Bio
I am a visual artist, educator, and radio producer in Philadelphia.
I received a BFA in painting from the Tyler School of Art in 1990 and have been involved in the Philadelphia arts and cultural community as an artist, independent curator, juror, and gallery director for over 35 years. All of my creative and educational endeavors share a common goal: to make art accessible to others. Audiences don’t necessarily need to be experts in understanding or appreciating art, but as the maker, I welcome them to engage with my artwork in any way they choose. My figurative-based paintings and wallpaper capture banal moments in time, candid observations, and body language that express unspoken communication. Audiences tend to build their own narratives around what is transpiring in my images, and I happily welcome their interpretations. My work has been extensively exhibited, including solo and group exhibitions at institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Woodmere Art Museum.
Throughout my career, I’ve pursued projects that break down traditional barriers between art and audience. These efforts, which include site-specific installations and unconventional exhibitions, have been driven by a singular goal: to bring art to people in unexpected places. I co-founded Dissentia Curatorial Services, a guerrilla curating group that posed questions about public and private viewing spaces, the commodification of artwork, access to art, and the role the viewer has in the appreciation of art. Our projects included Art2U, 100 paintings for 100 bathrooms, Treasure Hunt, and Steal This Show—an exhibition where all the work could be stolen. (Steal This Show garnered worldwide attention with press coverage on NPR, CNN, and ArtNews.)
From 2004 to 2009, I served as the executive director of NEXUS/Foundation for Today’s Art, a Philadelphia-based artist cooperative with a mission to elevate and appreciate experimental artwork in all forms. Under my direction, NEXUS produced numerous exhibitions that challenged and engaged audiences, further cementing my belief that art should be accessible to everyone. These exhibitions included Metaphoric Vinyl, UnIntended Uses, My Face in Your Space, Who Died, Heads, Yummy, Supergirl, Discontent, and NEXUSradio.
My work has been commissioned by numerous organizations, including “Portraits of Inmates in the Death Row Population Sentenced as Juveniles” at Eastern State Penitentiary, “Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go” for Mural Arts Philadelphia, and “Above the Sounds of Ideologies Clashing” for the Center for Emerging Visual Artists. In all these instances, the intention was to engage the public in a dialogue about current issues.
In my role as a professor in the Fashion Industry and Merchandising program at Drexel University, my purpose remains the same: that, regardless of whether my students are writing journalistic articles, directing a fashion shoot, or visualizing a fashion collection, the audience is most important and communication of ideas is paramount.
And in my weekly, slightly irreverent, radio program, DJ YardSale presents, my goal is to always speak to, include, and inform the listener—because playing records for just myself isn’t nearly as fun.
Exhibtions
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Train Up a Child on the Way They Should Go, Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia, PA
2021 Transmission, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Look Up, Colorspace Labs, Philadelphia, PA
2016 Above the Sound of Ideologies Clashing, CFEVA, Philadelphia
2013 Dramatic Play, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia
2011 The Indulgencies, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia
2008 DJ YardSale presents…the Third Idea, International House, Philadelphia
2005 “Scenes of Revelry and Disgust,” Philadelphia Fringe Festival Cabaret
2004 “Who Died,” Nexus/foundation for today’s art, Philadelphia, PA
2003 “Portraits of Inmates on the Death Row Population Sentenced as Juveniles”, Installation at Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia
2002 “heads,” Nexus/foundation for today’s art, Philadelphia, PA
2000 “The Battlefield Sequence” Nexus/foundation for today’s art, Philadelphia, PA
Group Exhibitions (partial listing)
2024 What Times are These, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2024 82nd Annual Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2022 Westphal Makes, Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
2022 Present Tense: Drexel Art Now, Pearlstein Gallery, Philadelphia, PA\
2019 Disturbance, ArtSpace 1241, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Philadelphia Furniture Show, The Armory, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Revolutionary Art, Museum of the American Revolution and Streets Dept., Philadelphia, PA
2015 Art is Ageless, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2014 “Face Value” Main Line Art Center. Haverford, PA
2012 “Fresh Impressions,” Projects Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2012 Drawing Show, Philadelphia Sketch Club
2011 “Femme,” James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2010 “The Extra-Dimensional Printmaking Invitational”, NEXUS/foundation for today’s art
