Education
M.F.A., University of Massachusetts, 1990
B.F.A., Rhode Island School of Design, 1986

Recent Projects

New Mushroom Forest, a permanent outdoor sculpture at 1345 Studewood, St, Houston. 2017

Big Texas Yarn Ball, a rolling float in the 66th Annual HEB Thanksgiving Parade, Houston, TX, 2016.

Galveston Driftwood Festival: Best of the Beach organized beachcombers and city beach cleaning crews to assemble and display the best collection of beach finds ever, at the Galveston Artist Residency, April 19-May 25, 2013.

Castle Wonderground, a permanent fantasy/climbing sculpture for Wilson Wonderground Spark Park, Houston, TX, funded through a Mayor's special initiative grant from the Houston Arts Alliance, 2012

Deux Buffet, A Mini-Golf Project at Discovery Green Park, Houston, TX, 2011

Bill's Junk, a real store where art, craft, nature and salvage are reconciled under the umbrella of commerce. 1125 E 11th St. Houston, TX. Open Saturdays, 12-5, since 2008.

The Giantest Yarn Ball in Houston, all yarn, all the way through. Accumulating now online at giantyarnball.blogspot.com, 2011

Bill's Neiman's, a window installation at Neiman Marcus for the Dallas Art Fair, March 23-April 11, 2011

Mini Ace, a permanent outdoor sculpture at 3805 N. Main St. Houston, TX, 2010

Giant Mushroom Forest, a temporary outdoor sculpture for the 2009 Texas Biennial, sited in Auditorium Shores Park, Austin, TX March-Dec. 2009

The Stream of Concious-ness, an blog project. My secret journal from 1974-1977 posted in real time, 2006-2009

Stealth Fighter Pinata, a 22' pinata for the Arthouse Texas Prize Exhibition Arthouse, Austin, TX, 2007

Honest Abe's Art Corral at the Heights Festival, Houston, Texas, Oct. 3, 2004

Solo Gallery Exhibitions
2011 Bill Davenport and the Golden Treasures of the Pharaohs, McKinney Ave. Contemporary, Dallas, TX
2006 Forever Rafter, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
2004 Poetry of the Thirties, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
2003 Slow Birds, Angstrom Gallery, Dallas, TX
2001 The Modern Blacksmith, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
2001 Spectaculess, Homeroom gallery, Munich, Germany
1999 Games for the Superintelligent, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1999 Nothing Special, Angstrom Gallery, Dallas, TX
1998 1998-1999 Crash, Sala Diaz, San Antonio, TX
1997 Fried Chicken and Soda, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1997 One Man and a Van, Cristinerose Gallery, New York, NY
1997 Art with Cats, Good/Bad Art Collective, Denton, TX
1995 Modest Means, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1994 Recent Needlepoints, Inman Gallery
1993 Equivalents to the Real World, Wiersbowski Gallery, Houston, TX
1990 Shopping Sculpture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Selected Group Exhibitions
2017
Debtfair (participating artist), a project of Occupy Museums at the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Snare, Rudolph Projects/Artscan Gallery, Houston, TX

2016
Dallas vs Houston, BlueOrange gallery, Houston, TX, curated by Brandon Zech

2015
Island Time: 10 years of the Galveston Artist Residency, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston

2014
Artadia Anniversary Exhibition, Longhouse Projects, NY

2012
In Plain Sight, Houston painters curated by Aaron Parazette, McClain Gallery, Houston
Fantastic Plastic with Paul Mart, Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston

2011
Artadia Exchange Exhibition, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago

2010
Yard Sale Time Machine, Artist yard sale, Saturday, October 23, 2010. 9-5 pm at 1141 East 16th St. Houston, TX organized by Paul Horn
Text Show, PG Contemporary, Houston, TX
Dis, Dat, Deez, Doz, Deux, The Joannex, Houston TX March 13-April 11
Monster Show, Domy Books, Houston

2009
No Zoning, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, curated by Toby Kamps

2008
Material Culture, Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, Ft. Worth, TX at Texas Christian University, curated by Fran Colpitt

2007
Arthouse Texas Prize Exhibition, Arthouse, Austin, TX
Tabletop Sculpture, Art Palace, Austin, TX
Red Velvet, Vine St. Studios, Houston, TX
A Way With Words, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX

2006
The Searchers, White Box, NY, NY curated by Patricia Moloney
Complicit, Bayley Art Museum, Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Sculpture Now in the Houston Area, Williams Tower Gallery, Houston
The Way We Were, University of Texas Satellite Space, San Antonio, TX

