Kim Bernard
Hyperbolic Skirt, Recycled bicycle inner tubes
Artist, scientist, mentor, Kim Bernard loves to share the joy of creation. From art galleries to science centers across New England and the rest of the country, Kim has become a well-known spokesperson for work that lives at the intersection of Art and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. She creates objects, for instance, that welcome discussion about the physics that moves her art, or helps create it (her pendulum project that has her suspended from a cable in circular motion while splashing paint on a flat canvas below her as she moves, as the paint tracks her circuitous route, would – in a non-pandemic world – have been part of the programming for this exhibition). Alas, we show work in a more static environment here – some of it new work created by her most recent invention, the Portable Upcycling Machine for Plastic, or PUMP. It recycles plastic waste into sculptural medium.
Kim’s work – in motion or fixed – has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country, some of which, more locally, include the Portland Museum of Art, Currier Museum of Art (NH), Fuller Craft Museum (MA), Harvard University, the UNH Museum of Art, and others. She has been an artist-in-residence in the Physics Department at Harvard University and at the University of New England. She mentors artists individually, incites projects online, and teaches professional development nationally.
Education
2010
M.F.A., Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, MA
1987
B.F.A., Parsons School of Design, NY, NY
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Sumi Series, Satori, Belfast, ME
2018
Bring Your Own Bag, installation, Rockland Public Library, Rockland, ME
2016
Motion and Matter, Harvard Ed Portal, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
FIZIKS: Freakin’ Impossible Zonking In Kinetic Studies, UNE, Biddeford, ME
2015
It’s Physical, Suffolk University, Boston, MA
Pendulum Series, Harvard Science Center, Cambridge, MA
2014
Objects in Motion, McIninch Gallery, SNHU, Manchester, NH Gesturally Speaking, Arden Gallery, Boston, MA
Spherical Harmonics, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
Gestural Record, R&F Paints Gallery, Kingston, NY
2012
In Motion, Discover Portsmouth, Portsmouth, NH Stuff Moves, The Engine, Biddeford, ME
Stuff Moves, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
2011
Pendulum Series, Yvette Torres Fine Art, Rockland, ME Spirometry, The Studios of Key West, Key West, FL
Kim Bernard, Conrad Wilde Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2010
Spirendulum, Arden Gallery, Boston, MA
Guest Artist: Kim Bernard, Greenhut Gallery, Portland, ME
Motion Matters, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
Group Exhibitions
2020
STEAM, Cove Street Arts, Portland, ME
2019
3 Person Exhibit, Littlefield Gallery, Winter Harbor, ME
3 Person Exhibit, Pattern & Concept, Gallery X, Castle Hill, Truro, MA
2018
On and On, Art Without End, Beard Gallery, Wheaton College, Norton, MA
2017
Impact, UNH Museum of Art, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Encaustic Art in the 21st Century, FAFA, Lexington, MA
2016
Fernald Gallery, University of Maine, Belfast, ME
2015
On & On, Mark Miller Gallery, NY, NY
Chesterwood Sculpture Garden, Stockbridge, MA Art Meets Science, MDI Biological Lab, Mount Dessert, ME
Gliding with Grace: A Time-Motion Continuum, Kaller Fine Art, Wash., DC
2014
Heated Exchange, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
Machines and Mechanizations: Explorations in Contemporary Kinetic Sculpture, Fuller
Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
Visions/Visiónes, Qorikancha Museum, Cuzco, Peru
Breaking Boundaries, Fountain Street Art, Framingham, MA
2013
Connections/ Conexiónes, Nesto Gallery, Milton Academy, Milton, MA Radiant, Slocumb Gallery, Eastern Tennessee State Univ., Johnson City, TN
Waxed, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
The Wandering Mind, Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough, NH
Height, Width, Depth, Time, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
Heated Exchange, Elizabeth Stone Harper Gallery, Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC
2012
Heated Exchange, Upstairs Artspace, Tryon, NC
Distinctly Encaustic, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Pollination, Brush Gallery, Art Currents, Provincetown, MA
Momentum X, George Marshall Store Gallery, York, ME
Confluence, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Boston Sculptors, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA
2011
Kindred Spirits, Clark University, Worcester, MA
Shifting, Hampden Gallery, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA
Pollination, Brush Gallery, Lowell, MA
Boston Sculptors, UNH Museum of Art, Durham, NH
Biennial, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME
Momentum IX, George Marshall Store Gallery, York, ME
Sculpture in Wax Invitational, Castle Hill Center for the Arts, Truro, MA
