I am interested in ideas of fragility and transience and how these states exist in the architecture of the public and private spaces in which we live. I am inspired by our mental and physical experiences of spaces and buildings as we move through them and/or they change over time. In many ways I see buildings and structures as surrogates for ourselves and use them to investigate and illustrate our human frailties.
Recently I have been playing with these ideas through the creation of paper constructions, which exist as sculptures and installations, or, more recently, act as characters in public art events. The events generally require assistance and often inspire interaction by the public, thus allowing me to create a communal art experience. As the constructions are invariably destroyed in the events, the remaining work consists of the photographs, videos and memory of the event, further emphasizing the importance and validity of ephemeral experiences.
But ultimately I am most driven by a sense of wonder and play.
stephanie at stephaniebeck.org
AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES
2012 Emergency Grant, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York, NY
The Center for Book Arts, New York, NY (January - December)
2011 Triangle Arts Association, Brooklyn, NY (June - December)
ART342, Fort Collins, CO (January - April)
2010 Caravansarai, Istanbul Turkey (October)
2009 Nominated to apply for Lewis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant
2007 Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant, New York, NY
Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Violet Oakley Memorial Prize
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
H.V. Hawley Award for Excellence, Juror: Alex Baker
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC EVENTS
2011 Art Intervention: Fort Collins "Runoff: Cache la Poudre river project," Fort Collins, CO
2010 Art Intervention: Istanbul “Transfer (Crossing the Haliç),” Istanbul, Turkey
"Cut Paper Sculpture," Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA
2009 "Spatial Delineations," Rebekah Templeton Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2013 April 19 - June 29: Center for Book Arts' Artists in Residence Exhibition, New York, NY
April 26 - June 30: "X-scapes", Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
May 11 - September 8: "The Architecture of an Idea: Illustrations and Concepts", Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI
May 18 - October: "Fifth International Artists' Book Exhibitions, King St. Stephen Museum, Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
"Are We Where Yet," AIR Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2012 "Architectures de papier," Cite de l'architeture et du patrimoine, Paris, France October 2012 - March 2013
"Brooklyn Utopias," Old Stone House, Brooklyn, NY April 5 - June 24
"American Dream," Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI
2011 "Mind the Gap," IMC 5533, Istanbul, Turkey
"nowHere territories," Triangle Workshop, Brooklyn, NY
"More is More," Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY
"Exposed," Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, VT
"Parenthesis: ART342 Spring 2011 Residents," Fort Collins Museum of Art, Fort Collins, CO
2010 "Constructed Territory,” Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
2009 "Language of Line," New Wilmington Art Association, Wilmington, DE
"Young Artists, Old Fools,” Caroline Dunlop Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2008 "A Sense of Place," Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA
"Paper Airplane," Paperworks Gallery, Baltimore, MD
"Joan Mitchell 2007 MFA Grant Recipients," CUE Art Foundation, New York, NY
2007 "Street Buttons," Fleisher-Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
"A Brief History of the Near Future," BlinkArt Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
"Loggerhythms," Topstitch, Philadelphia, PA
"Emerging Artists Exhibition," Grace and Joseph Gorevin Gallery, Cabrini College, Radnor, PA
"The Reality Show," Little Berlin Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
"Naked Paper," Tower Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Woodmere Art Museum 67th Annual Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA,
Juror: Polly Apfelbaum 2007
2006 "Connective Tissue," School District Building, Philadelphia, PA
ARTIST REGISTRY
2010 The Drawing Center, New York, NY
PUBLICATIONS
2013 Geo Graphic, Index Book, Barcelona, Spain http://www.indexbook.com/libro/geo-graphic-1468/
2012 Wang Shaoqiang, auth., ed., Paper Works, Design 360, Sandu Publishing, Guangzhou, China
http://www.sandu360.com/design360en/publicationshow_en.php?id=77
2011 Ana Ibarra. “Stephanie Beck: Movement through Space.” Elephant Magazine, Fall 2011: p 38 – 40.
Online interview for Art Re-Source http://stevegray.com.au/blog/stephanie-beck-artist/
2009 Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center, International Drawing Annual, Cincinnati:
Manifest Press, 2009.
Harris, Allison, comp., Dolphin Tavern Book Project, Philadelphia: Leeway Foundation, 2009.
2008 Ober, Cara, comp., Paper Airplane, Baltimore, MD, 2008.
REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS
2013 Photo Op mini interview: http://pastpresentfuture.photo-op.it/
2012 Linda Ricci, "Interview: Stephanie Beck", Handful of Salt http://www.handfulofsalt.com/profile-stephanie-beck/
2009 Edith Newhall, “Cut Paper Constructions,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 2009
www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/43171242.html
2008 Robin Rice, "Pushing Buttons," City Paper, January 2008: www.citypaper.net/articles/2008/01/10/pushing-buttons
2008 Roberta Fallon, Libby Rosof, January 2008: http://fallonandrosof.blogspot.com/2008/01/fleisher- ollmans-street-button.html
2007 Roberta Fallon, Libby Rosof, May 2007: www.fallonandrosof.blogspot.com/search/label/pafa
PUBLIC LECTURES
2013 June 14, Artists' Talk, Center for Book Arts, New York, New York
March 12, Artist's Talk, University of Wyoming
2011 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2010 Robert College, Istanbul, Turkey
2009 Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2008 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2013 University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
Visiting Artist, March 11 - 16, individual and group critiques with undergraduates
2011 -12 Individual U, New York, NY
2010 Robert College, Istanbul, Turkey October 2010
Visiting Artist, Workshop on installation art for advanced prep-school students
Delaware County Community College, Downingtown, PA
Adjunct Faculty, Drawing I
2009 Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA
Instructor, Young Artists Workshop, Figure Drawing for high school students
2008 Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Wilmington, DE
Contemporary Connections Artist, 3rd and 5th grade
Fairmount Art Center, Philadelphia, PA
Instructor, Introduction to Drawing, Introduction to Painting
2006 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Graduate Assistant, Still Life Drawing, Professor Al Gury, High School Cooperative program
Graduate Assistant, Art History Survey 101, Professor Kevin Richards
Graduate Assistant, 2-D Anatomy, Professor John Horn
Museum Drawing Instructor and Docent, lessons and tours for grades 4 - 12
2003 – 05 Brookline Adult and Community Education, Brookline, MA
Instructor, Beginning Oil Painting, Beginning Drawing and Sketching Boston Workshops
2002 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Teaching Assistant, Professor Mara Metcalf, advanced classes for high school students
EDUCATION
2007 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Master of Fine Arts
2002 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
1998 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Bachelor of Arts, Highest Distinction in Art History, member of Phi Beta Kappa
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Cite de l'architeture et du patrimoine, Paris, France
University of Virginia Library, Special Collections, Charlottesville, Virginia
Center for Book Arts, New York, New York
King St. Stephen Museum, Collection of Artist Books, Székesfehérvár, Hungary