BIOGRAPHY/RESUME
GARY T. ERBE, a self-taught painter was born in 1944 in Union City, New Jersey where he maintained his studio from 1972-2006.
Unable to attend art school, he worked as an engraver from 1965-1970 to support himself and family, painting at nights and weekends to develop his skills. In 1967, Erbe discovered Trompe l’oeil painting and its masters. It was then that he recognized his particular place. In 1969, Erbe conceived a way of creating paintings that would be more contemporary and a departure from the 19th Century Trompe l’oeil masters. By freeing objects from their natural surroundings via the illusion of levitation and through the juxtaposition of objects that in reality had no relationship, he could create thought provoking paintings. In the same year, Erbe coined the term “Levitational Realism”. In 1970, Erbe decided to pursue his art full time and began to actively exhibit his work.
Erbe has exhibited extensively since 1970 with solo exhibitions at Museums and galleries throughout America, Asia and Europe and is in the permanent collection of many institutions including The Phillips Collection, DC; Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, PA; Terra Foundation for American Art, IL; Whitney Western Art Museum, WY; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, AK; Colby College Museum of Art, ME; Brandywine River Museum, PA; The Buffalo Bill Center of the West - Whitney Western Art Museum, WY; The Brinton Museum, WY; Montclair Art Museum, NJ; The Heckscher Museum of Art, NY; Phoenix Art Museum, AZ; The Butler Institute of American Art, OH amongst others. Erbe has also garnered many awards and honors over the years including an unprecedented 6 Gold Medals at The Allied Artists of America, Inc. Annual Exhibitions held at The National Arts Club, NYC. He also received the Medal for Lifetime Achievement in American Art from The Butler Institute of American Art, OH and the Salmagundi Club Medal of Honor, NYC. He also received the Gold Medal from The National Museum of Sports, IN; First Prize Award from The National Arts Club, NYC and Gold Medal of Honor from Audubon Artists, NYC, First Prize from The Peto Museum, NJ amongst others.
Erbe’s work combines flat space forms that are exaggerated and enhanced by shadow, light and color. The result is pure three-dimensional illusion. While there are and will always be elements of Trompe l’oeil in his work, he has less of an interest in fooling the eye in favor of stimulating the mind.
Erbe was honored with a 25 year traveling retrospective in 1995 and a 40-year traveling retrospective in 2010. The Butler Institute of American Art, OH has published a scholarly written 300 page hard cover book on Erbe’s art and life titled “Footprints: The Art and Life of Gary Erbe” in conjunction with a 50 year retrospective exhibition in 2017 which travelled to 5 Museums. Currently, Erbe maintains his studio in Nutley, NJ. He continues to actively paint. To learn more about Erbe and his work, visit: www.garyerbe.com
BORN
September 2, 1944, Union City, New Jersey
1965 - Began painting (self taught)
1965 -1970 Employed as an engraver
1970 - Began painting professionally
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
Allied Artists of America, Inc. –President Emeritus
(Served as President from 1994-2005)
The National Arts Club - Honorary Member
Audubon Artists, Inc. - Honorary Member
Artists Fellowship -Former Board of Trustees
Salmagundi Club - Honorary Member
The Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Whitney Western Art Museum, WY
Philipps Collection, Washington, DC
Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, PA
Brandywine River Museum, PA
The Heckscher Museum of Art, NY
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Terra Foundation for American Art, IL
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, AK
Colby College Museum of Art, ME
Reading Public Museum, PA
The Woodson Art Museum, WI
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Phoenix Art Museum, AZ
Whitney Western Art Museum, WY
The Brinton Museum, WY
Montclair Art Museum, NJ
New Jersey State Museum, NJ
The Woodmere Art Museum, PA
New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
Museum of Art –Deland, FL
The National Arts Club, NY
Salmagundi Club, NYC
Boca Raton Museum of Art, FL
John F. Peto Studio Museum, NJ
Canton Museum of Art, OH
Noyes Museum, NJ
Max N. Berry and Pamela Thomas, NYC, DC
David Rago & Suzanne Perrault, NJ
John Wilmerding, NYC
Dr. Thomas Folk, NJ
Richard Manoogian, MI
Archives of American Art, DC
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1970, Pace Gallery, Houston, TX
1971, Veldman Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
1976, The New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
1976, NJ Center for Visual Arts, Summit, NJ
1979, General Electric World Headquarters,
Fairfield, CT
1979, Bergen Museum, Paramus, NJ
1982, The Alexander Gallery, New York City, NY
1983, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ
1985, The Butler Institute of American Art,
Youngstown, OH
