Andrea Vail investigates contemporary American society and its objects -- specifically home goods deemed stylistically obsolete, or unattractive by the standards of 21st century mainstream culture to create sculpture and collaborative exchange. Her research explores trends of mass-production, habits of consumption and systems of artifice and authenticity.
b. 1980
EDUCATION
2014 M.F.A., Craft/Material Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2003 B.F.A., Visual Art - Fibers, UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2020
Edwards Distinguished Professor, Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Pentaculum (Winter), invitational residency, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
2019
Sensoria Featured Visual Artist, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
Craft Research Fund Grant, Center for Craft, Asheville, NC (co-author with Jeana Klein, Susan Fecho, Lisa Kriner) Support for a traveling, 5-state, SEFEA members exhibition and printed catalog of exhibited works
Art of Recycling project grant, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte, NC
2018
Residency (Summer), Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
Regional Artist Project Grant, Arts and Science Council, Charlotte, NC
2017
HappeningsCLT Visual Artist Grant
Visual Artist Fellowship, North Carolina Arts Council
2016
Residency (Dec/Jan), Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC
2013
Richmond Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant, CultureWORKS, Richmond, VA
Graduate School Thesis Assistantship, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA
William B. Clopton Scholarship, VCU, Richmond, VA
Graduate Teaching Assistantship, VCU, Richmond, VA
Graduate Student Travel Grant, VCU, Richmond, VA
2012
Residency (Summer), McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Charlotte, NC
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS (* indicated solo)
2019/20
In Flux, touring 5-state SEFEA exhibition, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, Berea College, Berea, KY, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Elon University, Elon, NC (Curators: Lisa Kriner, Berea College; Rob Mertens, James Madison University; LM Wood, Elon University; Pat Mink, East Tennessee State University; Miyuki Cook, Marshall University) (catalog)
2019
Southern Strands: North Carolina Fiber Art, BlowingRock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock, NC (Forthcoming)
supported by BRNHA and organized in collaboration with Jean McLaughlin, former Director at Penlan School of Crafts
Navigating Messes andAccumulating Piles (Amy Herman, Grace Stott, and Andrea Vail), Rauch Gallery,Gaston College, Dallas, NC
Textures, C3Lab, Charlotte, NC
Teach/Taught: Fiber Art Educators, Meramec Contemporary Art Gallery, St. Louis Community College at Meramec, in partnership with Innovations in Textiles 2019 (Curator: Rena Wood)
*Bridging, CPCC Arts, multi-campus exhibition, Charlotte, NC
A Collective Introspective, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC
2018
A Day with SDA, Friendge, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA (Invited by Astrid Hilger Bennett)
Resident Exhibition (July), Elsewhere Museum (Curator: Emily Ensminger), Greensboro, NC
*Artificial Habitats, Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, NC (Invitational)
NC Artists Fellowship Exhibit, Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC (catalogue)
Textures: CLTextile showcase, C3Lab, Charlotte, NC
2017
Crossing Generations, Hoffman Gallery, Oregon College of Art and Craft Portland, OR (Curator: Jane Sauer, Invitational)
Instructor Exhibition, Sandra J. Blain Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN 2016
Showcase, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC (three-person exhibit)
In Esse, Emily Davis Gallery, The University of Akron, Akron, OH (Curator: Natalie Grieshammer, Invitational)
Faculty Biennial, UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Open Occupancy, McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Charlotte, NC (Curator: Jason Watson, Invitational)
Residency, Form & Concept, Santa Fe, NM (Curator: Frank Rose, Invitational)
BOOM, Charlotte, NC (Invitational)
Site Seeing, C3Lab, Charlotte, NC (Curator: Holly Keogh and Blaine Hurdle, Invitational)
2015
Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition, Pease Gallery, CPCC, Charlotte, NC
2014
*WOVEN Community, Sediment Gallery, Richmond, VA
MFA Thesis Exhibition - Panoramic Sham, the Depot, VCU, Richmond, VA
2013
Metal 3, LIGHT Art+Design, Chapel Hill, NC (Invitational)
Radius 250, Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA (Juried, Juror: N. Elizabeth Schlatter, Director and Curator of Univ. of Richmond Museums)
FO/MENT, Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA
Altered, Cornelius Arts Center, Corneluis, NC (Invitational)
Wickham House 200: Inspiring Art Two Centuries Later, 1812 Wickham House, The Valentine Richmond History Center, Richmond, VA
COMMUNITY
2019
Bridging, Central Piedmont Community College,Charlotte, NC
In conjunction with Sensoria2019,this large-scale fabric installation is the tangible representation of CPCC’sdiverse community -- coming from unique experiences, converging at CentralPiedmont Community College, then venturing onward. Rooted in the inter culturaland generational traditions of patterned textiles, this work, embellished withpalm-sized tassels and printed with student-sourced imagery, is both inclusiveof individual identities and realized as one unified fabric.
