AGGIE ZED BIO
EDUCATION
1974 BFA, University of South Carolina, Painting and Sculpture (cum laude)
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
1986 National Endowment for the Arts Professional Fellowship, Sculpture
1982 Virginia Commission for the Arts Professional Fellowship, Sculpture
SELECTED ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2018 “Aggie Zed, BLEEP TECH,” Rawls Museum Arts, Courtland, VA
2015 “ICARUS: a study of the human urge to fly,” Projective Eye Gallery, College of Art and Architecture, UNC Charlotte Center City, Charlotte,NC
“Aggie Zed: Keeper’s Keep,” Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA
“Natural Alliances,” Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2014 “More Visual Fictions: Painting and Sculpture,” The Arts Company of Nashville, Nashville, TN
2012 “Aggie Zed: Keeper's Keep,” Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Center for the Arts, College of Charleston, School of the Arts, Charleston, SC
“Down to Earth,” B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, KY
“Shopwall,” paintings, Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA
“Recent Work: Paintings and Sculptures with John Morgan,” Rivermont Studio, Lynchburg, VA
2011 “From A to Z: Sculpture and Painting,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
2010 “Miraculous with John Morgan,” Chroma Projects, Charlottesville, VA
2009 “Sculpture & Painting,” Perspective Gallery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
“Aggie Zed- Sculpture & Painting,” Rivermont Studios, Lynchburg, VA
2008 “Bestiary,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
“Paintings & Sculptures by Aggie Zed,” Rivermont Studio, Lynchburg, VA
2007 “It's About Time with John Morgan,” Avenue Arts, Lynchburg, VA
2006 “Recent Paintings,” B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, KY
2004 “The Paintings of Aggie Zed,” B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, KY
“Things Do Bite Back with John Morgan,” Astra Design, Richmond, VA
“Know Show with John Morgan,” Astra Design, Richmond, VA
2003 “Sculpture and Paintings,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
2001 “Scrap Floats and Jetsam,” Sculpture & Paintings, Astra Design, Richmond, VA
2000 “Paintings,” Sweetbriar College, Sweetbriar, VA
“Sculpture and Paintings,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
1999 “Paintings,” The Art Works Gallery, Norfolk, VA
1998 “Sculpture and Paintings,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
“Paintings,” Astra Design, Richmond, VA
1997 “Paintings,” B. Deemer Gallery, Louisville, KY
“Sculpture and Paintings,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
1996 “Its Own Little Animal,” paintings, Astra Design, Richmond, VA
1995 “Paintings,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
1993 “Sculpture,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
1986 “Mortal Oxide with Frank Cole,” 1708 East Main Gallery, Richmond, VA
1984 “In the White Room,” Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 “Various and Sundry Items: Michael Fitts & Aggie Zed,” Chroma Projects, Charlottesville, VA
“Small Works, Tall Tales,” Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA
2016 “Aggie Zed & Ginna Cullen: Paintings and Sculpture,” Rivermont Studio, Lynchburg, VA
2014 “Incidents and Situations: JM Henry & Aggie Zed,” Chroma Projects, Charlottesville, VA
2011 “Story Makers,” Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2010 “Miraculous,” Main Gallery, Chroma Projects Art Laboratory, Charlottesville, VA
“The Angel Show,” Nina Liu Friends and Gallery, Charleston, SC
2009 “Second Lives,” Nina Liu & Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
2007 “In the Spirit,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
"Horse Crazy,” A Horse of a Different Color, Jackson, WY
"Uncorrupted Horses,” Riverfront Studios, Schuylerville, NY
"Go Figure,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
2006 “Visual Phrases,” The Arts Center at Orange Gallery, Orange, VA. Three-person
“Animals,” Nina Liu & Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC.