2005
Drive Friendly, Ibid Projects, London
New Texas Painting, Diverseworks Artspace, Houston, TX
Conversational Lag, Volume Gallery, NY, NY

2004
Brothers, The Fresh Up Club, Austin, TX
Excessive, University of Texas at Dallas
Books and Shelves, Gahlberg Gallery, College of Du Page, Glen Ellyn, IL
Twang, Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX
Going West, Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX
I Heart Texas, Allston Skirt gallery, Boston, MA

2003
Another Sculpture Show, Angstrom Gallery, Dallas, TX
Patterns and Serial Randomness, Beaker Gallery, Tampa, FL
Collage/Joining, Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston, TX
Family Circus, Clementine Gallery, NY, NY
Slab, University Galleries, Illinois State Univ., Normal, IL (catalog)

2002
Beached, Not Stranded, Beaker Gallery, Tampa, FL
Pretty Paintings, Model Gallery, Allston, MA curated by C. Sean Horton
RISD Sculpture Dept. 1st Triennial Sculpture Exhibition, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
Pretty Paintings, Model Gallery, Allston, MA
Beached, Not Stranded, Beaker Gallery, Tampa, FL
Blip, Contemporary Art Museum of the University of South Florida, Tampa
Artists to Artists, Ace Gallery, NY, NY
Million Dollar Hotel, The Highway 59 Holiday Inn , Houston, TX curated by Paul Horn

2001
New Orleans Triennial, New Orleans Museum of Art
Friendly Mart, Quick Spot convenience store, corner of Welch & Waugh, Houston TX
PAN, Czech center, London

2000
Thrifting, Lombard-Freid Gallery, NY
Natural Deceits, Ft. Worth Modern Art Museum
Ten, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
Positexan, Project, Wichita, Kansas
Neo-Roccoco, University of Texas, San Antonio
Hi-Jinks, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX

1999
Artistic Centers: Houston, Galveston Arts Center/ Austin Museum of Art
Hot Spots, Weatherspoon Art Gallery, Univ. of N. Carolina
Bi-Design, Contemporary Arts Collective, Las Vegas, Nevada

1998
Blunt Object, Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
Unraveled, City Gallery at Chastain, Atlanta, GA
Nirvana, British Council Windows Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
Bound: Books by Artists, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
Material World, Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, Austin, TX
The Texas Show, ABC No Rio, New York, NY

1997
Thread, Cristinerose Gallery, NY, NY (catalog)
Simply Beautiful, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, TX (catalog)
New American Talent 13, Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX (catalog)
Women's Work, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX
Dsiptoey:Stategies for Contemporary Abstraction, Angstrom Gallery, Dallas, TX
Equal Pay: A Labor Exchange, Revolution Summer Art Space, Houston, TX

1996
Buttered Side Up, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo, NY
Los Angeles National, Spanish Kitchen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Incredible Shrinking Art Show, ARA Gallery, University of Houston, TX

1995
New Work III, Barry Whistler Gallery, Dallas, TX
The Home Show, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio (catalogue)
Continental Discourse: Art of Mexico and the US Today, San Antonio Museum of Art, TX
Analogs of Modernism, McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, TX

1994
Essentials, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
Faith in Doubt, Center Gallery, University at Buffalo, NY

1993
Edward Albee's Other Eye, Hillwood Art Museum, Brookville, NY
Drawing Conclusions, Inman Gallery, Houston, TX (catalogue)

1992
1992 Core Fellows Exhibition, Glassell School of Art
Primarily Paint, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, TX (catalogue)

1991
The Toy Show, West End Gallery, Houston, TX
1991 Core Fellows Exhibition, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

Fellowships and Grants
2017 Andy Warhol Foundation Idea Fund Grant for Artist: Get Equity!
2016 Houston Arts Alliance Individual Artist Grant recipient ($10,000 for Giant Concrete Vegetables)
2013 Andy Warhol Foundation Idea Fund Grant for the Galveston Driftwood Festival
2012 Artadia Houston award ($15,000)
2010 Artadia Houston award ($3000)
2010 Houston Art Alliance grant ($7500)
2009 Andy Warhol Foundation Idea Fund grant for Bill's Junk ($3000)
2007 Houston Press' Best of Houston pick: Best Artist
2007 Finalist, Arthouse Texas Prize ($30,000)
2003 Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County Individual artist grant
1997 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award ($20,000)
1996 Cultural Arts Council of Houston Creative Artist Program grant
1990-92 Core Fellowship at the Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1991 Studio space grant, Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, NY, NY

