Education:
M.L.I.S, Library and Information Science, University of Southern Mississippi, 1996
M.A. English, Western Kentucky University, 1994
B. A. History, University of Wyoming, 1990
Solo Exhibitions:
2022 "Appalachian Dream Mechanics: Twenty Years of Art by JJ Cromer," Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
2010 "JJ Cromer: A Study of Passing Events," The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA
2009 “Fill: A Failure of Imagination: New Work by JJ Cromer,”
Ellen Von Dehsen Elmes Gallery, Southwest Virginia Community College, Richlands, VA
The Booth Center Gallery, Appalachian School of Law, Grundy, VA
2008 "Our Stampedes are Compatible: A Selection of Works by JJ Cromer," Staniar
Gallery, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA
2006 District Fine Arts, Washington, D.C.
Nelson Fine Arts, Lexington, VA
2003 Grey Carter-Objects of Art, McLean, VA
2001 Appalshop Art Center, Whitesburg, KY
Southwest Virginia Community College, Richlands, VA
2000 Lonesome Pine Regional Library, Wise, VA
Tulgey Wood Gallery, Wytheville, VA
1999 Brainerd Gallery, Bluefield, WV
Group Exhibitions/Fairs:
2023
"BOP! Adventures in Collage," curated by Ray Borchers and Paloma Trecka, The Dime (T.F. Projects), Chicago
Annual Open Call, Mepaintsme, https://www.mepaintsme.com/Open-Call/
2022
"unSEEN: The Unpredictable Forms of Drawing," curated by Brian Novatny, Mirjana Dušić, and Ljuba Jovićević, Belgrade, Serbia
"Slight of Hand: Small Works by Contemporary Artists" (online exhibit), curated by Mepaintsme, 1 November - 31 December
"DRAW – WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY DRAWING AND WHAT CAN IT ALL BE?," curated by Tomas Vu, Brian Novatny, Stipan Tadić, and Marija Stipišić Vuković, the Museum of Fine Arts, Split, Croatia
"Visionary Virginians: The Folk Art Collection of William and Ann Oppenhimer," Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond, VA
“I Walk Thru Walls" (online exhibit), curated by Mepaintsme, 8 March - 18 April
"À La Racine," curated by Stéphane Blanquet, Aix en Provence, France, March 26 - May
"Natural Abstraction," Cavin-Morris Gallery, NY, NY
2021
"Embracing the Question: A Conversation with Eclectic Artwork," Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
“Nexus Singularity Takeover,” Nexus Singularity (American Primitive) at Andrew Edlin Gallery. NY, NY
Outsider Art Fair NYC (online exhibit), with American Primitive Gallery
2020
"Art Brut Global -- Phase III: Here and Now" (online exhibit), Outsider Art Fair with American Primitive Gallery. NY, NY
Outsider Art Fair Paris (online exhibit), with American Primitive Gallery
2019
“PARENTING: An Art without a Manual,” American Visionary Art Museum. Baltimore, MD
2018
"Self-Taught Art By Any of Its Names," Reece Museum, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
2017
"NEW HORIZONS: Self-Taught Art in the 21st Century" Hickory Museum of Art. Hickory, NC
“The Unusual Universe: JJ Cromer and Fabrizio Molinario.” Copenhagen Outsider Art Gallery. Copenhagen, Denmark
2016
“Ordinary Wonders” (Tam Tam: Normali Meraviglie, la Mano), Triennale
Milano, Milan, Italy
1st Triennial of Self-Taught Visionary Art, Muzej naivne i marginalne umetnosti (MNMU). Jagodina, Serbia
"Welcome outsiders.” Galerie Béatrice Soulié, Paris, France
“Contemporary Redux,” Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA “Contemporary Redux,” Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA
2015
“dRaw,” Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, Chicago, IL
“Lands Beyond: Otherworldly Landscapes and Visionary Topographies,” Loft Gallery, The Bascom, Highlands, NC
“Biological Clocks: Transience and Illusion,” American Primitive Gallery, NY, NY
Rebecca and Joseph Meyerhoff Permanent Collection Gallery. American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, MD
2014
“One of a Kind: Artwork from the Collection of Stephanie Smither,” Art League Houston, Houston, TX
“Les Arts Buissonniers,” Musée des Arts Buissonniers, Saint-Sever-du-Moustier, France
“The Outsiders,” Galerie Grand’Rue, Poitiers, France
