ArtTalk – Adventures with Frank Hyder

A conversation with Frank Hyder could go anywhere. He loves to talk about the cultural influences of art colonies like ours in Bucks County, or the state of art education in the academies. During this ArtTalk, we will ask him about his participation in the sprawling art fair overtaking Miami during Art Basel. His broad contemporary experience and deep knowledge of art history inflect his stories of the international art scene. Frank is always as entertaining as he is informative, and he clearly cares deeply about art and the people who make it. Whenever we chat with Frank, we know it will be fascinating, enlightening and thought-provoking — and we never know where the conversation will go!

Frank is a local artist who has transcended boundaries. We know him as a sculpture juror of the 92nd Phillips’ Mill Art Show. He has shown at the Michener Museum here in Bucks County with his Janis Project — a wandering global public art phenomenon of outsized inflatable heads that carry a humorous message of equality and goodwill. He had a gallery in Philadelphia for many years and maintains strong connections to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. He’s had over 100 solo art exhibitions spanning most continents, although he says he’s particularly popular in Latin America.

Frank Hyder - Guest

Frank Hyder is an internationally acclaimed contemporary American artist known for his paintings, watercolors, prints and sculptures in fiberglass, bronze and inflatable nylon.

Hyder is originally from Philadelphia, and you will find his work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the James A. Michener Museum, the Woodmere Art Museum, the LaSalle University Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

He has participated in more than 100 solo and 200 group exhibitions throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe, including 10 individual exhibitions in New York City. He has been a part of the Oceania and Regent Cruise Lines experience through works permanently installed on every ship in the cruise lines.  

Hyder earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is an alumnus of the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. He received his master’s degree in Fine Art at the University of Pennsylvania.

Hyder has served as the Chairman of Fine Arts and as a faculty member at the Moore College of Art and Design and as a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Fine Arts. His works have been featured in “Color in Contemporary Painting,” “The Art of Watercolor,” “The Song of the City” and “Artist Homes and Studios.” They have been reviewed in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Examiner, ArtNews, Art in America, Miami Niche and the Huffington Post.