Solo Exhibitions

2024 Thomas Architecture Studio, Olympia, WA

2019 WA State Department of Ecology, Lacey, WA, Main Floor Lobby

2018 Batdorf & Bronson Coffee, Olympia, WA, Recent Works

2016 Tacoma Community College Library, Small New Works

2016 Modeles, Furnishings, Seattle, WA

2015 West Elm, Local Wall, Seattle, WA

2015 Wheelhouse Cafe, Seattle WA

2013 Essentia showroom, Belltown, “Join Together” 23 paintings, Seattle WA 

2011 Belltown Lofts Lobby Gallery, “Looking Toward the Horizon”, Seattle WA 

2011 Polaris, 15 Paintings Installed, Bellevue WA 

2011 Sunlight Café, “A Return to the Beginning”, Seattle WA 

2010 Chaco Canyon, Small paper collages on panel, Seattle WA 

2009 Pierce College Gallery, C.J. Swanson New Work, Tacoma WA 

2008 Living Room Gallery, Gig Harbor WA 

2008 Two Bells, C.J. Swanson Paintings, curated by David C. Kane, Seattle WA 

2003 Theatre on The Square, Lobby Gallery, Tacoma WA 

2002 Commencement Art Gallery, with Helene Lund Den Boer, Tacoma WA 

2002 The Design Gallery, “New Works”, Tacoma WA 

1999 Equity Building lobby, 850 Third Avenue, New York, New York City 

1997 Art Space, Pioneer Square, Seattle WA 

1996 OK Hotel, Seattle WA 

Group Exhibitions

2025 South Puget Sound College, Fuller Gallery, 21st C. Pop, curated by China Star

2018 South Puget Sound College, Gallery, Annual Postcard Fundraiser

2017 South Puget Sound College, Gallery, Invitational, curated by Amy McBride 

2017 Art House Gallery, Olympia, WA Group show Regional Art

2016 The Gallery at TCC, 14th Annual Juried Local Show, Tacoma WA

2016 The Gallery at TCC, Sugar and Spice Exhibition, Tacoma WA

2015 Seattle Convention Center, Geometica, curated by CJ Swanson & Rachel Holloway

2012 The Gallery at TCC, 10th Annual Juried Local Show

2011 Post-Pop Art, the gallery at TCC, Tacoma WA 

2009 Washington State Convention Center, Definitions of Space, Seattle WA 

2009 The Feminist Show, The Gallery at TCC, Tacoma Community College 

2008 Sixth Annual Local Art Show, The Gallery at Tacoma Community College 

2008 Robert Daniel Gallery, The Opening Show, Tacoma WA 

2007 Art on Center Gallery, Tacoma WA 

2006 Portalis Wine Bar, Ballard, (August and September 06) Seattle WA 

2005 Art On Center Gallery, Tacoma WA 

2004 The Gallery at TCC, Art and Literature Tacoma WA 

2003 First Annual Local Artists Exhibition, The Gallery at TCC 

2003 Auburn City Hall Gallery, Auburn WA 

2000 Coastal Kitchen, Seattle WA 

Education 

· Associates in Applied Technology/Interior Design, Phi Theta Kapa, Clover Park College, 

· Lakewood, WA 

· University of Puget Sound, Painting 205, Elise Richman 

· Washington Technical Institute, Seattle WA, Graphic Arts 

· Seattle College of Design, Seattle WA, Interior Design 

· The Factory School of Visual Arts, Seattle WA, Life Drawing and Painting 

· Grays Harbor College, Aberdeen WA, Associate of Science 

Publication/Press/Reviews 

Alec Clayton, The Weekly Volcano, 2012 September, 

Rosemary Ponekanti, Tacoma News Tribune, “Going Pop-or Post Pop”, 01/26/11 

Alec Clayton, The Weekly Volcano, “Pop Art to Post Pop”, 02/02/11 

Dawn Quinn, Tacoma Weekly,” TCC Celebrates Women’s History Month with Feminists Art Show”, 03/12/09 

