LAUREL SPARKS
www.laurelsparks.com
BORN
Phoenix, Arizona 1972
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
EDUCATION
2004 Milton Avery Graduate School of Art, Bard College, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, Master of
Fine Arts, Elaine De Kooning Painting Fellowship
1995 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA Tufts University, Medford, MA, Bachelor of
Fine Arts Degree
1990 Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild CA, Visual Arts High School Diploma
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 Montserrat College of Art, “Iconoclasts,” Beverly, MA
Howard Yezerski Gallery, “Angels of Light,” Boston, MA
2011 443 PAS, “Against Nature,” New York, NY
2009 Howard Yezerski Gallery, “Pleasure Dome,” Boston, MA
2007 Howard Yezerski Gallery, “Christmas in July,” Boston, MA
2005 Clifford.Smith Gallery, Boston, MA
2003 Clifford.Smith Gallery, Boston, MA
2003 Green Street Gallery, Boston, MA
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2012 Soloway Gallery, “Bazaar,” Brooklyn, NY
Boston University Art Gallery, “Simpatico,” Boston, MA
Parks Exhibition Center, “Past and Present,” Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild, CA
2011 D’Amelio Terras, “Affinities: Painting in Abstraction” (curated by Kate McNamara), New
York, NY
Dodge Gallery, “Shakedown,” New York, NY
Limerick-Frazier Gallery, “Trans Medium,” Austin, TX
ART NOW Fair, Miami, FL
Editions/Artists Books Fair, New York, NY
Texas Contemporary Fair, Houston, TX
443 PAS, “In Like a Lion,” New York, NY
Dependent Fair, Soloway Gallery, New York, NY
Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama, “Boston Print Fair”, Boston, MA
Center for Contemporary Printmakers, “Printed by Master Printers,” Norwalk, CT
2010 Dodge Gallery, “Dramatis Personae,” New York, NY
ARTSTAR, “No Vacancy” (Curated By CLEOPATRA'S ), artstar.com, New York, NY._
Grimshaw-Gudewicz Art Gallery, “Painting Now,” Fall River, MA
Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park, "Biennial Exhibition," Lincoln, MA
2009 Rhode Island School of Design, Memorial Hall Painting Gallery, “Affinities: Painting in
Abstraction”, Providence, RI
Alexander Gray Associates, Lesbian Herstory Archives Art Benefit, New York, NY
2008 Museum Of Fine Arts, “Traveling Scholars Exhibition,” Boston, MA
Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts, Ramapo College, “Affinities: Painting in
Abstraction,” Mahwah, NJ
Monya Rowe Gallery, “The Guys we would F*ck”, curated by Nayland Blake, New York, NY
2007 Artunited, “Laurel Sparks and Hannah Barrett,” Vienna, Austria
Hessel Museum of Art, Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, “Affinities: Painting in
Abstraction,” Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Decordova Museum, “Big Bang: Abstract Painting for the 21st Century,” Lincoln, MA
LAUREL SPARKS
www.laurelsparks.com
2006
2005
2004
2003
2001
Art in General, “Re-Shuffle,” New York, NY
Stay Gold Gallery, “What I Love About Dying,” Invitational Benefit, Brooklyn, NY
Clifford.Smith Gallery, “Thaw,” Boston, MA
Hampshire College, “Terra (In)Cognita,” Northampton, MA
Milton Avery Graduate School of Arts, Bard College, UBS Gallery, “Enchante’,” Red Hook,
NY
Museum of Contemporary Art, “Broad,” Tucson, AZ
Gallery Bershad, “Laurel Sparks and Karen Dow,” Somerville, MA
PERFORMANCES
2012 535 W 20TH STREET, “Fuel for the Fire” (organized by Dawn Kaspar) New York, NY
Participant Inc., “Pepe and Puntar’s Lucid Dream Lounge” (Guest Performer/Dancer) New
York, NY
The Highline Ballroom, “Night of a Thousand Stevies 22: ”Dreams Unwind” (Wild Beuys
choreographer, lead dancer, costume designer) New York NY
Red Lotus, Judy Party, “Hell House” (RAIEL co-creator, performer, art director, costume
designer), Brooklyn, NY
International Center for Photography, Nica Ross Presents “Holding the Post for All My
