Biography

Education

  • 1981–84California State University, Long Beach. B.F.A., Drawing and Painting, 1984
  • 1979–81College of Marin, Kentfield, CA

Residencies

  • 2000Yosemite Renaissance, Artist in Residence
  • 1999Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT

Teaching

  • 2000–presentCity College of San Francisco
  • 1995–2000California State University, East Bay
  • 1990–95California College of the Arts

Solo Exhibitions

2018

  • Rockfowl and Other Wonders

    Fresno Art Museum

    Fresno, California•January 26–June 28
2016

  • Creative Ecology: King Tides and Elusive Rails

    Palo Alto Art Center

    Palo Alto, California•April 26–July 3
2014

  • Roots and Wings: Keeney and Tomb

    University Museum, Sutton Hall

    Indiana University of Pennsylvania•April 5–May 17
2013

  • Endangered Birds of the Philippines

    San Francisco Public Library

    San Francisco, California•October–March 2014
2012

  • Grand Birds of the Philippines

    Electric Works

    San Francisco, California•October 12–November 10

  • Jeepney Projects Worldwide: Vanishing Birds of the Philippines

    The Bone Room Presents

    Berkeley, California•February 1–February 29
2011

  • Jeepney Projects Worldwide: An Installation by David Tomb

    San Marco Gallery, Alemany Library, Dominican University

    San Rafael, California•September 22–October 29
2010

  • Borderland Birds/Aves Fronterizas

    Electric Works

    San Francisco, California•April 16–May 29
2009

  • Treasures of the Sierra Madre: Birds of West Mexico

    Angela Peralta Theatre

    Mazatlan, Mexico•January
2008

  • The Plumed Serpent

    Louie Meager Art Gallery @ Ohlone College

    Fremont, California•November 8–December 20

  • Treasures of the Sierra Madre: Birds of West Mexico

    Electric Works

    San Francisco, California•February 22–March 22
2007

  • Hand Hewn – Portraits by David Tomb

    Augusta State University Art Gallery

    Augusta, Georgia•November 8–December 6
2006

  • David Tomb The Figure Unstudied

    Hartnell College Gallery

    Salinas, California•November 8–December 20
2005

  • New Works by California Artists: David Tomb

    Triton Museum of Art

    Santa Clara, California•December 15–February 20, 2006

  • Vim and Vigor – Works on Paper

    Louie Meager Art Gallery @ Ohlone College

    Fremont, California•September 14–October 15
2004

  • David Tomb: Birds and Blokes

    David Lusk Gallery

    Memphis, Tennessee•September 1–September 25
2003

  • David Tomb: Rogue’s Gallery

    The William Scott Gallery

    Boston, Massachusetts•October 3–November 1

  • David Tomb, Ogle: Works on Paper

    Hackett-Freedman Gallery

    San Francisco, California•July 8–August 2
2001

  • David Tomb, Fresh Contour: Portraits on Paper

    Hackett-Freedman Gallery

    San Francisco, California•December 6–December 29

  • David Tomb: Twitch

    The Avram Gallery, Southampton College, Long Island University

    Southampton, New York•November 5–December 7•Brochure
2000

  • Diorama

    Hackett-Freedman Gallery

    San Francisco, California•November 2–December 2

  • David Tomb: Portraits

    Fresno Art Museum

    Fresno, California•January 7–April 9•Catalogue
1995

  • David Tomb: Charcoal Figure Drawings and Oil Portraits

    The William-Scott Gallery

    Provincetown, Massachusetts•August 18–August 31
1994

  • David Tomb: Recent Work

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco•March 3–April 2
1992

  • David Tomb: Recent Work

    Louis Newman Galleries

    Beverly Hills•April 2–April 16
1990

  • David Tomb: Recent Work

    Louis Newman Galleries

    Beverly Hills, California•November 15–November 29

  • David Tomb: Recent Paintings and Charcoal Drawings

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco•September 12–October 13•Brochure

Group Exhibitions

2027

  • David Tomb, Isabella Kirkland, Tiffany Bozic

    Santa Clara University

    Santa Clara, California•March 8–April 23
2026

  • Aladdin’s Castle, David Tomb, James Patrick Finnegan, Rik Ritchey

    Mini Gallery SF

    San Francisco, California•October 3–November 7

  • Birds in Art 2026

    Woodson Art Museum

    Wausau, Wisconsin•September 12–January 2027

  • Summer 2026: Part 1

    Patricia Sweetow Gallery

    Los Angeles, California•June 6–July 11

  • Time and Tide

    Petaluma Historical Library and Museum

    Petaluma, California•April 9–June 7
2025

  • 5x5x5

    Marin MOCA

    San Rafael, California•October 18–December 28

  • Yay Birds!