"Georgia and Beyond: Southern Self-taught Art, Past and Present," Madison- Morgan Cultural Center, Madison, GA2013-14 “Raw Vision: 25 Years of Outsider Art,” the Halle Saint Pierre, Paris, France
2013
Outsider Art Fair, Paris, France
2013 International Drawing Project (2013). Café Royal Books. Hanover Project -- the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
“Splotch/Asterisk,” Art Enables. Washington, DC (Collaboration with Steve Loya)
2012
“Works on Paper from the Folk Art Collection,” High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
“"Likeness | Interpretations of Portraiture," The Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA
“Messages from Outsiderdom,” Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, Washington,
DC
“Trust the Eye,” Art Enables. Washington, DC
2011-12 “All Things Round: Galaxies, Eyeballs & Karma,” The American Visionary Art
Museum, Baltimore, MD
2011
“Three-Ring Circus: Highlights from the William and Ann Oppenhimer Folk Art
Collection,” The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, Farmville, VA
“Throat Truck Show,” Throat Art, Brooklyn, NY
“Wallpaper,” Art & Design Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
“New Appalachian Geographies," UVA-Wise, Wise, VA
“First Decade Celebration: Tenth Anniversary of the Joel and Lila Harnett Print
Study Center,” The Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, University of Richmond, VA
2010
“The Strange Horses Came,” Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead, KY
2009
8th Annual Invitational: Writers' Choice, Nelson Gallery, Lexington, VA
2008-2009
"The Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy," The American Visionary
Art Museum, Baltimore, MD
2007
"Others" An Art Show, New York, NY
2007 "Outsider Art: The Exceptional Brought to Light, " Falk Gallery, Christopher
Newport University, Newport News, VA
2005-08
The Intuit Show, Chicago, IL
2004
Gallery in the Woods, Brattleboro, VT
2003
"The Rhodes-Nadler Collection," Strathmore Halls Arts Center, Bethesda, MD 2004 "Life in the South," Lindenau-Museum, Altenburg, Germany
2001-20
Studio Artists, Grey Carter-Objects of Art, McLean, VA
2002
Pittsburgh Folk and Outsider Art Show, Pittsburgh, PA
"Apparitions," Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY2001-20
Outsider Art Fair, New York, NY
2001
Outsiders Outside, Harbert, MI
Lab School Art Show, Washington, DCSelected Publications (Print & Online):
Bonesteel, Michael. "The Children of the Asterisk," Raw Vision. (#115, Summer 2023).
Bonesteel, Michael (essay). Regional Character: JJ Cromer. New York: American Primitive Gallery (2023).
Décollage: JJ Cromer. Joie Panique Éditions, France (2022).
Featured artist. PureHoney Magazine 120 (2022).
Featured artist. Otis Nebula 17 (2022).
Spitzer, Mark. "Food Fight," JJ Cromer. Best of the Sucks: High-Octane Poetix from the Legendary Toad Suck Review. MadHat Press. Cheshire, MA. 2022.
Gomez, Edward. "For J.J. Cromer, the Art of Collage Is the Art of Surprise." brutjournal. (May 2022).
Smith, Greg. "Nexus Singularity: Aarne Anton’s Infinite Doorway." Antiques and The Arts Weekly (2021).
Blanquet, Stéphane. La Tranchée Racine weekly #10. Featured art (2020).
Featured Artist. Flock 18 (2017).
Featured Artist. Interview. Melt. (2017).
Gomez, Edward M. “From Curiosity to Institution: The Outsider Art Fair at 25.” Hyperallergic (January 2017).
Patterson, Tom (essay). Untitled Structures: JJ Cromer. New York: American Primitive Gallery (2016).
Bravaco, Danielle. "Expressively Inspired: The Desire to Create for Two Self-Taught Artists." Brut Force (June 2016).
Sellen, Betty-Carol. “J.J. Cromer.” Self-Taught, Outsider and Folk Art (3rd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2016. (Cover image).
Scheller, Jörg. "Outsider Art – Sammler und Kuratoren begeistern sich immer mehr für Künstler, die ohne akademische Ausbildung und jenseits der Trends rätselhafte Bildwelten entwerfen." Places of Spirit (Feb/March 2016).
Cannoni, Marta. “’Crossing the borders’. L’Outsider Art secondo J.J. Cromer.” La via più breve non è quella retta. Percorsi nell’outsider art. Ed. by Sara Ugolini. Torino: L’Harmattan Italia, 2015. 126-36.
