Lyle J. Salmi is currently Professor of Painting/ Drawing/Printmaking at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Salmi received his Master of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Arizona State University in 1988. His Bachelor of Fine Arts degree was received from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1983. Active professionally both in and out of the classroom, Salmi has spoken at regional arts symposiums, served as juror for numerous regional art exhibitions, and has written for The Dictionary of Modern Philosophers, and  Fiberarts  magazine. Mr. Salmi has also been recognized for outstanding teaching in the 1996 Edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Salmi has exhibited his paintings nationally and continues to work both as an artist and teacher. 

Grants/ Awards/Honoraria:

Professor Salmi has been a visiting artist at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, Southern Illinois University, Bowling Green State University, and Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticutt. Salmi has also been a Coleman Foundation Fellow in Entrepreneurship since 2008 and is director of Carriage House Press, www.carriagehousepress.org,  a student run printing press and classroom laboratory as part of Millikin University’s Center For Entrepreneurship. Salmi was also an artist in residence at the Anderson Center for the Arts in Redwing, Minnesota in 2008. Salmi also had his paintings featured in featured in the 2014 international juried competition of Studio Visit Magazine, volume 24, page 145.

Salmi is a 1998 recipient of a Fellowship to the Hambidge Center for the Arts, as well as a 1994-95 recipient of  the Arts Midwest/NEA Fellowship in Painting and received a College of Fine Arts Grant from Illinois State University in 1991 for Art/Computer Research.

Salmi is the recipient of the Millikin University Research/Artistic Achievement Award (2014). Salmi also received the (1998) Juror’s Merit Award, Illinois 12th Biennial Exhibition, Tarble Arts Center, Charleston, Illinois. (1993) Juror’s Merit Award, Drawing Into The 90’s, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, Texas. (1992) Honorable Mention Award, New Directions ‘92, North Shore Art League, Skokie, Illinois. (1991) Purchase Award, 41st Quincy Invitational, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois.

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
(2016) Seen/Unseen, Jan Brandt Gallery, Bloomington, Illinois.
(2015) Sublime Light, University of Illinois-Springfield Visual Arts Gallery, Springfield, Illinois.
(2012) Light, Yellow Dog Studio, Gallery 709, Sullivan, Illinois.
(2009) The Need To Paint, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.
(2003)   The Black Paintings, Decatur Public Library, Decatur, Illinois.
(2001)   The Illinois Series, City Arts Venue, Springfield, Illinois.
(1999)   Murmurs  , Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticutt.
(1998)   Current Work  , Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois.
(1997)   Recent Paintings  , The Arts Center, Jamestown, North Dakota.
(1996)   The Bear Island Series  , Decatur Arts Council, Decatur, Illinois.
(1995)   The Elusive Form,,  McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, Illinois.
(1994)   New Works, Struve Gallery, Chicago, Illinois.
(1993)   The Normal Series,  Chicago Street Gallery, Lincoln, Illinois.

Selected Group Exhibitions:
(2013) Surface, Light, Structure, 3 person exhibition at Elizabeth Moss Gallery, Portland, Maine.
(2012)   A Community of Printmakers, Mid America Print Council, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
(2010) Normal Editions Workshop Collaborative: Prints 1976-2008, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Quad-State Biennial Exhibition, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois.
(2009) Lyle Salmi and Kakoli Sen, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, Illinois.
(2007)16th Biennial Drawing/Watercolor: Illinois Exhibition
Tarble Arts Center, Charleston, Illinois. Juror: Elizabeth Yarosz-Ash.
(2006)   Painter As Mentor, Decatur Area Arts Council, Decatur, Illinois
(2003)    So Square Exhibition, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, Illinois.
(2001)   Faculty Biennial, Perkinson Gallery, Millikin University.
(2000)   Hambidge Center for the Arts, Group Exhibition, Rabun Gap, Georgia.
(1999)  Jasper Community Arts Exhibition, Kremp Gallery, Jasper, Indiana.
(1998)  Biennial Exhibition, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston.
(1998)   Jasper Community Arts Exhibition, Kremp Gallery, Jasper, Indiana.
(1997)   47thQuad-State Exhibition, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois. Artforms ‘97, Lafayette Museum, Lafayette, Indiana.
(1996)   Salon Soiree’, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa.
(1995)   Absolutely Abstract, Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, St. Louis, Missouri.
(1994)   Stockton National Exhibition, Haggin Museum, Stockton, California.
(1993)   Dakotas International, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota; Drawing Into The 90’s, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, Texas; Emerging Chicago Abstraction, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, Illinois.
(1992)   52nd Annual Sioux City Exhibition, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City, Iowa.
(1991)   ISU Faculty Exchange Exhibition, Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, China, 8th Alcoa National, Wanatchee Valley College, Washington; 6th Annual Greater Midwest Invitational, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri; and West Coast Works on Paper, Eureka, California.

Collections
L.L Bean family private collection.
Anheuser Busch family private collection.
Dr. Magnolia Halam, Forsyth, Illinois.
McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, Illinois.
Normal Editions Workshop, Illinois State University, Normal Illinois.
J.L Hubbard Insurance & Bonds, Decatur, Illinois.
Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois.
Pratt & Pratt Law Offices, Bloomington, Illinois.
Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois.
University of South Florida Print Exchange, Tampa, Florida.
Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Geisler, Mt Zion, Illinois.
Paper Fox Studio, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin.