I began my career in the arts as a studio furniture maker in 1976. My furniture and sculpture have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Craft Fair, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Fair, Funeria in San Francisco, and the John Elder Gallery in New York.
In 1993 I began painting, studying with Elizabeth Lentz, Jacob Cooley, and Beverly McIver. I had my first solo show of paintings in 2001 at Hager Smith Design Gallery in Raleigh. Since then, I have had solo shows every year, and regularly participate in juried and invitational group shows. My work has been featured in arts magazines and on book covers. My awards include painting fellowships at The Virginia Center for Creative Arts and Vermont Studio Center.
I continue woodworking, accepting commissions and creating new work for galleries and exhibitions.
I also teach woodworking and painting workshops. I have taught at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, Arrowmont School of Crafts in Tennessee, Peters Valley Craft Center in New Jersey, Haystack in Maine, the Durham Arts Council, the Pocosin Arts Center in Columbia, North Carolina, and East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
Ulinski approaches still life as a sculptor would, dwelling on the outline of things, on their volume and play of light, rendering objects on a table top or window sill like Cezanne did with the cone, cylinder, and sphere. -- Leah Stoddard, Director, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville VA
It is praise to Ulinski that the domesticity and sacred ordinariness in these paintings would have appealed to someone like Emily Dickinson, no stranger to loss or minutely observed beauty. One of her poems reads: "There's a certain Slant of light, / Winter Afternoons -- / ... When it comes, the Landscape listens -- / Shadows -- hold their breath." Like these lines, Ulinski's paintings solemnify that moment when the light pauses in reverence before moving on. -- Nell Joslin, Raleigh News & Observer
Anthony Ulinski
Experience
Dovetail Woodworks, founder and proprietor, 1976-present
Painter and sculptor, 1993-present
Solo exhibitions
“New Work,” Rebus Works, Raleigh NC, 2023
“New Work,” Joslin House, Raleigh NC, 2022
“New Work,” National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park NC, 2016
“The Places in Between,” 2012-2014:
Edith C. Lumpkin Gallery, Louisburg College, Louisburg NC
Artspace, Raleigh NC
Durham City Hall, Durham NC
Boykin Gallery, Wilson Arts Council, Wilson NC
Nature Art Center, Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh NC
Lone Leaf Gallery, Washington NC
Imperial Arts Centre, Rocky Mount NC
“Life Composed,” 311 Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2011
“Urban Landscapes,” Upfront Gallery, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2010
“Flatlands,” 311 Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2010
“Landscapes,” Lone Leaf Gallery, Washington NC, 2009
“Still Life,” Zely and Ritz, Raleigh NC, 2009
“New Work,” Allenton Gallery, Durham NC, 2008
“Still Life,” Cary Town Hall, Cary NC, 2008
“The Tea Shop,” Horace Williams House, Chapel Hill NC, 2007
“Teaism,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2006
“New Work,” Meredith College, Raleigh NC, 2005
“New Work,” Peace College, Raleigh NC, 2005
“Small Works in Oil and Encaustic,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2005
“In Praise of Shadows,” Durham Art Guild, Durham NC, 2004
“At Table,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2003
“Ordinary Life,” Green Tara Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC, 2002
“Shadows & Light,” Peace College, Raleigh NC, 2002
“Studio furniture and sculptural urns,” Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, Winston-Salem NC, 2002
“Still Life,” Hager Smith Design Gallery, Raleigh, NC, 2001
”Paper & Light,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2000
“Reliquaries & Urns,” Allenton Gallery, Durham Arts Council, Durham NC, 1998
Selected group exhibitions
Anthony Ulinski and Doug Dotson, PS118, Durham NC, 2022
Winter Show, Greenhill Center, Greensboro NC, 2021
