SHARON ARNOLD
CURRICULUM VITAE & HISTORY
EDUCATION
2005-2006 Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Sculpture, Critical and Cultural Theory
2002-2005 Pratt Institute of Fine Arts, New York, NY
Sculpture, Printmaking, Art History
PRESENT TOPICS OF INTEREST & RESEARCH
Co-building Queer Animist Enchantment and Collective Collaborative Futures
Community Building through Resource Sharing and Conversation Using Critical and Cultural Theory as Praxis/Catalyst for Conversation
Post-Internet/Post-social media Culture, Aesthetics, & Linguistics
PAST SUBJECTS
Arts/Cultural Ecosystem; including alternative currencies, modes of exchange, new & sustained patronage, and viable art venues and spaces.
Ethical Curatorial & Exhibitions Practice, Activism, & Community Contribution
Origins and Folklore of European Symbolism of Herbs in Contemporary Smoke & Water Ritual
The Politics and Contemporary Practice of Restorative Ancestor Practices and Reconnection for European Diaspora
SELECT PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
2024
Dimensions Variable, Substack
What remains is queer, in conversation: Lauren Levato Coyne, Salvador Jiménez- Flores, Elsa Muñoz, Sharon Arnold and Ash Eliza Williams Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Queering Nature, July 2023
2023
A Journey Through Multitudes: The Sensory Divination of Sjrijon Chowdhury's Same Old Song, Essay reflecting on Srijon Chowdhury's exhibition "Same Old Song" at Frye Art Museum, Seattle WA, 2023
Cliff Notes, monthly contribution to Variable West's newsletter
2022
Cliff Notes, monthly contribution to Variable West's newsletter
That which lies beyond what is known, catalog essay for Cable Griffith's solo exhibition, We followed the trail until we disappeared at Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle WA
The Tall Grass Is The Sea; The Sea Is The Tether, Airmid's Journal, Dublin, Ireland
Flirting With The Uncontrollable: Peter Gronquist at Winston Wächter Fine Art, Seattle, Variable West
It's not just you here, feeling this way, doing that thing, dreaming that dream, PublicDisplay.Art, Seattle WA
Material and Movement: Beyond the Visible, essay for the group exhibition heavy light at Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Seattle WA
Luminous Ecosystems, catalog essay for Katy Stone's solo exhibition, Force Field at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
2021
The Whisper Calling Us Home, an independent essay in reflection of Mya Kerner's solo exhibition, These Whispers, These Tellings at Winston Wächter Fine Art Seattle WA
Forward, With Kinetic Effect and Consequence, catalog essay for Emily Gherard's solo exhibition, Not A Billboard at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
In Which What Does Not Include A Painting Of A Whale Is In Fact The Memory Of The Story Of A Whale, catalog essay for Susanna Bluhm's solo exhibition, The Monkey Rope at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Herbs + Woods + Smoke + Water, May Issue on Art, Healing, & Joy, New Archives (online)
2020
45 Acedia-driven Collections of Things, written contribution and digital collage as part of an invitation to 45 Library, curated by the 45 Library Collective: Andy Campbell, Igor Siddiqui, Juliette Cezzar, and Brendan Griffiths, online 2020
Palimpsest, Or, The Presence of Before, catalog essay for Lakshmi Muirhead's solo exhibition, There Is Always A Before, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Transformative Machines, catalog essay for Kim Van Someren's solo exhibition, The Slant of Line, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Syntactic Logic, catalog essay for Shaun Kardinal's solo exhibition, Present Tense, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
OLDER
On Loneliness, Solitude, and Shifting Histories, Temporary Art Review
Nancy Baker: Delicate Construction, Two Coats of Paint
Calvin Ross Carl’s PostInternet Confection, Two Coats of Paint
Multiple Perspectives, Singular Frame: Damien Gilley, contributor, Suyama Space, a compendium of essays and photography from 1998-2017, Edited by Beth Sellars, Suyama Space, Seattle WA
How Do We Turn Love into Money? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
What's In it For You? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Tenderness Movement column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Time for a Slow Art Movement? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Space is Where We Gather column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Immersed in Magical Realism column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Art of Crafting Perception column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Alt Art Scene: An Insider's Guide Part 2 column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Alt Art Scene: An Insider's Guide Part 1 column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Evolve or Die column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Compatible Formatting, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Hinterland, catalogue for painter Brian Cypher, studio e Gallery, Seattle, WA
