Resume - Dean Bensen & Demetra Theofanous
DEMETRA THEOFANOUS
SELECT AWARDS and ACHIEVEMENTS
2022 CERF "Get Ready" Grant
2021 Cover Artist, “The Nature Issue”, The Flow Magazine, Spring Issue
2020 Award from the Chinese Government for work in the Ming Shangde Glass Museum
Exhibition
Institute for Contemporary Art, Artist Grant (ICA San Jose, CA)
2018 CERF “Get Ready” Grant
2017 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 5 month Collaborative Residency with Dean Bensen, Novato, CA
2016 Added to permanent collection of the Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
2014 NICHE Award Winner, Best in Flameworked Glass, National Competition
Juror’s Award, “Dimensions”, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, San Luis Obispo, CA
SELECT EXHIBITIONS
2022 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum or Art, Glass Exhibition Invitational, Hartford, CT (upcoming)
Sandwich Museum, "Innovation in Glass", Sandwich, MA (upcoming)
Habatat Detroit Fine Art; "International Invitational Exhibition", Group Exhibition, Detroit, MI
Fuller Craft Museum, "Glass Lifeforms", Juried Group Exhibition; Brockton, MA
Fuller Craft Museum, "2022 Craft Biennial", Juried Group Exhibition; Brockton, MA
Ringling College of Art & Design via Habatat Gallery; "Aquatica"; Group Exhibition, Sarasota, FL
2021 Fuller Craft Museum, "Glass Lifeforms", Juried Group Exhibition; Brockton, MA
National Art Gallery of Bulgaria; "International Biennale of Glass"; Juried; Sophia, Bulgaria
Crocker Art Museum and Blue Line Gallery, "Crocker-Kingsley Biennial", National Juried Exhibition, Roseville, CA
Montague Gallery, "In Nature", Small Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
San Jose City Hall, “Fragile Beauty: The Enigma of Glass”, Group Exhibition; San Jose, CA
2020 Ming Shangde Glass Museum, International Group Exhibition, Juried, China
Intersect Chicago (SOFA Expo) via Momentum Gallery, Chicago, IL
Museum of Northern California Art; “Unbroken Legacies: Northern California Art Glass”; Group Exhibition; Chico, CA
2019 Imagine Museum, “PIVOT”, Juried Group Exhibition, St. Petersburg, FL
Museum of Art & Botany at Selby Gardens, “Dialogue in Nature”, Group Exhibition via Duncan McClellan Gallery, Sarasota, FL
Raven Gallery, Art Aspen, Aspen, CO
Montague Gallery, Art Market San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Montague Gallery, “Survey Bay Area”, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
2018 Ming Shangde Glass Museum, International Group Exhibition, Juried, China
Montague Gallery, Art Aspen, Aspen, CO
SITKA Center for Art & Ecology, SITKA Art Invitational, Group Exhibition, Portland, OR
2017 Bellevue Arts Museum, “Making Our Mark”, Group Exhibition, Bellevue, WA
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, “Intertwined”, Solo Exhibition of Collaborative Work with Dean Bensen; Novato, CA
Montague Gallery, Art Market San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
2016 The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, “Indiana Now 2016: the Bicentennial”, Juried, Group Exhibition, Lafayette, IN
The Haggin Museum, “59th Juried Exhibition”, Group Exhibition, Stockton, CA
2015 Alexandria Museum of Art, “28th Annual September Competition Exhibition”, Juried, Group Exhibition, Alexandria, LA
San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, “Textile Conversations in Glass”, Small Group Exhibition, San Jose, CA
2014 San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, “Dimensions”, Juried, Group Exhibition, San Luis Obispo, CA
2013 Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery, “Common Discourse”, Small Group Exhibition, Pittsburgh, PA
Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, “Glass Weekend 2013”, An International Exhibition and Symposium of Contemporary Glass,
Millville, New Jersey; via PISMO Gallery
2012 Crocker Art Museum Biennial Exhibition, Held at Blue Line Gallery, “Crocker-Kingsley Exhibition”, Roseville, CA; Juror: Michael
Duncan from Art in America
Oakland Museum of California, Held at Oakland International Airport, “Playing with Fire – The Art of Making Glass”, Group
Exhibition, Juried, Oakland, CA
National Liberty Museum, “Liberty in Bloom”, Group Exhibition, Philadelphia,PA
Alta Bates Medical Center, Public Art Exhibition with Dean Bensen, Berkeley, CA
2011 Vetri, “Story of Nature”, Solo Exhibition, Seattle, WA
2010 Ruth Bancroft Sculpture Garden, “16th Annual: Sculpture in the Garden”, Juried, Walnut
Creek, CA
SELECT CORPORATE AND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation (Two collaborative works with Dean Bensen added to the collection)
Racine Art Museum
Skutt Glass Kilns Corporate Collection
PUBLIC ART
2018 Art installation at hospital system in Munster, Indiana
2017 Alameda County Art Commission, Selected for Public Art Artist Registry
Community Glass Quilt Installation, Collaborative work with Dean Bensen, Marin Museum of
Contemporary Art, Novato, CA
SELECT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2022 Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, President-Elect & Education Chair
2015-2021 Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Advisory Board Member & Education Chair
2018-2022 Glass Art Society, Board Member
2014-2022 Glass Alliance of Northern California, President of the Board
2011-2014 Glass Alliance of Northern California, Board Member
2017 Visiting artist, Community Family Event & Workshops, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA
2010-2015 Flameworking Senior Instructor, Bay Area Glass Institute, San Jose, CA
2011-2016 Glass Alliance of Northern California Board of Directors, currently President
2014-2015 Glass Art Society Co-Chair, 2015 International Conference, San Jose, CA
2010-2014 Visiting Artist, Public Demonstrations & Children events, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2014 Visiting Artist, Public Demonstrations & Family Events, SF Museum of Craft + Design, SF, CA
