Bio
Raised on Guam in the western Pacific, Alzaruba attended high school in the Panama Canal Zone. He joined the Navy in 1974 for an eventful decade that resulted in an appointment with the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, in public affairs. He left the Navy in 1984 to pursue his BFA in Los Angeles and Paris, and finished his MFA at MICA in 1990. Twice he has been awarded a Pollock-Krasner Fellowship, along with 4 MD State grants, among others. In 2003-04 he was selected as a senior Fulbright Scholar to Seoul, Korea.
Currently he teaches Foundation classes at MICA.
He has attended various residencies, including Rochefort-en-Terre, the Space Program in NYC, Sculpture Space and the Vermont Studio program. Among other collections, his work is in the Everson Museum, the Pentagon and Sung Kyun Kwan Art Museum in Seoul, Korea. He has so far constructed nine large scale public installations among more than 200 exhibitions. He works in several concurrent media, including sculpture, photography, performance, video, printmaking, bookmaking and painting- often combining them in experimental multi-room instillations, such as Ocean- at the Patterson (March 07)
Resume-
5715 Seymour Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21206-3321 1
alzaruba@verizon.net 410-488-3011
Education
M.F.A., 1990, Mt Royal Graduate Program, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
B.F.A., 1988, Otis Parsons Art Institute, (National Dean's List)
U.S. Navy-1976-1984, numerous citations, medals, Navy Shore Sailor of the Year
A.A. in Fine Arts, 1974, Long Beach City College, Ca., (honors)
Cristobal High School, the Panama Canal Zone 1971, (honors)
16 Awards, 8 Residencies and 3 Appointments
Chateau Rochefort-en-Terre, Brittany, France, artist residency July/August 2007
Two Pollock-Krasner Fellowships, 2005-06-$23,000, and 1992-93, $16,000.
Fulbright Scholar- Lecturing and Research- Korea (July 2003-July 2004), $50,000
Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul. Stipend - $7000- to build Hand in Hand
Two Friends of Quiet Waters Park stipends-$1000- July 2001, $2000- July 2006
Rehoboth Beach Art League Residency, stipend-$2000,
The Southern Delaware School for the Arts, March-April 2002
Four Maryland State Arts Council Grants - Sculpture-$3000; 03, Sculpture- $3000; 01
New Genres- $1000-1997, Individual- $3000-1992
Two Stone Quarry Hill Art Park stipends- $1000. -March 2000, $500- June 2006
Henry Luce Foundation Grant- the Maryland Historical Society. 1997-99
Sculpture Space Inc Residency, Utica, New York- Sept & Oct 1997
Vermont Studio Program, stipend- $2500. -July 96
The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation's Space Program-6/92 to 6/93
The Blue Angels- the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, Public Affairs- 1980-1984
Artist in Residence
Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD, summer sculpture program, August 2006
Southern Delaware School for the Arts, Rehoboth Art League, spring 2002
Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD, Spring Sculpture program 2001
Maryland Institute, Senior Independent Painting Program, Fall 2000
Maryland Institute, Printmaking, Spring 2000
Visiting Artist
January 2003, Saints Peter and Paul High School, Easton, MD
Fall 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998 Maryland Institute, senior reviews, Foundation.
Fall 1999, James Hubert Blake High School
Spring 1999, 1997, Maryland Institute, General Fine Arts, senior reviews
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2012-01-02,The Way Things Fold- The David Simpson Gallery, Hunt Vally, Maryland
2010- Cross-Cultural Visions- 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Korea.
New York, 7/7-16, Gallery Korea
Washington DC, 7/23-8/6, KORUS House
Seoul, Korea 10/8-15, Seoul Arts Center, Gallery 7
Sondheim Semi-Finalists- Artscape at MICA, Meyerhof Gallery, 7/16-8/1
MICA@Rochefort-en-Terre- May 29-June 20, Maryland Institute College of Art
MICA@BWI: Fulbright Honorees, June 19-October 11, BWI/Marshall Airport
Constructed Place- Annemarie Garden (in associate with the Smithsonian)
Solomons, MD, March 20-May 8, Curated by Megan Rook-Koepsel
Imagillabration-Oso Bay Biennial-Texas A&M Corpus Christi-Mar 6-Apr 3
2009- Sondheim Semi-Finalists- MICA, Baltimore,7/16- 8/23
Imagillabration- New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico
Space 301 Gallery, Mobile, Alabama, May 8, July 5
Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston, GA 2/16-3/13
University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL,1-5-29
Sic Transit Gloria- Atlantic Gallery, 135 W.29th St, NYC, June 16- July 24
Off the Wall- “Within” -The Whole Gallery, Baltimore, 4/18-5/17
07-08-Dancing Light- exterior of Baltimore Convention Center, Artscape-7/07 to 7/08
(grant of $1500)
2007- Innocence and Experience, School 33 Art Center, 11/8-12/27
Sub/Mersive-Sub/Mission- five room interactive installation, Cork Factory, 05-09
Ocean- #7 ship, the Creative Alliance Main Gallery, 3/ 3-30
2006- Forest House- 4 room installation at Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, 09/06 to 01/07
Burning Boat Festival, Stone Quarry Art Park, New York, 6/ 25- 8/ 3
2004- Inbetween, Gallery 175, (Fulbright presentation), Insadong, Seoul, 6/2-20
Hand in Hand, #4 ship, site specific, University Avenue, Jungno, Seoul, 5/8
Seoul International Contemporary Art Fair- Watercolors, Seoul Trade
Exhibition Center, 2/16-2
2003- Korea Experimental Arts Festival, Seoul, Korea, Sept 17-30,
Recycled Ocean- four performances, 30 min each. Theater Zero, 09
Logic and Intuition, Angelfalls Studios, Baltimore, MD April 30- May 18
The Unknown Sea, Distinguished Artist Invitational, Artists’ Gallery Inc.,
Columbia, MD, March 3-28
2002- Ephemera, Room installation at Mill River Gallery, Ellicot City, 11/02-1/03
Earthsong, # 3 ship, The Korean Cultural Service, Embassy of the Republic of
Korea, Washington, D.C. 9/ 3-30
01-06 Hunting Light, #2 ship, Quiet Waters Park, site-specific, Annapolis, MD,
The Scent of Light, Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, 4/14-5/19
Al Zaruba, Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD, 10/5-11/5
2000-The Scent of Light, #1 ship, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazenovia, NY
6/10/00 to 7/25/06
1998- A Turbulent Mirror, 18th Annual Invitational, Montpelier Cultural Arts Center,
Laurel, MD, 6/10-8/20
1996- Presence- Artsites 1996, Rockville Arts Place, curator, Francoise Yohalem
May 30-July 26.
The Disappeared, McDonough Art Center, May 2-June 20.
Epilogue- School 33 Art Center, curator, Mel Chin, March 2-April 5.
1994 The Turbulent Mirror, the Capitol Gallery, U.S. Air Arena, 11/17-12/ 31.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2012-The Delaware Centennial-The Delaware Museum of Art, 10/12-01/13
2010- Cross-Cultural Visions- 60th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Korea.
New York, 7/7-16, Gallery Korea
Washington DC, 7/23-8/6, KORUS House
Seoul, Korea 10/8-15, Seoul Arts Center, Gallery 7
Sondheim Semi-Finalists- Artscape at MICA, Meyerhof Gallery, 7/16-8/1
MICA@Rochefort-en-Terre- May 29-June 20, Maryland Institute College of Art
MICA@BWI: Fulbright Honorees, June 19-October 11, BWI/Marshall Airport
Constructed Place- Annemarie Garden (in associate with the Smithsonian)
Solomons, MD, March 20-May 8, Curated by Megan Rook-Koepsel
Imagillabration-Oso Bay Biennial-Texas A&M Corpus Christi-Mar 6-Apr 3
2009- Sondheim Semi-Finalists- MICA, Baltimore,7/16- 8/23
Imagillabration- New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico
Space 301 Gallery, Mobile, Alabama, May 8, July 5
Georgia Perimeter College, Clarkston, GA 2/16-3/13
University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL,1-5-29
Sic Transit Gloria- Atlantic Gallery, 135 W.29th St, NYC, June 16- July 24
Off the Wall- “Within” -The Whole Gallery, Baltimore, 4/18-5/17
2008-Faculty exhibitions @ MICA and Towson University 09/08
2007- Residents Exhibition- Chateau Museum, Rochefort en Terre, Brittany-4-10
Homage to a Mentor: Sal Scarpitta, MICA, Bunting Center, 5/21- 6/29
Art Today in Words and Images- 21st Annual Critic's Residency Program-
Maryland Art Place, curated by Irving Sandler and Eleanor Heartney- 4/24- 6/2
New Legacies and Living Icons-Maryland State Arts Council-3/1-5/4
2006- Bridging Cultures through Art: A Fulbright Alumni Art Exhibition
International Conference, Marrakesch, Morocco, Nov 3-8
Raeburn House, U. S. Congress, Washington, D.C., Feb 15, 12-2pm
2005- By Invitation Only, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, Nov 6-30, 2005, catalog
IASG Egypt, Pyramids Gallery, Cairo, travels to Luxor, Aswan, 9-05 to 2-06
Mothership, #5 ship, Artscape outdoors sculpture, Baltimore, July 15- Aug 15
2004- Maryland State Arts Council, Sculpture Awards, Jan-May
2003 Radical Nautical-,Chaney Gallery, Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD, 3-7 to 4-16
2002- Virgin Air VIP Lounge-Eyestorm, London, England, Nov to January 2004
Artists to Artists- the Ace Gallery, New York, NY, May 17-June 1
Snapshot, Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, Conn, Jan 20-May 01
Connective- Nexus Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, Jan 4-27
2001- Artscape- Build- City Hall, Baltimore, MD, July 12-Aug 30
2000- Snapshot, Contemporary Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, 11/2-6/14/01