Call and Response catalogue for Process and Artifacts: Duwamish Residency Exhibition, Gallery 4Culture, Seattle WA
Just This for Now, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
This Is For Love Letters, catalogue essay for Joey Veltkamp at Artswest, Seattle WA
Who Was Your First Hero, Sharon Arnold?, The Project Room Off Paper
ICARUS (desire burns), accompanying essay to Troy Gua The Sweet Life at NEPO HOUSE, Seattle WA
Gross Accumulation, Percussive Maps, and Finding One’s Way Off Paper, The Project Room
Claire Johnson: Open Roads. Open Skies, author, SOIL Art Basel Catalog, Miami Art Basel, FL
What R U Working On? City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
As It Should Be, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
PUBLIC SPEAKING, LECTURES, PODCASTS, & INTERVIEWS
2023
Eco, Philo, Techno, Roundtable discussion on art, philosophy, technology, and magic with Madi Diana and Austin Fuller (online)
2022
Moderator, Roundtable Discussion: These Whispers with Mya Kerner, Kaitlin Romig, and Ettie Wahl
2020
Art & Spirituality interview by Nicole Bearden, Critical Bounds Podcast, Seattle WA
2018
Guest Speaker, Adobe Creative Jam, Starbucks Center, Seattle WA
2017
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Panelist, The Evolution of Curation, Photographic Center NW, moderated by Negarra A. Kudumu and featuring Nina Bozicnik and Vicki Halper
Organizer & Partner, In Support Of Artists: The Evolution Of Seattle Exhibition Spaces, Greg Kucera Gallery Seattle WA
Panelist, Seeing Art: A Multidisciplinary, Critical Discourse On Twenty-First-Century Art Practice, Frye Art Museum Seattle WA, moderated by Negarra A. Kudumu and featuring Michelle Dunn Marsh, Ryan Mitchell, and Rafael Soldi
2016
Visiting Lecturer, UMOCA, New Models in Arts Exhibition Ecosystems, UMOCA, Salt Lake City UT
Visiting Critic, A-I-R (Artist in Residence Program), UMOCA, Salt Lake City, UT
Juror, Prequel PDX Artist Incubator (residency), Portland OR
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibitionin partnership with Reel Grrls at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Interviewer, Sutton Beres Culler at Town Hall
2015
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition at Cornish College of the Arts, in partnership with Reel Grrls
2014
Panelist, Blank, Blank, and Blank: Exploring the Language of Feminism, Hedreen Gallery (part of an ongoing series of conversations stemming from the Seattle Panelist, Seattle Women's Convention, spearheaded by Joey Veltkamp and Amanda Manitach)
Guest Judge, City Arts Winter Art Walk Awards City Arts Magazine & First Thursday Art Walk Seattle WA
2013
Panelist, Inside Art: Local Artists on Inspiration curated by Juan Alonso Rodriguez at Town Hall Seattle
Lecturer and Juror for Central Washington Annual Student Exhibition, Central Washington University, Ellensburg WA
2012
Lecturer, Rapid Fire Art History: What We Know vs What We Make, moderator of panel discussion Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Panelist, The Solstenen Project, “Artists who Interview” Round-Table Discussion (hosted by Mandy Greer) The Project Room, Seattle WA
2011
Guest Lecturer, The Gaze: A Contemporary View of the Historical Figure, a five week series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Guest Lecturer, Feminist Art History, a five week series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, Artist Toolkit Lecture Series: Showing in Alternative Spaces, curated by Lauren Klenow, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, A Viewing of A Fire in My Belly by David Wojnarowicz, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, Questionland The Stranger, SLOG
2010
Guest Judge, City Arts Best Of Seattle First Thursday Art Walk w/ Joey Veltkamp & Cable Griffith, City Arts Magazine & First Thursday Art Walk Seattle WA
EXHIBITIONS
BRIDGE PRODUCTIONS
Between 2012 and 2020, I curated, produced, co-curated, and hosted guest curators to present over 85 exhibitions, annual art fairs, and regular pop-up partnership exhibitions with an innumerable and diverse range of artist talks, panel discussions and round tables, guest speakers, and public programming. I have also published artist books and exhibition catalogs, zines, pamphlets, essays, and online writings from artists and writers across the region.
LxWxH CURATED BOX SETS
Between 2011 and 2018, I curated and produced 25 curated box sets: small collections of original works released four-six times a year, packaged in hand-made boxes by Seattle woodworker Steve Leroux. Each wooden box contained a thoughtfully curated selection of unique artworks by two different artists, and a literary project by a featured writer. This legacy project was the origin of Bridge Productions as LxWxH, conceived of as a way to create accessibility to original works with an approachable price point outside the intimidating environment of a white cube space. In 2017 this project went on hold in order to imagine new ways of creating approachable collection sets for future projects.
