Artist CV
April Behnke
Born in Boston, MA
Lives and works in Chicago, IL
Education
2011
Master of Fine Arts, Painting & Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2006
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting & Drawing, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Selected Exhibitions
2026
Off/Grid, Galleries One and Two, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL (Solo Exhibition, Upcoming)
2026 E-Flat File, Deanna Evans Projects, New York, NY (Upcoming)
2025
Mind Games, Kim Storage Gallery, Milwaukee, WI (Solo Exhibition)
Arts of Life 2025 Benefit Auction, Epiphany Center for the Arts, Chicago, IL (Upcoming)
Studio Break Invitational, Studio Break Gallery, West Chicago, IL
Color Shifts, Inter-Society Color Council Conference: Color Impact 2025: Color as Communication, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY (Virtual Exhibition)
2024
62nd Mid State Arts Exhibition, Evansville Museum, Evansville, IN
Recent Works, Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL
The Beginning is Always Today, Kim Storage Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Doomscapes and the Digital Beyond, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
20th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Freeport Art Museum, Freeport, IL
Perennial Hug, Circle Contemporary North Shore, Glenview, IL
2023
Fundraising Art Showcase, Spudnik Press, Chicago, IL
BIG little Art Show, Gruenzel Gallery, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
Benefit Art Auction, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
Small Works, James May Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Passage of Time, A.D. Gallery, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC
Miniature Monumental, Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI
Midwest Regional Exhibition, Artlink, Fort Wayne, IN
2022
Rockford Midwestern Biennial, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL
Benefit Art Auction, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
Art for Peace, University Club of Rockford (presented by the Rockford Art Museum, among others), Rockford, IL
Negative, Intersect Arts Center, St. Louis, MO
2021
With Care, Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn, NY
Ann Metzger Memorial National Biennial Exhibition, St. Louis Artists' Guild, St. Louis, MO
2017
Benefit Art Auction, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
2016
The Mind's I Archive, Elder Gallery, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE
Benefit Art Auction, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
New Grounds, International Institute for Contemporary Art and Theory, Mangalia, Romania
2014
Flat File Summer Socials, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
11th Annual Silent Auction and Benefit Party, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
2013
10th Annual Silent Auction and Benefit Party, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
2012
The Mind's I, Julius Caesar Gallery, Chicago, IL
ALPTRAUM!, Goethe Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
The Question of Their Content, Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, IL
2011
Projecktraum Deutscher Kunstlerbund, Berlin and CELL Project Space, London, England
Benefit Art Auction, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
MFA Exhibition, Sulllivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2010
ALPTRAUM!, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
7th Annual Transformer Silent Auction, Mexican Cultural Institute, Washington, DC
Ron Artist: MVP, Noble and Superior Projects, Chicago, IL
Emerging Artist Auction, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, New York, NY
Body/Image, Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington, DC
You Are Not Making Art, Zrobili Gallery, Chicago, IL
Crucifix, Zrobili Gallery, Chicago, IL
Midnight Snacks, 1366 Space, Chicago, IL
2009
Summer Camp, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC (Solo Exhibition)
6th Annual Transformer Silent Auction, Mexican Cultural Institute, Washington, DC
Late Summer Emerging Artists Auction, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, New York, NY
No Soul for Sale, Transformer Gallery Booth at X-Initiative, New York. NY
Washington Project for the Arts Auction, American University, Washington, DC
Paintpresent, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY
2008
On Being Animal, Janet Oh Gallery, Seoul, Korea (Solo Exhibition)
Naturing, Meat Market Gallery, Washington, DC (Two Person Exhibition)
Paper Trail, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
5th Annual Transformer Silent Auction, Halcyon House, Washington, DC
Scope Hamptons Art Fair, Meat Market Gallery Booth, Wainscott, NY
FY2009 Visual Arts Applicants' Showcase, Katzen Art Center, American University, Washington, DC
Scope Basel Art Fair, Janet Oh Gallery Booth, Basel, Switzerland
Flat Mates, Transformer Gallery and Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA
2007
Wall/Paper, Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC
Aqua Art Fair, Meat Market Gallery Booth, Miami, FL
4th Annual Transformer Gallery Silent Auction, Halcyon House, Washington, DC
Merde! Low Tech Art, Pendu Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Performance Week Auction, Meat Market Gallery, Washington, DC
That Was Then and This Is Now, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
NEW ART 2007, MPG Contemporary, Boston, MA
2006
PRESENT TENSE, artspace@16, Malden, MA
Thesis Show, Tjaden Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Overdue, Fine Art Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2005
AMO, Hartell Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2004
The Rome Show, Palazzo Lazzoroni, Cornell University, Rome, Italy
The Bean Prize Exhibition, Tjaden Gallery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Bibliography
2025
Amanda Becker, Summer Gallery Night MKE Returns This Weekend with 50+ Art Venues, CBS 58 News Station, Milwaukee, WI
Ginny Van Alyea, CGN Art Preview: July 2025, Chicago Gallery News, Chicago, IL
2025 Arts Guide, Chicago Gallery News, Chicago, IL
2024
Bianca Bova, Head North: On in Milwaukee, Chicago Gallery News, Chicago, IL
2022
Frank Juarez, Artdose Magazine: Celebrating 10 Years (2013-2023), artdosemagazine.com, Sheboygan, WI
Frank Juarez, Rockford Midwestern Gallery Walkthrough with Juror Frank Ju rez, artdosemagazine.com,
Sheboygan, WI
Artdose Magazine Weekly, Artist Profile: April Behnke, Sheboygan, WI
Rockford Midwestern Biennial 2022 Exhibition Catalog, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL
2021
Ann Metzger Memorial National Biennial Exhibition Catalog, St. Louis Artists' Guild, St. Louis, MO
2011
Robyn Murray, Bemis Hosts Three New Artists in Residence, KVNO News, Omaha, NE
2010
Emily Torem, The Scene, Time Out Chicago, Chicago, IL
2009
Chris Klimek, Following the 'Paper Trail' at Transformer, The Examiner, Washington, DC
2008
Jessica Dawson, The Right Ingredients for a Sweet Experience, Washington Post, Washington, DC
2007
be/dc, October Issue, Washington, DC
ArtWorld Digest, January Issue, Brooklyn, NY
Awards
2026
FY26 Creative Accelerator Grant Award, Illinois Arts Council, IL (Upcoming)
2024
Award of Merit, Recent Works, Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL
2023
Honorable Mention, Midwest Regional Exhibition, Artlink, Fort Wayne, IN
2011
Smith Oppenheim Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2010
Elizabeth Graham Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2009
Artist Fellowship, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
2008
Small Projects Program Grant, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
Young Emerging Artist Grant, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
Collections
Davis Street Drawing Room, Evanston, IL
Booth Family Center for Special Collections, University Art Collection, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Residencies
2011
Artist Residency, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
2009
Slak Guest Studio, Slak & PlaatsMaken, Arnhem, The Netherlands
Lectures and Talks
2025
Mind Games Artist Talk, Kim Storage Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
2011
Art Talk Lecture, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE
Graduate Lecture, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2009
Visiting Artist Lecture, Undergraduate Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL