Statement
After a career as a museum professional creating, designing, and producing exhibits and graphics for venues in Colorado, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and Virginia; I enrolled in the graduate program at The Maryland Institute College of Art and received an MFA in Studio Art in 2017. Since that time I have created a multidisciplinary body of primarily abstract work in categories of production such as drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and digital technology. Influences on my practice are rooted in Absurdism (the philosophical assertion that the universe is irrational and meaningless), Metamodernism (contemporary art that fluctuates between modernism and postmodernism), and Paleolithic art (paintings and sculptures made by a group of early modern humans occupying Western Europe from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago), and a 2008 analysis of my Y- chromosome. The latter confirming my membership in that group of early human creatives.
Curriculum vitae
Edward David Shurbutt
Education:
2017 MFA in Studio Art, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
1982 MA in Media Art, University of South Carolina-Columbia, Columbia, SC
1979 BA in Studio Art, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Employment:
2019-2024 Art Studio Instructor, Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC
2022-2024 Art Studio Instructor, Spartanburg Art Museum, Spartanburg, SC
2015-2018 Exhibit Curator, North CarolinaArboretum, Asheville, NC
2011-2012 Exhibit Manager, Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO
2010 Freelance Graphic Designer, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
2000-2009 Head of Exhibits Design, Schiele Museum, Gastonia, NC
1984-2000 Exhibit Technician, Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Beach, VA
1982-1984 Exhibit Technician, National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
1982 Adjunct Instructor, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
1982 Photo Lab Technician, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
1981-1982 Graduate Assistant, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
1981 Freelance Exhibit Fabricator, Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC
1973-1979 Exhibit Artist/Fabricator, Riverbanks Zoological Park, Columbia, SC
Selected Art Exhibitions:
2025 Boundaries, Sunset River Gallery, Calabash, NC
2024 Absolutely Abstract, Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2023 National Drawing Exhibition, Fayetteville State University, NC
2019 Art/Re/Art II, Morganton, NC
2019 Art/Re/Art I, Morganton, NC
2018 David Shurbutt, University of North Carolina Asheville, NC
2018 Trusted, Secure, Slayer Gallery, Columbus, OH
2017 Senses, LIT Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2017 MFA in Studio Art Thesis Exhibition, Maryland Institute College of Art, MD
2016 Artfields, Lake City, SC
2015 National Works on Paper, William Paterson University, NJ
2015 Art of the South, Memphis College of Art, TN
2014 Fresh Emerging Artist Exhibit, Visual Arts Gallery, Chattanooga, TN
2014 Connections, Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA
2014 Artfields, Lake City, SC
2013 Drawing Discourse, University of North Carolina Asheville, NC
Selected Museum Projects:
2018 Curator, Sayaka Ganz: Reclaimed Creations, North Carolina Arboretum
2018 Curator, Making Scents: The Art of Fragrance, North Carolina Arboretum
2018 Curator, Wicked Plants, North Carolina Arboretum
2017 Curator, Nature Connects, North Carolina Arboretum
2016 Curator, Western North Carolina Landscapes, North Carolina Arboretum
2015 Curator, Wild Survival, North Carolina Arboretum
2011 Exhibits Manager, 3..2..1 Blast Off, Children’s Museum of Denver
2009 Head of Exhibits Design, Swamp Things, Schiele Museum
2007 Head of Exhibits Design, Buffalo Nation, Schiele Museum
2006 Head of Exhibits Design, Birds!, Schiele Museum
2003 Head of Exhibits Design, High Seas to High Shoals, Schiele Museum
2002 Head of Exhibits Design, Ursa Major, Schiele Museum
1999 Exhibits Designer, T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous, Virginia Aquarium