2000- Washington Sculptor’s Group, Grounds for Sculpture, Trenton, NJ, 7/-9/10
Primo Pittura Contemporania, Arona, Italy, 6/8 to 7/2
1999 Displaced Realities, Maryland Art Place, Baltimore,10/9-11/13
Primo Pittura Contemporana, Arona, Italy, 6/18-7/27
Artscape Annual, two shows, Baltimore, 6/30-8/4
1998 Best of Maryland, Howard County Center for the Arts,11/13-12/30
Primo Pittura Contemporania, Arona, Italy, 6/12-7/10
Artscape Annual, Baltimore, 7/16-8/9
Prints by Sculptors, Goya Girl Press, Baltimore, 4/4-6/4
IASG, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India, 3/25-4/30
1997 Structural Archetypes, Art Gallery, University of Maryland, Sept 4-Oct 18.
1995 Sculpture Now-95;Washington Sculptors Group at Washington Square
Jan 9-March 24, curator, Dr. Virginia Mecklenberg, Chief Curator at the National
Museum of American Art of the Smithsonian Institution.
1994- Totems and Other Structures;The Painted Bride Art Gallery, Philadelphia
Sept 26-Dec 10.
Artscape 94;July 15-Aug 7, Baltimore,
1. The Ecstatic Garden of Sublime Delerium;-room installation
curator, Laure Drogoul.
2. Bedtime Stories, Dreams and Nightmares;3 paintings, group show
curator, Luis Flores.
Fourth Annual BEAMS Exhibition;Howard County Center for the Arts
June 17-July 29.
New Work Invitational;3-person show, School 33 Art Center, Baltimore
Jan 29-Mar 4
1993 10th Anniversary at Washington Square;Washington Sculptors Group
Nov 22-Feb 25.
1992 Los Desaparecidos;solo room installation at School 33 Art Center
Oct 24-Dec 4, curator, Petah Coyne.
1991 Juried Show;91;New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Nov 24-Dec 29
curator, Donald Kuspit.
1988 B.F.A. Exhibition;Otis Parsons Art Institute, Los Angeles, May 9-16.
Parsons in Paris 6th Annual Exhibition;Paris, France, May 1-30, 1987
Otis Parsons Annual Juried Exhibition;-Los Angeles, CA
March 1-30, 1986 curator, Howard Fox, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Selected Artist Bibliography
Reference magazines and books
Marquis Who's Who in America, 1999-2007
Marquis Who's Who in the World, 2000-2007
Art in America Annual Guide 2002-03, p 151-152 (3401), p 323
Art in America Annual Guide 2001-02, p123 (2613), 1539 (3366), p 319
The National Dean's List, Volume II, 87,88, p 226 (Listed under Harmon, Allen)
Catalogues, Journals, Artist Books
Art Today in Words and Images-21st Annual Critic's Residency, Maryland Art Place, April 24-June 2, 2007, pg 30-31, 36
Bridging Cultures Through Art: A Fulbright Alumni Art Exhibition, catalogue, page 10
Fulbright Review, Summer 2004, Through the Ginkgo's Prism, cover art-edition-1000
Hand In Hand, solo exhibition catalog, Gallery 175, Seoul, Korea, June- 2004- edition-1000
Artist Directory-Washington Project for the Arts/ Corcoran, 11/02, pg 153
Artists to Artists catalog, Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation, 5/02, pgs 80-81
Hunting Light, by Al Zaruba- BrickStreet, A Journal of the Arts, 5/02, pgs 120-127
The Four Seasons, by Al Zaruba, invitational, Edizioni Pulchinelefante,
Milan, Italy, 4/02, 32 copies. Each book has one hand pulled intaglio print over
24k gold leaf, accompanied with a poem.
Celebration, catalog, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, NY, 6/01, pgs 59, 65
Anima, by Al Zaruba, invitational, Edizioni Pulchinelefante, Milan, 7/00
32 copies, special edition. Each book comes with one original work of art and a poem.
A Turbulent Mirror, 3 page color brochure. Montpelier Cultural Arts Center, 6/98
Prehistoric Soup by Al Zaruba, LINK journal #3, 98,p 174-177
Selected Reviews, Interviews and Blogs
Alzaruba Sculpture Removed- Sculpture Magazine, May 2007, page 12
Alzaruba's Ocean- http://bmoreart.blogspot.com.
