Selected Publications and Honors

• Watercolor Honor Society Lifetime Achievement Award, 2018
• Lifetime ACE Award, 2017, 40North/Champaign County Arts Council, Champaign/Urbana, IL
• Airstream Life, Winter 2023: cover illustration
• Airstream Life, Summer 2021: group article
• Watercolor Artist Magazine, February 2020: “A Sense of the Truth”
• Airstream Life, Winter 2019: cover illustration
• Watercolor Artist Magazine, October 2018: “Lifetime Achievement in Watercolor, Dean Mitchell and Don Lake”
• Airstream Life, Fall 2014: cover illustration
• Industrial Cities Initiative, Susan Longworth, editor; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 2014: cover and six interior illustrations
• Watercolor Artist Magazine, February 2014: “The Best Watermedia Paintings of 2013,” by Jessica Canterbury
• Airstream Life, Summer 2013: cover illustration
• United States Department of State, Art in Embassies Program
  – United States Embassy in Kampala, Uganda 1992–1995
  – United States Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan 2008–2011
  – United States Embassy in Niamey, Niger 2018–2021
• Watercolor USA Honor Society Millennium Book Project, 2000, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• New American Paintings, August 1998: “Donald Lake”
• Art and Antiques, January 1998: “Openings: Outsiders Obsessions”
• Louis Post-Dispatch, February 22, 1998: “A Fantastic Play of Light Informs the Watercolors of Donald Lake”
• American Artist Watercolor 94 Fall Issue: “Mystery and Symbolism in Urban Scenes”
• The Artist’s Magazine, September 1992: “Award Winning Watercolors. Watercolor USA: Donald K. Lake,” by Bebe Raupe
• Watercolor Expressions, Rockport Publishers, 1999
• The New Spirit of Watercolor, by Mike Ward. North Light Books, 1989
• Commissioned Paintings for Illinois Capital Development Board Art-In-Architecture Program, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001
• Commissioned Paintings for Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 2002–2003
• Member, Watercolor USA Honor Society
  • Board Member 1997–2000
  • Served as Treasurer 1989–92
  • Chaired panel entitled “Issues and Attitudes in Contemporary Watercolor” at WHS National Symposium, Salt Lake City, UT, 1993
  • Chaired panel entitled “Views on Constructive Criticism” at WHS National Conference, Springfield, MO, 1997
• NISOD Award for Teaching Excellence, 1997 (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, University of Texas, Austin)
• Illinois Arts Council Artists Fellowship Finalist Award for 2001
• Judge for numerous state, regional, and national juried exhibits

Selected Exhibitions (Solo)

• 2024 Farms, Factories, and Favorite Places: Don Lake Watercolors 2017–2024, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL
• 2020 Midwest/Southwest: Industrial and Landscape Watercolors by Don Lake, Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2019 Don Lake: Watercolor Retrospective, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
• 2016 Cross Section: Don Lake Drawings and Watercolors, Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2014 On Second Thought: Vintage Watercolors, Drawings and Prints by Don Lake, Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2013 Don Lake Watercolors: Travels and Trailers. McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL
• 2011 Strands: Don Lake Watercolors. Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2009 Far-Flung Places: Don Lake Watercolors. Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2007 Don Lake: Recent Watercolors. Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• 2004 Donald Lake, Miriam Lake. Watercolors and Painted Objects. Bicentennial Art Center and Museum, Paris, IL
• 2002 Donald Lake: Recent Works. Richland College, Decatur, IL
• 2000 Donald Lake: Recent Watercolors. Rend Lake College, Ina, IL
• 1998 Donald Lake: Watercolors. Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, St. Louis, MO
• 1992 Don Lake: Recent Watercolors. Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, IL
• 1989 Don Lake: Watercolors and Drawings. Parkland College Art Gallery, Champaign, IL

Selected Exhibitions (Group and Invitational)

2024

• Watercolor NOW 2024, Downing Museum and Baker Arboretum, Bowling Green, KY
• Route 66, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL

2022

• Watercolor USA, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor NOW 2020, Birger Sandzen Memorial Museum, Lindsborg, KS

2019

• Watercolor NOW 2019, Margaret Harwell Art Museum, Poplar Bluffs, MO

2018

• Watercolor NOW 2018, Margaret Harwell Art Museum, Poplar Bluffs, MO
• Ten Ways With Watercolor, Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
• Watercolor USA 2018, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
  (24 Watercolor USA exhibits, 12 awards 1977–2018)

