O L E N H S U
Ceramic Art / Arts Education / Music Improvisation
American, b. 1975
Olen Hsu Studio, 2210 Oakdale Avenue, Glenside, Pennsylvania 19038 USA
www.olenhsu.com | olen@olenhsu.com | Tel +1 (718) 406 5912
Gallery Representation: Beaux Arts Bath, UK — http://www.beauxartsbath.co.uk/artists/olen-hsu/
Education
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago — MFA Sculpture (2003)
Kansas City Art Institute — BFA Ceramics & Photography/New Media (2001)
Yale University — BA History of Art and Architecture; Minor in Music: Piano Performance (1997)
Teaching & Work Experience
2010-present Artist & Owner, Olen Hsu Studio. Creating functional and sculptural wheel-thrown and hand-built high-fired porcelain and stoneware vessels. Glenside, PA
2015-present Inner Creativity Workshop. Intensive individual and group workshops developing personal creative practice through ceramics, printmaking and music improvisation. Olen Hsu Studio. Glenside, PA
2021-23 Programming Coordinator, and member of Strategic Planning and DEIB Committee. Music for People, Inc. — a worldwide community dedicated to the belief that all people are inherently musical, creative, and capable of authentic, spontaneous expression. We enable holistic music making for people of all ages and levels of experience.
2022 Ceramic Art Faculty. Allens Lane Art Center. Philadelphia, PA
2020-present Ceramic Art Faculty. The Fleisher Art Memorial. Philadelphia, PA
2019-20 Acting Head, Department of Ceramics. Arcadia University. Glenside, PA. Taught all ceramics courses from freshman level through senior thesis/exhibition; included wheel-throwing, hand-building, slip-casting, and multi-media coursework. Directed the university’s kiln and glaze facilities and managed the studio technician. One-year sabbatical replacement position.
2015-present Ceramic Art Faculty. The Clay Studio. Philadelphia, PA
2018 Jianshui International Ceramics Conference. One of 6 Invited Artists representing the United States. Slide Talk, Panel Discussions, Studio Demonstrations and Exhibition. Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
2014-20 Advanced Teaching & Mentorship Training. The School of Humanity and Awareness. Atlanta, GA and New York, NY
2017-20 Adjunct Faculty, Ceramic Art. Arcadia University. Glenside, PA
2010-2017 Adjunct Faculty, Ceramic Art. Montgomery County Community College. Blue Bell, PA
2010 Ceramic Art Faculty. Abington Art Center. Jenkintown, PA
2010 Ceramic Art Faculty. Wayne Art Center. Wayne, PA
2006 Director, Children's Sculpture/Sound Installation Workshop. The John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Created a two-week workshop for children in the local community to create large-scale sculptural and sound installations using found and recycled materials, while on 3-month summer artist residency. Sheboygan, WI
2003 Artist-Teacher for Pre-College Youth Arts Development Program. Marwen Foundation. Chicago, IL. Directed sculpture workshops (emphasis on creating plaster molds of found objects and casting wax forms), and mentored 9-12th grade students in building portfolios for art school applications.
2002 Graduate Teaching Assistant for undergraduate curriculum, Survey of the History of Art: Prehistory to Modern. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
2002 Visiting Critic for undergraduate studio in Expressive Architectural Drawing. Columbia College. Chicago, IL
1999-2001 Private instructor in Piano Performance. Kansas City, MO
1999-2000 Private instructor in French language. Kansas City, MO
1997 Assistant Teacher in Ceramics. Creative Arts Workshop. New Haven, CT
Selected Exhibitions / Performances
2023 Experimental Arts/Music Collaborative Workshop. Three-hour improvised musical performance by The Murmuration Quartet (Olen Hsu, cello; Beverly Shin, violin; Frances Miller, violin; Natasha Dastur, percussion) with, and in response to, live painting/drawing/sculpture by twelve visual artists. The Plastic Club. Philadelphia, PA. (March 19, 2023)
2022 Avenue of the Arts LIVE! — Olen Hsu & Beverly Shin. The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Philadelphia, PA. Three-hour-long improvised percussion ensemble in public outdoor space with found objects, and passersby spontaneously joining in to play along. Sponsored by Philadelphia Avenue of the Arts, Inc., a citywide public arts initiative. (November 11, 2022)
2022 The Spontaneous Ensemble (music free-improvisation quartet: Heidi Herbert, voice; Olen Hsu, piano; Chris Nelson, French horn; Patrick Whitehead, trumpet). Recording session, live public performance, and music improvisation workshop. Martha’s Vineyard Public Television Station. Martha’s Vineyard, MA. (October 10-14, 2022)
2022 The Scoreless Trio (music free-improvisation trio: Beverly Shin, violin; Olen Hsu, piano; Mary Ann Lanier, voice). Recording session, and one-hour live music improvisation performance. Northampton Center for the Arts. Northampton, MA. (September 25, 2022)
2021 Faculty Art Exhibition. Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA
2021-present Music for People Collective — Playing as cellist and pianist in live and recorded collaborative music improvisation events and workshops, US and Canada
2018 Masterworks Ceramics: International Invitational Exhibition. Jianshui International Ceramics Conference, Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