Rosemary Ponekanti, Tacoma News Tribune “New Exhibit, New Gallery”, 04/08/07 

Natasha Jakich, Tacoma Weekly, “T-Town Indigenous”, 12/14/06 

Jesse Elliot, Auburn Reporter, “Artists’ Works Exhibited at City Hall” 04/28/04 

Jen Graves, Tacoma News Tribune, The Gallery at TCC, 2003 

Teaching 

Beginning Acrylic Painting- Private Lessons taught in my studio

Sheridan Elementary, Volunteer, After-School art classes, painting and design and color theory, working in large scale using acrylic and paper collage on panels 

Seniors Making Art, May 2003-2005, teacher and facilitator of acrylic painting classes 

Skyline Montessori, September 2002- 2003, taught art to pre-school aged students. 

Little Artist Studio, October 2002- 2006, taught drawing and painting 

Public Art Collections 

Microsoft, Redmond WA

City of Shoreline, WA

Pierce County Portable Works 

Pierce County Art Bank 

Public Art Projects 

· Microsoft QBE Awards 2012

Created 8 individual paintings to coincide with categories for award recipients

And painted a 6’ x 5’ canvas to commemorate the QBE Awards.

· Shoreline “Piano Fun Time” Painted Piano, 2012, August 

· Seattle Pigs on Parade, 2001 “Sowadelic” 

Sponsored by Elliott Hotel, Pigs on Parade book cover. 

· 6th Avenue Business District, 2005 Tacoma WA 

“Can-Do” Project, Indigenous T-Town, painted with enamel ornate wrought iron  public trash containers

· Mary Bridge Children’s Health Care/Multi-Care, 2004 Tacoma WA 

50 ‘ x 8 ‘, Elevator Mural visible through glass wall of moving elevator

C. J. Swanson/Artist Statement 

Starting out with a connection to my preceding works. I work using intuition and improvisation to develop a painting. I am endeavoring to capture ideas that are pictured in my mind. Sketching and drawing daily to stay visually fit, the concept works itself out eventually as long as I stick with the idea. My ideas are informed by solid structures, organic life and transparent elements of design seen in daily environment. These concrete, steel and glass structures are seemingly solid and unmovable, but I see them as organic. The forms move and bend in my imagery because I wish to create a new way of seeing. My concern is about the discovery of the visual and painting my personal artistic influences as they transform. I paint overlapping and sometimes colliding with structural grid-like forms. I tether cells of color that relate to the borders around them. Sometimes they are floating in a net that supports the individual colors. What I see is an organic and floating entity of alternating hues. In my experience as a painter, I gravitate towards non-figurative, and non-representation with indications of actual forms and objects in my work. 

C.J. Swanson was born in Tacoma, Washington. She always knew that being an artist was part of who she was and who she would become. She was from a working class background where being an artist came as somewhat of a surprise to her mother. Even so she was encouraged and brought joy to her family with her natural drawing abilities. She studied painting and drawing as well as theater and drama and earned a 2-year degree. She was advised after she moved to Seattle to pursue more serious avenues as an artist so she took classes in life painting and life drawing at The Factory School of Art, which was taught by Susan Gofstein from Chicago. Wanting to pursue a more practical side of art, she went back to school to study graphic arts and then interior design, but painting was what she liked the most. That led her to begin painting on her own. Her guidance toward fulfilling a life as an artist came when she met her mentor, who was teaching a Still Life painting class in 1991. This was the beginning of her life as a true practicing artist. C.J. has made art for public projects and commercial murals. With her husband, they operated an art gallery where they offered art classes and gave monthly exhibitions to artists from around the Puget Sound. She has shown her work in many different venues and has sold several paintings. Her work is in Microsoft and Pierce County collections, as well as many private collections. She currently lives and paints in Tumwater near Olympia, Washington.