2013 Visiting Artist, Public Demonstrations & Family Events, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
EDUCATION
1993 UC Berkeley, Walter A. Haas School of Business, B.S.
(please see below for Dean Bensen CV - my collaborator)
Dean Bensen
Education
1990 B.A. in Art, College of Idaho, Caldwell, ID.
Select Exhibitions
2022 Wadsworth Atheneum Museum or Art, Glass Exhibition Invitational, Hartford, CT (upcoming)
Sandwich Museum, "Innovation in Glass", Sandwich, MA (upcoming)
Habatat Detroit Fine Art; "International Invitational Exhibition", Group Exhibition, Detroit, MI
Fuller Craft Museum, "Glass Lifeforms", Juried Group Exhibition; Brockton, MA
2021 Fuller Craft Museum, "Glass Lifeforms", Juried Exhibition; Brockton, MA
National Art Gallery of Bulgaria, "International Biennale of Glass"; Sophia, Bulgaria
Montague Gallery, "In Nature", Small Group Exhibition; San Francisco, CA
San Jose City Hall, "Fragile Beauty: The Enigma of Glass"; San Jose, CA
2020 Ming Shangde Glass Museum, International Group Exhibition, Juried; China
Intersect Chicago (SOFA Expo) via Momentum Gallery; Chicago, IL
Museum Of Northern California Art; "Unbroken Legacies: Northern California Art Glass", Juried
Group Exhibition; Chico, CA
2019 Imagine Museum, "PIVOT", Juried Group Exhibition; St. Petersburg, FL
Raven Gallery, Art Aspen; Aspen, CO
Montague Gallery, Art Market San Francisco; San Francisco, CA
Habatat Gallery, "Prime" Exhibition during SOFA Expo; Chicago, IL
2018 Ming Shangde Glass Museum, International Group Exhibition, Juried; China
Montague Gallery, Art Aspen; Aspen, CO
Montague Gallery, "Survey Bay Area", Group Exhibition; San Francisco, CA
SITKA Center for Art & Ecology; SITKA Art Invitational; Portland, OR
2017 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, "Intertwined", Solo Exhibiton of Collaborative Work with
Demetra Theofanous; Novato, CA
2016 The Gallery at 48 Natoma, Through the Trees, Three Person Exhibition, Folsom, Ca.
2015 Alexandria Museum of Art, September Competition Exhibition, Group Exhibition, Alexandria, Lo.
2014 San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, Dimensions, Juried group Exhibition, San Luis Obispo, CA.
2012 Alta Bates Medical Center, Public Art Exhibition with Demetra Theofanous, Berkeley, Ca.
Oakland Museum of California at the Oakland International Airport, Playing with Fire: The Art of Making Glass, (Juried) Oakland,
CA.
2010 Ruth Bancroft 16th Annual Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition, (Juried), Walnut Creek, CA.
2008 Public Glass Gallery, Nature’s Footprints, Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, CA.
San Jose City Hall, City Windows Gallery, Out of the Fire, Invitational, Group Exhibition, San Jose, CA.
2007 The Museum of Los Gatos, Annual Juried Show, Group Exhibition, Los Gatos, CA.
2006 Oakland Museum of California, Made in California: Glass from the Golden State, (Juried) Group Exhibition, Oakland, CA.
2002 - 2003 San Francisco Airport Museums, Varying Vessels, SFO International Airport, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA.
Commissions
2011 & 2012 Bay Area Glass Institute’s Annual Auction, Awarded Commission to Design Centerpieces, in collaboration with Demetra
Theofanous
Select Professional Experience
2006- present Owner of Avolie Glass; A collaborative studio production line with Demetra Theofanous
2003 - 2015 Paul DeSomma, Glass Artist Assistant, Santa Cruz, CA. (Special Projects: 2007 Chihuly Chandelier for Hotel Atlantis in Dubai)
2012 Visiting Artist, Palo Alto Art Center, Project Look, Flameworking Demonstrations for kids
2011 Ana Sew Hoy, San Jose Museum of Art Project, Gaffer of Glass Parts at BAGI, San Jose, CA.
2010 - 2015 Bay Area Glass Institute (BAGI), Glass Blowing Instructor, San Jose, CA.
2001 - 2003 Palo Alto High School Glass Program, Teaching/Residency, Palo Alto, CA.
2001 San Jose State University Glass Dept., Summer Teaching/Residency, San Jose, Ca.
Select Awards and Scholarships
2007 Honorable Mention, The Museum of Los Gatos, Annual Juried Show Los Gatos, Ca.
Select Collections
Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
Media
2007 Hallmark TV Segment, New Mornings, “Glass Tree” Air Date October 22, 2007, Produced by Michelle Mahoney/Post Street Productions