ROQ LA RUE GALLERY
In 2015 I curated, co-curated, produced, and executed 24 exhibitions as co-partner of Roq La Rue Gallery, in collaboration with founder Kirsten Anderson. In addition to rotating four-week exhibitions, we curated 6 large-scale mural installations including artists such as No Touching Ground, Jeff Jacobson, and Cheyenne Randall. Included below are a few select exhibitions:
Grotesques, queerness metaphorically expressed through hybridized flora and fauna by Zachari Logan
Broken Image, new works in found photo collage by Joe Rudko
Let Your Eyes Adjust to the Dark, haunting black and white portraiture by Samantha Wall
Drift, new abstracted aerial landscape paintings by Claire Johnson
Exclusive Object, solo exhibition of new works on paper by Patrick Kelly
Incantation, group exhibition featuring Peter Ferguson, Barnaby Whitfield, Jeff Jacobson, Sail, Redd Walitzki, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Chie Yoshii, Zachari Logan, Mandy Greer, Casey Weldon , Rose Freymuth-Frazier, Jennifer McNeely, Andrea Wicklund, Erica Rose Levine
Follies, solo exhibition of textiles and objects by Mark Mitchell
ART FAIRS
2015/16/17
Seattle Art Fair
2014/15/16
LA Art Show
2013
Affordable Art Fair
INDEPENDENT CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2018
RE: Fwd: Mailer Daemon, Alex Britt, Monyee Chau, & Iain Mangum; a show within a show for Fwd produced by Shaun Kardinal, Love City Love, Seattle WA
2017
Pop sHoP, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Adjunct Appendages, featuring the work of Kim Van Someren, Ellen Ziegler, & SPACEFILLER, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Kat Larson: Revisiting the Ghost From Vega, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Fractured Landscapes, featuring the work of Dave Kennedy and Tim Cross, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
2015
Out of Sight: A Survey of Pacific NW Artists Curated by Sharon Arnold, Sierra Stinson, Greg Lundgren, and Kirsten Anderson, King Street Station
Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2014
Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2013
Manual Labor: Recent Grads Booth, works by Joe Rudko and Jared Bender, Affordable Art Fair, Seattle WA
2012
Ils Disent, Cornish Alumni Gallery, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
TEXT EDITOR, SOIL, Seattle WA
Red Current, Roq La Rue, Seattle WA
2009
A Show Without Reveal, Seattle Erotic Art Festival
AWARDS & HONORS
2018
Recipient, Teaching Excellence in the Department of Art, Cornish College of the Arts Seattle WA
2017
Nominee for Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award for Cultural Ambassador, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Seattle WA
2014
The Gallerist, City Arts Magazine Future List, City Arts Magazine, Seattle WA
SELECT PRESS
Emily Pothast, Seattle Art Fair strikes an aspirational vibe, but does it help the local art scene?, Crosscut
Margo Vansynghel, Without Paul Allen, Seattle Art Fair opens to questions about its future, Crosscut
Jasmyne Keimig, New Beginnings for Bridge Productions, The Stranger, March 2019
Eileen Kinsella, Some Top Dealers Skipped the Seattle Art Fair, But Solid Sales for Repeat Galleries Illustrate the Rewards of Choosing Fairs Wisely, artnet August 2018 (quoted)
Wendy Vogel, W.I.T.C.H. Way, Artforum (mention)
Eileen Kinsella, Vying for Tech Collectors, Dealers at the Seattle Art Fair Try a Novel Approach: Old-Fashioned Art, artnet news (mention)
Minh Nguyen, The Ripple Effects of the Seattle Art Fair, Seattle Weekly (mention)
Gayle Clemans, How Georgetown’s Bridge Productions became more than a gallery, Seattle Times
Erin Langner, Gallery on the Edges: Q & A with Sharon Arnold of Bridge Productions, New American Paintings
Sarra Scherb, TECTONIC, the Debut Show at Sharon Arnold's New Georgetown Space, Bridge Productions, is Now Open, The Stranger, SLOG
T.S. Flock, Gallerist Sharon Arnold Makes a Bold Move Back to Georgetown, The Seattle Weekly
David Hytone, Episode 16 & 17: A Conversation with Sharon Arnold, 2 part interview, The Maker’s Podcast
Amanda Manitach, So Long 2014, City Arts Magazine
Amanda Manitach, City Arts Magazine Future List,
Affordable Art Fair Blog: Seattle Collector's Series
Hi-Fructose: Red Current at Roq la Rue
Design Sponge; "25 Amazing Papercut Artists"
Sharon Butler, Two Coats of Paint; "Arnold, Molenkamp, Offenbacher"
CRAFT: Magazine Blog "Sharon Arnold's Paper Cut Art"
The Jealous Curator "I'm Jealous of Sharon Arnold"
Amanda Manitach, City Arts; "Cross-Dressing the Gendered Gender"
Jen Graves, The Stranger (print, and online); "216 Nipples Later"
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; "Taking Whatshertits to Another Level"
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other: "Red Current"
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog: "Currently Hanging,A Great Big Luscious Painting & Other Sweet Fruits"
Molo's Sketchbook "It Rained Molorazzi: Pioneer Square Art Walk, May 2012"
Yellow Umbrella "Stepping Out in Georgetown"
Molo's Sketchbook "Molorazzi: Sharon Arnold in Georgetown & Vignettes"
Joey Veltkamp's Best Of; gut [vigor] heart [resolve] hands [focus]
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; A Word on Group Shows
Mandy Greer, Solstenen Project: Artists Who Interview, the Project Room
Joey Vetlkamp's Best Of; Nixe by Sharon Arnold
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; Currently Hanging.
