Joe Zapytowski
Lecturer of Art History
M.F.A. Miami University
Biography
Joseph Zapytowski has experience in fine arts and art history as well as being a university gallery director. He received a Master of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Printmaking, Magna Cum Laude, from Miami University. He also attended Grand Valley State University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Printmaking. His artwork has focused on large relief prints: woodcuts, linocuts and small wood engravings. The imagery in Zapytowski’s work has centered upon visual narratives dealing with humans and their discordant relationship with nature. At present, he works on very colorful, small watercolor crayon landscape drawings that possess a strong expressive manner. Awards include: Merit Award at the Michigan ”State Wide Print Competition”, juried by Leonard Baskin; and Best of Show for the “Dayton Area Works on Paper”, juried by April Katz.
He also was the Director of The Missouri State University’s Art and Design Gallery for a period of five years. Highlights of those exhibitions during his tenure as Gallery Director include: “Both Sides of Peace: Israeli and Palestinian Political Poster Art”; “Mary Ellen Mark: 25 Years”; “Woman of the Book: Jewish Artists, Jewish Themes”; “Recent Work by Luba Lukova” and “Brent Kington: Current Works”. Zapytowski has taught as an adjunct at Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Missouri State University and now, concurrently teaches at Kean University. He joined Rutgers–Camden, as a part-time lecturer in the fall of 2013 teaching online courses in Art Appreciation and Art History.