Colin Darke Media Kit

COLIN T. DARKE [email protected] • www.colindarke.com • (313) 617-4473 • www.twitter.com/colindarke

For more information, please contact Mr. Darke at the phone number or email address listed above or you can view his website at www.colindarke.com.

September 8, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hope & Rules MSU painting exhibition, lecture, and fundraiser Michigan State University College of Law presents 17 original paintings (shown here for the first time) by Colin Thomas Darke ’04, from now through Thanksgiving. On October 12, 2011, the law college will host a meet and greet with Colin beginning at 5 p.m., and Mr. Darke will present a lecture entitled, “The Intersection of My Art Practice and My Legal Practice” at 6 p.m. During this time, the law college will also sell several fine art prints of Colin’s work, which Mr. Darke donated to the law college to benefit its clinical programs. About the Show In this two-series exhibition, Colin explores two separate themes that captured his attention over the past two years. In the first series of paintings titled “Hope Against Odds,” Darke explores his relationship with (and optimism for) Detroit, Michigan. In this series, he uses abstract cityscapes juxtaposed with realistic hummingbirds. This series responds to the simple narrative presented by “ruin porn” through the use of a hummingbird to symbolize Detroit’s people in contrast to Detroit’s buildings. In the second series of paintings titled “Rules,” Darke explores “the rule of law” through portraits of individuals who symbolize a facet of the concept. These portraits range from Chinese activist Ai Weiwei (titled, “how do you ensure governments are accountable?”), to Muammar Gaddafi (titled, “what is the responsibility of the global community?”), to a self-portrait (titled, “what does it mean to be an attorney?”). This series offers questions about society’s current, evolving concept of the rule of law, yet it does not offer any answers (in homage to the importance of the Socratic Method of teaching). About the Artist

The Detroit News described Colin’s paintings as employing "a bold, colorful style reminiscent of the German Expressionists." He was recently invited to participate in the Actual Size Biennial (Juror: Aaron Timlin). In 2010, Colin was juried into two highly competitive art competitions: (1) the 2010 Michigan Fine Arts Competition (Juror: Sondra Freckelton) at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center in Birmingham, Michigan, and (2) the 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition (Juror: Rackstraw Downes (2009 MacArthur Fellow)) at the Bowery Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, New York.

He is the current editor of the Detroit cultural blog thedetroiter.com. He is also one of the inaugural mentors for Detroit Creative Corridor Center’s Creative Ventures Acceleration Program, and he is a member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s New Wave Board. He also works for the prestigious law firm Bodman PLC where he is a member of the firm’s Banking Group and its Pro Bono Committee (he initiated and is in charge of its Financial Literacy Project).

COLIN T. DARKE [email protected] • www.colindarke.com • (313) 617-4473

AARRTTIISSTT BBIIOO

CCoolliinn’’ss llaatteesstt wwoorrkk ffooccuusseess oonn bblleennddiinngg aabbssttrraacctt cciittyyssccaappeess wwiitthh rreennddeerriinnggss ooff rreeaalliissttiicc hhuummmmiinnggbbiirrddss.. TThhiiss wwoorrkk iiss ffoorr aa sseerriieess ooff ppaaiinnttiinnggss ttiittlleedd ““HHooppee aaggaaiinnsstt ooddddss,,”” wwhheerree hhee eexxpplloorreess hhiiss rreellaattiioonnsshhiipp wwiitthh aanndd ooppttiimmiissmm ffoorr DDeettrrooiitt,, MMiicchhiiggaann.. FFoorr tthhiiss sseerriieess,, MMrr.. DDaarrkkee lleefftt hhiiss ttrraaddiittiioonnaall mmeeddiiuumm ooff wwaatteerrccoolloorr ppaaiinnttss ttoo uussee tthhee mmoorree ooppaaqquuee ggoouuaacchhee aanndd aaccrryylliicc ppaaiinnttss.. OOvveerraallll,, CCoolliinn’’ss aarrttwwoorrkk ffooccuusseess oonn ssttrroonngg ccoonnttrraassttss ttoo iinnvvookkee iimmmmeeddiiaattee eemmoottiioonnaall rreessppoonnsseess wwhhiillee ccoommppeelllliinngg vviieewweerrss ttoo ccoonnssiiddeerr hhiiss wwoorrkk mmoorree cclloosseellyy.. HHee iinniittiiaallllyy eemmppllooyyss bboolldd ccoolloorrss aanndd aabbssttrraacctt iimmaaggeerryy ttoo iinnvvookkee cceerrttaaiinn vviisscceerraall rreeaaccttiioonnss ttoo hhiiss ppiieecceess.. MMrr.. DDaarrkkee tthheenn rreennddeerrss mmoorree iinnttrriiccaattee ddeettaaiillss tthhaatt pprroovviiddee aa ssuubbtteexxtt ttoo hhiiss ppiieecceess aanndd aalllloowwss aa vviieewweerr aa ccaallmmiinngg aarreeaa ttoo rreesstt hhiiss oorr hheerr