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other; We Build This to Leave
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; Interview
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; First Thursday November 2009 (show preview)
Susanna Bluhm, Getting to Know You Better; Recording Sharon Arnold
KUOW's The Conversation with Ross Reynolds; interview (23:00)
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other; Let's Talk About Sex, (or How I Became an Erotic Artist)
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; interview
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Artist Nominator, Henry Art Gallery Brink Award, Seattle WA
Organizing Committee member, Leading for Racial Equity, a forum organized by Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 2017
Georgetown Merchant's Association 2012-2019
Advisor 2014-2020, MiniMart City Park / Sutton Beres Culler, Seattle WA
Advisor, Georgetown Festival Street Advisory Committee, Seattle WA
Panelist, Georgetown Festival Street Artist Selection Panel, Seattle WA
MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
ARTTABLE, Northwest Chapter, 2014-2022
Common Field, 2017-2022
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2025
Adjunct Instructor, South Seattle College, Seattle, WA
Art Appreciation (twice-weekly seminar)
2022-2023
Beyond the Altar: Critical Theory & Everyday Action, 12 month seminar style course series hosted on my platform, Dimensions Variable
2014-2023
Guest critic with curatorial discussion and studio visits, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2018-2020
Instructor, Madrona House Apothecary, Seattle WA, during which I taught:
Earth Medicine Practitioner Program (year long lecture and seminar course series)
Plant Medicine Lab (monthly lecture series)
Restorative Ancestor Practices (twice yearly lecture series)
2017-2020
Adjunct Assistant Instructor, Cornish College of the Arts Seattle WA, during which I taught:
Curatorial and Exhibition Practices (weekly seminar)
Critical Art & Cultural Theory (weekly seminar)
Professional Arts Practices: BFA Exhibition (weekly seminar)
Platforms of Exchange: Exhibition Conceptualization and Execution (twice-weekly seminar and studio)
Works in Progress: Discussion & Presentation (twice-weekly seminar and studio)
Guided Studio & Review: Studio Visit, Review, and Student Presentation (weekly seminar)
2017
Instructor, Writing the Artist Resume: Dos & Don'ts, Artist Trust Webinar, Artist Trust, Seattle WA
Instructor, Contemporary Critical Writing, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2016
Instructor, Contemporary Critical Writing, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2011
Guest Lecturer, The Gaze: A Contemporary View of the Historical Figure, a five week art history series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Guest Lecturer, Feminist Art History, a five week art history series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2009-2014
Youth Programs Director, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2006-2009
Educator & Program Director, after school and weekend arts programs Drawn2Art, Seattle WA
2005-2006 Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Sculpture, Critical and Cultural Theory
2002-2005 Pratt Institute of Fine Arts, New York, NY
Sculpture, Printmaking, Art History
PRESENT TOPICS OF INTEREST & RESEARCH
Co-building Queer Animist Enchantment and Collective Collaborative Futures
Community Building through Resource Sharing and Conversation Using Critical and Cultural Theory as Praxis/Catalyst for Conversation
Post-Internet/Post-social media Culture, Aesthetics, & Linguistics
PAST SUBJECTS
Arts/Cultural Ecosystem; including alternative currencies, modes of exchange, new & sustained patronage, and viable art venues and spaces.
Ethical Curatorial & Exhibitions Practice, Activism, & Community Contribution
Origins and Folklore of European Symbolism of Herbs in Contemporary Smoke & Water Ritual
The Politics and Contemporary Practice of Restorative Ancestor Practices and Reconnection for European Diaspora
SELECT PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
2024
Dimensions Variable, Substack
What remains is queer, in conversation: Lauren Levato Coyne, Salvador Jiménez- Flores, Elsa Muñoz, Sharon Arnold and Ash Eliza Williams Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Queering Nature, July 2023
2023
A Journey Through Multitudes: The Sensory Divination of Sjrijon Chowdhury's Same Old Song, Essay reflecting on Srijon Chowdhury's exhibition "Same Old Song" at Frye Art Museum, Seattle WA, 2023
Cliff Notes, monthly contribution to Variable West's newsletter
2022
Cliff Notes, monthly contribution to Variable West's newsletter
That which lies beyond what is known, catalog essay for Cable Griffith's solo exhibition, We followed the trail until we disappeared at Linda Hodges Gallery, Seattle WA
The Tall Grass Is The Sea; The Sea Is The Tether, Airmid's Journal, Dublin, Ireland
Flirting With The Uncontrollable: Peter Gronquist at Winston Wächter Fine Art, Seattle, Variable West
It's not just you here, feeling this way, doing that thing, dreaming that dream, PublicDisplay.Art, Seattle WA
Material and Movement: Beyond the Visible, essay for the group exhibition heavy light at Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Seattle WA
Luminous Ecosystems, catalog essay for Katy Stone's solo exhibition, Force Field at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
2021
The Whisper Calling Us Home, an independent essay in reflection of Mya Kerner's solo exhibition, These Whispers, These Tellings at Winston Wächter Fine Art Seattle WA
Forward, With Kinetic Effect and Consequence, catalog essay for Emily Gherard's solo exhibition, Not A Billboard at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
In Which What Does Not Include A Painting Of A Whale Is In Fact The Memory Of The Story Of A Whale, catalog essay for Susanna Bluhm's solo exhibition, The Monkey Rope at J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Herbs + Woods + Smoke + Water, May Issue on Art, Healing, & Joy, New Archives (online)
2020
45 Acedia-driven Collections of Things, written contribution and digital collage as part of an invitation to 45 Library, curated by the 45 Library Collective: Andy Campbell, Igor Siddiqui, Juliette Cezzar, and Brendan Griffiths, online 2020
Palimpsest, Or, The Presence of Before, catalog essay for Lakshmi Muirhead's solo exhibition, There Is Always A Before, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Transformative Machines, catalog essay for Kim Van Someren's solo exhibition, The Slant of Line, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
Syntactic Logic, catalog essay for Shaun Kardinal's solo exhibition, Present Tense, J. Rinehart Gallery, Seattle WA
OLDER
On Loneliness, Solitude, and Shifting Histories, Temporary Art Review
Nancy Baker: Delicate Construction, Two Coats of Paint
Calvin Ross Carl’s PostInternet Confection, Two Coats of Paint
Multiple Perspectives, Singular Frame: Damien Gilley, contributor, Suyama Space, a compendium of essays and photography from 1998-2017, Edited by Beth Sellars, Suyama Space, Seattle WA
How Do We Turn Love into Money? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
What's In it For You? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Tenderness Movement column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Time for a Slow Art Movement? column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Space is Where We Gather column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Immersed in Magical Realism column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Art of Crafting Perception column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Alt Art Scene: An Insider's Guide Part 2 column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
The Alt Art Scene: An Insider's Guide Part 1 column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Evolve or Die column, Field Notes, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Compatible Formatting, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
Hinterland, catalogue for painter Brian Cypher, studio e Gallery, Seattle, WA
Call and Response catalogue for Process and Artifacts: Duwamish Residency Exhibition, Gallery 4Culture, Seattle WA
Just This for Now, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
This Is For Love Letters, catalogue essay for Joey Veltkamp at Artswest, Seattle WA
Who Was Your First Hero, Sharon Arnold?, The Project Room Off Paper
ICARUS (desire burns), accompanying essay to Troy Gua The Sweet Life at NEPO HOUSE, Seattle WA
Gross Accumulation, Percussive Maps, and Finding One’s Way Off Paper, The Project Room
Claire Johnson: Open Roads. Open Skies, author, SOIL Art Basel Catalog, Miami Art Basel, FL
What R U Working On? City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
As It Should Be, City Arts Magazine Seattle WA
PUBLIC SPEAKING, LECTURES, PODCASTS, & INTERVIEWS
2023
Eco, Philo, Techno, Roundtable discussion on art, philosophy, technology, and magic with Madi Diana and Austin Fuller (online)
2022
Moderator, Roundtable Discussion: These Whispers with Mya Kerner, Kaitlin Romig, and Ettie Wahl
2020
Art & Spirituality interview by Nicole Bearden, Critical Bounds Podcast, Seattle WA
2018
Guest Speaker, Adobe Creative Jam, Starbucks Center, Seattle WA
2017
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Panelist, The Evolution of Curation, Photographic Center NW, moderated by Negarra A. Kudumu and featuring Nina Bozicnik and Vicki Halper
Organizer & Partner, In Support Of Artists: The Evolution Of Seattle Exhibition Spaces, Greg Kucera Gallery Seattle WA
Panelist, Seeing Art: A Multidisciplinary, Critical Discourse On Twenty-First-Century Art Practice, Frye Art Museum Seattle WA, moderated by Negarra A. Kudumu and featuring Michelle Dunn Marsh, Ryan Mitchell, and Rafael Soldi
2016
Visiting Lecturer, UMOCA, New Models in Arts Exhibition Ecosystems, UMOCA, Salt Lake City UT
Visiting Critic, A-I-R (Artist in Residence Program), UMOCA, Salt Lake City, UT
Juror, Prequel PDX Artist Incubator (residency), Portland OR
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibitionin partnership with Reel Grrls at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Interviewer, Sutton Beres Culler at Town Hall
2015
Artist video interviewer, Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition at Cornish College of the Arts, in partnership with Reel Grrls
2014
Panelist, Blank, Blank, and Blank: Exploring the Language of Feminism, Hedreen Gallery (part of an ongoing series of conversations stemming from the Seattle Panelist, Seattle Women's Convention, spearheaded by Joey Veltkamp and Amanda Manitach)
Guest Judge, City Arts Winter Art Walk Awards City Arts Magazine & First Thursday Art Walk Seattle WA
2013
Panelist, Inside Art: Local Artists on Inspiration curated by Juan Alonso Rodriguez at Town Hall Seattle
Lecturer and Juror for Central Washington Annual Student Exhibition, Central Washington University, Ellensburg WA
2012
Lecturer, Rapid Fire Art History: What We Know vs What We Make, moderator of panel discussion Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
Panelist, The Solstenen Project, “Artists who Interview” Round-Table Discussion (hosted by Mandy Greer) The Project Room, Seattle WA
2011
Guest Lecturer, The Gaze: A Contemporary View of the Historical Figure, a five week series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Guest Lecturer, Feminist Art History, a five week series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, Artist Toolkit Lecture Series: Showing in Alternative Spaces, curated by Lauren Klenow, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, A Viewing of A Fire in My Belly by David Wojnarowicz, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Panelist, Questionland The Stranger, SLOG
2010
Guest Judge, City Arts Best Of Seattle First Thursday Art Walk w/ Joey Veltkamp & Cable Griffith, City Arts Magazine & First Thursday Art Walk Seattle WA
EXHIBITIONS
BRIDGE PRODUCTIONS
Between 2012 and 2020, I curated, produced, co-curated, and hosted guest curators to present over 85 exhibitions, annual art fairs, and regular pop-up partnership exhibitions with an innumerable and diverse range of artist talks, panel discussions and round tables, guest speakers, and public programming. I have also published artist books and exhibition catalogs, zines, pamphlets, essays, and online writings from artists and writers across the region.