Winter Collection, Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill NC, 2021
“Branching Out,” BRAHM Museum, Blowing Rock NC, 2020
“Four Ways with Wood,” Imperial Arts Centre, Rocky Mount NC, 2017
”hush, hush,” with Kiki Farish, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2016
Anthony Ulinski and Lynn Nash, Arts of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City NC, 2016
Penland School of Crafts Series, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC, 2016
“Vistas,” Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill NC, 2015
“FRESH,” Artspace, Raleigh NC 2015
”Pocosin Arts,” Imperial Arts Centre, Rocky Mount NC, 2015
Highlights of the Municipal Art Collection, Miriam Block Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2013
“The Edge,” The Galleries, Cabarrus County Arts Council, Concord NC, 2013
“Via Penland,” Rebus Works, Raleigh NC, 2009, 2010, 2012
“Lines of Communication,” Eno Gallery, Hillsborough NC, 2012
“Dinner at the Frank,” The Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill NC, 2011
Clayton Art Faire, Clayton, NC 2011 (award of excellence)
Anthony Ulinski and Friends, Rebus Works Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2011
“Location, Location, Location,” Cabarrus County Arts Council, Concord NC, 2011
Educator Exhibition, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2011
NC Artist Exhibition, Betty McCain Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2011
“Inside Out,” Eno Gallery, Hillsborough NC, 2011
”NEW,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2011
“Handcrafted,” Imperial Arts Centre, Rocky Mount NC, 2011
Fine Contemporary Craft National Exhibition, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2011
“Landscapes,” Horace Williams House, Chapel Hill NC, 2010
“Multi-tasking,” The Galleries, Cabarrus Arts Council, Concord NC, 2010
Retrospective 25, Miriam Block Gallery, Municipal Building, Raleigh NC, 2009
Clayton Art Faire, Clayton NC, 2009 (award of excellence)
“Painters Under Pressure,” 311 Martin, Raleigh NC, 2009
“Reconsidered: Summer Artists-in Residence,” 1999-2008, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2009
“Planes and Pedestal,” Green Hill Center for North Carolina Arts, Greensboro NC, 2009
”NEW,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2009
Instructors Exhibition, Arrowmont School of Craft, Gatlinburg TN, 2009
“Via Penland,” Rebus Works, Raleigh, NC, 2009
Holiday Show, Tyndall Galleries, Chapel Hill NC, 2008
Penland Artists, Hager Smith Design Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2008
“N.E.W.,” Art Exchange, Raleigh NC, 2008
“Five Views,” Carteret Contemporary Gallery, Morehead City NC, 2008
“NEW,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2008
“The Study Group,” The Collectors Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2008
Three Person Exhibition, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2007
Cary Fine Arts League 13th Annual Exhibition, Cary NC, 2007 (first prize)
“NEW,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2007
“Never Exhibited Work,” Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, 2006, 2007
“Interpretations of Still Life,” Miriam Block Gallery, Municipal Building, Raleigh, NC, 2006
“Teaism,” Bickett Gallery, Raleigh, NC, 2006
”NEW,” Artspace, Raleigh, NC, 2005
“Hand to Hand,” Green Hill Center for North Carolina Arts, Greensboro, NC, 2005
“The Triangle’s Best Art,” Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC, 2004
Annual Juried Show, Durham Art Guild, Durham NC 2003, 1995 (merit award)
“New,” Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, 2003 (second prize)
Annual Competition, Fayetteville Museum of Art, Fayetteville, NC, 2003, 1997
“New Works,” Artspace, Raleigh NC 2003
Artists Association of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem NC 2003
Raleigh Fine Arts Society Annual Exhibit, Meredith College, Raleigh NC, 1993-2002
“Nine/Eleven,” Autonomy II Gallery, Raleigh NC, 2001
Winter Invitational, Green Hill Center for North Carolina Arts, Greensboro NC, 1998
“Functional Fine Art & Craft,” Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2002
“Grand Arts,” Green Hill Center for North Carolina Arts, Greensboro NC, 2002
