Solo Exhibition by Artist Wayne Bowen on Display at Iona University
“People, Places and Objects” displays the painter’s technical mastery of faithfully rendered subjects that evoke a distinct reflectiveness.
This mini retrospective is an opportunity to view the evolution of Wayne Bowen’s work through more than thirty years of creative exploration and pursuit.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona University is pleased to present “People, Places and Objects,” a showcase of three decades of paintings by contemporary realist Wayne Bowen. The exhibition will run through December 11, 2026.
While the influence of the old masters is clear and present, Bowen’s painted subject matter is grounded in the current era. Naturalistic scenes that viewers will likely find irresistibly relatable are born from the artist’s own personal preferences and observations.
Color palette choices and tonal value gradations bring calm to urban settings, intimacy to the inanimate and grandeur to city views, but it’s the painter’s figures that likely promote the most contemplation. And for the most attentive observers, an unforeseen beauty and dignity can be found in nearly every captured detail.
This mini retrospective is an opportunity to view the evolution of Wayne Bowen’s work through more than thirty years of creative exploration and pursuit.
About The Artist
Wayne Bowen received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and earned an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. Born on the Island of Jamaica, the artist grew up in Queens, N.Y., and has maintained his studio practice in Westchester, N.Y., for the past 15 years. Bowen is a member of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and the School of Visual Arts Alumni Society and his work has been exhibited nationally, including exhibitions at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas and the Society of Illustrators in New York City.
About the Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery
Located at 665 North Avenue in New Rochelle, N.Y., the Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery is housed within the JoAnn Mazzella Murphy '98H Arts Center at Iona University. The gallery is open to the public and offers a robust, rotating schedule of exhibitions from a wide array of regional and international contemporary artists, fostering creative dialogue across the university campus and local community.
For media inquiries, interview requests with the artist or high-resolution press images, please contact Thomas Ruggio, director of the Kenneth Chapman Gallery, at truggio@iona.edu or (646) 330-1069.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2026, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.