2016 Teabowl 2016. International group exhibition. Oxford Ceramics Gallery, Oxford, UK
2016 Olen Hsu: New Ceramics. Solo Exhibition. Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, United Kingdom
2015 Parachute Market: "Ad Hoc" Design Fair. Showing with Matin Gallery: ceramics by Kirsten Coelho, Olen Hsu & Warren MacKenzie. Los Angeles, CA
2015 Olen Hsu: Holding Silence. Solo Exhibition. Valley City State University, Valley City, ND
2014 50th Anniversary National Invitational Exhibition. Duke Gallery, The Potter's Guild, Wallingford, PA
2014 Olen Hsu: New Ceramics. Solo Exhibition. Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, United Kingdom
2013 31st Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. National Building Museum, Washington, DC
2012 Olen Hsu: New Ceramics. Solo Exhibition. Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, United Kingdom
2012 30th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. National Building Museum, Washington, DC
2011 35th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Philadelphia, PA
2011 29th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. National Building Museum, Washington, DC
2010 Craft Forms 2010: 16th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Craft. Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
2010 Ceramics Invitational. The Trenton City Museum, Trenton, NJ
2010 Faculty Exhibition. Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
2010 Associate Artists Group Exhibition. The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2010 Porcelains and Celadons. The Myers Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
2008 Pain Without Injury. Sculpture and sound installation. PS 122 Gallery, New York, NY
2007 New York Electronic Art Festival. Sculpture and sound installation, with artist talk. Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space, New York, NY
2007 Future Anterior: Terry Adkins, Jill Godmilow, Olen Hsu. New Music and Video performances/installations. BRICstudio, Brooklyn, NY
2007 Sound and video performance/installation. Winter Concert Series, OM Factory, New York, NY
2007 Spectral Evidence. Group exhibition curated by Steven Lam. The Rotunda Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2006 Open Network: Brooklyn. Curated by Patricia Maloney. Ampersand International Arts, San Francisco, CA
2006 Turbulence Net Art Commission (artist collaborators: Olen Hsu, Steven Lam and Dana Karwas). New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. New York, NY
2006 Scope New York (with James Nicholson Gallery), New York, NY
2005 Set It Off. Group exhibition. James Nicholson Gallery, New York, NY
2005 Out of Context. New Music Symposium. InterSpace New Media Arts Center, Sofia, Bulgaria
2005 Artist in the Marketplace 25. Awardee group exhibition. The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
2003 Olen Hsu: New Work. Solo Exhibition. Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, IL
2003 Olen Hsu: Installations + Drawings. Solo Exhibition. Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2003 Graduate Show. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2003 16th Evanston + Vicinity Biennial Exhibition. Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2003 Fittings: Ben Butler, Olen Hsu & Rena Leinberger. The Storefront, Chicago, IL
2003 Olen Hsu: New Work. Solo Exhibition. Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
2001 Olen Hsu: Apartment 1E. Solo Exhibition. Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
2001 Graduate Exhibition. H+R Block Artspace, Kansas City, MO
2001 Amplified Spaces. Two-Person Exhibition. Stamper Photographic Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2001 Recent Installations: Olen Hsu and Kathinka Willinek. Warehouse 1325, West Bottoms, Kansas City, MO
Permanent Collections
Jianshui Ceramics Museum. Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
Grants / Awards
2022 Filming/recording production facilities grant. Martha’s Vineyard Public Television Station. Martha’s Vineyard, MA
2018 Purchase Award. Jianshui Ceramics Museum. Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
2011 Exhibitor’s Choice Bronze Award, 29th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show. Washington, D.C.
2006 John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Fellowship. Sheboygan, WI
2006 Turbulence Net Art Commission, New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. New York, NY
2006 Joan Mitchell Foundation Full Fellowship Award. Vermont Studio Center. Johnson, VT
2005 New York State Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Grant. New York, NY
2005 BRIC Media Arts Fellowship. Brooklyn, NY
2005 Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center: New Music Commission. New York, NY
2005 Artist in the Marketplace 25. Curated professional-artist development fellowship. The Bronx Museum of the Arts. Bronx, NY
2004 Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship, New York, NY. ($20,000 post-MFA artist development award)
2003 James Nelson Raymond Fellowship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
2001 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Trustee Scholarship (Full-Merit MFA Scholarship). Chicago, IL
