About the Artist

Paul Nagle is an artist and educator from Mechanicsburg, in central Pennsylvania, whose paintings employ a poetic use of light and shadow, rendering deeper meanings from scenes of everyday life. His subjects include elements of landscape, the human figure, portraits, and situational experiences. After a thirty-two-year career as an art educator, helping others discover the meaning of art for themselves, Nagle now dedicates his days to his studio work. He creates drawings, paintings, and sculptures, freely exploring various mediums and styles. Nagle draws on his experience teaching various media, such as sculpture, photography, film, and set design for theater. His diverse work is shown in local and regional exhibitions, as well as in schools, museums, and businesses.

Paul's journey in art education began at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where he earned his B.A. He furthered his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Art, obtaining his M.A. in Art Education, and then at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he earned his M.F.A. 

Nagle’s recent work is well-versed in art historical techniques and narratives. Because of his broad experience with artistic styles like abstraction and design, he finds new ground in realism regarding forward-looking affirmations of life.

 

Statement

 My work expresses the idea that our everyday experience is worthy of examination. I collect references through sketching, photographs, and studies and often portray experiences that reflect the poetic relationship between light and shadow. My compositions reveal merging forms shifting in space to create something irresistibly noticeable. I utilize my knowledge of both traditional techniques and contemporary art, marrying expression with realistic elements, but my ultimate goal is to invent, explore, and produce something that surprises me.

 

       In Kids in the Creek, a series of pastel-on-paper and oil-on-panel paintings, I depict the memory of a fleeting experience with my students, which I documented in photographs and sketches. This use of pastel-on-paper and oil-on-panel paintings allows me to present a fixed view of groups actively discovering their environment. The miniature paintings focus on each individual, their posture, and the play of light and shadow off their clothing, bodies, and the water.

 

I spent thirty-two years in art education, stewarding young minds to make significant decisions early in life.  Kids in the Creek is a metaphor for time, learning, exploration, and finding one's footing. Finding one's footing takes time and patience when uncertainty and stability are at odds. A featured image, Wading In, depicts a girl carefully stepping into deeper water, the light from above crowning her head and shoulders as she moves into the shade through water glistening with sunlight. Each step is a new adventure, a test of balance and resilience. As she navigates the rocky bed, she feels the endless flow of the water, a reminder of life's constant movement and sharp edges or slippery surfaces.

Resume/CV

Education

Master of Fine Arts degree       1994-1997

Maryland Institute, College of Art        Baltimore, MD

Major:  Sculpture 

Accomplishments: Awarded an Honorable mention in The Olga Hirschhorn Scholarship from the National Society of Arts and Letters, Washington Chapter, 1995. 

"Paul Nagle Sculpture," graduate exhibition, Fox Graduate Galleries, Maryland Institute, College of Art 1997.

A significant study of contemporary methods of presentation while preserving traditional methods of art making.

Incorporated ideas from 19th-century sculpture and 20th-century minimalism into contemporary methods of form and presentation.

 

Master of Arts degree             1989

Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH

Major: Art Education Minor: Sculpture and Drawing

Activities: Visiting Artists at the Mentor Public Schools, Mentor, Ohio, and the University School, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Graduate assistant Ceramics studio at CWRU.

A focus on geometric abstraction and large-scale woodcarving and construction. I imagine how the exploration of experimental drawing non-objective abstraction through new materials and non-traditional tools.

 

Bachelor of Arts degree            1986

Flagler College            St. Augustine, FL

Major: Visual Art/Business Administration

Flagler College Art Department Outstanding Student Award 1986.

Emphasis on sculpture, photography, and illustration.

Business degree emphasis on management.

Varsity Tennis, ranked # 10 in NAIA Men's Doubles 1984, Honorable Mention All-American

Dean's List 1984-1986 

 

Experience

Art Teacher, High School      2004-2023

Cumberland Valley Schools  Mechanicsburg, PA

Teaching introductory to advanced level high school drawing and painting.

Implemented AP Studio program. Led International Baccalaureate program in Visual Art.

Work with senior students on portfolio development for art college/ art department admissions.

Aid numerous students every year to earn valuable scholarships for their work.

Rewritten high school curriculum to reflect best practices i.e. Learning Focused Schools.

Manage distribution and ordering of supplies.

Coaching High School Tennis

 

Designer/Partner in Eye Biz Design Group    2001-2003

Designed, manufactured, and marketed Swinger TM Mirror nationally and internationally.

Coordinated trade show design, logistics, and client services.

Oversight on budgets, legal counsel, and patent search.

Developed a business plan.

 

South Middleton School District       Boiling Springs, PA        1989-2001

Taught 4th through 6th grade and developed a new curriculum from 1989 to 1991.

Taught 7th through 12th grade and supervised the art department of three instructors.

Developed a new curriculum for 7th through 12th grade and added three new staff members from 1996 to 2001.

Developed a photography program and implemented an interdisciplinary Humanities program.

Managed five teachers, acted as department chair, and taught sculpture, photography, and art history.

Developed summer workshops for elementary-aged children for the parks and recreation department.

Co-chaired the district-wide three-day arts festival from 1997 to 2001.

Received PA State Council on the Arts, Artist in Residence Grants 1990 and 1993.

Assistant Designer                1998-2000

Clifford Wagner Science Interactives

Harrisburg, PA

A company that specializes in the design and fabrication of interactive educational exhibits for the national tour of museums for children and scientific discovery.