2018
Signalling Hello, Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
A process-based greeting initiative that shares genuine encounters with pedestrians informed the daily practice of walking and greeting others with a “Hello.”
COLLECTING_PILE, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC [Supported by North Carolina Arts Council]
An interactive art work which involves the community as both content and collaborator.
2015-Present
Friendge, ongoing - www.andreavail.com/friendge
An initiative that invites people from all over the world to create tassels that I will fashion into a large border
2014
WOVEN Community Project, Candela Books + Gallery, Storefront for Community Design, Coalition Theater, Black Iris Gallery, Anchor Studios, Quirk Gallery, Richmond Public Library, Sediment Gallery, Richmond, VA [Supported by CultureWORKS - Richmond Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant]
Three-part community-focused exchange, involves collecting donated crochet goods from the community, unraveling the goods to reclaim yarn, and welcoming Richmonders to join me in weaving the yarn.
2013
Gathering Clouds: A Quilting Bee, The Anderson Gallery, VCU, Richmond, VA
In conjunction with Sanford Biggers: Codex, The Anderson Gallery collected submissions of original cloud photographs from participants via tumblr. With help from the VCU’s Fashion Department the photos were printed on cotton fabric, later to be pieced together as a quilt. Community members joined me with finishing stitches. The evening concluded with the completed quilt raffled off to a participant.
2012
Two Plus One: A 5 Hour Creative Interaction (co-organized with Rachel Emily Simpson), McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Charlotte, NC
Rachel and I, along with ten other artists, sought to investigate the possibilities and challenges presented while working collaboratively. Our effort was to combine the visions, ideas, and styles of two plus artists through dialogue and unrestricted materials.
2012
ONE HUNDRED CIRCLES, Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School, Charlotte, NC
Permanent Public Installation [Supported by McColl Center for Art + Innovation]
100 individual circular tapestries joined to make one permanent public work. From
April 9 - May 30, 2012, through a series of examples and lessons, the entire Fourth Grade class at Elizabeth Traditional Elementary School (100 Students) worked together to produce a textile rich in color, texture, and pride.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Southern Strands:North Carolina Fiber Art, Exhibition Catalog, Blowing Rock Art & HistoryMuseum, NC
In Flux, ExhibitionCatalog, touring 5-state exhibition, East Tennessee State University; MarshallUniversity; Berea College; James; Madison University; Elon University
NC ArtistsFellowship Exhibit, Exhibition Catalog, CameronArt Museum, NC
Laurel H. Campbell& Jane Dalton (2019) Researching Contemporary Handwork: Stitchingas Renewal, Remembrance, and Revolution, ArtEducation, 72:4, 29-35, DOI: 10.1080/00043125.2019.1602500
Dionisio, Gabriella. “What to See at CPCC's2019 Sensoria Literature and Arts Festival.” Charlotte Magazine, 1Apr. 2019, Web.
‘Color: Outside the Lines’ Waterworks Summer Exhibition. Salisbury Post, 7 June 2018.
Lacy, Justin . "Cameron Art Museum exhibit shows off best of North Carolina art." Star News [Wilmington] 10 Apr. 2-18 Web.
Sauer, Jane. “CROSSING GENERATIONS.” Surface Design Journal, pp. 6–11.
"ARTFUL: VISUAL ARTS, What to Do and See in Charlotte. Who to Meet." The Charlotte Observer 21 May 2017: 3C. Print.
"Carolina Art Crush: Andrea Vail." Interview. Blog post. Happeningsclt. 17 May 2017. Web.
Trenning, Lynn. “Salt and Tassels, Weaves and Clay – and $10KEach.” The Charlotte Observer. McClatchy, 5 January 2017. Web.
De La Canal, Nick. "McColl Center Tackles House Bill 2 With An Art Exhibit - Where Else? - In The Bathrooms." Weblog post. WFAE 90.7. NPR, 7 Sept. 2016. Web.
