Valerie Fuchs Bio

Above: VALERIE SULLIVAN FUCHS, (gif clip from) Hexagon, from the Micro Macro Tiny Trucks video series. Edition of 10 digital NFT. 1080 x 1920, 37 second video.

VALERIE SULLIVAN FUCHS

Valerie Sullivan Fuchs is a conceptual based artist who works with new media, sound, video and installation to encounter the relationship between nature, industrialization and each other. She was raised on a sustainable farm, where she and her family raised most of their food and heated their home with firewood in rural Kentucky. She still lives in rural Kentucky with her two children and husband.

Fuchs has exhibited her work at the Speed Art Museum (KY), 21c Museum Hotels, Kentucky Museum of Art + Craft, Carnegie Center for Art and History (IN), Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (IN), The School of the Art Institute, Chicago, (IL), and at numerous other venues throughout the United States and Internationally.

 

“From living my life in a forest near a creek, I sense an illusive, invisible interconnected energy with nature that feels like an acknowledgement: ‘there you are, and here I am’.   I try to visualize this mysterious presence of presences, through the layering of images taken during walks in snow, misting rain, sunlight, under a canopy of clouds and crisscrossing branches resonating with the soft and low cadence of the creek.”  -Valerie Sullivan Fuchs

 

EDUCATION

1998 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, M.F.A., Time Arts Area, Chicago, IL

1996 Cornell University, Continuing Education, Art Study, Ithaca, NY

1990 University of Kentucky, B. Arch. 1990, Lexington, KY

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025 Entanglement, WheelHouse Art, Louisville, KY

2013 My Current Addiction: Acoustic Landscapes, KSA,(KCAD) Louisville, KY

2010 Winter Count, Barr Gallery, Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN

2009 Concrete Video, green building gallery, Louisville Ky

2008 boys don't cry, Gallery Nulu, Louisville, KY

2005 Presence, Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY

2003 Solo, Swanson-Reed Contemporary, Louisville, KY

2001 Uninhabited, Artswatch, Louisville, KY

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 21c Museum, Louisville KY, January

2023 Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland OH 2023

H20, The Painting Center, New York City, NY

B-Side, Decca, Louisville KY

All Today’s Parties, Wheelhouse Art, Louisville, KY

2022 Tip it Forward, The Common Gallery, Louisville, KY

Relief to the People, Benefiting Ukraine, Shapin Nicolas Art Project, Louisville, KY

Gifts for the River Film Festival, (Exhibition) Saginaw, MI

Act Natural, Berlin Art Collectiv Online Exhibition

Land of Tomorrow, Vision of Frederick Law Olmsted, Art Sanctuary, Louisville, KY

2021 Mid-South Sculptural Alliance Conference, University of Cincinnati, OH

2020 Muhammad Ali International Airport, (Louisville International Airport)

Auto//Update, The Carnegie, Covington KY

2019 21c Museum, Interwoven, Louisville, KY

Currents, Swanson Contemporary, Louisville, KY

Works on Water, Governors Island, New York, NY Auto//Update, The Carnegie, Covington KY

2018 Works on Water, Governors Island, New York, NY

Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, Louisville, KY

Positive/Negative National, ETSU, Slocumb Galleries Jackson City, TN

2017 Spring/Break Art Show, 4 Times Square New York, NY

2016 21c Museum Blue: Matter, Mood, and Melancholy 21c Museum, Bentonville, AR

The Carnegie, Now Here: Theoretical Landscapes, Covington, KY

2014 21c Museum, Cincinnati, OH,

Ascent Cincinnati, Ohio, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, US Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio

2013 iMOCA, Chido Johnson's Love Library - Let's Talk About Love Baby, Indianapolis,IN

2010 American Embassy, Stockholm Sweden Transparencies and Trans-formations, Sweden

2009 Great Rivers Arts, H2O; Film on Water juried, Bellows Falls, Vermont

Sun Valley Center for the Arts Prospects: An Exploration on Mining, Ketchum, ID

2008 On Procession: East meets West Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN

2006 Parnu (Estonia) Film and Video Festival, Nongratta, Parnu, Estonia

International Installation of Video Art, Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO

2005 Speed Art Museum, Presence Louisville, KY

Galerie Eugen Lendl, Graz, Austria

Video Integration BELEF, Belgrade, Serbia

Santa Barbara Center for Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA

2004 Santa Barbara Center for Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA

2003 Prague Quadrinniel, Prague

 

