becca van k
beccavank@gmail.com
instagram: @beccavank
Born 1991, Chicago, IL
Lives and works in the Catskill Mountains of New York
EDUCATION
2013
B.A. in Art History, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2022
Please Touch with Gentle Hands and Open Hearts, Office Space Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
2021
Some Soft Thoughts, Window on Hudson, Hudson, NY
The Freeing of the Waters, with Thomas A. Clark, Incident Report, Hudson, NY
2020
Always new people to meet, HiLo, Catskill, NY
Art is Art: Mark Colyer, Christopher Fitzwater, Becca Van K, tANJA gRUNERT Salon, Hudson, NY
It’s a party, Smallbany Gallery, Albany, NY
2019
We’ve never met before today with Andrew Phillip Cortes, Sou’wester Lodge, Seaview, WA
Comfort Zone immersive installation with Christin Ripley, 24-HOUR DRONE, Basilica Hudson, Hudson, NY
2018
i'm here for you, solo exhibition, HiLo, Catskill, NY
Plush Zone with Christin Ripley, No Theme Performance Festival, Cocoon Gallery at the Cunneen-Hackett Art Center,
Poughkeepsie, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Soft Opening, Holding Space, Kingston, NY
Group exhibition at the Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA (forthcoming)
Follow the Thread, Olive Free Library, Olive, NY (forthcoming)
2023
Work, Ladies Room, Los Angeles, NY
Future Fair with Paradice Palase, New York, NY
Freaky Flowers, SEPTEMBER Gallery, Kinderhook, NY
Coast to Coast, 377 Main, Catskill, NY
Group Show, Joyce Goldstein Gallery, Chatham, NY
Lyndhurst Mansion Flower Show, Tarrytown, NY
HOLIDAY, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
2022
Shift Work, CoProsperity, Catskill, NY
On Pins & Needles, Athens Cultural Center, Athens, NY
Walk on Me, Look At Me, Sit on Me, Prattsville Art Center, Prattsville, NY
Mountain High, Valley Low, LABspace, HIllsdale, NY
Second Chapter, tANJA gRUNERT Salon, Hudson, NY
HOLIDAY, LABspace, HIllsdale, NY
2021
Embellishing the Truth, curated by Morgan Everhart, The Yard: City Hall Park, New York, NY
Art Fair 14C, (with Office Space Gallery), Jersey City, NJ
Reshaping Reality, Shaping Unreality, Artfare.com, curated by Caru Albuquerque
Wall Power, tANJA gRUNERT Salon, Hudson, NY
ReDesign, curated by Bethanie Irons, Columbia College, Columbia, Missouri
2020
Let the Good Times Roll, ArtPort Kingston, Kingston, NY
HOLIDAY, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
100 Nights, Chinatown Soup, New York, NY
SpaceLAB, curated by Julie Torres and Ellen Letcher, Collar Works, Troy, NY
Emily Ritz: Feeling Myself, tANJA gRUNERT Salon, Hudson, NY
Carnival of the Animis, curated by Richard Saja, One Mile Gallery (Artsy), Kingston, NY
In Union, Remotely, The Shaker Museum website, New Lebanon, NY
Reciprocal Zine Exchange, curated by River Wharton and Katie Ford, via mail
2019
Big Holiday Show, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
Young Hudson Biennial (in collaboration with L’il Debs Oasis), September Gallery, Hudson, NY
feel me, curated by Kelsey Renko, Collar Works, Troy, NY
Earthly Delights, curated by Susan Jennings, Julie Torres, and Ellen Letcher, The Re Institute, Millerton, NY
Lobster Dinner: A Show of Small Works, curated by Will Hutnick, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Pocket Object, curated by Noel Morical, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, Chicago, IL
Reality Hunger, curated by Ken Habarta, Geoffrey Young Gallery, Great Barrington, MA
GATHER, curated by Elizabeth Ibarra and Casey Taylor, ARTBAR Gallery, Kingston, NY
Scintilla Art Box Project, curated by Sarah Swist, Hastings College, Hastings, NE
2018
Afterimage, PARADICE PALASE, Brooklyn, NY