2009 “My Face in Your Space,” NEXUS/foundation for today’s art
2009 “Art Artefact” Temple Gallery Project Space
2008 “Project Portal” Historic Yellow Springs, Chester Springs, PA
2007 “Metaphoric Vinyl” NEXUS/foundation for today’s art
2007 “Newton’s First Law,” NEXUS/foundation for today’s art
2006 “Issues,” Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, PA
2006 “The Kite Show,” Art in City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
2005 “Discontent,” Nexus/foundation for today’s art, Philadelphia, PA*
2003 “Sculptural Prints” Print Center, Philadelphia, PA
2003 “Perfect Fit” Widener College, Chester, PA
2002 “Perfect Fit” Simpson College, Iowa City, Iowa; Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas
2001 “Work’s on Paper” Arcadia University, Glenside, PA
2001 “Nexus Heads South” Dundalk Gallery, Baltimore, MD
2001 “Treasure Hunt” Dissentia Curatorial Services, Philadelphia, PA*
2001 “Precious” Nexus/foundation for today’s Art, Philadelphia, PA*
2001 “Steal this Show” Dissentia Curatorial Services at Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA*
2000 “The Button Project” Dissentia Curatorial Services for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival*
2000 “Culture” Philadelphia, PA
1999 “More is More” Spector Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1999 “100 paintings for 100 bathrooms” Dissentia Curatorial Services, Philadelphia, PA*
1999 “art2u” u-haul truck gallery, Dissentia Curatorial Services, Philadelphia, PA*
1999 “7up”, Nexus/foundation for today’s art, Philadelphia, PA
1998 “Outhouse/Inhouse” Dissentia Curatorial Services @ New Arts Salon, Philadelphia, PA*
1998 Figurative Printmaking and Photography show, Dissentia Curatorial Services, Philadelphia, PA*
1998 “Identities” Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
*served as curator as well
Commissions
2022 Lead Artist, Train Your Child in the Way They Should Go, Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia
2020 Westphal Mini-Grant, Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Drexel University, Philadelphia
2016 Resident Artist, TaconyLAB/Mural Arts Philadelphia
2015 Antonia W. Hamilton Fellow, Center for Emerging Visual Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2015 Teaching Artist Residency, Center for Emerging Visual Arts and NewCourtland Senior Center, Philadelphia, PA
2014 Teaching Artist Residency, Center for Emerging Visual Arts and NewCourtland Senior Center, Philadelphia, PA
2014 Cross-Pollination Residency, SwimPony, Philadelphia, PA
2010 In the Woods, Schuykill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, PA
2005 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, “Scenes of Revelry and Disgust”
2003 ArtFront Partnership “Patriotic American Window Decal Series” @ Nexus/Foundation for Today’s Art
2003-2006 Season Eastern State Penitentiary “Portraits of Inmates on Death Row, Sentenced as Juveniles“
REVIEWS
2016, November 8, Congrats Nick Cassway, the ArtBlog.org, by Roberta Fallon
2014, October 28, 21st-Century Portraiture, Broad Street Review, by Anne Fabbri
2014, October 29, Low-Fi Portraiture, the ArtBlog.org, by Michael Carroll
2014, January 19, Visions of Iceland, the moon and Playtime, the Philadelphia Inquirer, by Edith Newhall
2014, January 18, Dramatic Play/Nick Cassway at James Oliver Gallery, pocketintellectual.blogspot.com, by James Rosenthal
2011, December 27 Nick Cassway’s Vinyl Portraits at J.O.G., theArtBlog.org, by Libby Rosof
2011, June 26 Now even in summertime, serious art is in season, Philadelphia Inquirer, by Edith Newhall
2010, November 21 Autumn’s Toll, Philadelphia Inquirer, by Edith Newhall
2009, September 18 My Face in Your Space, The Art Blog, by Roberta Fallon
2009, May 22 16 From Co-op Show Work, Philadelphia Inquirer, by Victoria Donahue
2009, February NEXUSradio, Grid Magazine
2006, January 4 “All About the Benjamin,” Philadelphia Weekly, by Roberta Fallon
2004, June 12 “ Artists provide good reasons to go to prison,” Philadelphia Inquirer, by Ed Sozanski
2003, October 16 “Creatures from another Dimension,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by Susan Hagen
2003, September 26 “Varied, vigourous work,” Philadelphia Inquirer, by Ed Sozanski
2003, June “Doing Hard Time,” Art Matters, by Martha Ledger
2002, November “Heads, nick cassway,” Inliquid.com, by James Rosenthal
2002, October 3 “Politics Unusual,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by A.D. Amorosi
2002, May 9 “Get Hooked, a guide to buying art on the cheap,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by Lori Hill
2002, April 4 “Power to the People,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by Nikki Roszko
2002, March 20 “Visions of Enron,” Philadelphia Weekly, by Roberta Fallon
2001, May “Please Touch,” ArtNews, by Katie Clifford
2001, February 25 “Steal this Show,” Inliquid.com, reviewed by James Rosenthal
2001, February “Art Thief,” Zimbabwe Dispatch,
2000, June 8 “Labor Days,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by David Warner
2000, March 2 “First Friday Focus,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by Lori Hill
1999, April 1 “Keep on Truckin,” Philadelphia Citypaper, by Rosemary Darigo