Price, Mark. "Bitter HB2 Dispute Basis for Provocative Restroom Art Show in Charlotte." The Charlotte Observer. N.p., 18 Aug. 2016. Web.
Spruill, Aerin. "Balance Is Key When It Comes to Work and Play." QC After Dark. Creative Loafing Charlotte, 25 Aug. 2016. Web.
Toussaint, Katie. "Yep, There's a Bathroom with a Disco Ball in Charlotte - CharlotteFive." CharlotteFive. 18 Aug. 2016. Web.
Hopper, John. "INSPIRATIONAL 10 - the Textile Blog 2008-2016." Inspirational. N.p., 2016. Web.
Vail, Andrea. "Woven Community An Invitation To Work Shoulder-to-Shoulder." Surface Design News. Surface Design Association, 28 July 2.
"Exposure." Surface Design Journal: Textiles Winter 2014: 68. Print.
Greenberg, Blue. "Many Configurations of Metal at Chapel Hill Gallery." The Herald-Sun. N.p., 9 Jan. 2014. Web.
Adams, Amanda Dalla Villa. "The Practice of Thinking Artspace's "Radius250" Has Some Compelling Work Hiding in Its Corners." Style Weekly. N.p., 6 Aug. 2013. Web.
Lord, Jo. "Please Drink and Quilt Responsibly." Sifter. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2013.
Slipek, Edwin. "Pimp My House, A 200-year-old Landmark Mansion Gets a Facelift from VCU Students." Style Weekly 19 Feb. 2013: 45. Print.
Overcash, Anita. "Two Plus One and Squared Closing Reception." Creative Loafing Charlotte 26 July 2013: n. pag. Web.
Hopper, John. "The Symbolism of Personal Memory. The Artwork of Andrea Vail." The Textile Blog. N.p., 11 Jan. 2012. Web.
"Spotlight on Education." Surface Design Journal: Creative Explorations of Fiber and Fabric Summer 2009: 64-65. Print.
PRESENTATIONS
2019
VisitingArtist/ Artist Talk, Edwards Distinguished Professor, MarshallUniversity, Huntington, WV
Panel Moderator, “Figuring It Out: Truths of being successful,”SDA Biennial Conference, St. Louis, MO, Panelists: Alicia Decker, Catherine Reinhart, Rena Wood
Artist Talk, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
Artist Talk, North Central College, Naperville, IL
Artist Talk, Goodyear Arts, Charlotte, NC
2018
Artist Talk, Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
2017
Crossing Generations panel discussion moderated by Jane Sauer
2016
Faculty Biennial Panel Discussion, UNC-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
2015
SDA Craft + Concept Intensive 2015 Made/Aware: Socially Engaged Practices, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
2013
Graduate Artist Association, VCU, Richmond, VA
Artist to Artist. McColl Center for Visual Art, Charlotte, NC
2011
Sheila Hicks: Celebrating 50 Years of Textile Design & Art. Friends of the Mint Lecture Series. Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
Our Voices in Action: Discovering your Voice. Third Annual Women’s Leadership Conference. Davidson College, Davidson, NC
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2019
Panel Moderator, “FiguringIt Out: Truths of being successful,” SDA Biennial Conference, St. Louis,MO, Panelists: Catherine Reinhart,
JenniferReis, Rena Wood
Visiting Artist, North Central College, Chicago, IL
2018
Instructor, Professional Development Workshop, Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, NC PADME Visiting Artist, Bloomsburg University, Department of Art & Art History, Bloomsburg, PA
2017
Juror, Future Tense: Student Exhibition, Surface Design Association, MK + AB Gallery, Portland State University
2015-Present
Teaching Artist, Arts Plus (formerly Community School of the Arts), Charlotte, NC
2015
Teaching Artist, Sunday Fun Day, Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
TEACHING
2015-Present Part-time Instructor, Arts Division: Visual, Visual and Performing Arts, Central Piedmont Community College
2016 Part-time Faculty, College of Art + Art History, UNC-Charlotte
2014-2015 Part-time Faculty, Department of Art, Appalachian State University
2013 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2008-2011 Part-time Faculty, College of Art + Art History, UNC-Charlotte
MEMBERSHIPS
Southeast Fibers Educators Association (SEFEA)
Surface Design Association (SDA), Board of Directors, Oct 2019 – Present; Education Committee 2016 - Present