Selected Bibliography
Allen, Wren, Bill Davenport, Francesca Fuchs and Brad Tucker, Artlies, Winter 2006, p 120 (reproduction)
Bourbon, Matthew, "Bill Davenport: Slow Birds", Artlies #38, Spring 2003, p.71
Klaasmeyer, Kelly, Houston Press, October, 2001
Colpitt, Frances, "Southern Sensibilities", Art In America, November 2001, p 58 (reproduction: Dog Hole Sculpture)
Klaasmeyer, Kelly , "Art: The Third Dimension", Houston Press, June 1-7, 2000, pp 57-58
Dewan, Shaila, "The Antihero", Houston Press, Oct 28-Nov 3, 1999, p.71
Odom, Michael, "Bill Davenport at Angstrom Gallery", ARTFORUM, October 1999
Hess, Jean, "Dsiptoey: Stategies for Abstraction", Art Papers, Sept-Oct, 1997, p.66
Tom Moody, "Bill Davenport at Cristinerose" ARTFORUM, April, 1997, p.97
Frances Colpitt, "Bill Davenport at Inman Gallery", Art in America, March, 1996
? "Buttered Side Up at the Arlington Museum of Art", Southwest Gallery Guide, April, 1996 p. SW 29, (reproduction)
Kutner, Janet, "Three Texas Abstractionists Strut Their Stuff", The Dallas Morning News, April 12, 1996, p. 63
Lavatelli, Mark, "Retinal Pleasures", Artvoice, Oct. 16-22, 1996
Mitchell, Charles Dee, "Three of a kind, yet different suits", The Dallas Morning News, Saturday, December 16, 1995 (reproduction)
Goddard, Dan " `Continental Discourse': Museum of Art exhibit challenges stereotypical notions about art from Mexico", San Antonio Express-News, November 26, 1995 (reproduction)
Smith, Mary Katherine, "Bill Davenport", Artlies, October/ November, 1995, Issue #9, p. 28 (reproduction)
Allen, Mark, "Buttered Side Up", Artlies, Vol. 4 December-January, 1994, p.18-19
Kutner, Janet, "Three Who Push the Reverence Envelope", The Dallas Morning News, April 15, 1994

Writing and Editing
2013-15 Editor, Glasstire.com, the nation's oldest online art magazine.
2007-13 News and Events editor, Glasstire.com
2007-2011 Freelance art critic for the Houston Chronicle
2005 Texas Biennial catalog essay
2002-2003 Tire Iron, a weekly column on Houston art for Glasstire.com
Co-editor (with Francesca Fuchs) Artlies, Fall 1997 issue
Editor and Publisher, Houston Artletter, Houston's timely magazine of art 1995-1997

Curating

Bill's Junk Art Space 2008-present

2017
Christina Macal: Control Freak
Joachim West: Trigger Warning
Sepp and Aidan: 24 Hours
How to Talk to Girls and Get What You Want
McCheek's Academy Student Ceramic Showcase
Unusually Long Paintings by Brian Zievert

2010
Astroworld 1968
Melissa Thorne: Rockslide Rocksolid
Santiago Cucullu: Picasso's Kitchen

2009
Dan Fabian: Amnescope
Lisa Orr: Epergnier
Hard Edge: Ping Pong Abstraction from Houston Thrift Stores

2008
Allison Wiese: Angle of Repose
Morris Chackas: Still Lives
Ludwig Schwarz: Old Medecine
Maggie Hills: Blunderland

Other Curating
2000, Ludwig Schwarz, Brad Tucker, Katrina Moorhead, Francesca Fuchs , Inman Gallery, Houston, TX
1999, Mario Perez, Subspace Gallery at diverseworks Artspace
1999, Petra Sahm, Redbud Gallery, Houston, TX in association with the Museum of Potential Art
1998, Art From Inside: Out, Art League of Houston, Houston, TX
1997, Fish & Chips : New British Art (with Francesca Fuchs), Diverseworks Artspace, Houston, TX
1997, Glamour Sculpture, Gallery 1 at Houston Community College (central), Houston, TX
1996, Jim Rizkalla: Morass, Subspace at Diverseworks Artspace, Houston, TX
1996, Eric Swenson: Push to Prime, Subspace at Diverseworks, Houston, TX
1996, Elizabeth McGrath, Subspace at Diverseworks Artspace, Houston, TX
1996, Show'n'Tell: Caroline Bowles, Elisabeth Jackson, Delfina Vannucci, Subspace at Diverseworks