Biography

Born in Nashville, Arkansas in 1936, Joseph Dawley graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1959 and enjoyed an award-winning career as a realistic "Renaissance Style" artist throughout the 20th Century. During this period, Mr. Dawley was commissioned by the Vatican to paint the official portrait of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, which was unveiled at the canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica.

In 1977, Dawley opened his own gallery: The Joseph Dawley Gallery in Cranford, New Jersey. Five full-color books have been published about his art by Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, and Pittman Publishing & Sons, Ltd., London, the latest having been published in 1987 and entitled: Seeing and Painting the Colors of Nature.

The story of Dawley's style change from Traditionalism (Realism) to Impressionism, caused by Parkinson's disease, was aired on April 18, 1989, on the Tom Brokaw Nightly News Program, was featured in the Sunday New York Times on August 2, 1992, and then again on EyeWitness News on August 10, that same year.

Also in September 1993 an inspirational piece about Dawley and his artwork was aired on CBS This Morning. An exhibition of Dawley's art was sponsored that fall by DuPont for the World Conference of Neurology held in Vancouver, BC. In 1995 the Calvert Gallery of Washington D.C. hosts its 15th Dawley exhibition.. His work has been handled for a number of years through The Calvert Gallery, Washington, DC, and through The Artful Deposit in Allentown, NJ, as well.

The disease sidelined Joseph, rather than admit artistic defeat, out of adversity emerged sheer genius! Though no longer able to paint, Joseph Dawley's impressive use of blurred line with soft tones, cultivated in order to create impressionistic works in place of his previous "Realism," have earned him the title of "Renoir of the 90's."
 

In 1993, Dawley was one of several artists profiled in Jean Kennedy Smith and George Plimpton's Chronicles of Courage and an article devoted exclusively to Dawley appeared in the June issue of Life Magazine He also had the honor of having his work displayed in the American Embassy in Dublin.
 

Dawley was commissioned to paint the official portraits of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton which were unveiled at the Vatican during her Canonization ceremonies, and were later displayed at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. He is represented in the collections of Notre Dame University, the Mayo Clinic, Windsor and Newton, and many other prestigious collections. He has been a featured guest on television shows and his work has appeared on the covers of publications including Down East magazine and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Dawley was invited by the White House to create a painting for use as the official 1994 Christmas Card. Two paintings were created for this purpose and are both currently in the White House. Also in Washington, D.C., Joe's painting "Snowfall in the Park" is the 1995 Christmas Card for Very Special Arts, which is an international educational affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Awards
1969- Portrait Award- Academic Artists, Springfield,
1969- Massachusetts Museum of Fine Art
1969- Collins Portrait Award, Hudson Valley, New York
1969- Salmagundi Award, Allied Artists Show,
1969- New York
1970- Jane Peterson Portrait Award,
1970- Allied Artists Show, New York City

Major Exhibits
AT&T Headquarters, New Jersey
Nabisco Headquarters
Chubb Insurance Headquarters