About

Matt Hollis creates abstract/organic, soft sculpture and large scale installations in eye-popping colors and oddly-appealing textures.  He has shown work and created installations in galleries all around the Washington D.C area as well as Los Angeles, California where he attended graduate school. He earned a BA in Studio Art from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2003. After living and working in his fantastical jungle of a studio in the historic 52 O Street Studios in Washington DC for over 13 years, he relocated to California to earn his MFA at Otis College of Art & Design, graduating with an Academic Excellence award in 2019.

In 2016 Hollis was awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the DC Commission of Arts & Humanities. He was also invited to be a visiting artist for a 5-week residency at The Artist House at St. Mary’s College. In 2015 he was 1 of of 3 artists chosen to travel to France for an artistic research trip with Transformer gallery sponsored by the Sister Cities Grant from the DCCAH. 

Education:

• M.F.A., Otis College of Art & Design, 2019.
• B.A., Studio Art, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 2003.

Recent Press:

• “Meet Matt Hollis,” Voyage LA Magazine, LA City Guide,
  November 27, 2019.
• Jenkins, Mark.”In the Galleries: Tales from the Dark Side — of Canada.” Washington Post, July 21, 2017. 

• Jenkins, Mark. “In the Galleries: Spins on ‘The Starry Night,’ from Critical to Cheeky.” Washington Post, May 20, 2016. (Feature image).
• Jenkins, Mark. “In the Galleries: Getting ‘Personal’ at King Street.” Washington Post, November 13, 2015. (Feature image).
• Carberry, Elizabeth. “Five Must-See Artists at the Transformer Annual Silent Auction and Benefit.” East City Art, November 17, 2015.

Grants & Awards:

• Academic Excellence Award, Otis College of Art & Design, 2019.
• Artist Fellowship Grant, DC Commission of Arts & Humanities, 2016.
• Paris “Sister Cities Grant” Artist Research Trip with Transformer Gallery, DC Commission of Arts & Humanities, 2015.

Residencies:

• Resident Artist, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
  January 19 – February 22, 2016.

Selected Exhibitions:

2021

• Solo exhibit, Proxy Gallery: a collaborative project by
  Annetta Kapon, April 10 – May 10.
• “seeping triangle” (digital “zine project sponsored by Transformer), February 10 (ongoing online).

2020

• “Matt Hollis: organelle,” series of prints created for
  Transformer FlatFile collection, Oct. 8. (ongoing).
• “Fragile Logic: Matt Hollis x Jessica Powell”
  (online collaborative project) 7×7 LA, May 28.

2019

• “Offal” (installation), Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Aug. 15 – Sept. 29.
• “(Beyond) Redemption,” Launch LA/Backspace Gallery, Aug. 10 – 24.
• “In Plain Site – MFA Fine Arts Class of 2019,” Bolsky Gallery,
  Otis College of Art & Design, May 2 – 19.
• “the ecstasy of undoing” MFA Thesis Show,
  Otis College of Art & Design, March 28 – 31. 

2017

• “florilegia: Works of Matt Hollis,” Otis Street Arts Project,
  July 8 – Aug. 5.
  

2016

• “Wave of Pollination” (installation), “Transformer Silent Auction
  @ AU Katzen Arts Center,” Katzen Arts Center,
  American University, Nov. 19.
• “Good and Plenty,” School 33 Arts Center, Sept. 9 – Oct. 29.
• “Flora DNA” (window display), Coldwell Banker, July 22 – Sept. 7.
• “Sip & Paint Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night,’” DC Arts Center,
  April 29 – May 29.
• “Eternal Spring,” Art Annex, St. Mary’s College of Maryland,
  Feb. 1 – 19.

2015

• “Personal Patterns,” King Street Gallery, Montgomery College, Oct. 22 – Nov. 25.
• “AFP16 Visual Arts Exhibition,” DC Commission on the Arts
  and Humanities Gallery, Aug. 14 – Sept. 30.
• “Matt Hollis: Eternal Spring,” Anacostia Arts Center,
  March 27 – April 25.
• “Locally Sourced,”  Katzen Art Center, American University,
  Jan. 24 – March 15.

2014

• “sorting stimuli (orderly flora)” (installation/performance), Transformer, August 8-12.
• “Altered Ego,” Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, June 4 – August 24.
• “Softer, Softest,” Delicious Spectacle, May 30 – June 21.
• “Alchemical Vessels Benefit 2014″ Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, April 4 – May 16.
• “LOULOUDI Flower / to Flower,” Washington Sculptors Group, The Athenaeum, March 20 – May 4.

2013

• “Art Romp Anacostia,” Anacostia Arts Center, August 23 – Sept 15.
• “Expansions,” Transformer, March 15 – April 20.

2012

• Bikkuri Pop Up Art Show, Oh Fish, Nov. 26 – Dec. 15.
• “hanging garden” (installation), Artomatic 2012, May 18 – June 23.

2011

• “Randi Reiss-McCormack & Matt Hollis” (installation in Project Space), Harmon Art Lab, Sept. 10 – Oct. 1.
• “from your representatives, with love” (set pieces & costumes),
  Taffety Punk Theatre Co., May 5 – 7.

2010

• “lotus descending,” “IN-FLUX: Window Peek-Show,”
  Joan Hisaoka Gallery, September 3 – 23.
• “incubator” (installation), Arts On N Festival, August 14 & 15. 
• “Constructed Place,” Annmarie Garden, March 20 – May 8. 

2009

•  “birth of a galaxy,” Artomatic 2009, May 29 – July 5. 

2008

•  “Last Stand,” Artomatic 2008, May 9 – June 15.
• “The End of Nature,” The Warehouse, April 11 – May 4.
• “Peace NOW,” The Warehouse, Feb. 22 – April 6.

2007

• “Matt Hollis: everything is possible all the time,”
  Longview Gallery, Jan. 15 – Feb. 5.
• Artomatic 2007, April 13 – May 20. 

2006

• “Abstract Art,” MOCA DC, Feb. 3 – 24.

2005

• “Art in Transition,” City of Silver Spring, May 21 – June 19.
• “Queering Sight: Queer Insight,” The Warehouse, June 3 – 26.
• “1460 Wall Mountables,” DC Arts Center, July 29 – Sept. 7.
• “Where is the Peace?” The Warehouse, Sept. 8 – Oct. 2.
• “Hey, Is That a Boy or a Girl? Artists Look at Gender,”
  The Warehouse, Nov. 4 – Dec. 4.

2004

• Artomatic 2004, Nov. 12 – Dec. 5.
• “1460 Wall Mountables,” DC Arts Center, July 16 – Aug. 22.