Chain Chain Chain, curated by Maxwell Taylor-Milner, Jeff Bailey Gallery, Hudson, NY
Spatial Oddities, curated by Julie Torres, LABspace, Hillsdale, NY
Small Works, curated by Sharon Louden, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Cave Castle: Dish Rag Magazine Launch, Monk Space, Los Angeles, CA
Being Alive, curated by Kelsey Renko and Michael Valiquette, The Church, Troy, NY
Medium Mode Range, curated by Chelsea Cater, Vicki Island's Dollhouse, Newburgh, NY
2017
Patricia Field ArtFashion Show, Joe's Garage, Catskill, NY
The Bright Future Group Show, Basilica Hudson, Hudson, NY
chashama 2017 Gala, 4 Times Square, New York, NY
Stop and Smell the Roses, curated by Becca Van K and Elbert Perez, The Mothership, Woodstock, NY
Emerging Artists, curated by Tim Slowinski, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
PUBLIC PROJECTS
2023
Macramé Chairs for Lucid Dream Minigolf, Catskill, NY
2021
Columbia Land Conservancy needlepoint project, Warren Street outside Enkyu Shop, Hudson, NY
Collaborative installation with The Love Motel for WGXC 90.7-FM 10th Anniversary Event, Greenville Drive-In, Greenville, NY
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2023
Visiting artist, Iroquois and Van Antwerp Middle Schools, Niskayuna, NY (for school year 22-23)
3-Class Fiber Sessions for kids with Shaker Museum at Hudson Youth Center (Hudson, NY) and Morris Memorial (Chatham, NY)
Children’s Fiber Collage Workshop, Athens Cultural Center, Athens, NY
Adult Fiber Landscape Collage Workshop, Athens Cultural Center, Athens, NY
2022
Needlepoint workshop, Glen Falls House, Round Top, NY
Visiting artist, Iroquois and Van Antwerp Middle Schools, Niskayuna, NY (for school years 21-22 and 22-23)
Needlepoint landscape workshop, Athens Cultural Center, Athens, NY
Needlepoint landscape workshop, Prattsville Art Center, Prattsville, NY (part of NYSCA Arts Education grant)
Macramé chair workshop, Prattsville Art Center, Prattsville, NY (part of NYSCA Arts Education grant)
2021
Sewing workshop with teens at the Youth Clubhouse of the Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene Counties (as part of
NYSCA grant), Catskill, NY
2020
Fashion Plant workshop at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Pillow decorating workshop at Collar Works, Troy, NY
2019
Needlepoint workshop with Paradice Palase, Brooklyn, NY
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2019-2023 Mosaic Studio Manager for Jason Middlebrook
2018-2023 Freelance Bead Weaver to Jeffrey Gibson
2019-2020 Studio Assistant to Nicole Cherubini (also in 2016-2017)
2018-2019 Media Arts Assistance Fund Program Assistant to Wave Farm
2013-2018 Production Manager (2017-2018) & Studio Assistant (2013-2017) to Jeffrey Gibson
2015-2016 Studio Assistant to Beverly Semmes
2010-2013 Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College Program Assistant/Work Study
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2022
Greene County Council on the Arts (CREATE) NYSCA Decentralization Grant
2021
Greene County Council on the Arts (CREATE) NYSCA Decentralization Grant
2020
NYSCA/New York Foundation for the Arts “Keep NYS Creating” Grant
Yellowstone Forever/Yellowstone National Park Landis Artist-in-Residence, Gardiner, MT (cancelled due to COVID-19)
Hudson Arts Emergency Grant, Hudson, NY
Art Show International “Landscape” Contest Finalist
Greene County Council on the Arts (CREATE) Artist Emergency Fund, Catskill, NY
2019
Shell House Arts Winter Artist Residency, Roxbury, NY
Sou’wester Lodge Artist Residency (in conjunction with exhibition), Seaview, WA
2018
Sou'wester Lodge Artist Residency, Seaview, WA
