Ron Beckham is a contemporary American painter, illustrator, designer, and educator who lives and works in North Carolina, and Ohio. His works pays attention to concept, craftsmanship and communication, and it’s with this spirit that he can capture and visualize the essence behind the subject matter. The control of media moves the viewer past the representational form and into the moment in time captured in the image. This is most evident when Beckham has shared a personal life connection or experience to the subject. The power of the idea and media, transforms what seems ordinary, into a meaningful expressive moment.

Ron Beckham received his education, B.F.A. in Communication Design at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and at the New York City School of Visual Arts MFA Illustration program where he studied under Marshall Arisman, Robert Weaver, Steve Heller, and completed his thesis with Rolling Stone Art Director Fred Woodward. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, Print, Graphic Design USA, Artist’s Magazine, and the Society of Illustrators. Furthermore, Beckham’s corporate career with Campbell Soup, American Greetings and Burt’s Bees, as well as his positions as an educator at Ohio University, The Art Institute of Illinois, Cincinnati’s School for Creative & Performing Arts, and KIPP Schools continues to allow him to cultivate and reinvent his artwork.

Solo exhibitions of his works have been organized at Halifax Arts Council Gallery, Roanoke Rapids, NC 2014, United Methodist Church, Cleveland, OH “Brushes with America” January - March, 2012, American Greetings Gallery, Cleveland, OH 2005, Singleton Templeton Gallery, Athens, OH 2003, Freeman Gallery, Cincinnati, OH 1987 Chidlaw Gallery, Cincinnati, OH 1984 Woodlawn Convocation Center, Cincinnati, OH 1983 Select group exhibitions featuring his work include: The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH 1981, Society of Illustrators, New York, NY 1983, Campbell Soup Company, Camden, NJ, 2003, American Greetings Gallery, Cleveland, OH, 2007, Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD “Strokes of Genius” 2012, Spinning Plate Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA “Art Advocacy Speaks” 2016, Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC “Art as Politics” 2016, Halifax Arts Council Gallery, Roanoke Rapids, NC, “Members Exhibition” 2018, Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery Annapolis, MD ‘Art on Paper’ 2019, Contemporary Art Museum, (CAM) Raleigh, NC sponsored by the Raleigh Fine Arts Society (RFAS) March, 2020, Arts Council of Fayetteville / Cumberland County Gallery, Fayetteville, NC “Artists who Teach” October 22, 2021 - December 11, 2021, LHUCA “The Contemporary Portrait,” Lubbock, Texas, First Place Award, November 2021, “Black Creativity” Chicago, IL January 17 2022, Black Creativity, Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, National Black Heritage Through Visual Rhythms, Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, OH February 26, 2022, University of North Carolina Pembroke 12th Annual International Exhibition “Our Neighborhood” Pembroke, NC February 7, 2022, Maryland Federation of Art Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD “Art on Paper” Juror’s Choice Award, March 17th - April 9th 2022, Cape Fear Studio Gallery, National 2D Exhibition, Fayetteville, NC March 24th - April 19th, 2022 Best of Show Award, VAE “The Black Culinary Experience, Raleigh, NC May 12, - July 22, . Arts Benecia Gallery, “I Figure” Contemporary Figurative Art, July 23rd - August 28th 2022, Benicia, CA 94510, “ViewPoint 54,” Cincinnati Art Club Annual Juried Exhibition, Cincinnati, OH, September 9th - October 1 2022, MVA Gallery, “Landscape-Serene and Savage,” September 7th through September 28th, 2022, MVA Gallery, Bethlehem, PA, “OMG, WOW!” Pop Art & Illustration, 311 Gallery, October 7th - October 29th, 2022, Raleigh, NC, Wilson Arts 2nd Annual National Juried Exhibition, October 13 - November 10 2022, Wilson NC, Strokes of Genius” Maryland Federation of Art, Circle Gallery Annapolis, MD, November 2 - November 26, 2022. Carroll Harris Simms: National Black Art Competition and Exhibition, Dallas, TX., December 20, 2022 - March 