Environmental Art Studio and Conversation with Nik Botkin
Living on Earth is analogous to renting an apartment, if we are bad tenants and trash someone else’s property, the landlord will eventually evict us. Mother Nature, God, or any other concept one may have as the ruling entity of the structure of life as we know it could be thought of as this proprietor. That being said, how can we possibly expect anything other than eviction with the way we are treating another’s property?
Curriculum Vitae
Education | ||||
 | 2011 | Master of Arts | with distinction | Marshall University |
| 2007 | Bachelor of Arts | Magna cum Laude | West Virginia State University |
Professional Experience (selected) | ||||
| 2012-present | Owner, Apartment Earth Art Studio, Charleston, WV. (curate and install exhibits and teach workshops on welding, painting, mold-making, woodworking, etc…) | ||
| 2011-present | Adjunct Instructor of Art, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV. | ||
| 2009-2011 | Studio Technician, Art Warehouse, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. (maintained studio equipment and aided in problem solving student projects while ensuring safe working practices and environment) | ||
| 2008-2011 | Treasurer, Marshall University Sculpture Club, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2008-2011 | Co-owner, ArtGawk Street Exhibitions, Charleston, WV. (curated and installed exhibits in local business windows) | ||
| 2008 | Walter Gropius Masters Workshop: David Ellis Installation, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2006-present | Committee Member, FestivALL, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2005-2007 | Gallery Assistant, Della Brown Taylor Gallery, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV. (prepared and installed exhibits) | ||
| 2003-present | 204B Acting Supervisor, Dunbar Post Office, United States Postal Service, Charleston, WV. (responsible for all supervisory duties of twelve employees while primary managers are away) | ||
| 2000-present | City Letter Carrier, Dunbar Post Office, United States Postal Service, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 1996-1999 | Data Conversion Operator, Charleston Remote Encoding Center, United States Postal Service, Charleston, WV. | ||
Awards & Honors (selected) | ||||
| 2011 | Merit Award, West Virginia Juried Exhibition, Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center, Wheeling, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Professional: 3rd Place, The National Arts Program 6th Annual Exhibition, City Hall, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Professional: Honorable Mention, The National Arts Program 6th Annual Exhibition, City Hall, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Outstanding Graduate Student, Department of Art and Design Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Graduate Award of Distinction, 25th Annual Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Jurors’ Choice Award, 25th Annual Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Siniša Lenac Memorial Award, 25th Annual Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2010 | Honorable Mention Award, 24th Annual Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2007 | Reverend Canon Andrew J. W. Mullins Fund Scholarship, Church of the Epiphany, New York, NY. | ||
Exhibition Record (selected) | ||||
| 2011 | West Virginia Juried Exhibition, Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center, Wheeling, WV. Juror: Ryan Grover, Curator, Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, DE; Juror: Philip R. Jackson, Assistant Professor of Art and head of the painting program, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS. Merit Award. (catalogue) | ||
| 2011 | ArtMares, Kanawha Players Theatre, Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2011 | Paul Corbit Brown and Cristofer Botkin : Troubled Waters, Art Emporium, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Courtyard Trees, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV. (solo) | ||
| 2011 | The National Arts Program 6th Annual Exhibition, City Hall, Charleston, WV. Juror: John Auge, Co-owner, Auge+Gray Collective Works. Juror: Craig Auge, Artist. Juror: Steve Gray, Co-owner, Auge+Gray Collective Works. 3rd Place, Honorable Mention. | ||
| 2011 | FestivALL Exhibit, Taylor Books Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV. Curator: Dan Carlisle, Exhibit Coordinator, Taylor Books Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | 3..2..1 Graduate Exhibition (part 2), Gallery 842, Huntington, WV. (solo) | ||
| 2011 | 3..2..1 Graduate Exhibition (part 1), Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Charleston ArtWalk, Romano & Associates, Charleston, WV. Curator: Naomi Bays, Chair, Arts Council of Kanawha Valley. (invitational) | ||
| 2011 | 25th Annual Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Huntington, WV. Juror: Jenine Culligan, Senior Curator, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV; Juror: Jeff Barnes, CEO, Barnes Agency, Hurricane, WV. Graduate Award of Distinction, Jurors’ Choice, Siniša Lenac Memorial Award. | ||
| 2010 | Winter Buswater Exhibition, 1520 Kanawha Blvd., Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2010 | Charleston ArtWalk, Romano & Associates, Charleston, WV. Curator: Naomi Bays, Chair, Arts Council of Kanawha Valley. (invitational) | ||
| 2010 | Welcome to My Studio, Gallery 842, Huntington, WV. Curator: Marshall University Sculpture Club. | ||
| 2010 | Hack3rCon Sci-fi Art Exhibition, Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2010 | Friends of John Farley, Gallery 842, Huntington, WV. Curator: John Farley, Gallery Director, Gallery 842. | ||
| 2010 | ArtGawk Street Exhibition, FestivALL, Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2010 | 24th Annual Student Juried Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. Juror: Paula Clendenin, Professor of Art, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV; Juror: Pamela Wise, Owner, Wise and Associates, Russell, KY. Honorable Mention. | ||
