vivian beer
21 Dow Street
Manchester NH 03101
(845) 239-2729
vb@vivianbeer.com
education
2004 M.F.A. Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI Major: Metalsmithing.
2000 B.F.A. Maine College of Art, Portland, ME Major: Sculpture. Graduated with honors
teaching experience
2011 Masters Class, SUNY Purchase College, Purchase NY
-in conjunction with a semester long Windgate residency
2011 Concentration taught, Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC, Iron Studio, “Metal Furniture”
2011-2012 Hot sheet forming and Basic Forging, Center For Metal Arts, Florida NY (periodic workshops)
2009, 2010 Workshop taught, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO, Sculpture Studio, “Metal Furniture=Domestic Object/Art Object”
2009 Concentration taught, Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC, Iron Studio, “Metal Furniture”
2009 Workshop taught, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ, Iron Studio, “Hot Sheet Forming: Planning and Practice”
2008 Visiting artist, School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
-holding 4 workshops to guide the Visual Arts Program students in developing public art proposals/models for the Thomas Kenan Institute for the Arts. This was a follow up from a lecture and one day workshop in conjunction with the Kenan Institute and The Penland School of Craft.
2008 Workshop taught, Purchase College, Purchase, NY, Sculpture Studio, Pre-Conference chair workshop for the 2008 Furniture Society Conference “State of the Craft”
2007 Workshop taught, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, Iron Studio, “Hot Sheet Forming: Planning and Practice”
2007 Workshop taught, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ, Iron Studio, “Techniques for Sculpture”
2007 Visiting lecture, Penland School of Craft, Core Fellows Program, Penland, NC
-holding 8 weekly meetings centering on professional preparation for the Penland Core Fellows. I developed the plan, handouts, and ran discussions. The meetings culminated in written artist statements, a public presentation by each Fellow of their work and a group critique of the work they were producing in their studio workshops.
2006 Workshop taught, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ, Iron Studio, “Hot Sheet Forming: Planning & Practice”
2006 Workshop taught, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ, Wood Studio, “Furniture Design”
2004 Technical Assistant, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Deer Isle, ME
2000 Core Teaching Assistant, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
1999-2000 Teaching Assistant, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
1999-2000 Summer Blacksmithing Assistant, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ
work experience
2005-current Owner-Operator, Vivian Beer Studio Works
2011-current Board Member, Furniture Society, Asheville NC
2009-2010 CNC Router Operator/Fabricator, Gigunda Group, Manchester, NH -As a fabricator, responsibilities included reading blueprints, steel, aluminum, stainless, wood and plastics assembly, fabrication and forming. As CNC operator, responsibilities included tool maintenance, material handling, tool pathing and use of AlphaCam software. Cutting, organizing and coordinating with design and fabrication teams for all parts cut. This was part of a shop run by Gigunda Group advertising company, a one off digital design and production facility working for major brands such as, Pepsi, Tide, Duracell, and Charmin.
2004-2005 Program Assistant, Center For Metal Arts, Florida, NY -A part time position organizing classes for a small school in NY that addresses modern and traditional techniques within the material of metal.
2004-2005 Designer/Project Manager, Fine Arcatectural Metlsmiths, Florida, NY -Responsibilities included; negotiating with clients, photo documentation of process, design ideation, sample development, scale and concept drawings, outsourcing materials, co-coordinating with shop employees and fabrication of select elements.
2002-2004 Woodshop Technician, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI -Responsible for safety, assistance and instruction on tools including: table saw, band saw, wood lathe, joiner, planer, panel saw, drill press, scroll saw, sanders and basic hand tools.
2003 Studio Assistant, Gary S. Griffin, Bloomfield Hills,MI
-Responsibilities included developing tooling for hydraulic press and 50# power hammer, forging, grinding and filing on various projects.
2001-2002 Blacksmith/Fabricator, Fine Architectural Metalsmiths, Florida, NY -Completed a number of large scale railings and lighting fixtures, worked from blueprint designs, created speculative samples, and used tools including, mig-welder, hydraulic sheer, break, 100# Khune air hammer, metal lathe, trettle-hammer, gas forge, iron-worker, horizontal band saw, plasma cutter and numerous hand tools for traditional techniques.