21, 2023, University of Southern Mississippi National Juried Poster Exhibition, Hattiesburg, MS., January 26th 2023 - February 23rd, 2023. Crowns of Glory: Ceremony and Couture through Caps, Coiffures, and Coverings, Norfolk State University / James Wise Gallery, February 3rd 2023 - March 10, 2023, Jazz: Artspace Gallery, Richmond VA, Friday February 24th - Saturday March 18th, 2023, Halifax County Arts Council Gallery, “Sip & See” Art Exhibition, February 27th - February 28th, Roanoke Rapids, NC 2023, “Art on Paper” Maryland Federation of Art, MFA Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD March 29th - April 29th 2023, Academy of the Arts Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Academy of the Arts Lynchburg, VA April 7th - April 29th 2023, Art League of Henderson County: “Celebrate Art” Exhibition at The Art Place Gallery, Hendersonville, NC August 5th - August 31st 2023, Maryland Federation of Art, “American Landscapes” MFA Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD, August 30th - September 23rd 2023, The Center for Contemporary Arts: National Juried Art Show & Exhibition, Abilene Texas, September 8th - October 28th 2023, Wilson Arts 2023 National Multi-Media Juried Art Show, Truist Event Gallery, Wilson NC, September 14th - November 5th 2023, 2023 National Drawing Competition & Exhibition, Rosenthal Gallery, Fayetteville, NC, October 24th 2023 - November 17th 2023, 2023 Perfect Black Exhibition, Webber Gallery, Ocala FL, November 6th - December 7th 2023, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Contemporary Portrait: National Juried Exhibition, December 1, 2023 - January 27th LHUCA Gallery Lubbock, Texas, 2024, Wright State University National Juried Drawing Exhibition: Drawing from Perception, Invention, and Memory, December 16th 2023 - March 8th, 2024 at The Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Dayton, OH, Journeys of Interdependence: “Portraits of First - Generation Identity in Higher Education Exhibition”, January 16th 2024 - March 8th 2024, Monmouth University Center for the Arts, Long Branch, NJ 07764, AfroFuturism & Hip Hop: “A way Forward” February 26, 2024 - March 28th 2024, James Wise Gallery, Norfolk VA, Weldon & Beyond Art Exhibition, May 10th - May 11 2024, Weldon Mills Distillery, Weldon, NC 27870, “The Art of Golf”, Juror’s Choice Award, Artspace Gallery, Red Springs, NC 28377, June 8th - June 18th 2024. “Voices of Our Ancestors”, Maryland Federation of Art, Juror’s Award, June 26th - July 27th MFA Circle Gallery, Annapolis, MD 21401, “Radius 250”, Artspace Gallery, Richmond VA, 23225, June 28th - August 17th 2024, Peggy Doole National Small Works Exhibition, Washington Printmakers Gallery, Washington, D.C., 20007, August 1st 2024 - August 25th 2024, “FALC 29th Juried Art Exhibition” August 21st 2024 - September 14th 2024, at The Mayton, 301 S Academy St, Cary, NC 27511, “ViewPoint 56” (Cincinnati Art Club) August 23rd, 2024 through September 14th, 2024, Eisele Gallery, Cincinnati, OH, 45227, Artist Who Teach 2024, 2024 National Juried “Online” Exhibition, September 16, 2024 - December 21, 2024, Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery (EWCG) in collaboration with Fayetteville State University (FSU) https://www.ellington-white.com. Wilson Arts 2024 National Multi-Media Juried Exhibition, October 10, 2024 through November 3, 2024, Truist Event Gallery, 204 Nash Street South, Wilson, NC 27893. Lumbeeland : “The Hidden Beauty of Swamps,” Artspace Red Springs, November 1st - November 30th, 2024, 200 South Main St., Red Springs, NC 28377, “Black Creativity” Juried Art Exhibition 2024, January 20th, 2025 - April 27th, 2025, Griffin Museum of Science & Industry. 5700 S. DuSable, Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL  60637, “It’s About the Hustle: Black Americans & Labor Exhibition”, January 24th 2025, through February 22nd, 2025, Artspace Richmond, VA 23225, Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Exhibition, January 31st, 2025 through July 24th, 2025, African American Museum, at Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75210, Landscapes of the Southeast, February 2nd, 2025 through March 2nd, 2025 at Red Springs Artspace 200 S. Main St. Red Springs, NC 28377.