David Arsenault was born in upstate New York, and was first captivated by art in 1970 when he discovered a reproduction of Edward Hopper’s painting “Gas” in a grade school library book. However, it wasn’t until the early ‘90s—more than twenty years later—that a professor in his graphic arts program reintroduced him to Hopper’s work and he committed to finally study painting.
The early influence had its effect on him to the degree that The Wall Street Journal once wrote that “Some of Mr. Arsenault’s paintings could pass for works by Edward Hopper.” He studied painting at the University at Albany (NY). Since he first began showing his work in 1994, David has had or participated in hundreds of local, regional, and national exhibitions: in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Vermont, Connecticut, throughout upstate New York, and in Massachusetts: Boston, Cape Ann, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and more.
Arsenault has also served as an exhibition juror, conducted painting demonstrations and critiques, and published articles including in The Artist’s Magazine. In 2014, he was featured on the PBS program A House for Arts. He is also former co-director of one of the oldest juried art associations in the United States.
He and his wife relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts in November 2014 to open a gallery of David’s work. From March of 2015 through December of 2024, The Art of David Arsenault was centrally located in the downtown art scene. David was juried into the renowned Rockport Art Association & Museum in early 2016. He recently chose to close the gallery to focus exclusively on creating new paintings.
Oil paintings, giclée prints, and reproductions of David’s colorful, light-filled creations are found in private, corporate, and museum collections across the United States and around the world. His art has also appeared on the covers of 36 books, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler’s 2025 novel, Three Days in June.
The early influence had its effect on him to the degree that The Wall Street Journal once wrote that “Some of Mr. Arsenault’s paintings could pass for works by Edward Hopper.” He studied painting at the University at Albany (NY). Since he first began showing his work in 1994, David has had or participated in hundreds of local, regional, and national exhibitions: in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Vermont, Connecticut, throughout upstate New York, and in Massachusetts: Boston, Cape Ann, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and more.
Arsenault has also served as an exhibition juror, conducted painting demonstrations and critiques, and published articles including in The Artist’s Magazine. In 2014, he was featured on the PBS program A House for Arts. He is also former co-director of one of the oldest juried art associations in the United States.
He and his wife relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts in November 2014 to open a gallery of David’s work. From March of 2015 through December of 2024, The Art of David Arsenault was centrally located in the downtown art scene. David was juried into the renowned Rockport Art Association & Museum in early 2016. He recently chose to close the gallery to focus exclusively on creating new paintings.
Oil paintings, giclée prints, and reproductions of David’s colorful, light-filled creations are found in private, corporate, and museum collections across the United States and around the world. His art has also appeared on the covers of 36 books, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Tyler’s 2025 novel, Three Days in June.
See More Art by David Arsenault
This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙Images are courtesy of the artist