Emily Schnellbacher Bean

Statement:

Emily Schnellbacher Bean's artistic practice blends analytical precision with a contemplative approach. Guided by her deep connection to nature, she employs a meticulous process to craft her sculptures and installations. Creating unique patterns as the foundation, Bean cuts and sews together flat planes of fabric, skillfully transforming them into intricate three-dimensional forms. Through this labor-intensive technique, which often involves hundreds of repetitions, she creates larger sculptures and installations designed to captivate the viewer's imagination.

In her artistic exploration, Bean draws inspiration from the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world. Her works intricately intertwine depictions of natural environments, plant life, and at times, elements of human anatomy. By employing fabric as her chosen medium—a material we all intimately relate to through our clothing, linens, and upholstery—Bean seeks to create accessible art that resonates with diverse audiences, sparking a sense of wonder and fostering a deep appreciation for the preservation of nature.

Bean's artistic approach pays homage to the legacies of early pop and process art movements, integrating craft media and processes while infusing them ...

2013 MFA, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2010 BFA, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN
Painting Major, Psychology and Art History Minors

Solo Exhibitions & Projects:

2018 - Making Space Artist in Residence, Eileen Fisher, Troy, MI

- Tiny Universe, Aquarium Gallery, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI

2015 - reCreate Featured Artist, Resource Exchange, Philadelphia, PA

2014 - One Thread Within a Woven Web, Haas Gallery, Bloomsburg, PA

2010 - Anthropomorphism, Hank and Dolly Gallery, Harrison Center, Indianapolis, IN

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2023 - Hatchback 17, Hatch Art Gallery, Hamtramck, MI

2022 - Human/Nature, Juried by Natalie Miebach, Mosien Center for the Arts, Watertown, MA

2021 - Textiles, Juried by Tamara Kostianovsky, The In Art Gallery, theinartgallery.com

- 4th Midwest Open, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL

2019 - Hatchback 13, Hatch Art Gallery, Hamtramck, MI

2018 - Heat Wave, 117 Gallery, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI

- Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Detroit Semifinalist Exhibit, N’namdi Center, Detroit, MI

- Women, Risker Gallery, Carr Center, Detroit, MI

2017 - Soft Angles, Articipate Gallery, Berkley, MI

2016 - Inside Out, Carver Gallery, Baltimore, MD

- 9th Annual Governors Island Art Fair, Governors Island, New York Harbor, NY

- Multiples, Sculpture Gym, Philadelphia, PA

2015 - Creative Climate Awards, Human Impact Inst...