RESIDENCIES

2022 Berlin Collectiv, Artist Retreat: Gaucin, Spain

2019 Mustarinda, Hyrynsalmi, Finland

2019 Works on Water, Invited/Selected Artist for Project Space Residency, New York, NY

2018 Works on Water, Open Call, New York, NY

2010-2018 Artist in Residence, 97.1 WXOX artxfm.com, Audio Art 101, Louisville, KY

 

PUBLIC ART PROJECTS AND COMMISSIONS

2020 Lodgic, Murals, Louisville, KY

2020 Frost, Brown & Todd, 5 Murals, Louisville KY

2019 Main & Clay, 170’ Mural, Louisville, KY       

2018 Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville KY

2016 Artlik, Nulu Art Exhibition, Louisville, KY

2015 Resurfaced Event at Connect/Disconnect, Public Art Project, Louisville, KY

2013 artwithoutwalls.org, curated by Alice Gray Stites, Idea Festival, KCA, KY

offSITE LAL's Loudoun House Gallery, Lexington, KY

Terminal, Austin Peay State University,, Clarksville, TN

2011 On Procession: East Meets West Indianapolis Museum of Art, Fountain Square, IN

2010-11 New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project, New Albany, IN

2007 Live.Learn.Believe Georgetown College, KY

 

PERMANENT AND SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

21Skye Design

Shapin Nicolas Art Project

21c Museum

Muhammad Ali International Airport, Louisville, KY (Two videos, 2018 & one video 2004)

Revive Headquarters, Louisville, KY

Laura Lee Brown & Steve Wilson

Brook Smith

Frey Family

Jody & P.A. Howard

Former Ambassador Mathew Barzun and Brooke Barzun Gill Holland & Augusta Brown

Larry Shapin & Ladonna Nicolas

 

AWARDS AND HONORS

2016-22 Great Meadows Foundation Artist Enrichment Grant, 2016, 2017, 2018 (2), 2019, ‘22

2017 Hadley Creative, Louisville Community Foundation

2015 Selected for Kentucky Natural Lands Trust Artists’ Retreat, Pine Mountain, KY

2007 Kentucky Foundation for Women Grant

2004 Al Smith Fellowship, Kentucky Arts Council

Kentucky Foundation for Women Grant

Kentucky Arts Council Grant

2003 Prague Quadrennial

2003-04, Macbeth, Honorable Mention, Video Designer

2002 Kentucky Art Council Individual Project Grant

2001 Kentucky Foundation for Women, Individual Artist Enrichment Grant

Kentucky Arts Council, Professional Development Grant

1999 Illinois Art Council Fellowship Finalist Award and Grant

 

PUBLISHED WRITING

2012 Beauty Revisited, an anthology edited by Brand,Peg, IUS Press 2008

LEO, a review of Marcel | Marcel, a Marcel Duchamp exhibition at the Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY Feb. 6

2007 LEO, a review of Breda Beban, "A video that asks, 'Who's teasing whom?',

2006 Pitch Magazine, Co-Edited interview “Interview with Chris Radtke” by Valerie Sullivan Fuchs”

 

SELECTED LECTURES AND PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

2019 21c Museum, Kentucky Wildlands Social Club, Louisville, KY

21c Museum, Interwoven Artist Talk, Louisville KY

2011 Public Art and the City, 2011 Public Art Symposium Panelist, Louisville, KY 2010

Purdue College of Technology, New Albany IN, Lecture

Transylvania University, Lexington, KY, Artist Talk

New Albany Bicentennial Public Art Project, Artist Talk

Indiana University Southeast, New Albany, IN, Artist Talk

2009 Speed Art Museum, Artist Dialogues

Green Building Gallery, Talk with Alice Gray Stites

2008 Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY Lecture and Presentation

Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges at Big Sandy, KY

2006 USITT - United States Institute for Theatre Technology Conference, Louisville, KY, Presentation on Video Design for Theatre

2005 Speed Art Museum, Presence, Talk with Julien Robson

 

SELECTED PRESS/BIBLIOGRAPHY

2020 WDRB/ U of L Interior Designers Design Tiny Homes for Camp Restoration

U of L News, Interior Designers

2019 Ruckus, digital online magazine, Interwoven,

2017 HAHA digital magazine, New York, NY

2015  Voice Tribune, Louisville, KY Guryaskin Igor, Changing Louisville,

2014 WHAS 11 interview for Open Studio Weekend, LVAA, Louisville

Luminosity, under-main.com Zoe Strucker http://www.under-main.com/luminosity-mobile/

