Meet our guest judge for the 2024 Summer Members’ Exhibition.
Glen Kessler (b. 1976): Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting from the New York Academy of Art; Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Glen has been awarded a multiple Montgomery County Individual Artist Awards, a Maryland State Arts Council Grant, 2 Elizabeth Greenshields Grants, and a Prince of Wales Fellowship. His artwork is collected widely internationally and is in the public collections of Prince Charles, Ford’s Theater, Amazon Web Services, Capital One Bank, Yale University, The George Washington University, Boston University, Maryland Institute College of Art, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He has earned Best In Show honors at countless national competitions. His work has appeared in and graced the cover of ‘The Artist’s Magazine,’ ‘Professional Artist Magazine,” and “ArtsyShark.”
In addition to his own studio work, Glen has also taught avidly at both the university and community level for over 20 years. He has taught at Maryland Institute College of Art, The George Washington University, George Mason University, Boston University, and The Yellow Barn Studio. In 2013, he founded The Compass Atelier to support a holistic artistic education, teaching the artist as a craftsman as well as a businessman. His revolutionary Master Artist Program teaches painters everything they need to know—from basics to a professional artistic career—in just 3 years, and at a fraction of the cost of a comparable university education. In 2024, he founded Compass Art Center, a complete art center with multiple classrooms, galleries, and artist studios to continue to develop the vision set forth by Compass Atelier to enhance the art experience for those training in the arts.
