Luke Rockwell (b. 1986) is an American narrative figure painter and draughtsman based in the North Country of New York State. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the New York Academy of Art in 2015 and has exhibited nationally throughout his career. His work has been presented in galleries, museums, and artist-run spaces across the United States and is held in public and private collections. Prior to completing his MFA, Rockwell was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based Hold Fast painting collective, an artist-run initiative dedicated to advancing contemporary figurative painting through independently organized exhibitions and critical dialogue. Between 2011 and 2014, the collective organized a series of ambitious exhibitions—including Hold Fast III: Effigy and Exile—that brought together an emerging generation of representational painters, including David Molesky, Theresa Oaxaca, Caleb Knodell, Shangkai Kevin Yu, Alex Kuno, Luke Hillestad, and Rockwell. Many of the exhibition's participants have since achieved national and international recognition for their contributions to contemporary figurative painting, underscoring Hold Fast's role as an important early platform for a new generation of realist and narrative artists. The collaborative ethos of Hold Fast reinforced Rockwell's belief in figurative painting as a vital contemporary language while establishing lasting relationships with fellow artists. In 2018, Rockwell participated in the Desierto 14 Residency in Las Margaritas, Mexico. The residency brought together an international group of artists for a period of studio practice and communal exchange, extending his engagement with contemporary figurative painting within an international context. In fiscal year 2012, Rockwell was awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant to create a series of large-scale narrative paintings inspired by the stories of families who immigrated to Minnesota during different periods of the state's history. The project supported the creation and exhibition of the paintings in Minneapolis and communities throughout Minnesota, reflecting his early engagement with history, place, and storytelling through figurative painting. Rockwell's early artistic development was shaped through his participation in the Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC) in Minneapolis from 2002 to 2004. The nationally recognized program immersed him in exhibition planning, artist residencies, curatorial practice, and contemporary art discourse during his formative years. During this time, he collaborated with visiting South African artist Robin Rhode and worked on public projects and artist-led programming, experiences that deepened his understanding of the relationship between narrative, performance, and image-making. While his exposure to contemporary art broadened his perspective, it also strengthened his commitment to the enduring possibilities of figurative painting and narrative representation. Recent exhibitions include presentations at Jon Gernon Gallery, Troy, New York; Soft Eyes Social, Brooklyn, New York; and This N' That Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as Defiant/Restraint, the inaugural juried exhibition presented by the Leather Archives & Museum in collaboration with International Mr. Leather, Chicago, Illinois.

Haneen Alkenany is a New York-based painter and New York Academy of Art CFA 2022 alumna originally from Saudi Arabia. She holds a Master's degree in Leadership and Management from Hungary and is a PhD candidate in Technology Management, focusing on the intersection of AI, creativity, and design thinking in contemporary visual art. Her paintings explore themes of memory and human experience. She has exhibited her work in New York and internationally, and has taught workshops at Soma Studio in New Jersey.

Jacqueline is a visual artist whose formal training spans multiple institutions and disciplines. They earned a BFA in Fine Art with concentrations in Drawing and Painting, alongside minors in Psychology and Metalsmithing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, graduating with Cum Laude honors. They continued their studies at Studio Incamminati and later at the New York Academy of Art, where they completed a Certificate in Fine Arts and participated in a selective undergraduate residency. Their work has been exhibited in a variety of settings, from academic showcases to artist-run spaces, live performance venues, and regional galleries. Notable appearances include exhibitions at the New York Academy of Art, Little Berlin in Philadelphia, VERSA Gallery in Chattanooga, and performances at The Slipper Room and O’Flaghtery’s in New York City. Their practice has also been featured in Pikchur Magazine.

Anna is based in New York and Washington DC. She has exhibited her work around the New York area for several years, in which she is currently examining the history of air-bombing as a weapon of war.

Sarah grew up between Seattle, Salt Lake City, and New York. Her passion for travel and new experiences are the primary source of her inspiration. She draws and paints landscapes, interiors and portraits with an eye for evocative color, abstract shapes and surrealistic narrative. She also works with graphic design and animated media and enjoys finding new ways to work with traditional techniques in a contemporary digital context.

Charis grew up in New Ulm, MN. As an arts admin, Charis has managed two galleries in New York City, worked for the New York Academy of Art, the Art Students League of New York (at their artist residency program The League Residency at Vyt), and is the manager of visual communications at Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center. As a painter, she received grant from the Huntington Arts Council in 2020, and was chosen as a Sing For Hope Piano Artist in 2016. She teaches Art History at Farmingdale State College NY, and Bethany Lutheran College, MN. Charis lives on Long Island, NY with her husband, cats, and delusions of completing to-do lists.