Luminosity, Chevy Chaser, Brewer, Saraya, Let’s Get Digital

2013 LEO Weekly Staff Picks, Tripplet, Jo Anne T

2011 Herald-Leader, Lexington, KY, Copley, Rich, Show Grows Along with Size of UK Art Faculty

2010 LEO, Critic Pick, Louisville, KY Winter Count, Jan. 20

Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY Heilenman, Diane, On the Town, The Sound of Art, Jan.15

2009 Courier-Journal, Louisville, Heilenman, Diane, The Rising, Dec. 6

Courier-Journal, Louisville, Heilenman, Diane, Critics Picks, Thinking Out of Time, Sept. 27

2008 Art Papers, Review of Boys Don't Cry, Morrison, Marsha, May/June

LEO, Critic Pick, Boys Don't Cry, March

2007 WDRB, LEO, Critic Picks, Late Seating, Actors Theatre

2006 Presence, Edited by Robson, Julien, Published by Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY

Lexington Herald Leader, Castro, Heather, Displaying a Wealth of Talent, July 21

Pitch, Gardner, Ann Marie & Jordan, Jay, Nowhere, Spring

LEO, Peavler, Penny, ‘Nowhere’ is here, March 8

2005 Presse, Austria, Eugen Lendl, Nowhere, Oct. 3,

Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, Video Art Takes Off, Aug. 28

Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY Heilenman, Diane, A Growing ‘Presence’, Feb.26

2004 Santa Barbara News-Press, Santa Barbara, CA Woodard, Josef, Art, lives and video

LEO, Triplett, Jo Anne, Enid: Sculpture Inside Outside, Oct. 13

Courier-Journal, Louisville, Heilenman, Dianne, Viewpoints: Women’s Work, Sept. 19

Business First, Louisville, KY, Pritchett, Lucy, Mixed Media Artist, July 23

Louisville Magazine, Louisville, KY, Hambrick, Julie Ball, Bestowing Presence, April

LEO, Peterson, Tom, In the Presence of Art, March 31

Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY Heilenman, Diane, Speed to Open Presence, Mar.28

Sentinel News, Shelbyville, KY Miller, Terri, Shelby Artist Makes Visible the Invisible

2003 WHAS, Channel 11, news report Solo Show, Swanson Reed Contemporary, July 30

Louisville Magazine, Louisville, KY Hambrick, Julie Ball; Kelley, Peter, 25 For Louisville’s Future, Jan.

2002 LEO, Louisville Eccentric Observer, Triplett, Jo Anne, Meet the Artists, Oct. 9

Louisville Magazine, Louisville, KY Maze, Victor, Sine of the Times, August

Courier-Journal, Louisville, Heilenman, Diane, Pair of Louisville Shows Explore Technology’s Role in Art July

Louisville Magazine, Louisville, KY Allar, Bruce, editor, Critic’s Choice, Honorable Mention, Best New Visual Artist, Aug.

American Theatre, Coppens, Julie York, Tomorrow & Tomorrow

NPR, Sorese, Kim, (Radio and web site),Interview about SIGNAL:NOISE and plugANDplay, June

LEO, Louisville, KY Eccentric Observer, Millar, Leslie, Bringing in the Noise, June

Apple.com, Gibson, Barbara, Sculpting with Video, Hot News, April

Courier-Journal, Louisville,KY Egerton, Judith, Macbeth, February 8

2001 Business First of Louisville, KY, Ferguson, Sara, Emerging Visual Artists Find Welcome Atmosphere, Dec.

Dialogue, Hambrick, Julie Ball, About Skin: A Video and Still Photographic Exhibition, Sept.

10 Questions with Valerie Sullivan Fuchs

 

Valerie Sullivan Fuchs is a conceptually based artist who works with new media, sound, video and installation to encounter the relationship between nature, industrialization and each other. She was raised on a sustainable farm, where she and her family raised most of their food and heated their home with firewood in rural Kentucky. She still lives in rural Kentucky with her two children and husband.

Fuchs took a few minutes to answer 10 questions for us leading up to her solo exhibition, Entanglement, at WheelHouse Art. 

Outside of art, what hobbies do you have or how do you like to spend your free time? 

I write and read mostly.

What is your proudest accomplishment? 

As an artist there have been several proud and grateful moments, but with the Cleveland Clinic Commission I finally felt my work could transcend being art and possibly aid in the healing process.

