Dana Ellyn   www.danaellyn.com

  Dana Ellyn
      - Painter -
Bio
Dana Ellyn is a Washington, DC-based contemporary artist whose bold, socially charged paintings push boundaries and challenge conventions. A full-time painter since 2002, Dana left a corporate career to dedicate herself entirely to art. Her downtown DC studio is both her creative space and a testament to her commitment to reflecting on the political and social issues that shape the world around us. Over the past 20 years, her work has spanned subjects from politics and history to animal rights, always with a sharp, thought-provoking edge.

Dana believes that contemporary artists have a responsibility to engage with the issues of the day, creating work that goes beyond mere decoration to spark conversation and reflection. Her paintings are collected worldwide by art enthusiasts, activists, and history buffs who connect with the depth and relevance of her messages. Having sold thousands of paintings over the course of her career, Dana Ellyn is widely regarded as one of Washington, DC's most accomplished and prolific artists.


"There is a daring allegorical uniqueness to a Dana Ellyn painting. Bright colors attract ... skillful composition with contemporary motifs illicit an emotional reaction. Dana Ellyn is a story-teller, a modern day town crier, documenting current events."
- Jim Magner, The Hill Rag
 
 
MUSEUMS
November 2018 - March 2019: St. Petersburg Museum of Art, 'Radical Fluidity: Grotesque in Art' exhibit, St Petersburg, Russia
May 2016 - May 2017: American Visionary Art Museum, 'Shock & Awe' exhibit, Baltimore, MD
 
Exhibits/Shows
Solo and Two-Person Exhibits
March 2019: Hill Center Gallery, COLLABORATORS, Washington, DC (2 person)
October 2015: P Street Gallerie, SPECIESISM, Washington, DC (SOLO)
July 2015: AMP Gallery, Happiness Is..., Provincetown, MA (SOLO)
July 2015: Galeria Artevistas, Deja Vu, Barcelona, Spain (2 person)
June 2015: Gallery 50, VegFest, Rehoboth, DE (SOLO)
April 2015: 410 GooDBuddY, (Self)Made in DC, Washington, DC (2 person)
November 2014: 19Karen Gallery, All-American Girl, Mermaid Beach, Australia (SOLO)
July 2014: AMP Gallery, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Provincetown, MA (2 person)
March 2014: FOE Gallery, Fun with Dick & Jane, Northampton, MA (2 person)
November 2013: The Dunes, "Thought Crimes", Washington, DC (2 person)
August 2013: AMP Gallery "Take No Prisoners", Provincetown, RI (2 person)
June 2013: Adah Rose Gallery "Bar Crawl", Kensington, MD (2 person)
May 2013: Art Enables "Domesticated", Washington, DC (2 person)
April 2013: Habor Gallery (UMASS) "Defiled", Boston, MA (2 person)
May 2013: Arts Club of Washington , Washington, DC (SOLO)
February 2013: 410 GooDBuddy, "Meat-Free", Washington, DC (SOLO)
December 2012: Gallery 555, "Sesow et Ellyn", Cruseilles, France (2 person)
October 2012: FOE Gallery, "See Something, Say Something", Northampton, MA (2 person)
September 2012: Montpelier Art Center, "See Something, Say Something", Laurel, MD (2 person)
August 2012: McCutchan Art Center, "A Man Worthy of Your Attention", Evansville, IN (SOLO + Book Launch)
August 2012: Garner Narrative, "A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures", Louisville, KY (SOLO)
April 2012: Adah Rose Gallery, "The Birds and The Bees", Kensington, MD (2 person)
April 2012: The Fridge, "Stocking the Fridge", Washington, DC (2 person)
April 2012: Adah Rose Gallery, "The Birds and The Bees", Kensington, MD (2 person)
January 2012: Mr. Rain's Fun House (AVAM), "Fun House", Baltimore, MD (SOLO)
December 2011: The Dunes, "Dystopia", Washington, DC (2 person)
November 2011: ArtGallery, "Storytelling", Norfolk, VA (Solo)
April 2011: Galeria Artevistas, "Midlife", Barcelona, Spain (Solo)
January 2011: Tryst, "The Art of Dating", Washington, DC (Solo)
December 2010: Baked & Wired, "Baked", Washington, DC (Solo)
June 2010: MLK Library, "BANNED", Washington, DC (Solo)
February 2010: Long View Gallery, "Till Death Do Us Part", Washington, DC (2 person)
December 2009: Evolve Urban Arts Center, "Divinely Irreverent", Washington, DC (Solo)
October 2009: R. Courey Gallery, "Sequestered", Savage, MD (Solo)
September 2009: Design Studio Gallery, "Horse of a Different Color", Hyattsville, MD (Solo)
June 2009: Aroma, "Under the Influence", Washington, DC (2 person)
August 2008: Long View Gallery, "Made in China", Washington, DC (2 person)
May/June 2008: ERA Gallery, "Up for Discussion", Wilmington, NC (Solo)
March 2008: Baked & Wired, Washington, DC (Solo)
December 2007: Aroma, "Under the Influence", Washington, DC (2 person)
June 2007: Long View Gallery, "I Call Shenanigans", Washington, DC (Solo)
October 2006: Warehouse, "Freak House Art", Washington DC (2 person)
June 2006: Neptune Gallery, "Driven", Bethesda MD (2 person)
March/April 2006: Asylum, "Girl in a Bar", Washington DC (Solo)
Oct - Nov 2005: Alcove Gallery, "Date Night", Atlanta, GA (2 person)
March 2005: MLK Library, "Downtown Girl, Uptown Boy", Washington DC (2 person)
Aug - Sept 2005: Inside Out Gallery, "Learning to Crawl", Cleveland OH (2 person)
Oct - Nov 2004: Hoopla Traders, "News Flash", Washington DC (Solo)
July-September 2004: CD Warehouse, Washington DC (Solo)
March-May 2004: "Art in the City", Bodzin Art Gallery. Fairfax, Virginia (Solo)
April 3rd 2004: "Who's It Gonna Be" Show to benefit NARAL (Solo)
Dec. 2003-Jan. 2004: Habitat, Washington DC (Solo)
November 2002: NZen, "Nudes" Washington DC (Solo)
Nov. 2001: Aroma, Washington, DC (Solo)
 