LxWxH CURATED BOX SETS
Between 2011 and 2018, I curated and produced 25 curated box sets: small collections of original works released four-six times a year, packaged in hand-made boxes by Seattle woodworker Steve Leroux. Each wooden box contained a thoughtfully curated selection of unique artworks by two different artists, and a literary project by a featured writer. This legacy project was the origin of Bridge Productions as LxWxH, conceived of as a way to create accessibility to original works with an approachable price point outside the intimidating environment of a white cube space. In 2017 this project went on hold in order to imagine new ways of creating approachable collection sets for future projects.
ROQ LA RUE GALLERY
In 2015 I curated, co-curated, produced, and executed 24 exhibitions as co-partner of Roq La Rue Gallery, in collaboration with founder Kirsten Anderson. In addition to rotating four-week exhibitions, we curated 6 large-scale mural installations including artists such as No Touching Ground, Jeff Jacobson, and Cheyenne Randall. Included below are a few select exhibitions:
Grotesques, queerness metaphorically expressed through hybridized flora and fauna by Zachari Logan
Broken Image, new works in found photo collage by Joe Rudko
Let Your Eyes Adjust to the Dark, haunting black and white portraiture by Samantha Wall
Drift, new abstracted aerial landscape paintings by Claire Johnson
Exclusive Object, solo exhibition of new works on paper by Patrick Kelly
Incantation, group exhibition featuring Peter Ferguson, Barnaby Whitfield, Jeff Jacobson, Sail, Redd Walitzki, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Chie Yoshii, Zachari Logan, Mandy Greer, Casey Weldon , Rose Freymuth-Frazier, Jennifer McNeely, Andrea Wicklund, Erica Rose Levine
Follies, solo exhibition of textiles and objects by Mark Mitchell
ART FAIRS
2015/16/17
Seattle Art Fair
2014/15/16
LA Art Show
2013
Affordable Art Fair
INDEPENDENT CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2018
RE: Fwd: Mailer Daemon, Alex Britt, Monyee Chau, & Iain Mangum; a show within a show for Fwd produced by Shaun Kardinal, Love City Love, Seattle WA
2017
Pop sHoP, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Adjunct Appendages, featuring the work of Kim Van Someren, Ellen Ziegler, & SPACEFILLER, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Kat Larson: Revisiting the Ghost From Vega, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
Fractured Landscapes, featuring the work of Dave Kennedy and Tim Cross, Hoedemaker Pfeiffer Gallery, Seattle WA
2015
Out of Sight: A Survey of Pacific NW Artists Curated by Sharon Arnold, Sierra Stinson, Greg Lundgren, and Kirsten Anderson, King Street Station
Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2014
Neddy Artist Awards Exhibition, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2013
Manual Labor: Recent Grads Booth, works by Joe Rudko and Jared Bender, Affordable Art Fair, Seattle WA
2012
Ils Disent, Cornish Alumni Gallery, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
TEXT EDITOR, SOIL, Seattle WA
Red Current, Roq La Rue, Seattle WA
2009
A Show Without Reveal, Seattle Erotic Art Festival
AWARDS & HONORS
2018
Recipient, Teaching Excellence in the Department of Art, Cornish College of the Arts Seattle WA
2017
Nominee for Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award for Cultural Ambassador, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Seattle WA
2014
The Gallerist, City Arts Magazine Future List, City Arts Magazine, Seattle WA
SELECT PRESS
Emily Pothast, Seattle Art Fair strikes an aspirational vibe, but does it help the local art scene?, Crosscut
Margo Vansynghel, Without Paul Allen, Seattle Art Fair opens to questions about its future, Crosscut
Jasmyne Keimig, New Beginnings for Bridge Productions, The Stranger, March 2019
Eileen Kinsella, Some Top Dealers Skipped the Seattle Art Fair, But Solid Sales for Repeat Galleries Illustrate the Rewards of Choosing Fairs Wisely, artnet August 2018 (quoted)
Wendy Vogel, W.I.T.C.H. Way, Artforum (mention)
Eileen Kinsella, Vying for Tech Collectors, Dealers at the Seattle Art Fair Try a Novel Approach: Old-Fashioned Art, artnet news (mention)
Minh Nguyen, The Ripple Effects of the Seattle Art Fair, Seattle Weekly (mention)
Gayle Clemans, How Georgetown’s Bridge Productions became more than a gallery, Seattle Times
Erin Langner, Gallery on the Edges: Q & A with Sharon Arnold of Bridge Productions, New American Paintings
Sarra Scherb, TECTONIC, the Debut Show at Sharon Arnold's New Georgetown Space, Bridge Productions, is Now Open, The Stranger, SLOG
T.S. Flock, Gallerist Sharon Arnold Makes a Bold Move Back to Georgetown, The Seattle Weekly
David Hytone, Episode 16 & 17: A Conversation with Sharon Arnold, 2 part interview, The Maker’s Podcast
Amanda Manitach, So Long 2014, City Arts Magazine
Amanda Manitach, City Arts Magazine Future List,
Affordable Art Fair Blog: Seattle Collector's Series
Hi-Fructose: Red Current at Roq la Rue
Design Sponge; "25 Amazing Papercut Artists"
Sharon Butler, Two Coats of Paint; "Arnold, Molenkamp, Offenbacher"
CRAFT: Magazine Blog "Sharon Arnold's Paper Cut Art"
The Jealous Curator "I'm Jealous of Sharon Arnold"
