Rob Tarbell

Gallery (Crossing Borders exhibition) & Artist Biography

Rob Tarbell

Over the past ten years, Rob Tarbell has shown in eleven solo exhibitions and more than fifty group exhibitions throughout the United States, Korea, China, England., and Canada.

In 2009 Rob was awarded a fellowship at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. In 2007, he was awarded a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Artist Fellowship, received an Honorable Mention from the Loyola Works on Paper Exhibition at Loyola University and was the recipient of a Purchase Award at the 31st Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition. In 2006, Rob was awarded the Drawing Award at the Peninsula Fine Art Center Biennial.

Rob has been featured in more than 50 articles in publications, and blogs, including Studio Visit (volumes 1, 4, 6 and 8) starting in 2007. Lark Books featured a Smoke and a Struggle in books: Skulls in 2008 and 500 Ceramic Sculptures in 2009.

Rob began his education at Auburn University receiving his BFA in Painting and Graphic Design in 1990. At the University of Tennessee, Rob earned an MFA in Painting and Drawing (‘93) and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction (’94).

Since 2000, Rob has taught art and design at Limestone College, James Madison University, Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently Assistant Professor of Art at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Currently Rob’s work is represented by Les Yeux du Monde (Charlotesville, VA), Dolby Chadwick Gallery (San Francisco), Krause Gallery (New York), Decorazon Gallery (London) and Galerie MX (Montreal, Quebec).

In 2010, Rob was awarded four residencies, two from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Amherst, Viriginia and Moulin à Nef in Auvillar, France and Ragdale Foundation. This coming October 2010, Rob will be the artist in residence at Weir Farm Art Center in Wilton, Connecticut.

Rob lives in Crozet, Virginia with his wife, Anna, and baby daughter, Dottie.

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2012    Bird-Like Things in Things Like Trees, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
2011    Vitreous Humor, Krause Gallery, New York, NY
2010    Follies of the Wise, Hunt Gallery, Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, VA
Ride, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA
Heads or Tails, The Art Registry Group, Washington, D.C.
2009    Meet the Struggles & Smoke Rings, Decorazon Gallery, Dallas, TX
Diagnostics, Smoyer Gallery, Roanoke College, Roanoke, VA
Smoke Rings, Gallery Imperato, Baltimore, MD
New Work, Krause Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Absence and Presence, Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH
2008    No Mirrors, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
The Struggles Play Nice, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA
2007    New Struggles, ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA
Replacements, Art6 Gallery, Richmond VA
2006    Birding, North Gallery, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA
2005    Freefalling, Kirsten Bowen Gallery, Columbus, OH

