Bio
Michael Martin is an artist and teacher who specializes in photography. After serving as Associate Professor of Digital Art for two decades and Academic Dean for six years at Cogswell College in San Jose, California, he was recently appointed Adjunct Lecturer in the Art and Art History Department at Santa Clara University. His artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe. He is based in Berlin, London, and in San Jose, California. Mostly San Jose.
Michael’s community service work includes Board President of WORKS/San Jose Gallery, the City of Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission, and most recently Chair of the San Jose Arts Commission, where he was also member of the nationally recognized Public Art Committee and the San Jose Mineta Airport Art Program Oversight Committee.
Recent Exhibitions
2022
Quiet Landscape, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Seeing Red, Float Magazine. May 2022
Community, The Image Flow Gallery, San Anselmo, CA
2020
Suburban Architecture, Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, KS
Urban2020, Trieste Photo Days, Trieste, Italy
2019
Contemporary Portrait Photography, LH Horton Jr Gallery, San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA
Abandoned Buildings, Blank Wall Gallery, Athens, Greece
2019 Helsinki Photo Festival, Helsinki Finland
The 2019 Ordinary Animals Exhibition, Lenscratch. May 2019
Observations in the Ordinary, Exhibition and accompanying book, Subjectively Objective Gallery, Rochester Hills, MI
Human Representation, Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, KS
Float Magazine X Casual Science Surreal Estate Zine. April 2019
Taking Pictures 2019, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
Something Blue, Gray Loft Gallery, Oakland, CA
2018
Bay Area Currents, Smith Anderson North Gallery, San Anselmo, CA
Issue 140, Shots Magazine. August 2018
Urban2018, Trieste Photo Days, Trieste, Italy
Planet Pulse, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
The Tipping Point, Corden|Potts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Moments of Color, Blank Wall Gallery, Athens Greece
Tenth Anniversary Issue, Fraction Magazine, May 2018
Public Spaces featured in Ain't Bad Magazine. March 2018
2017
2017 FLOW PhotoFest Open Competition, Inverness, Scotland
The Quiet Landscape, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury VT
The Art of Living Photography, ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA
Reflect and Engage, The Image Flow Gallery. Mill Valley, CA
Head On Portrait Prize, Semi Finalist. Head On Photo Festival. Sydney, Australia
Punctum. PH21 Gallery, Budapest, Hungry
Portraiture: Mirror Mirror. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
inside@instagram, Onomato Künstlerverin, Düsseldorf PhotoWeekend, Düsseldorf, Germany
2016
Focus Photo l.a., SU16 First Runner Up. Los Angeles, CA
Photo Shoot: 2016. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
The Curated Fridge at Photoville 2016. (Juror, Aline Smithson). Brooklyn, NY
Focus Photo l.a., First Runner Up. Berlin Art Week, Berlin, Germany
Public Spaces featured in Fruitlands Zine issue 2 Space. June 2016
Top 40 Juried Exhibition, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA
Framed: Landscape and Architecture. Black Box Gallery, Portland OR
Public Spaces featured in Ignant Magazine, May 2016
Public Spaces featured in issue 12, The Hand Magazine. April 2016
Pollux Awards (Finalist). International Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography. Berlin, Germany
2015
Landscape: Photography Now. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
Public Spaces profiled in PhotoArtMag Magazine. November 2015
Color Photography: A Picture Show. Black Box Gallery, Portland OR
Exposed. Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Public Spaces featured in It's Nice That Magazine. October 2015
Oddity. (Juror's Choice Award, by Oliver Wasow), Darkroom Gallery, Essex Junction, VT
Public Spaces featured in Dodho Magazine. October 2015
H2O. Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO
Through a Lens Curious. Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
2014
Blue. Darkroom Gallery. Essex Junction, VT
Focus: Landscape and Architecture. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
Electron Salon. Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA
Landscape: Looking at Photography. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
Array. Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
New Color Photography. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
2013
Journeys. Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
Electron Salon. Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA
Beasts on Broadway. Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
Risk. Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA
Employment
Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
Photography Instructor, Department of Photography 2019 - present
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Academic Year Lecturer, Department of Art and Art History 2018 - present
Cogswell Polytechnical College
Associate Professor, Digital Arts and Animation 1996 - 2016
Dean of the College 2006 - 2013
Prior ranks include Adjunct, Assistant Professor, Digital Arts Program Director, Associate Dean.
Subjects include digital media, design and photography.
Community Service
California Arts Council, Grant Review Panelist, Artists in Schools Engagement Program. Sacramento, CA. 2017
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Interim Report Committee. Alameda, CA 2013 - 2016
City of San Jose Arts Commissioner, City of San Jose, CA. 2006 - 2013
Public Art Committee, Airport Art Program Oversight Committee.
City of Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commissioner, Santa Clara, CA 1995 - 2000
Education
Master of Fine Arts, Photography, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 1988
Honours Exchange Program, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, England 1987
Bachelor of Arts, Art, Magna Cum Laude, Fresno State University, Fresno, CA 1984