Rate My Professor Jason Bly

Jason Bly is an Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing in the Art Department within the Juanita and Ralph Harvey School of Visual Arts at Midwestern State University, where he has been teaching since August 2017. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2007, a Master of Arts in painting and printmaking from Eastern Illinois University in 2004, a Bachelor of Arts from the same institution in 2003, and an Associate of Arts from Benedictine University at Springfield in 2001. Prior to his current position, Bly served as a Full Time Instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 2009 to 2017, Instructor at Lewis and Clark Community College from 2008 to 2017, Instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 2007 to 2009, and held instructor roles at Benedictine University in Springfield and Blackburn College. His previous teaching experience underscores his commitment to art education across multiple institutions.

Bly's oil paintings investigate the connections between technology, simulation, and everyday experience, utilizing traditional methods to replicate graphic design aesthetics alongside hyper-realistic life objects, often incorporating trompe l'oeil techniques and themes from 1950s-1990s scientific forecasts, science fiction, clean energy, political tensions, and pop culture. He has garnered recognition through numerous exhibitions, including solo shows such as 'The Behavior of a Linear Autonomous System' at Midwestern State University (2022), 'Solo Solo Presents: Jason Bly' at Artspace 111 in Fort Worth (2022), 'Checks and Balances' at Leslie Powell Foundation Gallery (2019), and 'Retro / Future' at Lincoln Land Community College (2016). Juried exhibitions feature works in the 38th Annual Northern National Art Competition (2025), A Sense of Place 2024 at Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Raygun Gothic at Manifest Gallery (2021), and the Irene Rosenzweig Biennial where he won second place for 'Norepinephrine' (2023). Awards include Top Prize at the 8th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition (2021) and the Chancellor's Council Distinguished Teaching & Research Award (2026). His work appears in the International Painting Annual 10 (2021, Manifest Gallery). Bly serves on the board of the Texas Association of Schools of Art and has juried exhibitions like Art St. Louis XXXV.