Christopher Batten

Painter, resident at the Red Bull House of Art (Cycle 5), studied at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), now going to the Maryland Institute College of Art for his MFA.

Portrait of Tiff Massey by Chris.

Chris with Carolyn Weber at the Red Bull House of Art.

Current exhibitions

Skilled Labor: Black Realism in Detroit at the Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills. Opened October 28 and slated to run to March 3.

Upcoming exhibition

Working title: "Blue Harvest". Tentative opening date: January 13, 2024. Gallery to be determined.

Even though Chris is out of state for the time being, we will try to keep you up to date on his latest exhibits wherever in the world they may take place. And he does come home to Detroit from time to time.

Past exhibitions

This listing might be missing exhibits outside of Michigan. If that's the case, it needs to be corrected.

Celebrating Diversity at the Padzieski Art Gallery. September 24, 2022 — November 5, 2022.
Detroit Expat Artists' Homecoming at Detroit Artists Market. Curated by Stephanie James and Elizabeth Youngblood. With Featured Artist David McGuffie. September 23, 2022 — October 22, 2022.
Détroit Noir: A Celebration of the Black Aesthetic, at Norwest Gallery of Art. February 10 – 28, 2018.
...probably missing a few...
15 Steps: Perspectives in Drawing at the Red Bull House of Art. June 11, 2016 – July 9, 2016.
LeRoy Hoffberger School of Painting Fall 2015 show at the Maryland Institute College of Art's Lazarus Building. October 16, 2015 – November 2, 2015.
Solo show at Artrages Art Gallery. August 14 – 21, 2015.
The "Alumni" Exhibition, featuring one piece each from almost every artist who's gone through the Red Bull House of Art program. May 21, 2015 – September 6, 2015.
We Have A Dream at Inner State Gallery. January 25, 2015 – February 21, 2015
A Tribute to Rosa Parks & Gilda Snowden at Live Coal Gallery. January 16, 2015 – February 6, 2015.
Refractions at Live Coal Gallery, with Senghor Reid. October 24, 2014 – November 25, 2014.
Red Bull House of Art, Cycle 5. August 9, 2013 – October 26, 2013
Black Detroit 21 at Work Detroit. January 12, 2013 – March 22, 2013.
...many more...

External links

Official website

News

Alonso del Arte, "Christopher Batten reminisces about his Red Bull experience", Examiner.com, April 23, 2015.
Cecilia Sanchez, "Live Coal Gallery presents Refractions in WSU backyard", The South End, November 20, 2014.
Alonso del Arte, "Chris Batten and Senghor Reid exhibit at Live Coal Gallery", Examiner.com, October 24, 2014.

Reviews

Sarah Rose Sharp, "15 Steps: Perspectives in Drawing @ Red Bull House of ART", Detroit Art Review, June 27, 2016. "Other contributions to the show are more lighthearted and more strictly limited to drawing as a final process, rather than a foundational one. A collection of 16 drawings by Christopher Batten take, as their subject, a Japanese Chin named Kobi. In an era where the internet threatens to collapse beneath the ponderous bulk of adorable pet pictures, there is something endearing about the process of capturing a (presumably) beloved pet in this more analogue form."