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A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Cromer attended Art Schools in Nashville, Pittsburgh and New York. He holds an Honors degree from the Art Center School in Los Angeles. He has traveled extensively as a professional artist, painting and exhibiting internationally. He lived in Europe for many years, based in London.

Cromer returned to South Carolina in 1993, making his home in Spartanburg and Beaufort, where he is active as an exhibiting artist. He has lectured and taught at the Spartanburg Art Museum School (SAM) and holds regional workshops. He is a "Member with Excellence" in the South Carolina Watercolor Society and served as Exhibition Chairman for the year 2000.

Cromer's work is represented internationally in many private and public collections.

DEC 2007

Selected Exhibitions:

Group Shows:

  • California Watercolor Society, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
  • "Zen in Western Art", Kyoto and Tokyo
  • John Whibley Gallery, London
  • Singer & Friedlander/ Sunday Times Annual, London
  • Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, London
  • Sixth Annual Contemporary Art EXPO, Tokyo
  • S.C. Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition
  • Gainesville College Annual Competition
  • Gallery 522 (Watercolor Invitational)
  • South Carolina State Fair
  • Piedmont Interstate Fair
  • Georgia Watercolor Society
  • Coca Cola Art by the River
  • Greenville Art in The Park
  • Anderson County Annual Exhibition
  • Union County Annual Exhibition
  • Spartanburg County Museum of Art's Burwell Annual Historical Competition
  • The Artists' Guild of Spartanburg

Solo Shows:

  • Allied Galleries, New York
  • Easthampton Gallery, New York
  • Washington Square Annual, New York
  • Upper Grosvenor Gallery, London
  • John Whibley Gallery, London
  • Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, London
  • The Gallery, Spartanburg, S.C. (Retrospective)
  • The Quinlan Art Center, Gainesville, Ga. (Retrospective and Artist in Residence)
  • The Tryon Fine Arts Center, Tryon, N.C.
  • Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C. -Retrospective

Professional Awards/ Juried Exhibitions:

  • New York Art Directors Club Gold Medal
  • American Institute of Graphic Arts
  • New York Type Directors Club
  • Designers and Art Directors Association, London
  • California Watercolor Society
  • Anderson County Annual Exhibition (4th prize)
  • Spartanburg Museum of Art Historical Competition (1st purchase prize, two years)
  • Coca Cola Art by The River (2nd place)
  • Spartanburg Museum of Art Annual Sidewalk Show (1st prize)
  • South Carolina State Fair (cash prize)
  • Piedmont Interstate Fair (cash prize)
  • Beaufort Art Association Annual (Award of Excellence, cash prize)
  • Piccolo Spoleto (2000)
  • South Carolina Watercolor Society (Traveling Show, cash prize)

contact the artist | Cromer Studios

Private Collections in:
  • United Kingdom
  • U.S.A.
  • Japan
  • Spain
  • Greece
  • Switzerland
  • South Africa
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Sweden
Current Memberships:
  • Artists' Guild of Spartanburg
  • South Carolina Watercolor Society
    (Member with Excellence)
  • National Watercolor Society
  • Southern Watercolor Society
  • Upstate Visual Arts
  • Georgia Watercolor Society
  • Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg (board member)
  • Beaufort Art Association

Artist's Statement:

"I have been painting for over 50 years, always experimenting with new ideas as experience and maturity develop. Although I have worked with most media, I always return to watercolor for its absolute purity of color and light; plus the ability to establish a pictorial idea fast and spontaneously. My current work has been described as 'fresh, cleanly executed, and brilliant in color.' The sum total of my work to date covers various themes and "isms" but the enduring fact is that all my work has its beginning and/or end in my personal love and experience with landscape—here, there and everywhere!"