I was the assistant designer and lead artist on "Contraption Alphabet," "Garden of Gizmos," and "Whirly-gigs."

 

Sculpture Instructor                     1991- 2000

Art Association of Harrisburg       Harrisburg, PA

Taught classes in ceramic sculpture, figure modeling, portrait modeling, stone carving, and basic cold-cast mold making.

 

Studio Assistant                 1986-1987

Bo Sterk, Barking Dog Press, lithography studio    St. Augustine, FL

Studio assistant managing the lithography and etch printing processes.

Assisting in the production, travel, and sales of artwork.

 

Studio Assistant 1986-1987

Enzo Torcoletti, sculpture studio                      St. Augustine, FL

Assisted in mold making, carving, transportation, exhibition setup, and property maintenance.

 

Illustration Projects

Kool Kat Records 2010, 2011, 2012 Christmas Compilation album/CD cover, Yep Roc Records

Fred's Threads - book one, "The Interview," children's book, authored by Kay Oswalt, Inspiring Voices, Guidepost Publications.

Split Squad, album/CD cover Red Chuck Studios

Clifford Wagner Science Interactives has interactive exhibits for science and children's museums.

select Show History

 

Selected Shows and Exhibitions

Paul has shown wide for the past 20 years in the Mid-Atlantic region, earning numerous awards.  His work is in various public and private collections.

 

2023 Cumberland County Library Invitational Show, Solo exhibition, New Cumberland, Pa

“Classroom Ephemera” - solo exhibition, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA

2022 Corporate Community Exhibitions - Solo Show at Centerpointe Corporate Campus, Linglestown, PA

2021 Susquehanna Plein Air Painters exhibition - Carlisle Arts Learning Center, Carlisle, PA

2020 “PA Real - Light, Space and Air” - Solo exhibition Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA

2018 Artist Invitational Solo Show, Harrisburg Area Community College, Gettysburg Campus, Gettysburg, PA

2017 Solo Exhibition - Allenberry Inn and Playhouse Resort, Boiling Springs, PA 

2016 Cafe 1500, Solo exhibition, Harrisburg, PA 

Heroes and Villains -group show, Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA

2014 Six Sculptors, group exhibition, Mechanicsburg, PA

An Art Soiree’, solo exhibition to benefit the Art Association of Harrisburg

The Circus Show, group exhibition, Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg, PA

2013 Less is More: Small Works in a Great Space (National Juried Exhibition) St. Johns College, Annapolis, MD

2011 Second Floor Gallery, Group Show, Mechanicsburg, PA

2009 Progressive Gallery, Lancaster, PA group exhibition

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, Group exhibition.

2008 Art Association of Harrisburg, Solo Exhibition, paintings and sculpture

2007 Syracuse Artist Invitational, Syracuse Museum of Art, group show.

Art of the State, State Museum of   Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA

Artsfest, Harrisburg, Pa.

Manayunk Arts Festival, Manayunk, PA

Mt. Gretna Festival of the Arts, Mt. Gretna, PA.

2006 2nd Floor Gallery, Mechanicsburg, Pa

Mt. Gretna Artist Invitational, Mt. Gretna, PA, group show

Art in the Berkshires, Great Barrington, MA Outdoor Festival 

Three Rivers Arts Fest, Pittsburgh, PA Outdoor Festival

2005     Art of the State, State Museum of   Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA

Artsfest, Harrisburg, Pa.

Manayunk Arts Festival, Manayunk, PA

Mt. Gretna Festival of the Arts, Mt. Gretna, PA.

2004 Artsfest Harrisburg, PA, Kipona Riverfest, Harrisburg, PA

CowParade Harrisburg,  Harrisburg,PA

Artsfest Harrisburg, PA, Kipona Riverfest,Harrisburg, PA 

Harrisburg Magazine Feature, Cowparade.

2002 Sykes Gallery, Millersville University , Millersville,PA.

2001 44th Chautauqua National Exhibition of American Art, Chautauqua, NY.

Carrera Gallery, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL.

Doshi Center for Contemporary Art, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg,PA.

Art of the State, 3rd place sculpture, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA.

International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA. 

1997 M.F.A  Thesis Exhibition, Fox Gallery,   Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, Md.

1995 The Olga Hirschhorn Scholarship Competition, 1995, Honorable Mention, The National Society of Arts and Letters, Washington

D.C.

Illustration Projects

 

Kool Kat Records 2010, 2011, 2012 Christmas Compilation album/CD cover, Yep Roc Records 

Fred’s Threads—book one, “The Interview,” is a children’s book authored by Kay Oswalt, Inspiring Voices, Guidepost Publications.

Split Squad, album/CD cover Red Chuck Studios 

Clifford Wagner Science Interactives has interactive exhibits for science and children’s museums. 

 

Curatorial work and Community Organizer

 

2010 - 2023 Artistic Expressions—Central PA Student Annual Art exhibition, Harrisburg, PA, in cooperation with the Susquehanna Art Museum and the Historic Harrisburg Center. 

 

2014 - “Off the Wall” - artist invitational sculpture exhibition - Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

 

2013 - “Three Chose Three” is a national invitational exhibition of contemporary abstraction at Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg, PA. 

 

2008 - 2023 - Cumberland Valley High School Student Art Exhibition, Mechanicsburg, PA.

 

1994 - 2010 - Summer Art Camps, K-12, South Middleton Township, Boiling Springs, PA.