eeyyeess aanndd ccoonntteemmppllaattee tthhee ppiieeccee.. TThhee DDeettrrooiitt NNeewwss ddeessccrriibbeedd CCoolliinn’’ss ppaaiinnttiinnggss aass eemmppllooyyiinngg ““aa bboolldd,, ccoolloorrffuull ssttyyllee rreemmiinniisscceenntt ooff tthhee GGeerrmmaann EExxpprreessssiioonniissttss..””

CCoolliinn wwaass bboorrnn iinn 11997777 iinn SSoouutthhffiieelldd,, MMiicchhiiggaann.. HHee oobbttaaiinneedd hhiiss BBaacchheelloorr ooff FFiinnee AArrttss,, wwiitthh aann eemmpphhaassiiss iinn wwaatteerrccoolloorr ppaaiinnttiinngg,, ffrroomm WWeesstteerrnn MMiicchhiiggaann UUnniivveerrssiittyy iinn 22000011.. DDuurriinngg ccoolllleeggee,, hhee ppaarrttiicciippaatteedd iinn sseevveerraall ggrroouupp eexxhhiibbiittiioonnss,, aanndd hhiiss ccoolllleeggee eexxppeerriieennccee ccuullmmiinnaatteedd wwiitthh aa ssuucccceessssffuull ssoolloo eexxhhiibbiittiioonn.. AAfftteerr ccoolllleeggee,, CCoolliinn ccoonnttiinnuueedd ttoo ppaaiinntt aanndd eexxhhiibbiitt hhiiss wwoorrkk,, bbuutt hhee aallssoo ppuurrssuueedd aa lleeggaall ccaarreeeerr.. CCoolliinn oobbttaaiinneedd hhiiss JJuurriiss DDooccttoorraattee,, ccuumm llaauuddee,, ffrroomm MMiicchhiiggaann SSttaattee UUnniivveerrssiittyy CCoolllleeggee ooff LLaaww iinn 22000044,, aanndd hhee oobbttaaiinneedd aann LLLL..MM.. ffrroomm BBoossttoonn UUnniivveerrssiittyy SScchhooooll ooff LLaaww iinn 22000088,, wwhheerree hhee rreecceeiivveedd tthhee AA.. JJoohhnn SSeerriinnoo OOuuttssttaannddiinngg GGrraadduuaattee BBaannkkiinngg LLaaww SSttuuddeenntt PPrriizzee ((““aawwaarrddeedd ttoo tthhee ssttuuddeenntt wwhhoo ddiissppllaayyss oouuttssttaannddiinngg oovveerraallll ppeerrffoorrmmaannccee,, iinn tteerrmmss ooff aaccaaddeemmiicc aacchhiieevveemmeenntt aanndd ddeeddiiccaattiioonn ttoo tthhee hhiigghheesstt ssttaannddaarrddss ooff sscchhoollaarrsshhiipp aanndd sseerrvviiccee””))..

