Artist Info: Ben Roosevelt
Bio
Statement
Ben Roosevelt is a multidisciplinary artist who makes works about the urban environment and existential confusion. He is especially interested in the combination of everyday life and the strange, dangerous, or off-putting. Recent works have focused on city infrastructure — roads, sidewalks, buildings, telephone and electricity lines, even things like road-kill and “for sale” signs — as well as the problems and experiences of people living among these things.
Based in Atlanta, Roosevelt has participated in exhibitions in the United States and internationally, including Talent Show: the 2007 Atlanta Biennial, the solo show Legion at the Ard Bia Gallery in Galway, Ireland, and House Projects, a series of group exhibitions and residencies across London, Ireland, and New York City. The artist holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in Fine Art from the Burren College of Art. Recently, he won the Atlanta-based Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award, 2007-2008. Roosevelt’s work has been supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, and the Forward Arts Foundation of Atlanta. He has appeared in several publications, including Circa, the Atlantan, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Irish Times.
Artist's CV
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 ___________ is not always a bad thing, Get This! Gallery, Atlanta, GA, USA. (upcoming)
2008 Properties, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA, USA.
2006 Legion, Ard Bia Gallery, Galway, Ireland.
2004 Five Intimations,St. Andrews-Sewanee Gallery, Sewanee, TN, USA.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS / PROJECTS
2009 Double Vision, Luke and Eloy Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
2008 Summer Journeys, Summer Dreams, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA
2008 Dialogues, Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN, USA.
2008 Romo Selects, Romo Gallery, Atlanta, GA, USA.
2007 AquaArt Miami, Art Fair with Romo Gallery, Miami Beach, FL, USA.
2007 City of Ideas, Barons Self Storage, Galway, Ireland.
2007 Rigor Mort, Curated by Sally Timmons, Basement Gallery, Dundalk, Ireland.
2007 Subversion and the Domestic, House Projects, 22 River Oaks, Claregalway, Ireland.
2007 Utility Trances 2, Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, Asheville, NC, USA.
2007 Atlanta Biennial, Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, Atlanta, GA, USA.
2007 Utility Trances, Bolm Studios, Austin, TX, USA.
2006 Brochure, Tulca Season of Visual Arts, Galway, Ireland.
2006 Vending Machine Project, Dublin Fringe Festival, Project Arts Centre,
Connolly Station, Crawdaddy, Dublin, Ireland.
2005 Interim, Tulca Season of Visual Arts, Barons Self Storage, Galway, Ireland.
2005 Shifting Ideas, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
2003 Switchyard, Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN, USA.
SELECTED PRESS / REVIEWS / PUBLICATIONS
2008 Wolf, Debra. “Quiet surfaces suggest complex undercurrents,”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 11, 2008.
2008 Lerner, Jonathan. “Brain Candy,” Atlanta Peach, July.
2008 Feaster, Felicia. “Four Score,” Atlantan, July.
2008 Various authors. House Projects. Catalog for the series of exhibitions.
2008 Cutaya, Michaële. “Human Resources: City of Ideas,” Circa, Spring Issue.
2008 Feaster, Felicia. “Visual Art: Selects,” Creative Loafing, February 7.
2007 Timmons, Sally. Rigor Mort. Catalog for the exhibition.
2007 Kurzner, Lisa. “Artist Profile,” Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, August.
2007 Fox, Catherine. “Diverse Biennial,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 24.
2007 Feaster, Felicia. “The gang’s all here,” Creative Loafing, June 14-20.
2007 Tagami, Kirsten. “Q&A / STUART HORODNER,” The Atlanta Journal- Constitution, June 3.
2007 Parker, Virginia. “Spring arts preview,” Atlanta Magazine, April.
2006 Waugh, Katherine. “Tulca 2005, Galway City,” Circa Art Magazine.
2005 Dunne, Aidan. “Looks like team spirit at Tulca,” The Irish Times, November 16.
2005 Mahoney, Donald. “Interim – A Remarkable Show,” Galway City Tribune, November 4.
EDUCATION
2006 Master of Fine Arts, Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland.
2004 Master of Theological Studies, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
1998 B.A. Religious Studies, University of the South, Sewanee, TN, USA.
HONORS, AWARDS, AND OTHER SELECTED ACTIVITIES
2008 Invited Artist, Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, Gala Dinner.
2008 Invited Artist, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Gala Auction.
2007 Podcast discussion with Kay Kallos, director of Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center,
and Robert Cheatham, director of Eyedrum, Delayed: Live from Edge City, pd.org.
2007 Radio Interview about City of Ideas, Galway Bay FM.
2007 Presenter, Discussion of Art Professionalism, Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center, Atlanta, USA.
2007 $5000 Winner, Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award, Atlanta, USA.
2007 Studio Artist, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Studio Program, Atlanta, USA.
2007 €15,000 Project Grant Co-Recipient, Arts Council of Ireland.
2006 Visiting Lecturer, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
2006 Short Listed for Co-curating the Exhibition Interim, Allianz Business2Arts Awards, Ireland.
2005 Michael Greene Scholarship Student, Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughan, Ireland.
2005 Panelist, Visual Art in Galway, Nuns Island Studio, Galway, Ireland.
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
ALTA Language Services
National University of Ireland, Galway
Burren College of Art
Eugene and Nancy Hooff
Nena Griffith
Rosine Sauvage
Catherine Hunt
Missi McMorries and Jon Simmons
Sam Romo
Ann Johnson
Sally Timmons
Russell Hart
Jon Golden
Christoph Jenny
Aideen Barry
Nancy Sumerall
Nick Demos
Becky Warner
Lisa Thrower
Lain York
Sylvia Hurdle and Chand Desai