1985, Sordoni Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre, PA
1985, The Alexander Gallery, New York City, NY
1988, The Montclair Art Museum, NJ
1988, Canton Museum of Art, OH
1988, The Westmoreland Museum of Art,
Greensburg, PA
1988, The Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
1995, The Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, OH (25 Year Retrospective)
1995, The New Britain Museum of American Art, CT (25 Year
Retrospective)
1995, The James A. Michener Art Museum
Doylestown, PA, (25 Year Retrospective)
1995, Boca Raton Museum of Art , FL
(25 Year Retrospective)
1998, ACA Gallery, New York City, NY
1999, Springfield Art Museum, MO
2000, The National Arts Club Grand Gallery,
New York City , NY
2003, Harmon Meek Gallery, Naples, FL
2008-09, Albuquerque Museum, NM
(40 Year Retrospective)
2009, The Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, OH, (40 Year Retrospective)
2009, Salmagundi Club, New York City, NY
(40 Year Retrospective)
2009, Boca Raton Museum of Art, FL
40 Year Retrospective)
2013 The Butler Institute of American Art
Youngstown, OH
2015 Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH
2015 The Baum School of Art, Allentown, PA
2016 The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY
2017, The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
50 Year Retrospective
2017, The Brinton Museum, WY
50 Year Retrospective
2018, Reading Public Museum, PA
50 Year Retrospective
2018, John F. Peto Studio Museum, NJ
50 Year Retrospective
2019, Morven Museum and Garden, NJ
50 Year Restrospective
2019, Gerald Peters Gallery, NYC
2022, John F. Peto Studio Museum, NJ
"Paintings and Contructions"
2023, Noyes Museum, NJ
2024, Monmouth Museum, NJ
SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS
1975, Julius Hallgarten Award, The National Academy
of Design, NYC
1975, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America,
62nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1975, First Prize, Salmagundi Club, NYC
1982, John-Young Hunter Memorial Award, Allied
Artists of America, 69th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1984, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
71st Annual Exhibition, NYC
1985, John Young Hunter Memorial Award, Allied
Artists of America, 72nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1989, Emily Lowe Award, Allied Artists of America
76th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1991, Emily Lowe Award, Audubon Artists, 49th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
1991, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
78th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1992, Beatrice Jackson Humphreys Award, Audubon
Artists 50th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1993, Gilmore-Romans Memorial Award, Allied Artists
of America 80th Annual Exhibition, NYC
1994, The Stefan Hirsch Memorial Award, Audubon
Artists 52nd Annual Exhibition, NYC
1997, First Prize, The National Arts Club 99th Annual
1998, President’s Award, Salmagundi Club, NYC
1998, The Salzman Award, The National Arts Club
100th Annual
1998, Gold Medal of Honor, Audubon Artists 56th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2000, The Alfred Crimi Award, Audubon Artists 58th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2002, First Prize, The Butler Institute of American Art
66th National Midyear Exhibition, OH
2002, Silver Medal of Honor, Audubon Artists, 60th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2003, Medal for Lifetime Achievement in American
Art, The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2004, Visual Art Award, The National Arts Club 106th
Annual Exhibition, NYC
2006, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
93rd Annual Exhibition, NYC
2007, Salmagundi Club Medal of Honor, NYC
2007, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
94th Annual Exhibition, NYC
2010, Gold Medal of Honor, National Museum of Sport, IN
2010, Gold Medal of Honor, Allied Artists of America
97th Annual Exhibition, NYC
2013, Received the State of New Jersey Senate Resolution by
Senator Brian P. Stack, September 15, 2013
2013, Received the City of Union City, County of Hudson, State of
New Jersey Proclamation by Mayor Brian P. Stack and the
Board of Commissioners, September 15, 2013
2013, “Annie Oakley: Little Sure Shot”, Unveiling and First public viewing at The Nutley Historical Museum, Nutley, NJ
2013, First Prize, National Juried Trompe l’oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ, “Golden Gloves”
2019, Inducted into the Nutley New Jersey Hall of Fame
GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND INVITATIONALS
1971, New Jersey Arts Annual, Newark Museum
1972, New Jersey Arts Annual, NJ State Museum
1975, 150th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design , NYC
1976, Trompe l’oeil Invitational, New Britain Museum
of American Art, CT
1976, Bicentennial Exhibition (Invited), New Jersey State Museum
1976, New Jersey Arts Annual, Newark Museum
1977, 152nd Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design, NYC
1978, One Hundred Years of American Art, G.E.
World Headquarters, CT
1983, 47th National Mid-Year Exhibition, The Butler
Institute of American Art, OH
1984, 48th National Mid-Year Exhibition, The Butler
Institute of American Art, OH
1984, 159th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of
Design, NYC
1986, Fireworks: American Artists Celebrate the 8th
Art, Butler Institute of American Art, OH
1986, The Conn. Academy of Fine Arts 76th Annual,
New Britain Museum of American Art, CT
1988, 163rd Annual Exhibition (Invited), National
Academy of Design, NYC
1988, The Conn. Academy of Fine Arts 78th Annual,
William Benton Museum, CT
1991, The Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY,
1994, “More than Meets the Eye: A Century of
Realism in New Jersey” (Invited) Morris
Museum, NJ
1997, Survey of 20th Century Art, Butler Institute of
American Art, OH
1997, New Jersey Arts Annual: Choosing New Jersey
(Invited) Newark Museum
1997, 99th Annual Exhibition, National Arts Club, NYC
1998, Annual Members Exhibition, Salmagundi Club. NYC
1999, “Outward Bound:American Art on the Brink
of the Twenty First Century”, (Invited)
Meridian International Center, Washington, DC, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines
1999, ACA Galleries, New York City
1999, Silent Things, Secret Things: Still Life from
Rembrandt to the Millennium”, (Invited)
Albuquerque Museum, NM
2000, 101st Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2000, 87th Annual Exhibition, Allied Artists of America
2000, “68 Years/68 Masters”, ACA Galleries, NYC
2001, Allied Artists of America Members Show, The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, 65th Annual Midyear Exhibition (Invited), The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, 102nd Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2002, “True Colors: Meditations on the American
Spirit” (Invited) Meridian International Center
Washington, D.C., The National Arts Club,
NYC; Atlanta, GA, Biloxi, MS, Berlin, Germany,
Turkey, Ireland, and other venues in Europe
2002, Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum Biennial Invitational
Exhibition, Big Horn, WY
2002, 103rd Annual Members Exhibition, The National
Arts Club, NYC
2002, 66th Annual Mid-Year Exhibition (Invited) The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003-05, Allied Artists of America Invitational,
Museum of Texas Tech. University;
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum,WI
Danville Museum Of Fine Arts, VA
McAllen Int. Museum, TX
J. Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
Krasl Art Center, MI
2003, 67th Annual Mid-Year Exhibition (Invited)The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003, Trompe L’Oeil Invitational Ettinger Gallery, NYC
2003, Trompe L’Oeil & Still Life Exhibition, The
Woodson Museum, WI
2003, 104th Annual Members Exhibition The National
Arts Club, NYC
2003, Trompe L’Oeil Invitational Rittenhouse
Gallery, PA
2003, Summer Invitational Exhibition Albermarle
Gallery, London, UK 2003
2004, Trompe L’Oeil Invitational Vanier Galleries,
Scottsdale, AZ
2004, The Best of American Realism Marin-Price
Gallery, Chevy Chase, MD
2004, Summer Exhibition Ettinger Gallery, NYC
2004-07, Salmagundi Club Travelling Exhibition
Traveling to 12 Museums
2004, Trompe L’Oeil Invitational The Philbrook
Museum of Art, OK
2004-2006, Trompe L’Oeil Travelling Exhibition
Indian Hills Community College,IA
Wayne Stark Gallery, TX
The Haggin Museum, CA
Huntsville Museum of Art, AL
Pensacola Museum of Art, FL
City of Portsmouth Museum, VA
Longmont Museum, CO
Krasl Art Center, MI
Bergstrom-Mahler Mus., WI
Lakeview Museum of Arts And Sciences, IL
Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, PA
2007, The Reality of Things:Trompe l’Oeil in America,
(Invited) Vero Beach Museum of Art, FL
2007, Golf in American Art “A Gentleman’s Sport”
(Invited) The Von Liebig Art Center, FL
2008, Lie to the Eye:Trompe l’ Oeil
(Invited) Bakersfield Museum of Art, CA
2009, Baseball at Steuben (Invited), Steuben Glass, NYC
2010, Reality Check: Contemporary American Trompe l'oeil Painting (Invited) Brandywine River Museum,PA
2010, Six New Jersey Masters (Invited) Karl and Helen
Burger Gallery, Kean University, NJ
2012, Paper, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ, "Cowboy Comics"
2012, American Realism, ACOPAL, Beijing World Art Museum, China
2013, FORE! Images of Golf in American Art, Burroughs-Chapin Art Museum, Myrtle Beach, SC
2013, First National Juried Trompe l’oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ (Invited)
2013, West Select, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ (Invited)
2014, Second National Juried Trompe l’oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ (Invited)
