EDUCATION
2003-06 Metropolitan Community College- Omaha, NE | Liberal Arts and Sculpture Welding
1994-96 Kansas City Art Institute- Kansas City, MO | Sculpture, Design and Illustration
SOLO & DUO EXHIBITIONS
2024 On Islands, solo exhibition, BFF Gallery, Benson Art District- Omaha, NE
2021 Fiber Position, solo exhibition, The Little Gallery Blackstone- Omaha, NE
2020 Makes know Since, solo exhibition, Mayflower Mobile Gallery- Benson District in Omaha, NE
2011 Solo exhibition, Silver of Oz- Omaha, NE
2010 Travis Apel Sculpture, solo exhibition, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
2008 Duo exhibition, North Missouri Arts Council (featured with William Crager)- Marceline, MO
2007 Duo exhibition, Fred Simon Gallery (featured with Inna Novikova)- Omaha, NE
GROUP & JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2022 TRANSDIGITAL_SENSORS, multidisciplinary installation, Mayflower Mobile Gallery- Omaha, NE
Salina Biennial, juried by Tyler Blackwell, Salina Arts Center- Salina, KS
ArtelatinX Biennial, juried by Nancy Friedmann-Sanchez, Gallery 1516- Omaha, NE
2021 El Museo Latino Invitational, El Museo Latino- South Omaha, NE
2020 Ebb, Flow, Alternate Currents Working Group, Generator Space- Omaha, NE
#wip Fellowship Exhibition, Petshops Gallery- Omaha, NE
2019 Project Rebirth, Group Exhibition, Cali Commons- Omaha, NE
Connections, Group Pop-up Exhibition, Populus- Omaha, NE
Nebraska Artist Biennial, Gallery 1516- Omaha, NE
Art of the Chair, Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture- Omaha, NE
Erotica Art Show, Group Exhibition, Warlock Gallery- Omaha, NE
2018 Old Dog / Young Pups Group Exhibition, Nicholas Gallery Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
Inspirations of Water: A Floating Artist Program, Hot Shops Arts Center- Omaha, NE
2017 Artist-in Residence Exhibition, El Museo Latino- Omaha, NE
2016 Science Future, Trio exhibition curated by Alex Priest, Michael Phipps Gallery- Omaha, NE
Bemis Benefit, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art- Omaha, NE
2015 Bemis Benefit, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art-Omaha, NE
Friends of UNO ArtSlam+ Bancroft Art Gallery, Omaha, NE
RiverWalk Exhibition- Yankton, SD
2014 2014 Survey: Omaha Artists, Michael Phipps Gallery- Omaha, NE
Converging Matrices, Kimmel Harding Nelson Arts Center- Nebraska City, NE
Triad, Gallery 92 West- Fremont, NE
Unraveled, A Visual Response to RavelUnravel, A Traveling Art Exhibit- Omaha, NE
2013 Journey to Wholeness, Kent Bellows Studio and Center for Visual Arts- Omaha, NE
Envisioning Spirituality, Juried Exhibition, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
2012 Exploration in a Decade of Sculpture, Norfolk Art Center- Norfolk, NE
BARE: naked truth, Artists’ Cooperative Gallery- Omaha, NE
2009 Group exhibition, Dining Out for the Arts- Council Bluffs, IA
Juried exhibition, Art & Soup- Omaha, NE
Juried exhibition, Omaha Summer Wine Festival- Omaha, NE
2008 Trio exhibition, Columbus Art Association- Columbus, NE
All Member Exhibition, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art- St. Joseph, MO
2007 Juried exhibition, Lincoln Arts Festival, South Pointe Pavilion- Lincoln, NE
Group exhibition, Louisville Art Gallery- Louisville, NE
2006 Art on the Pointe, Village Pointe- Omaha, NE
BarkerArt Alumni Exhibition, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
Cambridge Art Association National Prize Show, juried by Cheryl Brutvan- Cambridge, MA
2005 Resident's exhibition, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
2003 Open House exhibition, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
HONORS
2020 Alternate Currents Working Group, Amplify Arts- Omaha, NE
Artist-in-Residence, Mayflower Mobile Gallery- Benson District in Omaha, NE
Art on the Campus, People’s Choice Award for The Sacrifice- West Des Moines, IA
Art on the Campus, Honorarium- West Des Moines, IA
2019 Work in Progress Fellow, Amplify Arts- Omaha, NE
2018 Artist-in-Residence, Mary Our Queen Catholic Church and School, Omaha, NE
2017 Artist-in-Residence, El Museo Latino, Omaha, NE
2016 Artist-in-Residence, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts- Nebraska City, NE
2015 Finalist, Friends of UNO ArtSlam+ Omaha, NE
RiverWalk, Honorarium- Yankton, SD
2014 Artist INC Omaha, Omaha Creative Institute with Mid-America Arts Alliance- Omaha, NE
2009 People’s Choice Award, Art & Soup- Omaha, NE
2007 Patrons Award, Lincoln, NE- Lincoln Arts Festival
2005 Artist-in-Residence, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
2001 2nd Prize, Regency Fine Art- Norcross, GA
1994 Missouri Silver Scholarship, Kansas City Art Institute- Kansas City, MO
PRESENTATIONS / LECTURE
2020 Makes Know Since, virtual exhibition talk, Mayflower Mobile Gallery- Benson District in Omaha, NE
2019 Understanding Sculpture, Metropolitan Community College- Omaha, NE
2018 Arts Community, Hot Shops Art Center- Omaha, NE
2016 Studio Artist Talk, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts- Nebraska City, NE
2015 ArtSlam+ Presentation, Bancroft Art Gallery- Omaha, NE
2014 Pecha Kucha, Omaha Creative Institute- Omaha, NE
2010 Plastic Casting Workshop, Kent Bellows Studio and Center for the Visual Arts- Omaha, NE
VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
2020 Interview with Allegra Hangen- Omaha, NE
2018 Research and Development Planning / Prototyping, Omaha Permaculture- Omaha, NE
2014 Flock House with Mary Mattingly, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts- Omaha, NE
2003 Baldwin Plesiosaur Excavation, UNL Roadside Paleontology Department- Center, Nebraska
PRESS
2021 Earth Matters, exhibition review, The Reader- Omaha, NE
2020 Makes Know Since, project preview, The Reader- Omaha, NE
Artists In Progress, #wip exhibition review, The Reader- Omaha, NE
2018 Old Dog/Young Pups, The Reader, preview-Omaha, NE
2017 Artists Doing Studio Residency, El Perico, Leo Adam Biga, Omaha, NE
2016 Shape of Things to Come, The Reader, review by Melinda Kozel- Omaha, NE
Apel's Work on Display at KHN, Nebraska City News Press, Nebraska City, NE
2014 Triad, Fremont Tribune, Preview by Chris Bristol- Fremont, NE
2012 BARE: naked truth, KVNO, Preview by Sally Deskins- Omaha, NE
Les Femme Folles- Interview with Sally Deskins- Omaha, NE
Co-Op Opts For Provocation, Review by Sally Deskins for BARE: naked truth- Omaha, NE
2010 Picks of the Week, The Reader- Omaha, NE
2008 Art Beat News Letter- Brief ad for trio exhibition at Columbus Art Council- Columbus, NE
Linn County Leader- Front page article introducing featured artist- Marceline, MO
ArtBUZZ.org- promoted as an annual featured artist- Seminole, FL
2007 KVNO 90.7 FM Radio- Interview to support and advertise duo exhibition
Intriguing Inspirations, The Reader, review by Sally Deskins- Omaha, NE