About
Garric Simonsen's artwork draws from a large collection of family history. Simonsen works with traditional materials and inter-disciplinary approaches, including dry-etching, encaustic and collage, the evolution of what could be classified as his antipainter persona. Garric’s artistic research pushes the meaning of an evolving self-perception, redefining self as nature does. Defined through a language of signs and pictures, his work requires little intellectual description or hypothetical analysis. His roots in Pacific Northwest history pull away from abstraction and focus on artifact and the quality of object and picture.
Bio
(B: 1975) a fifth-generation Washingtonian, artist, tattooist and musician. Work and projects have shown at Bellevue Arts Museum, Jundt Art Museum, Boston Center for the Arts, Platform Gallery (Seattle, WA), Darger HQ (Omaha, NB), Seattle University, Eastern Washington University, University of Wisconsin Madison, the 2010 Brucennial (NY, NY), Wheaton University (Norton, MA), Dog and Pony (Spokane) and Bradley University (Peoria, IL).
Other achievements include 2012 and 2014 nominations for Portland Art Museum’s Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, MFA Scholarship Award (WSU), Art Music Grant (WSU), JUNO Award (TESC), Mark Blakely Award (TESC). Currently tenured faculty at Spokane Falls Community College; holds an MFA from Washington State University and BA from The Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA).
Reviews and publications of Simonsen’s work are included in; The Stranger, Seattle Weekly and Art Collector Magazine. Simonsen has also guest written for Hyperallergic art blog in Brooklyn, NY. Projects have been funded and awarded grants from the Vermont Studio Center, Artist Trust (Seattle, WA) and The James and Janie Washington Foundation (Seattle, WA).
CV ( * Solo, ** 2 person)
2022
**Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, with Carl Richardson, Spokane, WA
2021
Dog and Pony Gallery, 3 person show, curated by Robert Yoder, Spokane, WA
Make.Shift Gallery, group show, Reckless Abandon, Bellingham, WA
2020
Terrain Gallery, 3 person show, Sequences, Spokane, WA
2019
*Kolva Sullivan Gallery, New Drawings of an Unusual Show Title, Spokane, WA
2018
**Garric Simonsen and Craig Roper, Two Places at Once, Darger HQ, Omaha, NE
2017
*Ruddell Gallery, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD
*Going Home, Riversea Gallery, Astoria, OR
*Eastern Washington University Gallery of Art, Cheney, WA
Bradley University International Print and Drawing Biennial, Peoria, IL
2016
Drawn to the Wall, Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA
Seattle City Hall, James and Janie Washington Foundation, AIR Exhibition, Seattle, WA
2015
Feelers, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA
**Pentimenti, Darger HQ, featuring work by Garric Simonsen & Michael Willett, Lincoln, NB
2014
Bellevue Art Museum Biennial: Knock on Wood
Toronto Love Art Fair, Darger HQ, Toronto, CA
*Monument, Spokane Falls Community College Art Gallery, Spokane, WA
Inaugural Exhibition, Darger HQ, Lincoln, NB
2013
Cascadia, Collar Works Gallery, Troy, NY
Bradley Print and Drawing Exhibition, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Wheaton College Drawing Biennial, Beard & Weil Galleries, Norton, MA
2012
Mall of America: A Toll Free Audio Exhibition, Place Gallery, Portland, OR
Tilting at Windmills, Porter Butts Gallery, University of Wisconsin (Madison)
James Washington Residents, Hedreen Gallery, Seattle, WA
Intramurals organized by Chris Moss, AFA Gallery, Scranton, PA
The Fool’s Journey, Curious Matter, Jersey City, NJ
I am a Painter, Effjay Projekts, Sheboygan, WI
2011
Video Rover III (shortlisted), NURTUREart, New York, NY
#Nobody goes to NY (site specific locations), New York, NY
Conversation Piece (Bus Stories), Disjecta, Portland, OR
2010
Magicality, organized by William Powhida & Eric Trosko, Platform Gallery, Seattle, WA
Brucennial: Miseducation, New York, NY
Memory Upgrade, Center for Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