Agent Provocateur- Style Magazine- March issue, page 22
Was Quiet Waters Forest House a Satanist Haunt?- by Andrew Childers- Watchdog-
Top Story, The Capitol, March 1, 07
Piece, which was incomplete, ruled a safety hazard by county-by Megan Hartley
The Baltimore Sun, Annapolis Section, Jan 28, 2007
Lights Out-Popular Quiet Waters Park sculpture removed- by Jeff Horseman,
The Capital- newspaper, Thursday Dec 28, 2006, front page, A-10
Art and Culture- (Korean magazine) October 2003, page 59
Misulsegae- (Korean magazine), October 2003, page 70
An Artist Inspired by Boats by Sandy Alexander, Baltimore Sun, Howard County Feature
Pages 1B-5B, two photos, March 6, 2003
Artists to Artists by Roberta Smith, New York Times, Art in Review, May 24, 02
Can Not-So-Ordinary Artists Make Ordinary Snapshots? By Sarah Boxer,
Photography Review, New York Times, March 8, 02
News-News-News- Sculpture Magazine, September 2001, p 12
Art with Maritime Roots by Jonathan Briggs, Baltimore Sun, Maryland, feature
Pages 1b-2b, three photos, 7/9/01, picked up by the Associated Press
1,300 Snapshots, One Surreal Show, by Michael O'Sullivan, On Exhibit, pp 66
Washington Post Weekend/ Friday, Nov 17, 2000
Baltimore Magazine -Ship Shaper- by Brian Simpson, , October, p 56-59
Featuring six color photographs by the artist.
Zaruba's Works Look Like Nightmares Made Real- by John Dorsey,
Baltimore Sun, 10/11/98, p 1E-2E
Al Zaruba- by Lee Wayne Mills, Gallery Guide, Mid-Atlantic, summer 98
Cover and p 10, (also in the international edition.)
Crosscurrents 97- by George Howell, Art Papers, 1-98, p 52
Today- by Mike Guiliano, Baltimore Sun, p 1-3, Sep 29, 97.
Points of Entry, by John Bunch- Articulate, p 6, Vol 3, 1-97
Zaruba. Cooper quite a Pair... by John Dorsey, Baltimore Sun, p 3E, Dec 3, 96.
Presence, by Lee Wayne Mills, Articulate, p 5, Aug 96.
Presence, by Ken Oda, Koan" p 17, July 96.
Presence, by Francoise Yohalem Washington Review, p 26, June/July 96.
Art Sites at RAP is a Must See, Montgomery Magazine, p C5, June 7, 96.
Art Walk: Al Zaruba, Baltimore Magazine, May 1996.
An Idea in Need of Nurturing, by John Dorsey Baltimore Sun, p 5D, March 18, 95.
Earth Tones, by Mike Guiliano, City Paper, p 33, 3-13-95
On Common Ground, by Mary McCoy, Washington Post, May 27, 95.
Showtime: New Works by 11,Where Washington Magazine, p 9, April 95.
Totems and Other Structures, by Jude Schwedenwien, New Art Examiner, Feb 95.
The Ecstatic Garden of Sublime Delirium, Art Papers, p 56-57, Jan/Feb 95.
Totems and Other Structures, Philadelphia Inquirer, p 38, Oct 14, 94.
Dream On, by Mike Guiliano, City Paper, p 37, July 20, 94.
Artscape, by John Dorsey, Baltimore Sun, p 1E, 3E, 7-15-94
School 33 Exhibits, by Mike Guiliano, Baltimore Sun
DVD Editions- Performance and Installations
1. Innocence and Experience, 11-07, YouTube
2. The Sky Below, Earth Above: Forest House-1-07, edition 20
3. Maryland Public Television-Artworks This Week- #545 (performance), edition-20
4. Ocean-1-05-(performance with Christo's Gates, New York), edition 20
5. Recycled Ocean-2-05-(Falvey Hall, Maryland Institute College of Art), edition 30
6. Recycled Ocean-2004-(Theater Zero-Seoul, Korea), edition 5
7. Hand in Hand, 2004, Seoul, Korea project, no edition
8. Inbetween-2004 (Korean Performances), edition 20
9. Woodcutter-2003, (Review of ideas leading up to Korea) edition 20
10. The Scent of Light-2000, (view of Stone Quarry project)
11. Arbor of Unfulfilled Desire, Artscape 1994, no edition
Selected Public and Military Collections
Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY Air Force Art Collection, Washington, DC
Sung Kyun Kwan Art Museum, Seoul, Korea Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL
Fulbright Commission, Seoul, Korea EAA Museum. Oshkosh, WI
Loyola College, Baltimore, MD Great Lakes Naval Training Facility, IL
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, Cazonovia, NY