Holly A. Senn


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Holly A. Senn | senn@ryksenn.com | www.ryksenn.com

Bio

Holly A. Senn, M.L.I.S. (University of California, Berkeley), B.A. (Mills College), is a sculptor and installation artist who also works as a Virtual Reference Services Librarian at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. For the past 18 years she has worked as a librarian in both corporate and academic libraries. Wanting to find a connection between her professional work and art, she began exploring books as a material with which to create sculptures. Her work explores the life cycle of ideas--the organic process in which thoughts have a genesis and then are disseminated, forgotten or referenced. In 2008, she was awarded a Grant for Artist Projects (GAP) from Artist Trust, and in 2007, she received a Tacoma Artists Initiative Program grant from the Tacoma Arts Commission. The locations of some of her recent solo exhibitions include the Brooklyn Public Library in New York, Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle, and 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland.

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Resume

SOLO EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
2010
“Cover,” Doppler PDX, Portland, OR

2009
“Tale,” 23 Sandy Gallery, Portland, OR
“Windows on Nature and Knowledge,” Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY
“Dispersed,” University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA – collaboration with Kyle Dillehay

2008
“(un)written,” Collins Memorial Library, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

2007
“Textural,” Belltown Gallery, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA

2006
“Enchanted Forest of the Mind,” The Gallery, Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA
“Volumes Reconfigured,” Art on Center Gallery, Tacoma, WA

2005
“Lost Libraries, Lost Memory,” Mortvedt Library, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
“Forbidden,” Tacoma Contemporary, F.W. Woolworth Building, Tacoma, WA


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008
“Hybrid,” 19th Annual Juried Exhibition, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA – Riko Nakasone, juror

2007
“Square Foot 2007,” AWOL Gallery, Toronto, Canada
“Envirohouse Inaugural Exhibit,” City of Tacoma EnviroHouse, Tacoma, WA
“Hot of the Press! Prints and Other Text,” Sea-Tac International Airport, WA

2005
“The Bookmark Project 2005: Outpost,” Koffler Gallery, Toronto, Canada
“Art & Literature,” The Gallery, Tacoma Community College, WA

2004
“Carry-On,” Tacoma Contemporary, Sea-Tac International Airport, WA

2002
“South Sounds 2002,” Commencement Art Gallery, Tacoma, WA


GRANTS
2008
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP), Artist Trust, Seattle, WA

2007
Tacoma Artists Initiative Program (TAIP), Tacoma Arts Commission, Tacoma, WA


REVIEWS & RECOGNITION
2009
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Hot Damn! It’s Art at Work Month in Tacoma.” October 29, 2009, p. 16
City Arts Magazine. Bunker, Virginia. “Channel Surfing: Television Can Be Creative Too.” October 2009, p. 11
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Best of Tacoma 2009.” July 30, 2009, p. 8-9
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Foundation of Art Award.” July 9, 2009

2008
American Libraries. “From Book to Art.”  Vol. 31, no. 11, December 2008, p. 24
City Arts Magazine. Strom-Avila, Naomi. “ Curator’s Eye: Holly Senn.” November 2008, p. 38
As if Art Matters. Clayton, Alec. “Holly Senn: Narrative Redux.” 2008, p. 104-106

2007
Tacoma News Tribune. Ponnekanti, Rosemary. “Art from Artful Recycling.” June 17, 2007, p. E 1

2006
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Meaning of Life.” December 21, 2006, p. 2
Tacoma News Tribune. Ponnekanti, Rosemary. “Artist’s ‘Life Cycle’ Not Fully Fleshed Out.” December 18, 2006, p. D 1
Tacoma Weekly. Schrecengost, Shannon. “'Enchanted Forest’ Gives Ideas Life.” December 7, 2006, p. 3
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Senn of Art.” May 25, 2006, p. 2
Tacoma Weekly. Larson, John. “Sculptor Explores Life Cycle of Books and Ideas.” May 11, 2006, p. C1

2005
The Bookmark Project 2005: Outpost. Kyrski, Diana. “Curatorial Statement.” November 6, 2005, p. 2
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “Clone Her!” May 19, 2005, p. 2

2004
Weekly Volcano. Clayton, Alec. “All Around Art: Take a Tour Where Art Lives.” November 11, 2004, p. 1


LECTURES & PANELS
2010
Artist Trust. “Presentation to ‘I am an Artist’ Program.” May 9, 2010
University of Puget Sound. “Artist Talk.” April 5, 2010
Pacific Lutheran University. “Artist Talk.” March 4, 2010
University of Washington iSchool. “Artist Talk.” January 29, 2010

2009
23 Sandy Gallery. “Artist Talk.” September 26, 2009
Annie Wright School. “Artist Talk.” January 22, 2009

2008
University of Puget Sound. “Artist Talk.” October 9, 2008

2007
Cityline, TV Tacoma (Channel 12). Host: Carol Mitchell. “Art at Work Month.” October 25, 2007

2006
Tacoma Community College. “How Precious are Books in the 21st Century?” December 7, 2006
4th International Conference on the Book, Boston, MA. “Volumes Reconfigured: Sculptural Investigation into the Life Cycle of Ideas/Books.” October 22, 2006
Pacific Lutheran University. “Lifecycle of Ideas/Books: Repository to Recomposition.” May 15, 2006


PUBLICATIONS & VIDEOS
2009
“Tale.”  www.youtube.com/hollysenn
“Windows on Nature and Knowledge.”  www.youtube.com/hollysenn
“Dispersed.”  www.youtube.com/hollysenn

2008
“(un)written.”  www.youtube.com/hollysenn
“W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory Centennial Drawings.”  www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_oXNCiDacg

2007
“Textural.”  www.youtube.com/hollysenn

2005
“Artist/Librarian Exposes ‘Lost Libraries, Lost Memory.’” (2005, Fall). Association of College & Research Libraries Washington Newsletter, p. 57
“W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory Sculpture Tour.” www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=562


PROFESSIONAL INVOLVEMENT
2010
Juror, Urban Grace/City of Tacoma Poet Laureate 
Competition, Tacoma, WA

2009
Juror, Tacoma Artists Initiative Program (TAIP), Tacoma Arts Commission, Tacoma, WA

2008
Juror, Downing Elementary School PTA Reflections Program Cultural Arts Competition, Tacoma, WA
Juror, Proctor District Summer Arts Festival Juried Art Show, Tacoma, WA

2007
EDGE Professional Program for Visual Artists, Artist Trust, Seattle, WA

2005
Co-Curator, Reading Room: Jackets Required, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA
Juror, Proctor District Summer Arts Festival Juried Art Show, Tacoma, WA

2004-2009
Studio Artist, Art at Work Studio Tours, Tacoma Arts Commission, Tacoma, WA


EDUCATION
1992
M.L.I.S.  University of California, Berkeley, CA
1985
B.A.  Mills College, Oakland, CA


RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
2002-present
Visiting Assistant Professor/Virtual Reference Services Librarian, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA

1992-2002
Librarian, MRW & Associates, Oakland, CA
Librarian, The GAP, Inc., San Bruno, CA



 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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