2000 Artist Grant, Industrial Embroidery Facility at Gear for Sports. Kansas City, MO
1997 Sudler Grant for the Visual Arts. Yale University. New Haven, CT
1996 Sudler Grant for the Visual Arts. Yale University. New Haven, CT
1996 David W. Baer Memorial Fellowship in Architecture. Yale University. New Haven, CT.
1996 Richter Summer Research Fellowship. Yale University. New Haven, CT
1995 Edward A. Bouchet Research Fellowship. Yale University. New Haven, CT. Research grant award of $13,000 supporting travel to draw and photograph more than 150 sacred architecture sites in France, Spain [3 months, Summer 1995] and Japan, China, India, Pakistan and Turkey [4 months, Summer 1996] in preparation for thesis exhibition.
1995 Richter Summer Research Fellowship. Yale University. New Haven, CT
1993 National Endowment for the Humanities, Younger Scholars Grant. Washington, D.C. Project studying relationships between architecture and music.
Artist Residencies
2006 John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Arts/Industry Residency. Sheboygan, WI
2006 Vermont Studio Center Residency. Johnson, VT
2005 Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center, New Music Artist-In-Residence. New York, NY
2005 BCAT/Rotunda Gallery Artist Residency. Brooklyn, NY
2004 Artists in the Marketplace 25. The Bronx Museum of the Arts. Curated professional artist development program. Bronx, NY
2000 Artist in Residence. Industrial Embroidery Factory at Gear for Sports. (Access to the industrial embroidery facilities for fabrication of large-scale fabric sculpture installation.) Kansas City, MO
Selected Other Education
2022 Designing Leadership Program. Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA
2021 Music for People, Inc. Global community fostering the development of music improvisation
2021 Global Musician Workshop, Silkroad Ensemble. Hosted by The New England Conservatory. (Online in 2021)
2014 Alfred University. Summer intensive course in Ceramic Materials & Glaze Chemistry
1999 Apprenticeship with potters Carol and Arthur Rosser. Eungella Rainforest, Queensland, Australia
1999 Apprenticeship with potter Gwyn Hanssen Pigott. Netherdale, Queensland, Australia
1998-99 Apprenticeship with potter Maishe Dickman. New Haven, CT
1993-97 Piano performance student of Lydia Brown, Yale University. New Haven, CT
1992 Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Design Discovery Program in Architecture. Cambridge, MA
1991 Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Summer Program in Sculpture, Painting & Drawing. Paris, France.
Selected Bibliography
Hluch, Kevin A., ed. American iPottery. Anthology of Contemporary American Potters. 7 August 2014. Interactive e-book. Available on iTunes.
de Soissons, Silvana. "An Interview with Ceramicist Olen Hsu". The Foodie Bugle Jun. 2013; Reveille 2: 62-69. Printed in Great Britain.
Benning, Daniel. “Collection of Ceramics by Olen Hsu.” OEN. Web. 29 August 2012. http://the189.com/design/art/collection-of-ceramics-by-olen-hsu/
Mitchell, David. “The Talent: Artist Olen Hsu.” Interview with Elizabeth Baebel. David Mitchell Uncensored. Web. 4 June 2011. http://www.davidmitchelluncensored.com/the-talent/olen-hsu-artist/
Slavet, Eliza. “Pain Without Injury: Works by Avi Alpert & Steven Lam, Steve Ausbury, and Olen Hsu.” Artnet Magazine. 29 Jan 2008
Lam, Steven. “Olen Hsu: Sound as Witness.” In “Spectral Evidence.” Octopus Visual Studies Journal. Volume 3 (Fall 2007): 105-115.
Cotter, Holland. “Art in Review: Spectral Evidence.” The New York Times. 23 Feb 2007: E35.
S.H. “Net Art Commissions.” ArtKrush.com. 26 July 2006
Modder, Sabine. “Art MoCo Meta.” Art MoCo. 13 May 2006
Maloney, Patricia. “Open Network: Brooklyn.” Exhibition Catalog: Ampersand International Arts, San Francisco, CA. 2006
Johnson, Paddy. “The New Brooklyn is Everywhere, or at least in San Francisco.” Art Fag City. 13 April 2006
Callaway, Bob. “Brooklyn Comes to Dogpatch.” Art Fever. 8 April 2006
Cotter, Holland. “Latino Art, and Beyond Category.” The New York Times. 2 Sept 2005: E27.
Gibson, Todd. “A Different Sort of Summer Group Show.” From the Floor. 15 July 2005
Yee, Lydia, and Rosenblum-Martin, Amy. “AIM 25.” Exhibition Catalog: The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY. 2005