Amanda Manitach, City Arts; "Cross-Dressing the Gendered Gender"
Jen Graves, The Stranger (print, and online); "216 Nipples Later"
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; "Taking Whatshertits to Another Level"
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other: "Red Current"
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog: "Currently Hanging,A Great Big Luscious Painting & Other Sweet Fruits"
Molo's Sketchbook "It Rained Molorazzi: Pioneer Square Art Walk, May 2012"
Yellow Umbrella "Stepping Out in Georgetown"
Molo's Sketchbook "Molorazzi: Sharon Arnold in Georgetown & Vignettes"
Joey Veltkamp's Best Of; gut [vigor] heart [resolve] hands [focus]
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; A Word on Group Shows
Mandy Greer, Solstenen Project: Artists Who Interview, the Project Room
Joey Vetlkamp's Best Of; Nixe by Sharon Arnold
Jen Graves, SLOG Visual Arts Blog; Currently Hanging.
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other; We Build This to Leave
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; Interview
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; First Thursday November 2009 (show preview)
Susanna Bluhm, Getting to Know You Better; Recording Sharon Arnold
KUOW's The Conversation with Ross Reynolds; interview (23:00)
Emily Pothast, Translinguistic Other; Let's Talk About Sex, (or How I Became an Erotic Artist)
Joey Veltkamp, Best Of; interview
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Artist Nominator, Henry Art Gallery Brink Award, Seattle WA
Organizing Committee member, Leading for Racial Equity, a forum organized by Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 2017
Georgetown Merchant's Association 2012-2019
Advisor 2014-2020, MiniMart City Park / Sutton Beres Culler, Seattle WA
Advisor, Georgetown Festival Street Advisory Committee, Seattle WA
Panelist, Georgetown Festival Street Artist Selection Panel, Seattle WA
MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
ARTTABLE, Northwest Chapter, 2014-2022
Common Field, 2017-2022
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2025
Adjunct Instructor, South Seattle College, Seattle, WA
Art Appreciation (twice-weekly seminar)
2022-2023
Beyond the Altar: Critical Theory & Everyday Action, 12 month seminar style course series hosted on my platform, Dimensions Variable
2014-2023
Guest critic with curatorial discussion and studio visits, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA
2018-2020
Instructor, Madrona House Apothecary, Seattle WA, during which I taught:
Earth Medicine Practitioner Program (year long lecture and seminar course series)
Plant Medicine Lab (monthly lecture series)
Restorative Ancestor Practices (twice yearly lecture series)
2017-2020
Adjunct Assistant Instructor, Cornish College of the Arts Seattle WA, during which I taught:
Curatorial and Exhibition Practices (weekly seminar)
Critical Art & Cultural Theory (weekly seminar)
Professional Arts Practices: BFA Exhibition (weekly seminar)
Platforms of Exchange: Exhibition Conceptualization and Execution (twice-weekly seminar and studio)
Works in Progress: Discussion & Presentation (twice-weekly seminar and studio)
Guided Studio & Review: Studio Visit, Review, and Student Presentation (weekly seminar)
2017
Instructor, Writing the Artist Resume: Dos & Don'ts, Artist Trust Webinar, Artist Trust, Seattle WA
Instructor, Contemporary Critical Writing, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2016
Instructor, Contemporary Critical Writing, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2011
Guest Lecturer, The Gaze: A Contemporary View of the Historical Figure, a five week art history series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
Guest Lecturer, Feminist Art History, a five week art history series at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2009-2014
Youth Programs Director, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA
2006-2009
Educator & Program Director, after school and weekend arts programs Drawn2Art, Seattle WA
SHARON ARNOLD HISTORY & BIO
Sharon Arnold is a queer Seattle-based essayist, independent curator, and founder of Bridge Productions. They graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2006 with a degree in studio arts and secondary focus in critical and cultural theory. In 2008, they launched Dimensions Variable to begin writing about art, and in 2009 they began theur career as an independent curator and exhibiting artist, retiring their artmaking practice in 2013 to focus solely on curatorial work and research. Since 2009, they’ve written for multiple local, national, and international publications, curated various institutions and galleries, served as both curator (2014-15) and video interviewer (2014-17) for the regionally prestigious Neddy Artist Award Exhibition, and they were one of four curators for the inaugural 2015 landmark event, Out of Sight—an annual survey of over one hundred Pacific Northwest artists which ran alongside the Seattle Art Fair for three years. They were featured as The Gallerist on the 2014 City Arts Future List, and were a Seattle Mayor's Arts Award nominee for Cultural Ambassador in 2017.