1999-2000 Metalshop Technician, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME -Work-study position in charge of maintenance and safety in the metal fabrication/casting facilities in MECA’s sculpture department.
1997-2000 Gallery Guard, Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, ME. -A work-study position responsible for the protection of work in the gallery and assistance in instillation and openings.
1997 Artist Assistant, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Portland, ME -Assisted in the instillation of Flow Thru Out, a public percent-for-art project for the city of Portland.
panels and lectures
2011 Lecture, SOFA Chicago, Chicago IL
2011 Visiting Artist/Lecture, University of The Arts, Philadelphia PA
2011 “Making” Symposium, Purchase College, Purchase NY
-co-organized with Dennis Fitzgerald to conclude my Windgate residency at Purchase College and solo show
2011 Visiting Artist/Lecture, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis MN
2011 Visiting Artist/Lecture, University of NH, Durham, NH
2011 Chair Design Symposium, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville FL
2010 Visiting Artist/Lecture, Kendall College, Grand Rapids, MI
2010 Panel Discussion: Furniture Forward, Furniture Society Conference “Fusions: Mind+Hand,” MIT, Cambridge, MA
2009 “Uncommonly good materials” Windgate Artist in Residency Salon. Purchase College, Purchase, NY
-an opportunity for a small group of invited makers and thinkers to come together and share ideas around the opportunities presented by overlooked or underutilized materials, celebrating the opening of ‘Corrugated,’ an exhibition of resident artist Brian Gladwell.
2009 Artist Lecture, in conjunction with “Vivian Beer: A Colorful Tide” 1912 Gallery, Emory & Henry College, Emory, VA.
2009 Makers Convening Discussion, ACC Conference “Creating a New Craft Culture,” Minneapolis, MN -an invitational discussion group intended to create a platform for ongoing dialogue in the Craft field.
2008 Panel Discussion: Making Chairs, Furniture Society Conference “State of the Craft,” Purchase College, Purchase, NY
2007 Visiting Artist/Lecture, in conjunction with “Anthromorph” The Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME
2006 Artist Lecture, Furniture Society Conference, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN
2006 Critical Discourse Panel, M06: Manifestoes for the next generation, Furniture Society Conference, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN -part of a year long project in which participants wrote, presented and discussed manifestoes for the future of makers.
scholarships and awards
2010 The Belvedere Fund, Portland, ME
2007 Full tuition scholarship, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO
2007 The Ruth Chenven Foundation Grant, Takoma Park, MD
2006 The Furniture Society Educational Grant, Ashville, NC
2004 Honorable Mention, Horizon Awards, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
2003-2004 De Salle Merit Scholarship, Cranbrook Academy of Art
2003 Stuart W. Thompson Fellowship, a tuition scholarship for Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME
2003 General Work-Study Scholarship, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC
2003 Full Tuition Scholarship, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ
1996-2000 Dean’s List, Maine College of Art
1996-2000 Half-Tuition Portfolio Scholarship, Maine College of Art
2000 Writing across the curriculum award, Maine College of Art
1999 The Christine Woelfle Endowed Memorial Scholarship, Maine College of Art
1999 All American Scholar Collegiate Award
1998 Susan Stinson Memorial Scholarship
1997-1998 Ellsworth Visual Arts Scholarship
residencies
2011 Wingate Artist Residency, Purchase College, Purchase NY
2005-2008 Resident Artist, Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC.
2007 Workshop attended, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass Village, CO, Jesus Moralos, “Public Sculpture and Model Making”
2003 Workshop attended, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC. Peter Peribon, “Object of Desire”furniture design
2003 Workshop attended, Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME Chris Darway, “Mechanisms”
2003 Workshop attended, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ Peter Ross, “Forging a Traditional English Bracket”
2003 Workshop attended, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ James Viste, “Damascus over the edge”
2000-2001 Associate Residency, Peters Valley Craft Education Center, Layton, NJ
publications
2011 “Curves Ahead” pub: American Craft, July/Aug 2011.
2011(written) “Wharton Esherick and the Hunt” pub: Furniture Matters, Feb. 2011
2011 Maine Home and Design, (April. 2011), pg 80.
2011 “Datebook: Galleries” American Style, (Fall. 2011), pg 74.
