Marshall Sharpe is a California-based painter whose work uses lush, non-local color to explore queer intimacy, desire, memory, and the natural world. He holds an MFA from UC Santa Barbara and is Professor of Art and Director of the Hartnell College Art Gallery.
Sharpe’s exhibition record spans international and national venues, including solo exhibitions at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA) Museum in Gyeonggi-do, Korea (2023), and the NYC Phoenix Art Collective in New York (2022). His early solo work at UCSB’s GlassboxGallery set a precedent for his ongoing investigation into heritage and self-portraiture. He has participated in significant invitational and juried exhibitions at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, and the Art, Design and Architecture Museum. His work has earned top accolades, including 1st Place in the 3rd Annual Painting Juried Exhibition at The In Art Gallery and "Best in Show" at Proud: Pride & Expression.
His creative and academic contributions have been recognized through prestigious grants and fellowships, notably the California Chancellor’s Fellowship and the Levitan Fellowship at UC Santa Barbara. In 2025, he contributed to "Utopia," which earned the "Best Art Book" award at the International Book Awards. Sharpe has also balanced fine art practice with commercial visibility, such as his 2021 Snickers "Rookie Mistake" national ad campaign commission featuring NFL star Davante Adams. His commitment to research is further evidenced by residencies at Creekside Arts in Humboldt, CA and the Utah Valley University Capitol Reef Research Field Station in Utah.
Alongside his studio practice, Sharpe currently serves as the Director of the Hartnell College Art Gallery and a Professor of Art at Hartnell College in Salinas, CA. In these roles, he manages a permanent collection of over 1,500 objects and oversees the strategic direction of multiple annual exhibitions. His previous tenure as Director of the Wylie and May Jones Art Gallery and Associate Professor at Bakersfield College earned him a nomination for the 2024 Samuel W. McCall Outstanding Professor of the Year Award. Whether curating student showcases or facilitating large-scale field trips to the Getty and Hammer Museums, Sharpe’s professional service focuses on amplifying emerging voices and increasing community access to contemporary art.
Instagram: @marshall_sharpe