WES COKE

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Biography

Wes Coke (b. 1978) is a figurative oil painter based in Fort Worth, Texas, where he lives with his wife and daughter. He grew up in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and studied bronze sculpture at the University of North Texas, finishing in 2003. Though his formal education emphasized three-dimensional work, his artistic journey took a transformative turn when he began painting in 2020.

Coke has been working professionally as a commissioned artist since 2018, initially producing sculptures and other creative work for private clients. His shift to painting marked a significant evolution in his practice, allowing him to explore the emotional depth and complexity of the human form through a different medium. His paintings are primarily figurative, often capturing intimate, contemplative moments or expressive gestures that reflect a range of human experiences. Some pieces lean toward realism; others are more loose and expressive. He’s not afraid to experiment or let the mood of a piece decide where it goes. Whether he’s painting a portrait or exploring something more abstract, the goal is always the same: to capture something honest, human, and real.

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AWARDS

2024   Sam and Priscilla McCall Award - Preservation is the Art f the City presented by Historic Fort Worth.
2024   Top Prize- Onderdonk Purchase Award- San Antonio Art League and Museum.
2023   Thistlethwaite Family Award- Preservation is the Art of the City presented by Historic Fort Worth.

Selected Group Exhibitions 

2026         TEN- Fort Works Art

2026          33rd Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

2026          CAL International 2026- Conroe Art League

2025          Preservation is the Art of the City- Historic Fort Worth

2025         Laid Bare- solo show- Daisha Board Gallery

2025          32nd Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

2025          Marfa Invitational Open

2025         Come As You Are- Create Texas

2024 Fresh Ideas- Visual Art League of Lewisville

2024          Fall Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

2024          Preservation is the Art of the City- Historic Fort Worth

2024          18th Annual Texas Artists Coalition Juried Exhibition- Arts Fort Worth

2024         31st Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

2024 Yee-Haw- Group show- RTown Gallery

2024          Spring Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

2024          Art214 Biennial Juried Exhibition- Oak Cliff Cultural Center

2024         Art 214 Biennial Juried Exhibition- Moody Performance Hall

2024          Grapevine Contemporary- RTown Gallery

2024           94th Annual Juried Exhibition- San Antonio Arts League & Museum

2023            30th Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

2023            17th Annual Texas Artists Coalition Juried Exhibition- Arts Fort Worth

2023            Contemporary Now- Art Room

2023            Preservation is the Art of the City- Historic Fort Worth

2023            Fall Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

2023            Rio Brazos Art Exhibition- Stephen F Austin University

2023            The Lone Star Sings: Portraits of Texas Musicians- Create Arlington

2022           9th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition- Artspace 111

2022           The Art of Living- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

2022           Group Show- Catalyst Creative Arts

2021           Juxtapositions, Dichotomies and Oxymorons, Oh My!- Studio Arthouse Gallery

2021            Pigments of Your Imagination- Studio Arthouse Gallery

2021            Keller’s Got Talent- City of Keller

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