Associate Teaching Professor, Art
Penn State Abington Art Gallery Director
Woodland, 214
Penn State Abington
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
Biography
Boatbuilding and Community Projects
Penn State Abington students launched the Duckboat Squonk
Credit: Penn State
- 2021-22: SQUONK Student-built 12’ Clarke Duckboat 1951 design (Faculty and Project Lead)
- 2018-current: 24’ Corinthian Class Sloop 1952 Thomas Bowes design (Core building group)
- 2019: 16’ Mahogany Garvey Center Console (Participant, core building group)
Grants
- The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence 2021 Teaching Innovation Grant
- The Penn State Center, Philadelphia 2021 Seeding Change Grant
- The Penn State Abington College 2021 Albert and Suzanne Lord Chancellor’s Grant
- The Pennsylvania State University Abington College Faculty Development Grant (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022)
- The Pennsylvania State University Office of General Education Microgrant (2019, 2020, 2021)
- 2019 RPM Foundation Shipwright’s Apprenticeship at Independence Seaport Museum
Wooden Boat Building at Penn State Abington
Research Interests
H. John Thompson teaches 2D and 3D foundation courses for Art Majors and Minors as well as special topics interdisciplinary courses. His research and work centers on teaching with traditional wooden boats. With a background in visual arts and carpentry, his focus is on the craft of small regional watercraft, particularly in Northeastern North America. A core goal of Thompson’s teaching and research is to create inclusive spaces in the shop environment and on the water for underrepresented populations including but not limited to people of all gender identities and expressions, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and individuals with physical and/or learning differences.
Publications
Reviews
- 2014 Jia, Olivia. “John Thompson: Holding Our Own.” Title-Magazine.com. 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2014
- 2014 Fallon, Roberta. “Sort-of Live Comments – Vox building and Space 1026 on First Friday, Oct. 3, 2014.” TheArtBlog.org, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014
- 2014 Schwartz, Chip. “Retro revelations and unsolved aeronautical mysteries at Napoleon.” Knight Arts.org. Knight Foundation, 9 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014
- 2014 Newhall, Edith. “Galleries: In Woodmere’s Annual, paintings rule.” Philly.com. Philadelphia Inquirer, 16 June. 2014. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
- 2014 Eckhoff, Sally. “Holding Our Own: H. John Thompson’s invisible travellers.” Napoleonnapoleon.com. Napoleon, 1 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Oct. 2014
Education
M.F.A. Studio Art, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
B.A. Integrative Arts, Penn State Abington College, Abington, PA
Papers and Presentations
Panelist
"Boatbuilding Across Disciplines: Design, Construction, and Use of Small Boats from Primary through Post-Secondary Education"
Teaching with Smalls Boats Alliance Biannual Conference
Port Townsend, WA. November 2022.
Performances and Exhibits
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- 2017 Trouble Light, Napoleon Gallery (renamed “Pink Noise Projects”), Philadelphia, PA
- 2014 Holding Our Own, Napoleon Gallery (renamed “Pink Noise Projects”), Philadelphia, PA
- 2012 Other Pieces of Spaces, Napoleon Gallery (renamed “Pink Noise Projects”), Philadelphia, PA
- 2009 “Richard Dreyfuss” Thesis Exhibition, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 2019 Your Plus Ones, Mount Airy Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA
- 2017 The One You Know, NoBA Art Space, Bala Cynwyd, PA
- 2016 Lost In Transit, SOIL Gallery, Seattle, WA
- 2016 Far More Real: NAPOLEON Collective at COOP, COOP Gallery, Nashville,TN
- 2015 Other Selections The Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA
- 2015 Traction Company The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
- 2014 The Woodmere Annual: 73rd Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Art Museum, Chestnut Hill, PA
- 2013 As First As Exactly, Traction Co. Philadelphia, PA
- 2013 COLLECTION, Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
- 2012 There’s A Place, Hicks Art Center Gallery, Newtown, PA. Curated by Sarah McEneaney.
- 2008 “New Faces” Emerging Philadelphia Artists, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Selected Curatorial Projects
- 2022 “SQUONK” A Traditional Wooden Boat Built by Penn State Abington Students, Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2021 “20 for 20” Photos by Penn State Abington Students Reflecting the 2020 Experience, Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2019 “Ham Fisted” by Ryan Wilson Kelly, Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2018 “The Enchanted Hunter” by Scott Kip, Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2018 “Immigration Now” (Co-curator) Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2017 “Rich Hogan and Lauren Rosenthal McManus” (Co-curator) Napoleon Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016 “Electro-Duct” by Scott Pennington, Napoleon Gallery Outdoor Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016 “Lost in Transit” (Co-curator) SOIL Gallery, Seattle, WA
- 2016 “Destinations Without Locations” (Co-curator) Penn State Abington Art Gallery, Abington, PA
- 2015 “Matthew Colaizzo: Locality” Napoleon Gallery, Philadelphia
"Holding Our Own" at the NAPOLEON Gallery
Holding Our Own at Napoleon Gallery Philadelphia from Jaime Alvarez on Vimeo.
Course Schedule
Art Major/Minor Foundations: First Year Seminar, School of Visual Arts (ART11)
Art Major/Minor Foundations: Ideas as Images (ART110)
Art Major/Minor Foundations: Ideas as Objects (ART111)
Special Topics Courses & Courses Developed: Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding I; Interdomain Special Topics (ART197B)
Special Topics Courses & Courses Developed: Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding II; Interdomain Special Topics (ART297C)
Special Topics Courses & Courses Developed: Methods and Materials I: Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding I (ART269)
Special Topics Courses & Courses Developed: Methods and Materials II: Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding II (ART469)
Special Topics Courses & Courses Developed: Seminar in Contemporary Art; Annual Senior Exhibition (ART411)