About the Artist Vita

Vita

Vita

John Van Dreal

Salem, Oregon

Original Art: (Oil painting, printmaking and drawing.) John earned his BFA in painting from Brigham Young University in 1986. Since that time, he has been engaged in developing a career as a professional artist and currently has work represented by several galleries throughout Oregon. His paintings are collected by artist patrons throughout the Northwest. He is known primarily for his still lifes, although his portraiture and figure work hang in many collections. His latest work is a series of paintings prepared for the 2007 and 2008 exhibition schedule at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, Oregon; Coos Museum of Art in Coos Bay, Oregon; and Corvallis Arts Center in Corvallis, Oregon. Please see his Resume, Artist Statement and Artist Biography for a list of awards, collections and a description of his artistic process and philosophy.

School Psychology, writing and system’s design: In 1989 and 1991, John completed two graduate programs through the Brigham Young University College of Educational Psychology. Throughout the first decade of his career, John practiced as a School Psychologist administering diagnostic assessment, consulting on specialized education and assisting in the development of special needs classrooms.

For the last eight years he has been engaged in the specific task of designing, writing and implementing a system of violence risk assessment and management within the Salem Keizer School District. He has also been instrumental in exporting that system throughout Polk and Marion Counties as well as many other counties and school districts within the Northwest region and throughout the Nation. He is a frequent presenter and instructor at violence prevention institutes and conferences throughout the country. He currently sits in coordination of the Mid-Valley Student Threat Assessment Team, is a member of the Marion County Threat Assessment Team and a member of the Mid-Valley Partnership Steering Committee.

Community Service and Involvement: In 2001, John was a participating artist in the Portland Kows for Kids city art project. With this project, over 100 artistic adaptations and creations using five-foot long fiberglass cow molds were temporarily installed throughout the city. Many were permanently placed in public and private settings. John’s work is now a permanent installation at Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital. The entire event raised over two million dollars for New Avenues for Youth and Trillium Family Services.

In 2005, John assisted in the formulation of Salem’s Salmon in the City, a project placing artistic adaptations and creations of five feet long fiberglass Salmon molds throughout downtown Salem. John served the project as both a participating artist and as a member of the Steering Committee. The one year long event raised over 130 thousand dollars for Salem Keizer Education Foundation, the Salem Art Association, Ike Media and Mid-Valley Partnership.

John is also an annual artist donor to the SITKA Ecology Foundation and the Salem Art Association’s Clay Ball.