[Above: Fuchs installation at the Cleveland Clinic]

Do you collect anything? 

As a child I collected Nancy Drew books. For a long time, I collected anything that wasn't a television, but looked like one-salt & pepper shakers, a cookie jar, a jewelry box. And my mother, who collected antiques, would always buy me those when she saw them.  I hike around looking for  Native American tools on the farm, and find scrapers, diggers, mostly.  In addition, I collect art from my friends locally and from all over the world. 

Do you believe in ghosts? 

Not sure but have had a few experiences.  I grew up in an over one-hundred-year-old house and every year the family that built it had a reunion in a nearby park and would come over to tour it. They would tell us who died where, and about a large loom that filled the dining room. One day, I went upstairs to my bedroom, shut the door, and said 'ok you ghosts come out' And the light bulb blew out...so maybe.

What would be the title of your memoir?

Sisyphus

If you could design your own holiday, what would people celebrate?

Beautiful days, when its in the 60's or 70's those should be frequent mini holidays and should be days off of work -light warm lightly raining days, snowy sunshining days, cool fall days. 

Do you think your dreams influence your creativity? 

I frequently wake up with ideas and answers.

If you could erase one trend (past or present) from existence, what would it be? 

Dehumanizing people.

Do you believe in fate, or pure coincidence? 

Neither. I think when you work toward what you love with every vibrating fiber in your being, you can bend back fate and shape it yourself, and then in return, you open up to attracting beautiful synchronous energy. That's the beauty of being creatively alive.

Have you ever disliked something and then changed your mind? 

During film history class, we were watching Last Year at Marienbad, directed by Alain Resnais and I just wanted to leave. But then, in the middle of its repetitiveness and flashback structure I really began to love it.   

______________________________________________________ 

Kentucky artist Valerie Fuchs gears up for digital exhibition at Loudoun House's Luminosity

by Saraya Brewer

February 27, 2014

Even as she was finishing her architecture degree at the University of Kentucky, Valerie Fuchs knew that being an architect did not fit into her vision of her future.

“I love the process, I love figuring things out, I love making things –– but I don’t like being an architect,” she said.

Throughout college, Fuchs spent her spare time making art; after graduating and being hired as an architectural designer for Louisville’s Bravura Corp., she spent her time off drawing and admiring sculpture and other art at the Louisville Speed Museum. While taking an evening film class, she had a revelatory moment –– a mental fusion of sculpture and video occurred to her.

“I had one of those moments where you go ‘oh, that’s it,’” she said. She left her architecture job to pursue her Master’s in Fine Arts from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.

For the Acoustic Landscape exhibit, vinyl digital stills of a video Fuchs made were installed outside Louisville's Kentucky Center for the Arts.

Today, Fuchs is an established new media artist, teaching at the Kentucky School of Art at Spalding University and exhibiting her work regularly. Her primary medium is digital cinematography, which she manipulates in different ways to tailor to specific venues and audience experiences. In perhaps her largest-scale work, commissioned by 21C museum curator Alice Gray Stites, 36-foot-tall vinyl panels displaying a digital still from one of Fuchs’ videos were installed on the front of the prominent downtown Louisville Kentucky Center for the Arts building. Some of her smallest pieces are projected from handheld Pico projectors onto the palm of an audience member’s hand.

Fuchs explores a variety of existential themes in her work, including the juxtaposition between a love of nature and a simultaneous (and often opposing) love of technology –– a conflict she grapples with constantly in what she calls an “infinitely reflective process.”

Detail from Fuchs' Blue Series.

“I’m always thinking about how much we don’t have a relationship with the land that we’re right in front of,” said Fuchs. “Like Wendell Berry says, you have to live in it –– you have to have a long history. You have to have a name for that back field. You have to have an emotional relationship with it to care for it.”

Fuchs’ home studio, designed and built by her architect husband, provides her with inspirational views of their Shelby County land (the couple recently relocated from Lexington to Shelby County with their children); she hikes almost daily in the surrounding hills and valley, often with a video camera in hand. In many ways, her art is a way for her to develop and express her emotional relationship with the land that inspires her so deeply. She shares that experience with her audience in works that are often interactive, such as her forthcoming group exhibit at the Loudoun House, part of the Lexington Art League’s multi-faceted exhibition light-based exhibition Luminosity.

As to what she hopes the audience will feel when they experience her work?

“I want them to feel what I’m feeling,” she said. “I know that when I’m fascinated with something, sometimes other people are too.”