    Andra Norris Art Gallery

    Burlingame, California•October 11–November 7
2023

  • Birds Eye View: Four Perspectives

    Wildling Museum of Art

    Solvang, California•March 18–September 4

  • Monumentally Fragile: Large Scale Works on Paper by Catherine Ruane, David Tomb and Holly Wong

    College of the Desert

    Palm Desert, California•February 28–March 24
2022

  • Let’s Face It!: Selections from the Permanent Collection

    Triton Museum of Art

    Santa Clara, California•May 14–July 17
2020

  • Bird, Nest and Nature (invited artist)

    Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts

    Walnut Creek, California•October 13–February 7, 2021
2018

  • How Do You Figure?

    Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

    Bentonville, Arkansas•March 15–August 20
2017

  • Honoring the Legacy of David Park

    Santa Clara University

    Santa Clara, California•April 3–April 28
2016

  • Ambassador Ebert-Gray’s Art in Embassies Exhibition

    Embassy of the United States

    Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
2013

  • Pose, Gesture, Image: IDENTITY

    Fresno Art Museum

    Fresno, California•May 17–September 1

  • Hornbills—Past, Present, Future

    Ayala Museum

    Manila, Philippines•April 24–May 5
2012

  • Trees of Life: A New Vision for Art, Ecology, and Community

    Contemporary Jewish Museum

    San Francisco, California•February 16–June 3
2011

  • Selections From the Permanent Collection: Perceiving the Real

    Triton Museum of Art

    Santa Clara, California•February 26–May 1
2010

  • Presidio Habitats

    Presidio of San Francisco

    San Francisco, California•May 16–May 15, 2011
2009

  • East Meets West

    Michael Berger Gallery

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania•September 5–November 14
2008

  • Drawing the Lines—Celebrating 100 Years of Natural History

    Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California

    Berkeley, California•October

  • Visions: Contemporary Drawings from the James T. Dyke Collection (curated by Townsend Wolfe)

    Arkansas Art Center

    Little Rock, Arkansas•September 12–November 9
2007

  • Visions: Contemporary Drawings from the James T. Dyke Collection

    Naples Museum of Art

    Naples, Florida•December 21–June 2008•(traveling show: Arkansas Art Center)

  • Civil Twilight

    Electric Works

    San Francisco, California•November 30–January 5, 2008

  • Mind/Body/Spirit: Huang Xiang/William Rock, Philip Pearlstein

    Michael Berger Gallery

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania•July 21–September 29
2006

  • Beyond the Likeness: Self-Portraits by California Artists

    Triton Museum of Art

    Santa Clara, California•August 8–October 11

  • Monterey Collects: Masterworks from Monterey County Collections

    Monterey Museum of Art

    Monterey, California•June 10–September 10
2005

  • Season Preview Salon

    William Scott Gallery

    Provincetown, Massachusetts•May 27–June

  • Fresh Flesh

    Scott White Contemporary Art

    San Diego, California•March 4–April 16

  • Trillium Press

    S.F.M.O.M.A. Artists Gallery

    San Francisco, California•January 12–February 4
2004

  • Season Preview Salon

    The William-Scott Gallery

    Provincetown, Massachusetts•May 28–June 16
2003

  • Equinox: Bob Burdette, Tom McKee, Barbara Mittman, David Tomb

    Ann Nathan Gallery

    Chicago, Illinois•March 21–April 15
2002

  • Drawings VI

    Koplin Gallery

    Los Angeles, California•July 27–September 7
2000

  • Effigies of the Spirit: Bay Area Portraiture

    Fairfield Center Gallery

    Fairfield, California•November 16–January 19, 2001

  • Drawings V

    Koplin Gallery

    Los Angeles, California•July 27–September 2
1998

  • Drawings IV

    Koplin Gallery

    Los Angeles, California•July 11–September 12

  • National Drawing Invitational (curated by Townsend Wolfe)