Urns, Funeria, San Francisc, CA, 2001
Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Philadelphia PA, 2001
“Homegrown,” Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, “ Winston-Salem NC, 2001
“New Talent III,” John Elder Gallery, New York NY, 2000
“The Vietnam War: Art Expressions, Then and Now,” The Dairy Barn, Athens OH, 2000
SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art), Chicago IL, 1999
Smithsonian Craft Fair, Washington DC, 1998
American Craft Council Southeast, “Spotlight '97,” Hickory NC, 1997
Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, “Blaze of Glory,” Winston-Salem NC, 1997
American Craft Council Show, Baltimore MD, 1989
Fellowships and grants
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, returning fellow, 2002-2023
Vermont Studio Center, 2003, 2004
Artspace summer residency, Raleigh NC, 2000
United Arts Council Regional Artist Project Grants 1997, 2000
Teaching
Penland School of Crafts, Penland NC, 1998, 1999, 2007, 2009
Arrowmont School of Crafts, Gatlinburg TN, 2009
Pocosin Arts Center, Columbia NC, 2010
Peace College, guest lecturer, Raleigh NC, 2002, 2003
Artspace, Raleigh NC, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011
Durham Arts Council, Durham NC, 2010
“Surface Alchemy,” private workshop, Point Richmond CA, 2001
“Bombori and Beyond,” private workshop, Point Richmond CA, 2000
Peters Valley Craft Center, Layton NJ, 1998
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts (assistant to Alphonse Mattia), Deer Isle ME, 1997
Reviews
“Spotlight: Understated,” a review of “hush, hush” by Jessie Ammons, Walter Magazine, December 2016
”Landscapes Alive: Anthony Ulinski finds art and beauty in the farms of Eastern North Carolina,” Liza Roberts, photos by Missy McLamb, Walter Magazine, October 2013
“The places in between,” Lisa Boykins Batts, Wilson Times, June 20, 2013
“Seeing beauty in between,” David Menconi, photos by Juli Leonard, Raleigh News & Observer, April 7, 2013
“Featured Artist: Anthony Ulinski,” North Carolina State Bar Journal, Summer 2005
“Best Arts Exhibits 2004,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald Sun, January 2, 2005
“A Certain Slant of Light,” Nell Joslin, Raleigh News and Observer, April 16, 2004
“Durham Art Guild offers Still Life to Sculpture,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald-Sun,April 21, 2004
“Exhibitions show history of art in N.C.,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald-Sun, February 18, 2004
Wood Art Today: Furniture, Vessels, Sculpture, Dona Z. Meilach (Schiffer Design, 2003)
“Furnishings and Feeling,” Max Halpern, Raleigh News & Observer, December 13, 2002
“Durham Art Guild Exhibit,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald-Sun, August 11, 2002
“Fitting Tribute,” Michele Natale, The Spectator, Raleigh NC, August 23, 2000
”The Light in August,” Kate Dobbs Ariail, IndyWeek, August 16, 2000
“Paper, Clay Transform into High Arts,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald-Sun, August 11, 2000
“Woodworkers in the United States: Anthony Ulinski,” Caryl Brt, Japanese Woodworking, May 2000
“The Creators: Anthony Ulinski,” Sarah Avery, Raleigh News & Observer, January 19, 2000
“Treasured Objects,” Hannah Miller, Custom Woodworking Business, September 1998
“Taking It Personally: Anthony Ulinski,” L. Burnham, The Spectator, Raleigh NC, January 28, 1998
Visual Art, Michele Natale, The Spectator, Raleigh NC, October 9, 1997
Eye on Art, Tom Patterson, Winston-Salem Journal, July 20, 1997
“Form and Function,” Kate Dobbs Ariail, The Independent, Durham NC, May 14, 1997
“CD Solutions,” Barbara Church, Raleigh News & Observer, February 1, 1997
“Fine Furniture Is An Art Form Of Its Own,” Blue Greenberg, Durham Herald-Sun, May 23, 1987
“The Artist and the Craft,” Kim Devins, The Spectator, Raleigh NC, July 17, 1986
Education
Mathematics and economics, Beloit College, Wisconsin
Self-taught in woodworking and design
Sculpture study with Kristina Madsen, Makiti Koto, Bob Trotman
Painting study with Elizabeth Lentz, Beverly McIver, Jacob Cooley, and Margie Stewart
Personal
Born March 24, 1954 in Bandung, Indonesia
Married to author Kim Church