2010 Minneapolis College of Art and Design (2009). Studio Furniture: The Next Generation (pages, 7, 16, 17). Exhibition catalogue. Minneapolis, MN.
2009 Patrick, J (ed) (Sep. 13, 2009). The Colorful Tide,. Bristol Herald Courier.
2009 WNC Magazine June 2009. (pg. 129)
2009 Interior Design (2009). Spring Market Tabloid 2009. (pg. 26)
2009 Hill, L. (Jan.1-Jan.8, 2009). First Friday Focus, Wexler Gallery. Philadelphia City Paper.
2008 Interior Design (2008). Spring Market Tabloid 2008. (pg. 36)
2008 Osborn, J. (Sep. 11, 2008). The Sculptor’s Hand. The Ellsworth American.
2008 500 Chairs, Celebrating Traditional and Innovative Design(pp. 143, 172, 270) Lark Books, Asheville NC.
2008 Design NET (2008). April issue. Design Mag. Published bi-monthly in Korea featuring ‘The Seat’ exhibition.Vivian Beer 2011 (pg. 6 of 9)
2008 Interiors (2008). April issue. Interior Design Mag. Published bi-monthly in Korea featuring ‘The Seat’ exhibition.
2008 Furniture Journal (2008). May issue. Design Mag. Published bi-monthly in Korea featuring ‘The Seat’ exhibition.
2008 MARU (2008). May issue. Design Mag. Published bi-monthly in Korea featuring ‘The Seat’ exhibition.
2008 Seoul Art Guide (2008). April. Art information Mag. Published bi-monthly in Korea featuring ‘The Seat’ exhibition.
2007 “American Style Emerging Artists 2007: Catching Fire”, American Style, (Aug. 2007), pg53.
2007 Cover. In Kelsey, J. (Ed.), Furniture Studio 5: The Meaning of Craft. The Furniture Society, Asheville, NC
2007 Introduction Gabriel Romeu (2007). The Indianapolis Manifestoes. In Kelsey, J. (Ed.), Furniture Studio 5: The Meaning of Craft (pp. 8-19). The Furniture Society, Asheville, NC
2006(written) “The same geek crowd” pub: Furniture Matters, Fall 2006
2006(written) Making New: Use, image and action, written manifesto in M06: Manifestoes for the next generation, a companion text to a Furniture Society Panel Discussion, Heron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN, June 7-10, 2006
2005 Baizerman, S. (2005). Curv-iture: a straight line is not always the shortest distance. In Kelsey, J. (Ed.), Furniture Studio 3: Furniture Makers Exploring Digital Technologies (pp. 72-85). Bethel, CT: Cambium Press.
2005 American Craft Council (2005). Portfolio Vivian Beer. American Craft, 65(2), 56.
2005 Bennett, L. (Oct, 5th, 2005). The mind bends as it follows the contoured furnishings at an exhibit at the Florida Craftsmen Gallery. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved Novemeber, 11th, 2005, from http://www.sptimes.com/ 2005/10/06/Floridian/Fluid_form.shtml.
2004 The Furniture Society (2004). Vivian Beer. In The Furniture Society (Eds.), Curv-iture: Studio furniture celebrates the curve (p. 18). Exhibition catalogue. Asheville, NC.
public art and commissions
2008 Winslow Park, Portland, ME. including Rustle Diptych II (site of sound series no. 5), stainless steel, automotive paint and granite (size each 24”l x 42”w x144”h) and Cloud Couch, steel and automotive paint (134”l x 20”w x41”h)
-This was a project for commissioned by the city of Portland, ME. It is a permanent public art piece in Winslow Park.
2008 Commission, Entry way desk for the Goldenbelt building, Durham, NC.
collections
2009 Red Rocker, (31” l x 21” w x 28” h) steel and automotive paint. In the collection of the Fuller Craft Museum.
2008 Spine, (35”l x 29.5”w x 28”h) stainless steel. In the collection of the National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, TN.