Salenas”(RAIEL group performance) ICP Bard MFA Thesis Exhibition, Queens, NY
2011 The Highline Ballroom, “Night of a Thousand Stevies 21: The Wild Heart” (Wild Beuys
choreographer, lead dancer, costume designer) New York NY
Danspace Project, Miguel Gutierrez “Deep Aerobics” (group performance), New York, NY
HONORS, AWARDS and GRANTS
2012 New American Painting, Northeast Edition, Finalist
2011 Residenza del Palmerino, Associazione Culturale Il Palmerino, Firenze, Italy
2008 New American Paintings, Northeast Edition, Finalist
2007 Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grant, Great Barrington, MA
2006 School of The Museum Of Fine Arts, Alumni Traveling Scholarship Award, Boston, MA
2004 Massachusetts Cultural Council, Finalist Painting Grant
2003 Bard MFA Program, Elaine De Kooning Painting Fellowship, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
2001 Boston Cultural Council, Emerging Artist Fellowship, Boston, MA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2012 Gorky’s Granddaughter, “Laurel Sparks”. Tuesday, July 10, 2012 (Web)
2011 Faye Hirsch, “Ten Highlights From the Editions/Artists Book Fair,” Art in America.
November 4, 2011
Katya Kazakina, “Colorful Abstraction.” Bloomberg. July 19, 2011 (Web)
Leigh Anne Miller. “The Lookout: A Weekly Guide to Shows You Won't Want to Miss.” Art in
America. July 14, 2011
Steven Zevitas. “10 Must-See Painting Shows In The US: Summer Heat Edition.” Huffpost
Arts, July 18, 2011 (Web)
“Top Five Shows: July 21-27, 2011.” Time Out New York (Art). July 19, 2011
Cecilia Dougherty and Faye Hirsch. War on Christmas. Brooklyn, NY. War on Christmas no.
1. 2011: Back Cover Image
Denver Quarterly, University of Denver, Denver, CO. Volume 45. Number 3. 2011: Cover
Image
2010 Evan Garza. "In the Studio: Laurel Sparks." New American Paintings/Blog 18 August
Evan Garza. “The Tip of the Iceberg,” FlashArtonline.com. February 2010
Sebastian Smee. “All over the map”, Boston Globe. January 29, 2010
Greg Cook. “Reboot,” Boston Phoenix. January 26, 2010
LAUREL SPARKS
www.laurelsparks.com
2009
2008
2007
2003
2002
2001
Big Red, Big Red On-The-Town: DeCordova Museum, Big Red and Shiny. February 14, 2010
DeCordova Museum, “2010 DeCordova Biennial,” Exhibition Catalog
David O. Avruch. "Laurel Sparks: Pleasure Dome @ Howard Yezerski," Big Red and Shiny
100, February 16, 2009
Greg Cook. "Neo-rococco," Boston Phoenix. February 20, 2009
Cate McQuaid. "Visual and Textural Delight," Boston Globe. March 4, 2009: C1, p.4
Megan Fulweiler. “The Elements of Style,” Rhode Island Home and Garden, 2009/2010
Issue: pp. 56 - 63
Stacy Szymaszek. "Hyperglossia." Brooklyn, NY: Litmus Press. 2009: Cover Image
New American Paintings, Volume #74, (Curator: William Stover), Open Studios Press,
Boston, MA
Kris Frieswick, “Upstairs Downstairs,” Boston Globe Magazine, February 24, 2008
Greg Cook, “Documentary Evidence,” Boston Phoenix, February 27, 2008
Cate McQuaid, “Art Brought to the Edge,” Boston Globe, December 27, 2007
Matthew Reed Baker, “Caped Creators’,” Boston Magazine, October 2007: pp. 118 – 127
Sara Faith Alterman, “Heroic effort: We are here! We are here!,” Boston Phoenix, August 15,
2007
Big Red, “Big Red On-the-town: The Superhero Project: Part One and Two”, Big Red and
Shiny Issue #67, Launched: August 13, 2007
Ann Wilson Lloyd, “Artists to Watch”, Art and Auction, July 2007
Jill Harrington, “Lights, Color, Action,” New England Home, March/April 2007: p.110
Arthur Whitman, “Big Bang! Abstract Painting for the 21st Century @ the Decordova”, Big
Red and Shiny, Issue #61, Launched: April 8, 2007
Cate McQuaid, The Medium is Her Message, Boston Globe, March 22, 2007: p. C7
Ken Johnson, “Seeing a Pattern,” Boston Globe, February 2, 2007: pp. D6 and 7
Greg Cook, “Ah Painting, “ Boston Phoenix, January 26, 2007: p. 21
Decordova Museum, “Big Bang! Abstract Painting for the 21st Century,” Exhibition Catalog
