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.

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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