1996 Exhibits Designer, Dolphins: Virginia’s Marine Mammals, Virginia Aquarium
1993 Exhibits Designer, Chesapeake Bay Discovery Lab, Virginia Aquarium
1990 Exhibits Designer, Timeless Travelers, Virginia Aquarium
1984-1986 Coordinator, Original Permanent Exhibits, Virginia Aquarium
1983 Exhibits Technician, Atlantic Puffins, National Aquarium in Baltimore
1978 Exhibits Fabricator, Giant Hornbills Exhibit, Riverbanks Zoological Park
1976 Graphic Designer, Interpretive Graphics, Riverbanks Zoological Park
1976 Exhibits Fabricator, Fire Finches, Riverbanks Zoological Park
1975 Graphic Designer, Interpretive Graphics, Keowee-Towaway State Park
1974 Exhibits Fabricator, Original Permanent Exhibits, Riverbanks Zoo
Awards, Grants, Scholarships:
2018 Honorarium, University of North Carolina Asheville
2018 Visiting Artist, University of North Carolina Asheville
2018 Residency, Vermont Studio Center (declined)
2017 Merit Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art
2016 Merit Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art
2015 Merit Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art
2014 Merit Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art
2014 Merit Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (declined)
2014 President’s Scholarship, Maine College of Art (declined)
2005 President’s Award, Schiele Museum
2002 President’s Award, Schiele Museum
1995 Honorarium, Tidewater Community College
1991 Curators Committee Award, American Alliance of Museums
1982 Artist Grant, South Carolina Arts Commission
1974 Merit Award, Aquarium and Zoological Association
Publications as Author:
2018 Toward an Ideology of Art Making, Academia.edu
2013 The Accessible Art Gallery, Academia.edu
2011 The Accessible Art Gallery, The Informal Learning Review
1997 Take the Devil Out of Development, American Association of Museums
1996 Houston, We Have a Problem, National Association for Museum Exhibitions,
1993 Designing Green, National Association for Museum Exhibitions
1991 Virginia Sea Turtles: Timeless Travelers, Exhibit Builder
Publications as Subject:
2018 Visiting Artist, Office of Graduate Studies, Maryland Institute College of Art
2018 David Shurbutt, Mountain Xpress
2018 Visiting Artist: David Shurbutt, University of North Carolina Asheville
2018 The Liminal, Office of Graduate Studies, Maryland Institute College of Art
2018 David Shurbutt, Commotion, Maryland Institute College of Art
2017 David Shurbutt, ArtToImage.com
2017 MFAST Grad Show, Maryland Institute College of Art
2015 National Works on Paper Biennial, William Paterson University
2014 Liminality 10, Artfieldssc.org
2013 Drawing Discourse, The Biltmore Beacon
2013 Drawing Discourse Catalog, University of North Carolina Asheville
2012 Top Supporters in 2012, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
1991 Virginia Sea Turtles: Timeless Travelers, Exhibitionist
Community Service:
2022-2023 Visitor Services Associate, Center for Craft
2020-2021 Gallery Assistant, Asheville Art Museum
2019 Volunteer, Asheville Art Museum
2013 Gallery Guide, Asheville Art Museum
2012 Volunteer, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
2009 Volunteer, Discovery Place
2003-2004 Officer, Sierra Club
1993-1997 State Coordinator, National Association for Museum Exhibitions
Philanthropy:
2013 Founder, Kai’s Memorial Fund, Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
2012 Founder, Kai’s Memorial Research Fund, Children’s Hospital Colorado
2007 Fundraiser, Kai’s Memorial Marathon Miles, Thunder Road Marathon
2005 Fundraiser, Kai’s Memorial Bike Tour, Cycle North Carolina
2004 Founder, Kai’s Memorial Internship Fund, Schiele Museum
Affiliations:
Alumni Association, Maryland Institute College of Art
Alumni Association, University of South Carolina
College Art Association
Asheville Art Museum
Spartanburg Art Museum
Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Art Museum
Virginia Association of Museums
American Alliance of Museums
National Association for Museum Exhibitions
david shurbutt/painting/drawing/sculpture/photography/installation/video/statement/cv
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