Publications
2012: A Man Worthy of Your Attention (illustrated chapbook)
2012: 100 Artists of Washington, DC
2013: Bicycle Review Magazine (cover and interior)
2016: Strivers (book cover)
2016: Art of Compassion (calendar)
March 2017: Hill Rag (cover)
July 2017: Hill Rag (cover)
Winter 2017: Tenou'a Magazine
Spring 2017: Tenou'a Magazine
Summer 2017: Tenou'a Magazine
2017: Animal Rights Art (calendar)
2017: Vegan Life Magazine (calendar)
2018: Art of Compassion (book)
2019: Protecting Animals Within and Across Borders (book cover)
2019: Feminism and Veganism (book)
2021: Kind (book cover & interior)
2023: Mid Atlantic Review (cover & interior)
 
 
Group Exhibits
October 2023: Michigan State University, Creativity in the Time of Covid, Lansing, MI
October 2021: Garner Narrative, How Are Your Doing?, Louisville, KY
January 2020: The Cheshire Gallery, Art & Activism, Washington, DC
July 2018: Metro Gallery, ALL IN THE FAMILY, Lincoln, NE
2018: Morris Bar, (ongoing), Washington, DC
January 2017: Pub and the People, In the Neighborhood, Washington, DC
May 2017: The Hill Center, Art in the City, Washington, DC
October 2016: AMP Art Market, SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS, Provincetown, MD
July 2016: Karamel, ANIMUS, London, England
April 2016: The New Mart, Women Who Work, Los Angeles, CA
April 2016: P Street Gallerie, Bycatch, By Hand, Washington, DC
March 2015: Jane Hisoka Gallery, Alchemic Vessels, Washington, DC
May 2014: 19Karen Gallery, Michael Jackson Tribute Show, Mermaid Beach, Australia
March 2014: Jane Hisoka Gallery, Alchemic Vessels, Washington, DC
November 2013: Art Prichal, Vegan Art Exhibit, Kiev, Ukraine
November 2013: Arlington Arts Center"Dia de los Muertos", Arlington, VA
October 2013: ArtDC, "RED", Hyattsville, MD
April 2013: Bodzin Gallery "Resistance Through Art", Fairfax, VA
March 2013: ArtDC, "Who Dunnit", Hyattsville, MD
January 2013: Art Enables, "Inaugural Visions", Washington, DC
December 2012: The Dunes, "Artpocalypse 2012", Washington, DC
September 2012: Greater Reston Art Center, "Campaign/Reform", Reston, VA
April 2012: Artisphere, "Yuri's Night", Rosslyn, VA
March 2012: FOE Gallery, "Year of the Dragon", Northampton, MA
February 2012: Waverly Street Gallery, "23+23", Bethesda, MD
February 2012: The Dunes, "Tight Fit", Washington, DC
June 2011: Galerie Belage, "Outisde Art in the Hamptons", Westhampton Beach, NY
April 2011: Artisphere, "Yuri's Night", Rosslyn, VA
February 2011: Cre8space, "Love Stains and Memory Remains", Washington, DC
May 2010: Studio Gallery, Summer Show, Washington, DC
August 2009: Mayer Fine Art, Group Show, Norfolk, VA
June 2009: Artomatic, Washington, DC
May 2009: Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY
April 2009: ArtDC Gallery, "12x12", Hyattsville, MD
April 2009: Warehouse Gallery, "Yuri's Night", Washington, DC
January 2009: H&H Fine Arts, "Art & Politics", Mt. Ranier, MD