“The Arts Company,” Nashville, TN. Two-person show with Jonathan Richter
“All Fired Up,” Somerhill Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC. Invitational
"Amazing Clay,” Staunton Augusta Art Center, Staunton, VA
"Five Virginia Artists,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC
"Alumni Exhibition,” McMaster Gallery, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
2005 “All Fired Up,” Somerhill Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
2004 “Myrtle Beach Collects,” Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum, Myrtle Beach, SC
“South Carolina Birds,” Sumpter Gallery of Art, Sumpter, SC
2004 “Sculpture and Painting,” Corporate and Museum Frame, Richmond, VA. Two-person show with John Morgan
“Sculpture and Painting,” Nina Liu and Friends Gallery, Charleston, SC. Two-person show with John Morgan
1997 “Figure 8,” Spruill Center Gallery, Atlanta, GA
1995 ‘Making a Mark,” Bedford Gallery, Longwood College, Farmville, VA
1994 “Pandora’s Box,” Hand Workshop, Richmond, VA
1993 “The Artist as Activist,” Sawtooth Center for the Visual Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
1991 “Sculpture,” 1708 East Main Gallery, Richmond, VA
“The Art of the Mask,” International Gallery, San Diego, CA
1986 “Mortal Oxide,” 1708 East Main Gallery, Richmond, VA. Two-person show
1985 “Southern Comfort/Discomfort,” The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
1983 “Sculpture,” Contemporary Art Gallery, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2012 “Aggie Zed: Keeper's Keep,” press release by Mark Sloan, curator, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, School of the Arts, Charleston, SC (www.halsey.cofc.edu/exhibitions )
Aggie Zed: Keeper's Keep, editor Mark Sloan, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art Publishing Department, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC. Hbk catalog, ISBN: 978-I-4675-0790-5
“Aggie Zed: Keeper's Keep,” http://vimeo.com/35362416 video interview with artist
“Harvin Column: From the Mind of an Artist,” by Stephanie Harvin, The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC. Sunday, January 15
2012 “Aggie Zed Lets Your Imagination Run Wild,” A to Z by Elizabeth Pandolfi, Charleston City Paper, Charleston, SC. Arts & Movies- Visual Arts Section, January 18
“College of Charleston in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Aggie Zed,” Carolina Arts, PSMG, Inc. publisher, Bonneau, SC. Volume 16, No. 1, January, cover and pg. 25
“Artist Profile: Aggie Zed” by Stacy Huggins, Art Mag: A Guide the Charleston Art Scene, Charleston, SC. Issue 13, Winter, cover, pg. 22-23
2010 “Mechanic of Anatomy: Zed Springs into Future Fantasies” review by Laura Parsons of “Miraculous,” Chroma Projects Art Laboratory Exhibition, The Hook, University of Virginia Art Museum Newsletter, Charlottesville, VA. November 15
2009 “Louisa Artist Mixes Her Media,” by Casey Neeley, The Central Virginian, Louisa, VA. Interview
2006 “USC Alumni Exhibition,” review, University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, Carolina Arts, ( http://www.carolinaarts.com ). January
2004 “Aggie Zed- Figures,” Featured Artist, PINCH, Northampton, MA. January 22
“Nina Liu & Friends in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Aggie Zed and John D. Morgan- together,” review, Carolina Arts Online, (http://www.carolinaarts.com) PSMG, Inc. publisher, Bonneau, SC. November
1998 “Painting a Story,” by Paulette Roberts-Pullen, Style Weekly, Richmond, VA. Arts and Leisure, pg. 30
1997 “Aggie Zed: Drawings and Sculptures,” by Michael W. Haga of Charleston, SC, for ArtPapers, Atlanta, GA. November-December
1992 “Aggie Zed: Artist Still Renown for Costume,” by Sibella Connor, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, VA. August 23, pg. J1 & J10
1987 “Aggie Zed- review” by Susan Schermerhorn, Richmond, VA. October, pg. 7
With several local exhibitions during the ‘80s, including shows at the Virginia Museum, 1708 East Main, and the Anderson Gallery, Aggie Zed is now one of Richmond’s best-known artists. During this period, she has also become fairly successful in making a living as an artist. But her success has not come easily.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina in 1974, she dabbled in fabric swatch sales and nude modeling. Adamantly opposed to receiving support from anyone and determined to make it on her own, she eventually set up a studio on West Main Street. The offbeat storefront setting enabled her to find a new freedom and space to pursue her work, as well as an economically feasible way of doing so. She re-taught herself ceramics, learned glaze chemistry and began firing her bizarre images in her own kiln. Known primarily for her sculpture and ceramics now, she says that she once thought of painting as a higher art form. Even so, it was as a student that she began producing the highly stylized ceramic chess sets that have given her a steady, though modest income.
1980 was when Aggie’s fortunes began to improve. Invited to exhibit in a department store during June Jubilee, her 200 nude ceramic figurines were photographed by Richmond Newspapers and purchased by a local collector. “The exhibit signaled to me that I could have an audience for my work other than chess sets. This was my first window, and while not every Richmond artist would jump at the chance to exhibit at June Jubilee, it was well received. I decided I was about communicating to people; people who were out in the world.”
At that point, Aggie began showing her work in local galleries. She declined to participate in area craft shows, preferring to be represented only by her more personal work. In 1984, she was awarded a Virginia Museum fellowship, the proceeds of which enabled her to develop other art forms. Aggie began making delicate ceramic scaffolding and structures, some incorporating the horses that have become a trademark. So successful were her endeavors that in 1986 she received a National Endowment for the Arts award in sculpture.
Later she turned to welded sculpture because she did not have the resources to transport her large ceramic editions. She began showing this new welded work at 1708 East Main’s opening show in the fall of 1986.
Aggie’s new artistic endeavors are related to symbolism and the unity of spirit and matter, religion and science. “I want my work to raise an existentialist flag to anyone who sees it, including myself. If I didn’t have a reason to produce – to communicate to others – I couldn’t do it.”