Selected Group Exhibitions
2012    Summer, Decorazon Gallery @ Delicate Mayhem Gallery, London, England
Distilled Memory, Decorazon Gallery, The Framers Gallery / Artefact Showroom London, England
Deviations From Comfort, National Council for Education of Ceramic Arts, Seattle Design Center, Seattle, WA
Mimesis, Intersections – A New America Arts Festival, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Washington, D.C. Catch 22, Art Auction Exhibition, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
Affordable Art Fair Brussels, Brussels, Belguim (Decorazon Gallery)
2011    Let There Be Light, Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA
Affordable Art Fair London Battersea, London, England (Decorazon Gallery)
Black & White, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA
(e)Merge Art Fair, Washington, D.C., (Washington Project for the Arts, flat file)
Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY (Decorazon Gallery)
New Waves, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA
2010    Aqua Art Fair, Miami FL (Decorazon Gallery)
Fire Works, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ
Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY (Krause Gallery)
Medium & Mystery, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
Isolation, Hemphill Fine Art – Carrol Square Gallery, Washington, D.C.
In the Beginning, Chroma Projects, Charlottesville, VA
2009    Art of Play, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Aqua Art Miami, Miami, FL (Krause Gallery & Les Yeux du Monde)
Creatures Great & Small, Eagle Art Gallery, Murray State Univ, Murray, KY, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY (catalog)
Little Creatures, 1708 Satellite Show, Linden Row, Ricmond, VA
Sweet Summertime, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY (Krause Gallery & Gallery Imperato)
Juried Exhibition, Brenda Taylor Gallery, New York, New York (2/26 – 3/7)
Washington Project for the Arts Art Auction, The Katzen Center for the Arts at American University, Washington, DC. (catalog)
Black and White, Krause Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2008    Small Works, Krause Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Biennial 2008, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA (Mark Richard Leach, Juror)
International Exhibitions at Xian, Lian Bao Lou Gallery, Bejing, China
Art Registry 2008, Chase Contemporary Art, Washington, D.C.
17th San Angelo National Ceramics Competition, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX (catalog)
Washington Project for the Arts Art Auction, The Katzen Center for the Arts at American University, Washington, DC. (Emily Smith, Curator; catalog)
Interrogating Beauty, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE. (Eleanor Heartney, Curator)
Zelli Porcelain Award, Zelli Porcelain, London, England. (Paul Atterbury, Sister Wendy Beckett and Tony Laverick, Jurors)
2007    Salon Selectives 2, ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA
Extremely Superficial, Dangenart Gallery, Nashville, TN
Yongsanh International Art Exhibition, Daegu Cultural Arts Center, Daegu, South Korea (catalog)
Loyola National Works on Paper, Crown Center Gallery, Loyola University, Chicago, IL
Emerging & Established, Les Yeux du Monde, Charlottesville, VA
Yongsanh International Art Exhibition, Chungpah Gallery, Sook Myung University, Seoul City, Korea (catalog)
Artificum of Humanitas, Traveling Exhibition: Shang-Shang Gallery, Bejing, China; Seoul Hae-Tae Gallery, Seoul, Korea (catalog)
Anonymous III, Washington Project for the Arts, Flashpoint Gallery, Washington, DC
Radius 250, Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA. (Ragan Cole-Cunningham, Juror)
31st Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition, Bradley University Gallery, Peoria, IL (Judith Brodsky, Juror)
Art Auction a la Mode, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
Drawing No Conclusions: Survey of Contemporary Drawing, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, Grand Rapids, MI (Dominic Molon, Juror)
2006    Silent Night, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
SCOPE: Miami, Miami, FL (ADA Gallery, flat file)
ART 212 Contemporary Art Fair, New York, NY (ADA Gallery, flat file)
Biennial 2006, Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA (Drawing Award, Tony Hepburn, Juror)
SCOPE: Hamptons, Hampton, NY (ADA Gallery, flat file)
Group Show, ADA Gallery, Richmond, VA
Do Not Fold, Bend, Spindle or Mutilate, Visual Arts Center, Washington Pavilion of Arts & Science, Sioux Falls, SD
1708 Gallery Goes West, Capital One Gallery, Richmond, VA
Ten Reasons to Collect Art, Art Auction, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
2005    Small Works, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA
14th Annual New Images Exhibtion, New Image Gallery, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Education
MFA Drawing & Painting, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
BFA Painting & Graphic Design, Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Awards, Fellowships, & Residencies
2010    Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Moulin à Nef, Auvillar, France
Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Amherst, Virginia
Residency, Ragdale Foundation, Lake Forest, IL
Artist in Residence, Weir Farm Art Center, Wilton, CT (unable to attend)
2009    Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Amherst, VA
2007    Professional Artist Fellowship, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
Semi-Finalist, Trawick Prize, Bethesda, MD
Honorable Mention, Loyola Works on Paper, Loyola University, Chicago, IL
Purchase Award, 31st Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition, Bradley University, Peoria, Il
2006    Drawing Award, Peninsula Fine Art Center: Biennial, Newport News, VA

