 - "Along the Distant Mesa: An Homage to Maynard Dixon" Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2019 - "All Aboard! Trains in the Southwest" Solo show, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2017 - "25th Anniversary Celebration" Group show, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2017 - "Cactus, Clouds, and Diving Girls" Solo Exhibition Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2015 - "Beneath Southwestern Skies" Solo Exhibition Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2014 - "The Grand Canyon State" Solo Exhibition Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2013 - "Fred Harvey and the American Southwest," solo exhibition, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2012 - "Landscapes of the West", Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2012 - 4th Annual Small Works Show and Sale, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2011 - "West Along the Mother Road, Route 66," solo exhibition, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2010 - "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2009 - Historic Trading Posts of the West, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2009 - Geronimo Remembered, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ
  • 2008 - Solo Exhibition, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, NM
  • 2007 - Santa Fe Fall Small Works Show and Sale by Gallery Artists, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, NM
  • 2007 - Santa Lucia Preserve, Invitational En Plein Air, Carmel, CA
  • 2007 - Fred Harvey to Route 66 and Everything Inbetween, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 2007 - Arizona: A Millennium of Arizona Art, Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery, Tucson, AZ, featured cover artist
  • 2006-2007 Grand Canyon: From Dream to Icon, Tucson Museum of Art, AZ
  • 2006 Artist for the Kentucky Derby
  • 2004 - 11th Annual Carmel Art Festival, Plein Air Competition, Carmel, CA
  • Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Wet Paint Event, Sonoma, CA
  • 19th Annual Salute to the Arts Exhibition, Sonoma, CA
  • 2004 Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA
  • The American Heart Association Gala, San Francisco, CA
  • 2003 - California Art Club with the Women's City Club Artist's Choice Exhibition, Pasadena, CA
  • 18th Annual Salute to the Arts Exhibition, Sonoma, CA
  • 2003 - Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA
  • 2002 - 17th Annual Salute to the Arts Exhibition, Sonoma, CA
  • 2002 - Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA
  • 2001 - 16th Annual Salute to the Arts Exhibition, Sonoma, CA
  • His Royal Highness Charles Prince of Wales
  • Cline collection, CA (Cline Cellars)
  • John Dixon collection, CA (Maynard Dixon’s son)
  • Lasseter collection, CA (chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation)
  • Tom Smothers collection, CA (comedian)
  • Drs. Mark and Kathleen Sublette, AZ
  • Vadasz collection, CA (Executive VP, Intel Corp.)
  • 2021, Western Art and Architecture, February-March
  • 2021, Western Art Collector, March
  • 2020/2021, Western Art and Architecture, December/January
  • 2020, Western Art and Architecture, August/September
  • 2020, Western Art Collector, April
  • 2020, Western Art and Architecture, February-March
  • 2020, Western Art Collector, February
  • 2019, Western Art Collector, June, "Meeting the Riding Sun" by John O'Hern
  • 2019, Western Art Collector, November
  • 2019, Western Art Collector, June, "Meeting the Rising Sun" by John O'Hern
  • 2019, ArtNet Gallery Network, April 17th
  • 2019, Western Art Collector, February
  • 2019 Western Art Collector, January, feature article "On the Rails"
  • 2019 Southwest Art, January
  • 2018 "Maynard Dixon's American West: Along the Distant Mesa" by Mark Sublette
  • 2018 Western Art Collector, July
  • 2018 Western Art Collector, March
  • 2016 "Dennis Ziemienski: National Parks" Western Art Collector, August
  • 2015 "Dennis Ziemienski: Beneath Southwestern Skies" Western Art Collector, July
  • 2015 "Dennis Ziemienski and Billy Schenck: Duel in the Sun" Western Art Collector, March
  • 2014 "Dennis Ziemienski: The Grand Canyon State" Western Art Collector, November
  • 2014 "Dennis Ziemienski: Yellowstone and Beyond" Western Art Collector, June
  • 2014 "Dennis Ziemienski: Nostalgic Design" American Art Collector, May
  • 2014 Fine Art Connoisseur
  • 2013 "Dennis Ziemienski" Southwest Art, June
  • 2013 "Cocktails" American Art Collector, June
  • 2013 "Historical References" Western Art Collector, January
  • 2012 "California Vernacular" American Art Collector, February
  • 2011 feature article, American Art Collector, August issue
  • 2011 feature article, Southwest Art magazine, June issue
  • 2010 feature article, Southwest Art magazine, April issue
  • 2010 feature article, Western Art Collector, November issue
  • 2009 feature article, Western Art Collector, May issue
  • 2008 Western Art Collector, cover and featured article, January
  • 2007 feature article, Western Art Collector
  • 2007 Sonoma Magazine, featured article, Winter
  • 2007 Santa Fe Trend
  • 2007 Art of the Four Corners, cover and article, Summer
  • 2007 Canyon Road Arts, vol. 3, pages 104 -110
  • 2006 Southwest Art, Best of the West, May
  • 2006 Southwest Art, Best of the West, March
  • 1999 Sonoma Valley Magazine, Sept.
  • 1997 United Airlines "Hemispheres" Magazine - cover