James Henkel lives and works in Asheville and Penland, NC. His work is in numerous collections including, SFMOMA, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. His photographic work has been exhibited in national and international venues, including St. Petersburg Russia, Teheran Museum of Contemporary Art, Anji China, SFMOMA, Pace MacGill Gallery, NY, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Henkel has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Bush Foundation. He has participated in artist residencies in Paris, FR and at Light Work, Syracuse NY. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of MN.