MCAD Alumni Exhibit “Painter Painter Painter”

Painter Painter Painter, curated by Nate Flink ’94, features new work by Matthew Clara ’25 MFA, Brad Geiken ’93, and Matt Reimers Kill ’12, and asks a timely question: why do painters continue to paint? Bringing together artists from the U.S. and Canada, the exhibition highlights evolving approaches to figuration, landscape, and still life while reaffirming painting’s foundational role in contemporary image-making.

Clara activates layered acrylic surfaces by slowing the drying process, depicting dilapidated structures and obsolete spaces that evoke nostalgia and collective memory. Geiken explores the passage of time through portraiture, using traditional oil techniques—glazing, scumbling, scraping, and sanding—to create muted luminosity and emotional depth. Reimers Kill embraces the resistance of oil paint, building and scraping thick layers into visceral, sculptural surfaces that echo the psychological tensions underlying contemporary life.

Together, the exhibition underscores painting’s enduring vitality and its capacity to wrestle with history, memory, and the present moment through the distinct yet resonant practices of three MCAD alumni.

Painter Painter Painter
February 20—March 19, 2026
Northeast Sculpture | Gallery Factory (Minneapolis, MN)
Opening reception: February 20, 6:00–8:00 p.m.