Bernice Ficek-Swenson                                         berniceficek-swenson.com

                                                                        swensgold@gmail.com

Professional Position

Present – 17  Professor Emerita, Art Dept. University of Wisconsin – River  Falls, USA 

2017 – 92  Professor, Art Dept. University of Wisconsin – River  Falls, USA 

1990 – 1980  Co-Director, Land Mark Editions, Fine-art Printmaking Atelier, Minneapolis, MN

Solo & Two Person Exhibitions

2023 To See The Unseen, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI  (Two-person)

2018 Stone Voices, No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works, Beacon, NY  

2018  9th International Printmaking Biennial of Douro, Portugal  (Invitation of Curator, Nuno Canelas)

2018  Hudson Hospital Healing Arts Program, Hudson, WI  

2017  Stone Voices, Traffic Zone Gallery, Minneapolis, MN  

2017  3rd Global Print 2017, Douro, Portugal  (Invitation of Curator, Nuno Canelas)  

2014  El Fuego, Institute of Fine Arts, USBI, University of Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico

2013  Aqua Vitae, 2012 Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant Exhibition and Presentation, Mpls Photo Center, MN  

2012  Fire & Water, Name  & Mary Schina, Quincy Art Center, Quincy, IL  (Two-person)

2011  FIRE!, IFP MN Center for Media Arts, Minneapolis, MN , Vance Gellert, Curator,  (Two-person)

2008  Camera Lucida, Galerie Domus, Universite’ Claude-Bernard, sponsored by Galerie Par-ci Par-la, Lyon, France  

2006  Of Fire and Stone, Gallery of Technohoros, Athens, Greece

Group Exhibitions

2024  Foto Focus, Stories of the Land, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park and Museum, Hamilton, OH 

2024  4th Annual Group Show, Strata Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 

2024  Sublime Synergies: Interactions of Light and Ink, Tortuga Gallery, Remarque Print Workshop, Albuquerque, NM 

2023  An Exhibition on FIRE, Constellation Studios, Lincoln, NE

2023  Art and Poetic Text, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, South Yarmouth, MA

2023  Ephemerality, Strata Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 

2022  Nature in Mind, Platteville, WI

2021  Re-Collection, Rountree Gallery, Platteville, WI (Traces soil & glass installation)

2020  Through Her Lens, The Wittliff Collections, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

2020  Mapping the Anthropocene, Invitational portfolio of 12 artists, added to Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, GA

2020 & 2010  Foot in The Door, MAEP, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Mpls., MN

2019  Topographic Traces, Gordon Parks Gallery, Metro State University, St. Paul, MN  (3-person)

2019  Bibliographic In Nature, Cargill Gallery, Minneapolis Central Library, MN (Book arts exhibit)

2018  Phases of Matter, Evanston Art Center, IL & Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Minnetonka, MN  

2016  In Their Element:  Artists Inspired by Earth, Air, Water and Fire, O’Shaughnessy Gallery, St. Thomas Univ., St. Paul, MN

2015  Here Now There Then, Institute of Fine Arts, University of Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico

2015  There’s No Escape, Where Nature & Intersect, Silverwood Park Gallery, St. Anthony, MN 

2014  Women & Print, A Contemporary View, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, CA  (catalog)

2014  Bridging the Gap, 2014  SGCI International Printmaking Conference, San Francisco, CA

2014  Of Memory, Bone & Myth, Rourke Art Museum, Moorhead, MN  

2014  45th Parallel, Phipps Center for the Arts, Hudson, WI, invitational

2014  Perspectives, Photography Grant Recipient Exhibition, Minnesota State Arts Board, St. Paul, MN

2013  McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown State University Center for Contemporary Art, Ohio

2013-12  From Dark Into Light, North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND, Laurel Reuter, Curator

2012  Women & Water, Concerning Water, Phipps Art Center, Hudson, WI

2012  Ontologies: 4 Visions, Athens Printmaking Festival, Eleftherias Park Art Center, Athens, Greece  (4-person)

2011  Constructed Realities, 5 person invitational photogravure, Grafikens Hus, Mariefred, Sweden  (5-person)

2004 & 02  Uncanny Visions, Contemporary Romantic Landscapes, Plains Art Center, Fargo, ND and the Phipps Art Center, Hudson, WI