HHee wwoorrkkss ffoorr tthhee pprreessttiiggiioouuss llaaww ffiirrmm BBooddmmaann PPLLCC wwhheerree hhee iiss aa mmeemmbbeerr ooff tthhee ffiirrmm’’ss PPrroo BBoonnoo CCoommmmiitttteeee ((hhee iinniittiiaatteedd aanndd iiss iinn cchhaarrggee ooff iittss FFiinnaanncciiaall LLiitteerraaccyy PPrroojjeecctt)).. HHee hhaass aallssoo ppuubblliisshheedd sseevveerraall aarrttiicclleess aanndd ggiivveenn nnuummeerroouuss pprreesseennttaattiioonnss oonn aa vvaarriieettyy ooff lleeggaall ssuubbjjeeccttss,, iinncclluuddiinngg aa pprreesseennttaattiioonn ttiittlleedd ““AAsssseett SSeeccuurriittiizzaattiioonn:: WWhhaatt iiss iitt??”” ttoo tthhee LLeeggaall DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt aatt tthhee FFeeddeerraall RReesseerrvvee BBaannkk ooff BBoossttoonn.. HHee iiss aa rreegguullaarr ccoonnttrriibbuuttoorr ttoo tthhee DDeettrrooiitt ccuullttuurraall bblloogg tthheeddeettrrooiitteerr..ccoomm.. HHee iiss ccuurrrreennttllyy oonnee ooff tthhee iinnaauugguurraall mmeennttoorrss ffoorr DDeettrrooiitt CCrreeaattiivvee CCoorrrriiddoorr CCeenntteerr’’ss CCrreeaattiivvee VVeennttuurreess aanndd hhee iiss aa mmeemmbbeerr ooff tthhee MMuusseeuumm ooff CCoonntteemmppoorraarryy AArrtt DDeettrrooiitt’’ss NNeeww WWaavvee BBooaarrdd.. HHee wwaass rreecceennttllyy iinnvviitteedd ttoo ppaarrttiicciippaattee iinn tthhee AAccttuuaall SSiizzee BBiieennnniiaall ((JJuurroorr:: AAaarroonn TTiimmlliinn)).. IInn 22001100,, CCoolliinn wwaass jjuurriieedd iinnttoo ttwwoo hhiigghhllyy ccoommppeettiittiivvee aarrtt ccoommppeettiittiioonnss:: ((11)) tthhee 22001100 MMiicchhiiggaann FFiinnee AArrttss CCoommppeettiittiioonn ((JJuurroorr:: SSoonnddrraa FFrreecckkeellttoonn)) aatt tthhee BBiirrmmiinngghhaamm BBlloooommffiieelldd AArrtt CCeenntteerr iinn BBiirrmmiinngghhaamm,, MMiicchhiiggaann,, aanndd ((22)) tthhee 1188tthh AAnnnnuuaall NNaattiioonnaall JJuurriieedd EExxhhiibbiittiioonn ((JJuurroorr:: RRaacckkssttrraaww DDoowwnneess ((22000099 MMaaccAArrtthhuurr FFeellllooww)))) aatt tthhee BBoowweerryy GGaalllleerryy iinn tthhee CChheellsseeaa nneeiigghhbboorrhhoooodd ooff NNeeww YYoorrkk,, NNeeww YYoorrkk.. TThhee BBiirrmmiinngghhaamm BBlloooommffiieelldd AArrtt CCeenntteerr aallssoo iinnvviitteedd CCoolliinn ttoo ppaarrttiicciippaattee iinn aa ttwwoo ppeerrssoonn sshhooww,, aanndd tthhee LLaaFFoonnttsseeee GGaalllleerryy sseelleecctteedd MMrr.. DDaarrkkee aanndd hhiiss ssiisstteerr KKeellllyy DDaarrkkee ttoo sshhoowwccaassee tthheeiirr ““SSiibblliinngg RReevveellrryy”” sseerriieess ooff ppaaiinnttiinnggss aatt iittss ggaalllleerryy ffoorr tthhee aannnnuuaall AArrttPPrriizzee ccoommppeettiittiioonn iinn GGrraanndd RRaappiiddss,, MMiicchhiiggaann..


CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

• 2011, DAM Small(er), Detroit Artist Market, Detroit, Michigan • 2011, Actual Size Biennial, Juror: Aaron Timlin, group invitational show, Whitdel Art Gallery, Detroit,

Michigan • 2011, Hope and Rules, solo exhibition and lecture, Michigan State University College of Law, Lansing,

Michigan • 2011, Word Play, Juror: Carole Harris, Grosse Pointe Art Center, Grosse Pointe City, Michigan • 2010, ArtPrize, LaFontsee Galleries/ Underground Studio (host gallery), Grand Rapids, Michigan • 2010, That DAM Box Show, Detroit Artist Market, Detroit, Michigan • 2010, 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Juror: Rackstraw Downes (2009 MacArthur Fellow),