Wet Paint Exhibition, Zhou B. Art Center, Chicago, IL
Play for Keeps, The Tribute Gallery, Portland, OR
MFA Thesis, Washington State University Museum of Art, Pullman, WA
2009
Tell Me What to Draw, Blackfish Gallery (window installation), Portland, OR
8th Annual PONCHO Fine Art Exhibition, Western Bridge Gallery, Seattle, WA
Allied Arts Association Awards Exhibition, Allied Arts Center, Richland, WA
**1st Yr MFA Exhibition, Gallery II, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
A House Divided: Legacy of Lincoln, Chase Gallery, Spokane, WA
Bibliography
Behrens, Kent, The Reader, "Two Places at Once", Omaha, NE (2018)
McQuaid, Cate, Boston Globe, "Two local biennials…", Nov. 24 (2015)
Adams, Samuel, Big Red and Shiny, "Drawing Show", Nov. 16 (2015)
Michelman, Elizabeth, ARTSCOPE, “Putting out Feelers,” Oct. 30 (2015)
MIller, Brian. Seattle Weekly, "A Walk Through the Wood at BAM," (2015)
Faigin, Gary. Seattle Times, The Arts, "Bellevue Arts Museum Biennial Puts Wood on a Pedestal," (2014)
Graves, Jen. The Stranger, Currently Hanging, “What Shows Up in My Inbox,” (2013)
Graves, Jen. The Stranger, "What We Lost That We Never Had," Visual Art, June 26, (2012)
Graves, Jen. The Stranger, “Magical Thinking,” Vol. 19, No. 44 (2010)
Graves, Jen. The Stranger, Currently Hanging, “Junk Drawers,” (2010)
Graves, Jen. The Stranger, Currently Hanging, “The Spectacle is Coming Tomorrow,” (2010)
Platt, Craig. Hyperallergic, “The Art World Gets Trashed,” (2010)
Daily Serving. “Brucennial 2010: Miseducation,” (2010)
Lieberman, Rhonda. Art Forum, Diary, “Their Name Is Bruce,” (2010)
Kron, Catherine. Art in America, News and Opinion, “Inside/Outside the Brucennial,” (2010)
Burket, Brent, Hyperallergic, “The Brucennial Piece by Piece,” March 15 (2010)
Cotter, Holland. New York Times, Art Review, “Who Needs the Whitney? They Have Their Own Show,” February 26, p. C29 (2010)
22:BLOG. “Garric Simonsen,” (2010)
Daye, Kendrick. Art Nouveau Magazine, “Artist of the Week: Garric Simonsen,”(2009)
Kohn, Ilana. Lost at E Minor, “New Art/Garric Simonsen,” (2009)
Art News Blog. “Art Studio of Garric Simonsen,” (2009)
Zurlini, Jennifer. “A House Divided: Legacy of Lincoln,” The Spokesman Review, Thursday February 12, p. C1&C3 (2009)
Scozzaro, Carrie. “Oil Barrel Project: Spokane Visual Arts Tour,” The Inlander, October Issue, p. 28 (2006)
Crane, Julianne. “Young Artist Profile: Garric Simonsen”, The Spokesman Review, Friday June 27, p. C26 (2006)
Publications
Art Collector Magazine, #110, Dec. (2014)
Peripheral Arteries, Issue 2, pg. 22 (2013)
RiverLit Literary Magazine, Issue 9 (2013)
34th Annual Bradley International, exhibition catalog (2013)
Intramurals, exhibition catalog (2012)
The Fool’s Journey, exhibition catalog (2012)
Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously, Hyperallergic, Brooklyn, NY (2011)
National Wet Paint, exhibition catalog, p. 21 (2010)
Art Calendar Magazine, Art School Confidential, November, Pg. 6 (2009)
Studio Visit Magazine, Open Studios Press, Boston, MA (2008)
Wire Harp, Associated Students of SFCC (2002)
Grants/awards/achievements
2014 PAM Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, Nomination
2012 PAM Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, Nomination
2012 Vermont Studio Center, Artist Grant
2009 MFA Scholarship Award, Allied Arts Association
2009 Art Music Grant, Washington State University
2006 SWS, Materials Award
2005 JUNO Award, Evergreen State College
2005 Capitol City Jurors Award, Side Door Gallery
2004 Foundation Activities Grant, Evergreen State College
2003 Mark Blakley Memorial Scholarship, Evergreen State College
1994 Artist Scholarship, Lewis and Clark H.S., Spokane, WA
1994 Spokane Arts Portfolio Contest, 1st Place, Spokane, WA
Teaching
Spokane Falls Community College // Tenured Faculty // current
Whitworth University // FT Lecturer // 2012
Washington State University // PT Adjunct // 2010 - 2012
Eastern Washington University // PT Adjunct // 2010 - 2012
Education
Washington State University – MFA, 2010
The Evergreen State College – BA, 2005