Drop Forge & Tool Artist Residency, Hudson, NY
SOCIAL PRACTICE
2020
Contributing Artist, Perfect Ten Benefit Auction, Hudson, NY
Contributing Artist, Hudson Area Library Online Art Auction, Hudson, NY
Contributing Artist, #Textiles4MVP Movement Voter Project online fundraiser
Full-time mask sewer, Masks4People, Catskill, NY
Contributing artist, Artists for Humans Fundraiser for Coalition for the Homeless, New York, NY
2019
Contributing artist, Trestle Art Benefit, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Contributing artist, Catskill Mountain Foundation Annual Benefit Party: Imagine!, Hunter, NY
Contributing artist, OutHudson Pride Parade Awards, Hudson, NY
Contributing artist, GCCA’s 31st Annual Beaux Arts Ball, Hunter, NY
Contributing artist, Art for Trees, Saugerties Village Tree Commission, Saugerties, NY
2018
i’m here for you pillows donated to the children’s area at the Hudson Area Library, Hudson, NY
Contributing artist, True Blue Benefit: Supporting Democracy in the Town of Kinderhook, The School | Jack Shainman Gallery,
Kinderhook, NY
Contributing artist, Sister Inmate Art Auction, Los Angeles, CA
Contributing artist, OutHudson Pride Parade Awards, Hudson, NY
Contributing artist, Her Environment Fundraiser: NIGHT LIGHT, Digital Art Demo Space, Chicago, IL
Contributing artist, Catskill Mountain Foundation Annual Benefit, Hunter, NY
Contributing artist, WAAM Beaux Arts Gala, Saugerties Performing Arts Factory, Saugerties, NY
Contributing artist, Lil' Deb's Oasis Commitment Ceremony Silent Auction, Hudson Lodge, Hudson, NY
2017
Contributing artist, Neighborly, 190 Fairview Ave., Hudson, NY
Co-curator (with Elbert Perez), Stop and Smell the Roses, The Mothership, Woodstock, NY
Contributing artist, OutHudson Pride Parade Awards, Hudson, NY
Contributing artist, ACT 1 at Rally in the Valley, Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY
Contributing artist, Nasty Women Hudson Valley, Instar Lodge, Germantown, NY
Continual fundraising (2017-present) for non-profits and GoFundMe’s through artwork sales and donations. Currently 10% of each my hands swell when i hike needlepoint sale supports the Navajo Water Project.
Artwork donations and sales have also provided funding for: Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Staley B. Keith Social Justice Center, Utah Diné Bikéyah, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, and Black & Pink.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
It’s International Women’s Day Every Day At This Los Angeles Gallery, LA Weekly, Mar 3, 2023
Desert Kitsch: Fiber Artist Becca Van K Creates Comfort in Wild Spaces, Not Real Art, September 26, 2022
Becca Van K: “Some Soft Thoughts at Window on Hudson, Trixie’s List, December 24, 2021
Mixed Media Artist Becca Van K’s Amalgam of Upcycling Kitsch Materials, A Women’s Thing, April 27, 2021
Interview: Becca Van K, Office Space Gallery, Oct 18, 2020
Becca Van K on Her Installation at Collar Works, The Sanctuary for Independent Media/WOOC 105.3-FM, Oct 14, 2019
Collar Works exhibit invites hands-on approach, Albany Times Union, September 11, 2019
Becca Van K, “For 24 hours straight, you can touch my art: reflections on 24-HOUR DRONE,” Dish Rag Magazine, Issue 1 Fall
2019 | Open 24-Hours
Afterimage’ at Paradice Palase, Brooklyn, ARTnews, November 30, 2018
A Rural Artist-Run Gallery in Upstate New York Works to Start a Scene, Hyperallergic, August 9, 2018
Becca Van K, "No Photos: A Eulogy for the Rave Cave - The Output Years 2013-2015," Dish Rag Magazine, Issue 0 | Fall 2018
Purple House: Fort Vine, Becca Van K, radio interview with Robert Tomlinson, WGXC Acra 90.7-FM, February 06, 2018