Bowery Gallery, New York, New York • 2010, artBlast, two person invitational show with artist Susan Morosky, Robinson Gallery, Birmingham

Bloomfield Art Center, Birmingham, Michigan • 2010, Members Group Exhibition and Competition, Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, Detroit,

Michigan • 2010, Michigan Fine Arts Competition, Juror: Sondra Freckelton, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center,

Birmingham, Michigan


PRESS

• 2011, People Making News, Detroit Free Press, August 14 • 2010, East Meets West (Side), Michelle Moran, Grosse Pointe Times, 3A, 7A, April 29 • 2010, Legal opinions or watercolor paintings, Colin Darke ('08) is your (renaissance) man, BU Law

News, http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/news-cms/news/?dept=634&id=56413 • 2010, Rumblings, Lawyer’s art in N.Y. show, Crain’s Detroit Business, Vol. 26, No. 31, pg. 22, August

2—8 • 2010, DAM show carries on tradition, Michael H. Hodges, Detroit News, August 5 • 2010, The LL.M.: A Valuable Degree or a Wasted (and Expensive) Year? Ashby Jones, Wall Street

Journal (Law Blog), September 20 (positively cited and quoted) • 2010, ‘Cash Cow’ or valuable credential? Karen Sloan, The National Law Journal, September 20

(positively cited and quoted) SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• Author, Review: Re:View’s brandished, thedetroiter.com (July 2011) • Author, Review: DAM Unmentionables, thedetroiter.com (July 2011) • Author, Barely There—MOCAD’s mission accomplished, thedetroiter.com (July 2011) • Author, Another DAM Good Show: Northern Lights at Detroit Artists Market, thedetroiter.com (May

2011) • Author, Ruin Porn or Artists’ Beacon—What is the 2010 Take Away for Detroit’s Art Scene? Feature,

thedetroiter.com (January 2011) • Author, Martha Friedman Delights at MOCAD, thedetroiter.com (December 2010) • Author, Secured Lenders Versus Reclaiming Vendors: An Analysis of the Sixth Circuit’s Phar-Mor

Decision, Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice (June 2009) • Author, What is in a Trustee’s Arsenal for Objecting to Proofs of Claim? An Analysis of In re Kirkland,

Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice (June 2008) • Presenter, Asset Securitization: What is it? Legal Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (April

2008) • Panelist, Supreme Judicial Court Committee on Pro Bono, Boston University School of Law (March

2008) • Co-presenter, Financial Literacy Presentation for Summer Jobs Program, Boston Bar Association (June

2007) • Author/Interviewer, Feed Your Creative Side, 11 The Young Lawyer 6 (April 2007)


AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS

• Pro Bono Recognition for providing between 300 and 399 hours of pro bono services, Bodman PLC, 2011

• Pro Bono Achievement Award, Bodman PLC, 2011 • Recognized by Community Legal Resources for work done with Nonprofit Survival Legal Team during

CLR’s 12th Annual Recognition Event, 2010 • Boston University School of Law Pro Bono Certificate, recognition for work with the Legal Services

Center of Harvard Law School, 2008 • Boston University School of Law A. John Serino Outstanding Banking Law Student Award, “awarded

to the student who displays outstanding overall performance, in terms of academic achievement and dedication to the highest standards of scholarship and service,” 2008

• Boston University School of Law LL.M. Scholar, 2007 • Honored Guest of Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force for the Oxford Victory Celebration Dinner,

recognition for work done in Oxford Automotive bankruptcy case, 2005 • Michigan State University College of Law Dean’s List every semester, 2001-2004

APPOINTMENTS

• Mentor, Detroit Creative Corridor Center’s Creative Ventures, 2011—present • Member, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit’s New Wave Board, 2011—present • Member, Bodman PLC’s Pro Bono Committee, 2008—present (conceived of and in charge of Financial

Literacy Project) • Member, Community Legal Resources’ Nonprofit Survival Task Force, 2010—2011 • Liaison to The Young Lawyer Division, American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Publishing

Oversight, 2009—present • Editor, American Bar Association’s The Young Lawyer, 2008--2009, Assitant Editor, The Young

Lawyer, 2006—2008

Documents

Colin Darke Media Kit