| 2009 | West Virginia Juried Exhibition, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV. Juror: Julie Taggart, Professor and Dean of Fine Arts, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH; Juror: Vince Torano, Professor of Art, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. (catalogue) | ||
| 2009 | Midsummer Saltations, The Art Store, Charleston, WV. Curator: Maggie Starcher, Registrar and Curator, The Art Store, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2009 | ArtGawk Street Exhibition, FestivALL, Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2009 | Awareness Earth Day Exhibition, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. Curator: Cristofer Botkin, graduate student, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2009 | Painting Exhibition, Birke Art Gallery, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. Curator: Eric Ruegge, Professor of Art, Marshall University, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2008 | Winter Buswater Exhibition, 1520 Kanawha Blvd., Charleston, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2008 | ArtGawk Street Exhibition, FestivALL, Charleston, WV, (invitational) | ||
| 2008 | ReStore Earth Day Auction, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. Curator: Amy McLaughlin, Director, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2008 | ReStore-ation Celebration, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. Curator: Amy McLaughlin, Director, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2007 | Perceive: Senior Exhibition, Della Brown Taylor Gallery, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV. | ||
| 2007 | West Virginia Juried Exhibition, Parkersburg Art Center, Parkersburg, WV. Juror: Jerry Slipman, Owner, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA; Juror: Michael Northrop, Professor of Art and Humanities, Glen Oaks Community College, Centreville, MI. (catalogue) | ||
| 2006 | Appalachian Landscape: Bob Ross Don’t Live Here No More, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Huntington, WV. (invitational) | ||
| 2006 | Clothesline Exhibition, Capitol Market, Charleston, WV. Curator: Paula Clendenin, Professor of Art, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV. | ||
| 2006 | Prints Exhibition, Taylor Books Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV. Curator: Angie Mullins, Gallery Director, Taylor Books Annex Gallery, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2006 | Zen bEarth Day: Nature’s Scorn, Unitarian Universalist Congregation: Webb Room, Charleston, WV. (solo) | ||
| 2005 | Cristofer Botkin & Julie Fox, Capitol Market, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2005 | State of State Juried Exhibition, Della Brown Taylor Gallery, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV. Juror: Katherine Cox, Education Director, Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2003 | West Virginia Juried Exhibition, West Virginia Cultural Center, Charleston, WV. Juror: James Adkins, Director of Visual Art, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD; Juror: Tom Spleth, Curator, City Gallery of Contemporary Art, Raleigh, NC. (catalogue) | ||
| 2003 | Appalachian Corridors Regional Juried Exhibition, Clay Center: Avampato Discover Museum, Charleston, WV. Juror: Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor, Art in America and Artpress magazines, New York, NY. (catalogue) | ||
Exhibitions Curated (selected) | ||||
| 2012 | Love Art, Kanawha Valley Arts Council, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | ArtMares, Kanawha Players Theatre, Charleston, WV. (assisted) | ||
| 2010 | Welcome to My Studio, Gallery 842, Huntington, WV. | ||
| 2009 | Awareness Earth Day Exhibition, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. | ||
Bibliography (selected) | ||||
| 2011 | Douglas Imbrogno, interview, “Showing What Happens to Fish Happens to Us.” The Charleston Gazette, August 19th, 2011, 1C, 6C. | ||
| 2011 | Douglas Imbrogno, interview, “Something Fishy is Happening to the Water.” WestVirginiaVille, August 17th, 2011. Web. | ||
| 2011 | David Lavender, interview, “The Art of the Matter.” The Herald Dispatch, May 5th, 2011, 1-2E, 19E. | ||
| 2011 | David Lavender, interview, “Dine and Discover Takes an Art Turn on Tuesday at Schooner’s.” The Herald Dispatch, April 3rd, 2011. | ||
| 2011 | Emily Rowe, Et Cetera: Literary Magazine, (2011): cover, 29-30, 74. | ||
| 2011 | Lacie Pierson, exhibition announcement with interview, “25th Marshall University Student Juried Exhibition on Display.” The Herald Dispatch, January 16th, 2011. | ||
| 2008 | Charlotte Ferrell Smith, exhibition announcement with interview, “Artists Recycle Home Merchandise for Earth Day Auction.” The Charleston Daily Mail, April 17th, 2008, 1D, 3D. | ||
| 2008 | Ben Calwell, exhibition announcement with interview, “Exhibit Highlights Recycled Materials.” The Charleston Gazette: Metro Kanawha, January 30th, 2008, 1, 6. | ||
| 2006 | Sandra Marshburn, Kanawha Review, (2006): 27. | ||
| 2004 | Sandy Wells, interview, “Innerviews: Cristofer Botkin.” The Charleston Gazette, January 19th, 2004, 1A, 1C, 5C. | ||
Lectures | ||||
| 2011 | “Apartment Earth: Art and Our Environment.” Dine and Discover: The Ohio River Series. Schooners, Huntington, WV. | ||
Public Collections | ||||
| 2012 | West Virginia Division of Culture and History, The Culture Center, Charleston, WV. | ||
| 2011 | Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Charleston, WV. | ||
Professional Affiliations | ||||
| 2011-present | National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. | ||
| 2006-present | National Honor Society of Alpha Kappa Mu. | ||
| 1992-present | National Speleological Society. | ||