December 2008: Access Gallery, "Bad Santa - No Cookie", Denver, CO
December 2008: Long View Gallery, "Holiday Show", Washington, DC
September 2008: Gallery Plan B, "BrushFire", Washington, DC
September 2008: Gallery Plan B, "BrushFire", Washington, DC
August 2008: Access Gallery, "Sign of the Times", Denver, CO
May/June 2008: Artomatic, Washington, DC
March 2008: MLK Library, "Women's History", Washington, DC
February 2008: "DC Green HeART Exhibit", Washington, DC
December 2007: Gallery Plan B, "Gallery Group Show", Washington, DC
December 2007: Long View Gallery, "Holiday Show", Washington, DC
September 2007: Gallery Plan B, "Go Figure", Washington, DC
June 2007: Warehouse, "Art in Heat", Washington, DC
March 2007: BritishInk, Washington, DC
March 2007: Gallery RFD, "Bloodlines", Swainsboro, GA
March 2007: Splash Contemporary, Asbury Park, NJ
December 2006: Warehouse, "Art Romp", Washington DC
December 2006: Pamela Skinner Gallery, Group Show, Sacramento, CA
December 2006: Qbix Gallery, "Now", Philadelphia PA
November 2006: Warehouse, "Shock & Awe", Washington DC
June 2006: Studio One Eight, "Remastered", Washington DC
March 2006: Studio One Eight, "Art of War", Washington DC
February 2006: Neptune Gallery, "Cupidity", Bethesda MD
December 2005: Warehouse Gallery, "Art Romp", Washington DC
November 2005: Studio One-Eight "A Girl, A Guy & A Gay", Washington DC
Sept - Oct 2005: Edison Place Gallery, "Voices", Washington DC
July 2005: Alcove Gallery, "The Fruit Bowl", Atlanta GA
December 2004: Warehouse Gallery, "Art Romp", Washington DC
July - August004: DCAC, "1460 Wall Mountables", Washington DC
August 5-16, 2004: MOCA, Washington DC
May - June 2004: "Anonymous", Flashpoint Gallery, Washington DC
March-May 2004: "Takin' Over the Art Store", Washington DC
December 6 2003: "B-Side Relauch", Washington DC
December 14 2003: "Curious", Washington DC
October 11 2003: "Light in October" Arlington, VA
September 5-18: Meridian Center, Washington DC
July-Sept 2003: DCAC, Washington DC - "1460 Wall Mountables" Show
June 2003: The Flemming Center, Washington DC
June 2003: The Art Store, "Taking Over", Washington DC
February - May 2003: America Oh Yes!,"Insider/Outsider", Washington DC
March - May 2003: CDW, "Creative Sincerity", Washington DC
Feb. 21 - March 9 2003: MOCA, "Lady Brain Mind Meld", Washington DC
Feb. 15 - March 2003: Khoja Gallery,"Love & Eroticism", Arlington VA
Feb. 28 - March 1 2003: Kalorama Emerging Artist Show, Washington DC
Nov. - Dec. 2002: Khoja Gallery, Arlington VA
Aug 7 - Sep 8 2002: Touchstone Gallery, Washington DC (Honorable Mention award)
August 8-11 2002: DCAC, "LadyFest DC", Washington, DC
July 2002: Gallery 325, Washington, DC
June 2001: Wilson Gallery,"Intermission", Washington, DC
May 2001: Wilson Gallery, "Smoke and Mirrors", Washington, DC
March 2001: Wilson Gallery, "Far Away Places", Washington, DC
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