1997-96  Earth, Water, Air and Fire, MAEP, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Mpls., MN

Grants & Awards

2021  McKnight Minnesota Center for Book Arts Fellowship Finalist

2017  Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, ($10000.00 Stone Voices artist book edition)

2012  Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, ($9300.00 Aqua Vitae photogravure suite project)

2003  Polaroid Corporation Materials Grant, Cambridge, MA

1998  Polaroid Corporation Materials Grant, Cambridge, MA

  

Artist Residencies and Visiting Artist

2020  Brushcreek Artist Residency, WY (wait listed)

2018  Benton Projects: Artist-in-Residence, Benton, WI (1st artist-in-resident)

2018, 2016, 2014   Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN: Visiting artist lecture

2017  MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant panelist – photography

2017  Institute of Fine Arts, University of Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico:  Visiting Artist

2016  Starpointe Studio, Louisville, KY:  artist book collaboration 

2016  University of Kentucky – Lexington:  Visiting artist, photogravure history lecture

2014  Institute of Fine Arts, University of Veracruz, Mexico:  Artist-in-Residence, 1 month residency 

2014  Scripps College, Claremont, CA: Visiting artist workshop & lecture, Landscape, Memory & Metaphor 

2012  Hong Kong Institute of Education, China: Visiting Professor, 2 weeks workshop & Lectures

2010  Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada: Artist-in-Residence, 1 month photogravure residency

2007  Universite’ Claude-Bernard, Lyon, France: Visiting Artist lecture

2006  Athens School of Fine Arts, Athens, Greece:  Visiting artist lecture, “Contemporary Printmaking Trends in the US”

2005  Athens School of Fine Arts, Athens, Greece: Visiting artist, two-week workshop polymer photogravure workshop

2004  Anchor Graphics, Chicago, ILL:  Artist-in-Residence, two-week photogravure residency: Pyre suite

Publications

2024  4th Annual Strata Members Group Exhibition,  Strata Gallery, Santa Fe, NM (online)

2018  9th International Printmaking Biennial,  Douro, Portugal, (catalog)

2017  Stone Voices, artist book – edition of 12, MN State Arts Board grant. Design collaboration with Starpointe Studio

2016  Black & White Photography Magazine:  Looking Back – Looking Forward, Alternative Photography issue

2014  Women & Print, A Contemporary View, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont,  CA  (catalog)

2011  FIRE!, IFP MN Center for Media Arts, Minneapolis, MN,  exhibition book, Vance Gellert Introduction

2011  Grafik Nytt, Swedish Graphic publication, article on Grafikens Hus, Classic Photogravure exhibition, repro of Promise of Water 

2010  THENOW catalog, New World / Old World Invitational, Katherine Nash Gallery, MN 

2008 North Dakota Museum of Art, Laurel Reuter

2005  The Polaroid Book, Polaroid International Collection, Cambridge, A, Taschen Pub., hard cover

2001  Photogravure, Photographs in Ink, exhibition catalog, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Mpls, MN

1997  The Best of Printmaking: An International Collection , Rockport Publisher’s , hard cover

Permanent Collection

 Alkek Library, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University – San Marco, TX

Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ

Athens School of Fine Arts, Athens, Greece

Carleton College Library, Northfield, MN

Douro Museum Printmaking Biennial Collection, Portugal

Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN

Hong Kong Institute of Education, China

Institute of Fine Arts, University of Veracruz, Mexico

Izote Editions, Xalapa, Mexico

Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, University of KY-Lexington

Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Minneapolis Central Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections, MN

Minnesota Historical Society, Special Book Collection, St. Paul, MN

Museum of Contemporary Photography @ Columbia, Chicago, IL

Minneapolis Institute of Art Collection, MN

North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND

Polaroid International Collection, Cambridge, MA

Scripps College, Claremont CA

Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers, Brunswick, NJ

Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw State University, GA

Rare Book Collection 

Alkek Library, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University – San Marco, TX

Carleton College Library, Artist Book Collection, Northfield, MN

Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College, Claremont CA

Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, University of KY-Lexington

Minneapolis Central Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections, MN

Minnesota Historical Society Library, Special Book Collection, St. Paul, MN

North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN

Gallery Affiliation

Strata Gallery, 125 Lincoln Ave, Suite 105, Sante Fe, NM 87501