Grossman, Drew. "A Journey to Live Among Art." Savant Garde. (June 2015).
Allen, Margaret. “JJ Cromer.” When the Spirit Speaks: Self-Taught Art of the South. Schiffer Publishing, 2015.
Featured Artist. Synaptic Stimuli. “Pause into play and never rewind.” (2014).
Featured Artist. Picnic. “JJ Cromer.” (2014).
Crawley, Susan. "Georgia and Beyond: Southern Self-Taught Art, Past and Present." Folk Art Messenger. (Spring 2014). Featured Artist.
Toad Suck Review 4. (2014).
“JJ Cromer.” Raw Vision: 25 Ans D’Art Brut. Ed. Martine Lusardy and John Maizels. Paris: Halle Saint Pierre, 2013. 74-77.
Featured Artist. Paperbag 6 (2013).
“Beautiful Work by Appalachian Artist JJ Cromer.” Lost at E Minor. (November 2013).
Simpson, Pam. “John James Cromer (JJ)” The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. Ed. Carol Crown and Cheryl Rivers. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2013. 251-52.
Cover Artist. West Branch 73. Bucknell University (2013).
Featured Artist. Mini-Interview. Museum. (May 2013).
Featured Artist. Dialogist 1.2. (May 2013).
"Illustrations by JJ Cromer." Juxtapoz online. (April 2013).
Jacobsohn, Andy. “Outsider Art Fair: 10 Artists to Buy Now.” The Daily Beast. (February 2013).
Laster, Paul. “10 Contemporary Outsider Artists Everyone Should Know.” Flavorwire. (February 2013).
Featured Artist. Thumbnail Magazine 4. (2013).
Featured Artist. Box of Jars 3. (2012).
“Five Pieces by JJ Cromer” and “Notes on the Asterisk.” Knee-Jerk Magazine. (2012).
“JJ Cromer.” The 22 Magazine 3. (2012).
Featured Artist. Diagram 12.4. (2012).
Featured Artist. deComp: a literary magazine. (April 2012).
Featured Artist. 491 Magazine 5. (2012).
“Artist Spotlight: Interview with JJ Cromer.” Art Nectar. (December 2011).
Featured artist. Fiction Fix 10. (Fall 2011).
Three Ring Circus: Highlights from the William and Ann Oppenhimer Folk Art Collection. The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (2011).
“5 Questions = Sixty Answers." Bones Magazine #5 (The Crime Issue). (April 2011).
Zimmerman Campbell, Cara. “Visual Vocabularies of JJ Cromer.” Raw Vision. (#70, Fall 2010).
Stanley, Caroline. “Paul Laster: A Night at New York’s Outsider Art Fair.”
Flavorwire. (Jan. 9, 2009).
Gunts, Edward. "Visionary Arts Museum Returns to Its Inspired Roots." The Baltimore Sun. (October 5, 2008).
Lieber, Katherine R. “ArtScope.net: Your Guide to Art Chicago & ARTROPOLIS Art Fairs 2008.” http://www.artscope.net. (May 2008).
McKee, Lauren. “Artwork by: JJ Cromer.” “Outsider Art Fair.” http://www.artkrush.com (Issue 76, 2008).
St. John Erickson, Mark. “Accidental Visionaries.” Daily Press. Newport News. (November 18, 2007).
Thompson, Roger. “Moved to Create.” The Outsider 12, (Spring 2007.
Patterson, Tom. “Entering the Mainstream.” Winston-Salem Journal. http://journalnow.com). (February 4, 2007).
Ayers, Robert and Jacquelyn Lewis. “Fair Report: The Outsider Art Fair.”
http://www.artinfo.com. (January 29, 2007).
DiGusta, Linda. “Come in From the Cold and Go Outside.” http://www.resolve40.com. (January 24, 2007).
“Feature: Outsider Art Fair.” www.artkrush.com. (Issue 24, 2006).
Anderson, Brooke Davis et al. Lindenau-Museum Altenburg. Life in the South: Self-Taught Artists from the Huffman Collection (2004).
Representation:
Copenhagen Outsider Art Gallery (Denmark)
Public Collections:
The American Folk Art Museum
The American Visionary Art Museum
High Museum of Art
Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
The Taubman Museum of Art
Longwood University
The University of Richmond