2007 Rustle II, (24”l x 21”w x102”h) steel and automotive paint. In the collection of Dana and Rick Davis.
2004 Scion, (25”x23”x26”) steel. In the collection of Robert Pfannebecker.
solo exhibitions
2011 Vivian Beer: Infrastructure, Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2011 Vivian Beer: Process, Aurthur M. Berger Gallery, Manhattinville College, Purchase, NY.
2011 Vivian Beer: Industrial Glamour, Courthouse Gallery Fine Art, Ellsworth ME.
2009 Vivian Beer: A Colorful Tide, 1912 Gallery, Emory & Henry College, Emory, VA.
group exhibitions
2012(upcoming)40 Under 40:Craft Futures, Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC
2011-2012 Dubh:Dialogues in Black, Irish American Historical Socity, New York NY & Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin Ireland
2011 The Art of Seating: 200 years of American Design, Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville FL. Figg Art Museum, Davenport IA. Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, Montgomery AL. (traveling for the next 3 years)
2011 30th Anniversary Show, Pritam & Eames, East Hampton NY
2011 Furniture Divas, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA
2011 SOFA New York, Wexler Gallery, New York, NY
2011 SOFA Chicago, Wexler Gallery, Chicago, IL
2010 Seating: Chairs, Benches, Stools, Pritam and Eames, East Hampton NY
2010 Perschalla Memorial Scholarship Furniture Exhibition, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge MA
2010 Sitting Pretty. The Garden Bench as Sculpture, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge MA
2010 Different Lines” Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA
2010 Furniture From the Permanent Collection, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA
2010 Studio Furniture: The Next Generation, MCAD Gallery, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN. The 7th Floor Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI. Marsh Gallery, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IL.
2010 Art Palm Beach, William Zimmer Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY.
2007-2009 SOFA Chicago, William Zimmer Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008, 2009 Palm Beach 3, William Zimmer Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL
2009 Focus on Furniture, Handmade in America, Asheville, NC.
2009 Are Chairs Just for Sitting? The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design. Hendersonville, NC.
2009 The Next Iconoclasts, The Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Portland, OR.
2009 New Works, The Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
2008 Past and Present, Barton Art Galleries, Tarboro, NC.
2008 Possibilities: six rising stars of contemporary craft in North Carolina, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.
2008 Blue Ridge Residencies, The Center for Craft Creativity and Design, Hendersonville, NC
2008 New x 3, Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC
2007-2008 Functional + Extraordinary, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA.
2007-2008 New/Now: 10 makers for the new millennium, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
2007 Anthromorph, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME
2007 The Power of Red, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC
2007 Exterior, Hodges Taylor Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2007 Searchlight Artist, an invitational group show hosted by the American Craft Council at the Baltimore ACC show, Baltimore, MD
2007 Via Penland, Rebus Works Gallery, Raligh, NC
2006 Critical Mass: Metalsmithing at Cranbrook under Gary Griffin, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
2006 Penland Resident Artist Exhibition, The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, Hendersonville, NC.
2005 New Work from the Barns, Penland Gallery, Penland, NC.
2005 Penland School of Craft; Mind, Hands, Materials, The Upstairs Gallery, Tryon, NC.
2005 Designed for Multiple, a group show hosted by Furniture Society at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, the Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY.
2005 CRANBROOK TO LANCASTER AND BACK: Contemporary Works in Clay, Fiber and Metal from the Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection, Network Gallery at Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
2004 SOFA New York, The Museum of Art and Design: Horizon Awards, New York, NY.
2004-2005 Curv-iture: Studio Furniture Celebrates the Curve, Red Gallery, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA. The Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory, NC. The Gallery of Art and Design, North Carolina State University, Releigh, NC. Florida Craftsmen, St.
Petersburg, FL. Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX.
2004 M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
2004 Seating Arrangements, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI and 4731 Gallery, Detroit, MI
2003 Metals 2003, Space 237, Toledo, OH
2003 SNAG 2003: Making it in Metal, Annual Juried Student Exhibition and Slide Show, San Francisco, CA
2003 Seating Arrangements, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI and Tangent Gallery, Detroit, MI
2000 X-Change, Wayne State University Community Arts Gallery, Detroit, MI
2000 “Senior Thesis Show,” Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, ME
gallery representation
current Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA.
current Penland Gallery, Penland, NC
current Courthouse Gallery, Ellsworth, ME
current William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, CA