    The Arkansas Art Center

    Little Rock, Arkansas•May 7–June 21•Catalogue
1997

  • Toward the Millennium: Contemporary Painting from Northern California

    Monterey Museum of Art

    La Mirada, California•November 22–February 15, 1998
1996

  • Group Show

    William Scott Gallery

    Boston, Massachusetts•November

  • Heads

    K & E Gallery

    New York, New York•July 11–August 1
1995

  • Daniel Brice/David Tomb: Recent Drawings

    Dorothy Weiss Gallery

    San Francisco, California•April 6–April 29
1994

  • Drawing the Line (curated by Townsend Wolfe)

    Susan Cummins Gallery

    Mill Valley, California•February 28–April 2
1993

  • Drawings by American Artists

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco, California•March 4–March 27

  • Bay Area Painting III

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco, California•January 7–January 30
1991

  • New Bay Area Painting II

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco, California•January 31–March 2
1990

  • Once by the Pacific: California Bay Area Artists

    Gallery North

    Setauket, New York•July 1–August 5

  • Contemporary Realist Painting: Perception and Experience

    Oliver Art Center, California College of Arts & Crafts

    Oakland, California•May 30–July 21

  • Oakland’s Artists ’90

    The Oakland Museum

    Oakland, California•March 24–July 1•Catalogue
1989

  • New Bay Area Painting

    Contemporary Realist Gallery

    San Francisco, California•December 7–January 20, 1990•Brochure

  • Art Against AIDS

    Butterfield & Butterfield

    San Francisco, California•May 8–June 18•Catalogue

Public Collections

  • Embassy of the United States

    Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

  • Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

  • The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

    U.C. Berkeley

  • Library of Congress — New World Border print project

  • California Public Utilities Commission

  • Huntington Library Art Collections

    San Marino, California

  • Art Collection of the Consulate General of the United States

    Ciudad Juarez

  • Art Collection of the Consulate General of the United States

    Tijuana

  • Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

    San Francisco, California

  • The Arkansas Art Center

    Little Rock, Arkansas

  • Fresno Art Museum

    Fresno, California

  • The Oakland Museum of California

    Oakland, California

  • Triton Museum of Art

    Santa Clara, California

  • Hartnell College

    Salinas, California

  • Augusta State University

    Augusta, Georgia

  • Angela Peralta Theatre

    Mazatlan, Mexico

  • Quinta Mazatlan-World Birding Center

    McAllen, Texas

  • Crocker Art Museum

    Sacramento, California

  • Embassy of the United States

    Manila, Philippines

  • University Museum

    Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  • Crystal Bridges Museum of Art

Scholarships and Awards

  • 1989Pro Arts, Oakland, CA, Pro Arts Annual. Honored Artist
  • 1988Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA, 4th Annual Exhibition. Honored Artist
  • 1987California State Fair, Sacramento, California Works. Award of Excellence
  • 1987Marin Society of Artists, Ross, CA, Open Fine Arts Exhibition 1987. Best of Show Award
  • 1987Jewish Community Center, Houston, TX, 21st Juried Exhibition. Honorable Mentions (three awards)
  • 1986California State Fair, Sacramento, California Works. Award of Excellence
  • 1984Long Beach Art Association, Long Beach, CA, Open Juried Show. Honorable Mention
  • 1984California State University, Long Beach. Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship

Lectures

  • 2018Fresno Art Museum, “The Philippine Eagle and the Art of Conservation,” May 11
  • 2017Palo Alto Art Center, June 17
  • 2013San Francisco Public Library, Koret Auditorium, lecture with Ian Austin in conjunction with the exhibition “Endangered Birds of the Philippines,” October 19
  • 2011San Marco Gallery, Dominican University, San Rafael, CA
  • 2001The Avram Gallery, Southampton College, Long Island University, Southampton, NY, in conjunction with the exhibition David Tomb: Twitch
  • 2000Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA, Gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition David Tomb: Portraits, February 10
  • 1997Artists Forum, San Francisco, “Obession Revealed: The Serial Portrait,” in conversation with Bruce Nixon, May 6
  • 1997Artists Forum, San Francisco, “Painting/Architecture: Abstraction of Ideas and Forms,” in conversation with Bruce Tomb, June 3
  • 1990Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1990California State University, Long Beach