Joel Pasquarelli is a representational oil painter, whose work focuses on capturing moments of introspection through depictions of the figure and space. Initially trained as a classical portrait artist, Joel blends the exactitude of the classical tradition with a dynamic appreciation for light and modern impressionism as an attempt to find enchantment amidst the disenchanted modern world. He has studied with numerous artists, most notably the portraitists Cedric and Joannette Egeli, Rick Casali, and Rob Liberace, and he blends their different stylistic influences with his own background in theology and art history to explore the sacred nature of the present. Recently, he has been focusing on using his paintings to slow down and capture the richness of the present in denial of the modern world's insistence on the future. His ultimate goal in his paintings is to bring the viewer with him into a gentle contemplation of the beauty that surrounds quiet moments.
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Joel's work has been displayed in galleries across the east coast and is found in SCAD's rotating collection in Atlanta. He currently maintains a studio and teaching practice in Annapolis, MD while pursuing his MFA in painting at Clemson University.
Academic History
2025 MFA in Painting from Clemson University, Clemson SC (Expected Graduation)
2023 BFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta GA
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Exhibition History
2023 'Now, Not Yet' Solo Show, Gallery 1740, Atlanta, GA
'Transference: Impressions of Many' SCAD 5c Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2022 'An Evening with Joel Pasquarelli' Solo Show, Annapolis Collection Gallery,
Annapolis MD
2022 'Slavery Still Exists 2' Habitat Gallery, Annapolis MD
2021 SCAD Open Studio, Atlanta GA
2019 Rockbridge Academy Senior Showcase, Millersville MD
'Slavery Still Exists', Annapolis Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Annapolis MD
2018 Rockbridge Academy Art Show, Millersville MD
2017 Rockbridge Academy Art Show, Millersville MD
Awards and Honors
2024 Portrait Society of America Full Scholarship
SECAC Paper Presentation, "The Dual Fulfillments of the Sculptor's Touch in Seicento
Rome"
2023 SCAD Senior Exhibition 2nd Place
2022 Portrait Society of America Full Scholarship
2020 SCAD Art Achievement Scholarship
2019 Rockbridge Academy Juried Competition 2nd
Rockbridge Academy People’s Choice 2nd
‘On Beauty and its Role in Art’ Best Thesis Award, Rockbridge Academy
2018 Excellence in Art at Rockbridge Academy
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Professional Experience
2025 Graduate Teacher of Record - Art Appreciation: Clemson University, Clemson SC
2024 Graduate Teaching Assistant - Survey of Art and Architectural History I and II, Clemson
University, Clemson SC
2023 Lecturer- The Portrait in Charcoal and Clay: Rockbridge Academy, Millersville MD
Lecturer- Drawing Workshop, Artfarm, Annapolis MD
2022 Lecturer- Portraiture Across the Mediums: Rockbridge Academy, Millersville MD
Lecturer- Drawing Workshop, Artfarm, Annapolis MD
The Complexities of the Human Form with Rob Liberace, Atlanta GA
Egeli Studio Apprentice, Edgewater MD
2021 Lecturer- Portrait Intensive: Rockbridge Academy, Millersville MD
Core Program, Princeton Academy of Art, Princeton NJ
2021 Casali Studio Mentorship, Galesville MD
2020 Egeli Studio Portrait workshop, Edgewater MD
2019 Lecturer- On Gestalt Drawing Methods: Rockbridge Academy, Millersville
MD
Eliot Society Artist Fellowship, Annapolis MD