2017

• Airstream Fine Art Invitational, Airstream, Jackson Center, OH

2016

• Airstream Fine Art Invitational, Airstream, Jackson Center, OH

2015

• Watercolor NOW 2015, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO

2014

• 20th Biennial Watercolor/Drawing Illinois, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, Ronchetti Art Acquisition Endowment Purchase Award
• Watercolor NOW 2014, Culver-Stockton College, Canton, MO
• Ecovisions, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL

2013

• Watercolor USA 2013, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• 19th Biennial Watercolor/Drawing Illinois, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL

2012

• Watercolor USA 2012, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor NOW 2012, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO

2011

• Watercolor USA 2011, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor USA Honor Society Small Works Exhibition, Brick City Gallery, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor NOW 2011, Slater Memorial Park Gallery, Pawtucket, RI
• 18th Biennial Watercolor/Drawing Illinois, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL

2010

• Watercolor USA 2010, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Potomac Valley Watercolorists Award

2009

• Art of Emprise, Couts Art Museum, El Dorado, KS

2008

• Watercolor USA, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor NOW 2008, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
• Art of Emprise, Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS
• Old Dogs Redux, Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL

2007

• Watercolor/Drawing Illinois 16th Biennial, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, Barbara Bishop Werden Best Traditional Watercolor Award
• Biennial Watercolor Invitational, Parkland College Art Gallery, Champaign, IL
• Midwest Art Exhibition, Birger Sandzen Gallery, Bethany College, Lindsborg, KS

2006

• Watercolor NOW 2006, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
• Watercolor Invitational, Park Central Gallery, Springfield, MO

2005

• 10 Illinois Artists: A Watercolor Invitational, University Art Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
• Watercolor Illinois, Tarble Arts Center, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, Barbara Bishop Werden Best Traditional Watercolor Award

2003

• State of the Art 2003, Siena Heights University, MI, and Parkland College Art Gallery, Champaign, IL
• Watercolor NOW 2003, Springfield Art Museum, MO
• Here and Now, Art From Greater Champaign-Urbana, Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2001

• Watercolor USA 2001. Springfield Art Museum, MO, Purchase for Museum Collection in honor of Payne Stewart
• Watercolor Illinois. Tarble Arts Center, EIU, Charleston IL, Best of Show purchase for Tarble Arts Center Collection

2000

• Watermedia 2000. Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL

1997

• Twenty-First Annual National Invitational Drawing Exhibition, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS
• Gallery Artists, Elliot Smith Contemporary Art, St. Louis, MO
• Watercolor NOW, Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO

1996

• Midwestern Romanticism. Springfield Art Association, IL, and traveling to:
  • Freeport Art Museum, IL
  • Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria, IL
  • Sioux City Art Center, IA
  • Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
  • Gahlberg Gallery, Arts Center, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL (1997)

1995

• Art Chicago at Navy Pier, represented by Struve Gallery
• Watercolor NOW, Knoxville Museum of Art (previous Watercolor NOW exhibits 1987–1993)

1994

• Art and the Law. West Publishing Corporation, Purchase, traveling to five venues in United States, 1994–95
• Rural Realism. Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, IL

1993

• Gallery Artists: New Works. Struve Gallery, Chicago, IL
• National Invitational: Watercolor Artists in Academia. Texas Women’s University, Denton, TX

1992

• A View From Here: Heartland Landscape Painters. McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL
• New Horizons in Art, Chicago, IL (also 1990, award both years)
• Midwest Landscape Painters. Rahr-West Museum, Manitowoc, WI
• Illinois Prairie Views. Artworks Gallery, Peoria, IL

1991

• State of the Art, National Watercolor Invitational. Parkland College Art Gallery, Champaign, IL (Also 1989)
• Illinois Landscapes: Large and Small. Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, IL

1990

• Landscapes: Rural and Urban. Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, IL

1989

• Watercolor Illinois, Seventh Biennial (Also 1983, 1981, 1979)

1988

• Aqueous 88. The Kentucky Museum, Bowling Green, KY (also Aqueous 86)

1987

• American Watercolor. Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan (Republic of China)
• American Watercolor. Chateau de Tours, Tours, France
• Realism Today. Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences, Evansville, IN

1986

• Mid America Biennial. Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts, Owensboro, KY
• 45th National Competition. Watercolor Society of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
• Watercolor National Invitational. North Texas State University, Denton, TX

1985–1975

• Numerous regional and national shows

A select list of public and private collections is available here.