Arts Directory

About

Artist Bio

A graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design (BFA – Graphic Design) and the University of Georgia (MFA – Drawing & Painting), Troy Wingard has dedicated much of his career to creating art and sharing what he has personally discovered about its development and promotion. His work addresses questions on personal identity, culture, and individualism within a modern context.

Troy’s portraits, sidewalk drawings, and sculptural works have been featured in numerous venues throughout the United States, as well as solo exhibitions in over 14 academic institutions such as Duke University, Grambling State University, the University of South Carolina-Aiken, The University of Mobil, and Coastal Carolina University, among others. His works have been exhibited internationally, including invitational and solo exhibitions in Havana, Cuba; Budapest, Hungary; Camagüey, Cuba, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Troy’s artistic achievements have earned national recognition, including being a featured artist in The Pastel Journal and appearing in multiple editions of New American Paintings.

Alongside his artistic practice, Troy has actively engaged in art education. He began as an adjunct instructor of drawing and painting at the University of Georgia and later served as the assistant director of UGA’s Latin America Study Abroad (LASA) program, where he taught observational drawing, painting, and figure drawing in locations such as Cuba, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. Troy’s subsequent full-time positions include instructor and art foundations coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Visual Art and Design, and instructor and program coordinator for the School of Design at the Art Institute of Washington-Dulles.

During his time in Israel (2016-2018) as an active artist and lecturer, Troy was awarded the FLO Professional Development Fellowship by the United States Department of State. This significant opportunity enabled him to pursue study in Arts Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. His research focused on analyzing arts management systems and the nonprofit principles of creative economies in Israel and the United States, using Israeli performing arts institutions as key case studies.

Artist Statement

My artistic practice centers on art as a vehicle for self-discovery and a means to articulate my personal understanding of the postmodern individual. Through the portraiture I create, I aim to capture the subtle and profound moments of introspection I observe in the lives of individuals and those around me.

In my “Glory Series,” I am deeply inspired by the inherent creative potential I see in each person. To emphasize this “preciousness,” I imbue their portraits with symbolic imagery, carefully chosen objects, architectural settings, and special materials. The combination of chalk, paper, and sometimes gold leaf allows me to construct a detailed likeness while underscoring the unique value of each individual I draw.

My “Knick Knack Series” explores another facet of identity by incorporating sculptural elements into my pastel works. These pieces feature my drawings housed within large, handcrafted wooden shelves inspired by Victorian and antique knick-knack displays. Reflecting on the historical significance of domestic altars and devotional spaces, I see the modern knick-knack shelf as a contemporary equivalent – a repository of both treasured and sentimental objects that collectively speak to the owner’s experiences and identity. The application of gold leaf, sometimes directly onto the paper and at other times onto the shelves themselves, creates a sense of a gilded altarpiece, elevating the individuals depicted to a form of contemporary beatification.