Arnold's curatorial and research practice tethers contemporary art, critical and cultural theory, philosophy, cultural histories, queerness, enchantment, and spirituality to build a framework in which artists and their works are contextualized amidst a greater whole; and which incorporates this research and work to build fulfilling public engagement, accessible entry points, and discourse within and beyond art-world audiences. This includes a focus on the exploration of the presence of art in everyday life, the cultural roots of contemporary art, alternative currencies and exchange, sustained patronage, and viable arts communities that represent a broad spectrum of people and roles beyond merely artists and galleries or museums but also art appreciators, scholars, patrons, writers, musicians, and teachers.
In 2008, they launched Dimensions Variable, an online journal dedicated to approachable visual arts journalism. Inspired by welcoming conversations about contemporary art across the internet and social media, they sought to create an environment of open and engaging dialogue across audiences. Bridge Productions launched two years later as an online gallery, featuring curated box sets designed to connect mainstream audiences to art and literary communities; and artists and writers to each other. In 2012 the project expanded to a brick-and-mortar space focusing on collaborative process-based work, talks, and projects by artists, curators, writers, and performers; and in 2019 transitioned again into an online presentation platform focusing on modes of storytelling through online exhibitions, digital residencies, and social media coverage; as well as periodic curatorial projects, in-print publications, and public programming.
Sharon's published works have been featured in Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Temporary Art Review, Airmid's Journal, Two Coats of Paint, and Pacific Northwest publications PublicDisplay.Art, Variable West, City Arts Magazine and Crosscut. They are also a published author in 'Suyama Space', a compendium of writings and reviews spanning the twenty-year lifespan of this significant and historical Seattle exhibition space, published in autumn of 2017.
Sharon Arnold is a queer Seattle-based essayist, independent curator, and founder of Bridge Productions. They graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2006 with a degree in studio arts and secondary focus in critical and cultural theory. In 2008, they launched Dimensions Variable to begin writing about art, and in 2009 they began theur career as an independent curator and exhibiting artist, retiring their artmaking practice in 2013 to focus solely on curatorial work and research. Since 2009, they’ve written for multiple local, national, and international publications, curated various institutions and galleries, served as both curator (2014-15) and video interviewer (2014-17) for the regionally prestigious Neddy Artist Award Exhibition, and they were one of four curators for the inaugural 2015 landmark event, Out of Sight—an annual survey of over one hundred Pacific Northwest artists which ran alongside the Seattle Art Fair for three years. They were featured as The Gallerist on the 2014 City Arts Future List, and were a Seattle Mayor's Arts Award nominee for Cultural Ambassador in 2017.
Arnold's curatorial and research practice tethers contemporary art, critical and cultural theory, philosophy, cultural histories, queerness, enchantment, and spirituality to build a framework in which artists and their works are contextualized amidst a greater whole; and which incorporates this research and work to build fulfilling public engagement, accessible entry points, and discourse within and beyond art-world audiences. This includes a focus on the exploration of the presence of art in everyday life, the cultural roots of contemporary art, alternative currencies and exchange, sustained patronage, and viable arts communities that represent a broad spectrum of people and roles beyond merely artists and galleries or museums but also art appreciators, scholars, patrons, writers, musicians, and teachers.
In 2008, they launched Dimensions Variable, an online journal dedicated to approachable visual arts journalism. Inspired by welcoming conversations about contemporary art across the internet and social media, they sought to create an environment of open and engaging dialogue across audiences. Bridge Productions launched two years later as an online gallery, featuring curated box sets designed to connect mainstream audiences to art and literary communities; and artists and writers to each other. In 2012 the project expanded to a brick-and-mortar space focusing on collaborative process-based work, talks, and projects by artists, curators, writers, and performers; and in 2019 transitioned again into an online presentation platform focusing on modes of storytelling through online exhibitions, digital residencies, and social media coverage; as well as periodic curatorial projects, in-print publications, and public programming.
Sharon's published works have been featured in Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture, Temporary Art Review, Airmid's Journal, Two Coats of Paint, and Pacific Northwest publications PublicDisplay.Art, Variable West, City Arts Magazine and Crosscut. They are also a published author in 'Suyama Space', a compendium of writings and reviews spanning the twenty-year lifespan of this significant and historical Seattle exhibition space, published in autumn of 2017.