Collections
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Orlando, Fl
William & Pamela Royall, Richmond, VA
Martha Jefferson Hospital, Charlottesville, VA
Bradley University, Peoria, IL
City of Charlottesville, VA
Houston St Regis Hotel, Houston, TX
Four Seasons, Washington, D.C.
Roanoke College, Salem, VA
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Selected Publications
2012    Sargent, Sarah. “Abstract Grace” C-Ville, July 10, 2012.
Netke, Shefali. “Rob Tarbell’s Spectacular Smoke Circus” My Modern Metropolis, March 16, 2012.
Enoch, Nick. “That’s One Way to Burn a Living” Daily Mail, United Kingdom, January 26, 2012.
UK Culture Editor. “An Oxygen Mask And A Burning Credit Card: Rob Tarbell’s Amazing ‘Smoke Art’ Technique”, Huffington Post, United Kingdom, January 26, 2012.
Yoo, Alice. “Ghostly Circus” My Modern Metropolis, January 17, 2012.
2011    Lark Books. Lark Studio Series: Ceramic Sculptures. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 2011.
2010    International Drawing Annual 5. Edited by J.Franz. Cincinnati, OH: Manifest Press, 2010.
Brennan, Coogan. “Checking in with Rob Tarbell” C-Ville, October 19, 2010.
Parsons, Laura. “Ethereal Material” The Hook, September 30, 2010.
Mike Dullin. “Smoke and Mirrors” Style Weekly, July 7, 2010.
2009    Jon Brezeale. “Rob Tarbell at Decorazon” Dallas Fine Art Examiner, December 31, 2009.
Rebecca Barnabi. “Tarbell’s Struggles.” Richmond Art Gallery Examiner, December 11, 2009.
Cox, Bird. “Struggle Not” Brick Weekly, November 26 – December 2, 2009.
Studio Visit. Edited by Steven T. Zevitas. Vol 8. Boston, MA: The Open Studios Press, 2009.
Jones, Rob. “Sneak Peek: Rob Tarbell.” artPark, September 9, 2009.
Seibert, Lauren. “Smoke Signals.” Baltimore Style, September – October, 2009.
Yalkut, Juds. “Dual Perspectives.” Dayton City Paper, January 28, 2009.
Dillon, Pamela. “Visions from Fire and Earth.” Dayton Daily News, January 11, 2009.
Tourtillott, Suzanne. 500 Ceramic Sculptures. Juried by Glen R Brown. Asheville: Lark Books, 2009.
Studio Visit. Edited by Steven T. Zevitas. Vol 6. Boston, MA: The Open Studios Press, 2009.
2008    Studio Visit. Edited by Steven T. Zevitas. Vol 4. Boston, MA: The Open Studios Press, 2008.
Scalin, Noah. Skulls. Asheville: Lark Books, 2008.
Parsons, Laura. “Split Personalities, Artists Switch Hit at PVCC” The Hook, July 31, 2008.
Sommer Shallet, Karen. “Scene in DC.” DC, May 2008.
Fitzgerald, Brendan. “And Now for Something Completely Different.” C-Ville Weekly, May 27, 2008. (cover)
Parsons, Laura. “Smoke and Mirrors.” The Hook, April 24, 2008.
Yenke, Sara. “Struggles and Smokes.” C-Ville Weekly, April 22, 2008.
Roberts-Pullen, Paulette. “Peep Show.” Style Weekly, April 16, 2008.
Strickler, Whitney. “The Smokes.” Art Park Blog, April 15, 2008.
Parsons, Laura. “Crispy Critters, Tarbell Smiles Through Struggles.” The Hook, February 7, 2008.
Nieman Culpepper, Carrie. “Ones to Watch: Emerging Local Artists to Collect Before It’s Too Late.”
R-Home Magazine, February 2008.
Latter, Ruth. “Kim Puts New Face on Second Street.” The Daily Progress, February 14, 2008.
Studio Visit. Edited by Steven T. Zevitas. Vol 1. Boston, MA: The Open Studios Press, 2008.
2007    Mauer, David A. “Some Enchanted Evening.” The Daily Progress, December 13, 2007.
Kenyon, Theo Jean. “Paper Creations.” Peoria Journal Star, March 4, 2007.
Proctor, Roy. “Smoke Signals.” Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 18, 2007.
Hershey, Greg. “Smoke’em If You Got’em.” Brick Weekly, February 1, 2007.
Parsons, Laura. “Praiseworthy, PVCC Offers Artful Altars.” The Hook, January 25, 2007.
2006    National Drawing Annual, 2006. Edited by J.Franz. Cincinnati, OH: Manifest Press, 2006.
Parsons, Laura. “Creative Evolution: Watching Two Artists Push Forward.” The Hook, September 21, 2006.
Sherman, Linda. “Culture Vulture,” editorial cartoon, The Hook, May 25, 2006.
2005    Latter, Ruth. “Experiments Open Impressive Paper Trail.” Daily Progress, January 27, 2005.
2004    Parsons, Laura. “Flight Lines: Rob Tarbell Takes Off.” The Hook, November 5, 2004.
Fain, Paul. “Here Comes the Sun.” C-Ville Weekly, October 26, 2004.