Cate McQuaid, “Amid a Dizzying Array of Color and Wildlife, a Pattern Emerges,” Boston
Globe, September 12, 2003: p. C18
Cate McQuaid, “In Klimt’s Mold,” Boston Globe, February 28, 2003: p. C17
R.J. Grubb, “A World of its Own,” Bay Windows, February 13: p. 25
Randi Hopkins, “Sun’s Gonna Rise,” Boston Phoenix, January 31, 2003: p. 3
Christine Temin, “Drawing Attention,” Boston Globe, January 18,2002: p. D8
Boston Center for the Arts Mills Gallery, “The Drawing Show,” Exhibition Catalog
PANELS AND LECTURES
2012 Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University MFA Program, “Abstraction and Meaning”, Panel
Presentaion, Boston, M
Brandeis University, Visiting Artist and Critic, Waltham, MA
2011 SUNY Purchase School of Art and Design, Visiting Critic, Purchase, NY
2011 Massachusetts College of Art, Visiting Artist Lecture, Boston, MA
2010 Massachusetts College of Art, Senior Seminar Artist Career Panel, Boston, MA
2009 Brandeis University, Visiting Artist and Critic, Waltham, MA
Clark University, Visiting Artist and Critic, Worcester, MA
2008 Emmanuel College, Visiting Artist, Boston, MA
2007 Massachusetts College of Art, Visiting Artist and Critic, Boston, MA
Art Institute of Boston at Lesley College, Visiting Artist and Critic, Boston, MA
2005- Art New England, Faculty Artist Lecture, Bennington College, Bennington, VT
2011
2005 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Visiting Artist, Boston, MA
2004 Massachusetts College of Art, Visiting Artist, Boston, MA
LAUREL SPARKS
www.laurelsparks.com
2004
2003
20012005
2001
Montserrat College of Art, Visiting Artist, Beverly, MA
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Visiting Artist, Boston, MA
Bard College, The Life Of Art/The Art Of Life, Guest Panelist, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Connoisseurs Studio Program, Guest Artist, Boston, MA
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Alumni Speaker, Boston, MA
Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art, Artist Lecture, Tucson, AZ
TEACHING
2012 Sarah Lawrence College, Visiting Artist Professor: Intermediate Painting, Bronxville, NY
2008- Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA: Junior and Senior Painting Studio,
2012 Abstract Painting Critique, Sophomore Painting Studio, Graduate Painting Advisor and
Guest Critic, Senior Seminar. Drawing for Painting Majors.
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA: Advanced Painting Studio, Individual
Critiques (Interdisciplinary).
2007- Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, MFA Faculty, Boston, MA: Advising, Critique,
Present Professional Development, Panel Presentations.
Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA: Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center Low
Residency MFA Program, Artist Mentor.
2007 Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, BFA Faculty, Boston, MA: Foundations:
Conceptual Development
Massachusetts College of Art, Boston MA: Visiting Critic for Sophomore, Junior, Senior and
Graduate Painting Majors
2006- Massachusetts College of Art, Continuing Education, Boston, MA: Mixed Media Painting
2007
2005- Massachusetts College of Art, Art New England at Bennington College, Bennington, VT:
2010 Mixed Media Painting
2004- Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, MFA Program, Boston, MA: Artist Mentor
2007
1999- School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA: Collage and Mixed Media, Experimental
2007 Painting, Acrylic Painting, Mid-semester Critiques, Studio and Academic Advisor
1996- Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA: Collage, Mixed Media and Papermaking
1997
1995- School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA: “Images in Context”:
1996 Postmodern Theory and Studio Practice for Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate
Students, Assistant Teacher