2015 Contemporary Sculpture that Tricks the Eye, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ (Invited)
2015 Signature Members Exhibition, The Noyes Museum, NJ.
“Master of the Ruptured Word”
2015 Two Centuries of American Art, Manoogian Collection,
The Light House Art Center Museum, FL
2017, The Art of Narrative: Timeless Tales and Visual
Vignettes, The Heckscher Museum of Art, NY
"Subway Series "
2017, Yankees or Red Sox: Americas Greatest Rivalry
Mattatuck Museum, CT (Invited)
"Baseball"
2021, Transformed: Objects Reimagined by American
Artists, Montclair Art Museum, NJ "Matinee"
2021, Trompe l'oeil Meets Surrealism: Escaping Reality
John F. Peto Studio Museum, NJ (Invited)
2022, Gary Erbe and Chantell Van Erbe "Genes and Genius, Clifton Art Center, NJ
2022, Voices and Vote: Democracy in America
Monmouth Museum, NJ (Invited)
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1974, American Artists Magazine, Feature Article by
W. Fiore
1976, New York Times, NJ Section, David Shirey
1982, Arts Magazine, Helen-Louise Seggerman
1983, New York Times, NJ Section, David Shirey
1985, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay by David Shirey
1988, Montclair Art Museum,Essay by Dr.Thomas Folk
1995, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay
by Dr. Marlene Park
1997, The Best in Oil Painting, Rockport Publishing
1998, ACA Galleries, Essay by Carter Ratcliff
1999, Albuquerque Museum “Silent Things, Secret
Things, Still Life from Rembrandt to the
Millennium”, Selma Reuben Holo and Peter Frank
1999, Art News, Stephen May
1999, Springfield Art Museum,Essay by Carter Ratcliff
2000, Daily News, Erbe’s Paintings – Trick the Eye,
Treat the Viewer, Mila Andre
2002, International Artist Magazine Feature Article
2004, American Artists Magazine, Feature Article
by Bonnie Iris
2007, Lowy: The Secret Lives of Frames by
Deborah Davis
2008, The Butler Institute of American Art, Essay
by Dr. Louis A. Zona
2009, Figments of Pigments by Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Art and Antiques Magazine, May 2009
2009, Exhibition Preview, American Art Collector,July 2009
2009, Gary T. Erbe: Master of Levitational Realism by
Regina Kolbe, Antiques and The Arts Weekly,
July 24, 2009, Cover Feature Article
2010, Masterworks from The Butler Institute of American Art "Baseball Album", pages 141-142
2016 Tricking the Eye with a Dose of Pop Culture by
Jane L. Levere, The New York Times, July 24
2016 Footprints: The Art and Life of Gary Erbe
Published by The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2019, EDGE Magazine Feature Article, November- December issue
LISTED
Who’s Who in America
Who’s Who in American Art
Who’s Who in the East
Who’s Who in the World
Biographical Encyclopedia of American Painters, Sculptures & Engravers of the United States
Davenport's Art Reference & Price Guide
EXHIBITIONS CURATED
1986, Werner Groshans Memorial Exhibition, The
Butler Institute of American Art, OH
The New Jersey State Museum, NJ
1999, 125th Anniversary Salmagundi Club Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Woodmere Art Museum, PA
2000, Paul Ching-Bor Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2001, The Allied Artists of America Members
Invitational Exhibition
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2003, “Henry Gasser (1909-1981) Beyond City
Limits” The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Morris Museum, NJ,
Seton Hall University, NJ
2003-05, Smith Kramer Fine Arts Allied Artists of
America Invitational Exhibition traveling to 8
Museums across America
2004, “The Martino’s A Family Legacy”
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Woodmere Museum, PA
2004-2007, Smith Kramer Fine Arts, The Salmagundi
Club Collection traveling to 12 Museums
across America
2005-2007, Smith Kramer Fine Arts “Trompe L’Oeil: The Art of
traveling to 13 Museums across America
2005, Abraham Joel Tobias: “Breaking The Mold”
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2006-2007, “John R. Grabach: Century Man”
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
Springfield Art Museum, MO
Georgia Museum of Art, GA
Morris Museum, NJ
2006, “Gabriella Dellosso: An Artists Journey”
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2007, “W. Carl Burger: Direct Action”
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2007, Allied Artists of America Members Invitational
Bennington Art Center, VT
2007, Henry Gasser Exhibition
Salmagundi Club, NY
2008, John R. Grabach (1880-1981) Paintings
Salmagundi Club
2012, Michael Lenson: Time, Place and Substance
The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2015, Allied Artists of America 100 Years
Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH
2017, John R. Grabach & Henry M. Gasser: Masters of the Newark School, John F. Peto Museum, NJ
The Baum School of Art, PA
2019, Chantell Van Erbe: Transcendence, The Butler Institute of American Art, OH
2023, Fred Staloff: Origins of a Modernist, Noyes
Museum, NJ
AUTHORED
2003, “Henry Gasser: Beyond City Limits”
American Art Review, December
2006, “John R. Grabach: Century Man”
American Art Review, May