Altered Means, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2010
Luminosity @ 180°, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT
IN-struct, The Studios of Key West, Key West, FL
Artist Advancement Exhibition, Levy Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
Movement + Materials = Form, Bakalar Gallery, Mass College of Art, Boston, MA On/Of/ Like/About Paper, Boston Sculptors Gallery, Boston, MA
Grants
Kindling Fund 2020
Maine Arts Commission Project Grant 2017, 2018, 2019
Ellis-Beauregard Foundation Funding 2017
New England Foundation for the Arts 2015
Harvard University Elson Family Arts Initiative 2015
Maine Arts Commission Artist Visibility 2013
Greater Piscataqua Artist Advancement Recipient 2011 Maine Arts Commission Good Idea Grant 2004, 2011
Collections
University of New England, Biddeford, ME
Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
HGTV Green House
Bank of America, Boston, MA
Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
Governor Angus King, Maine
Axis Design & Construction, Somerville, MA
Senator Harley Chandler, Worchester, MA
Mayflower Place, Sanford Housing Authority, Sanford, ME
Artist in Residence
Artist in Residence, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, Sept 2016 - Dec 2017
Artist in Residence, Physics Department, Harvard University, Jan 2015 - May 2016 The Studios of Key West, Key West, FL, Jan, 2011
Teaching
Currently: Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Maine College of Art, AVA Art Center, Engine
Previously: UNH, Plymouth State University, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Montserrat
College of Art, New Hampshire Institute of Art, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Farnsworth Art Museum, Studios of Key West, Chester College
Bibliography
Keyes, Bob, With recycling machine, Rockland artist plans to take carbon-neutral resolution on the road, February 14, 2020 Keyes, Bob, Space Gallery awards grants to 15 art projects aimed at change, January, 2020
Sturdivant, Morgan, Rockland Artist Using Reusable Bags, Channel 5 News, October, 2018
Wright, Virginia, Her Art is Everywhere, DownEast, November, 2016
McQuaid, Cate, Kim Bernard: Where Science Meets Art, Art New England, November 2015
Hartnett, Kevin, An Artist Walks into the Harvard Physics Dept., Boston Globe, March 24, 2015
Powell, Alvin, Sculptor Finds Physics A Welcoming Space, Harvard Gazette, March 13, 2015
Li, Jiang, Artist-in-Residence Draws Inspiration in Physics, Harvard Crimson, February 25, 2015 McQuaid, Cate, Review, Boston Globe, June 11, 2014
Keyes, Bob, Maine Sculptor Sees Art in Science, Maine Sunday Telegram, May 25, 2014
McHugh, Christine, Some Like It Hot, The Artists Magazine, May 2014
Kanner, Chloe, Art and Science, The Wire, November 30, 2012
McCartin, Jeanne, Moving Exhibit: Kim Bernard's 'In Motion', Portsmouth Press Herald, November 28, 2012
Alvin, Rebecca, Provincetown Magazine, Wax Works, May 31, 2012
Provincetown Magazine, Cover Image, May 31, 2012
McQuaid, Cate, Review, Boston Globe, February 22, 2012
Beem, Edgar Allen, Kim Bernard & Liz Shepherd @ Boston Sculptors Gallery, Yankee Magazine Blog, February 15, 2012
McCartin, Jeanne, Gifts of Time, Portsmouth Press Herald, November 20, 2011
Sebastian Smee, Biennial hits — and misses, Boston Globe, May 8, 2011
Larmon, Annie and Schroeder, Nicholas, Touring the PMA’s Biennial, The Boston Phoenix, April 13, 2011
Daniel Kany, Art Review, Portland Press Herald, April 17, 2011
Edgar Allen Beem, Paintings, Photographs, and Projects Galore, 2011 Portland Museum of Art
Biennial, Yankee Magazine, April, 2011
McQuaid, Cate, Six to See, Boston Globe, April 23, 2010
McQuaid, Cate, Magical Movement, Boston Globe, January 28, 2010
Rooney, Ashley, 100 Artists of New England, Schiffer Publishing, 2010
Rankin, Lissa, Encaustic: A Guide to Creating Fine Art With Wax , Random House, 2010
Meyer, Ruth, Burning Bright, The Artists Magazine, January 2010
Professional Service
2020
Volunteer Upcycling Zoom Teacher, SAKALA, Cite Soleil, Haiti
Kickstarter Campaign, raised 7500- to fund plastic recycling machines
Guest Artist Zoom, Berwick Academy, Berwick, ME
Guest Artist Zoom, Whale & Dolphin Conservation Conference
2019
Steel House, Educational Coordinater, Rockland, ME
Rockland Sculpture Race, Organizer, Rockland, ME
Visiting Artist, CRMS Sculpture Race, Camden, ME
Pecha Kucha, Artict & Makers Conference, Northport, ME
Juror, Annual Exhibit, Maine Coastal Island NWR, Rockland, ME
2018
Rockland Sculpture Race, Organizer, Rockland, ME
Visiting Artist, CRMS Sculpture Race, Camden, ME
Pecha Kucha, Camden Opera House, Camden, ME
Midcoast Woman’s Collective, Panel Discussion, Rockland Public Library, Rockland, ME
Master Series, Portsmouth Music and Art Center, Portsmouth, NH
Volunteer Art Teacher, The Landing Place, Rockland, ME
2017
Rockland Sculpture Race, Organizer, Rockland, ME
Visiting Artist, CRMS Sculpture Race, Camden, ME
Curator, UNE Critter Collaboration, Maine Coastal Islands, Rockland, ME
Pecha Kucha, Colby College, Waterville, ME
Artist-in-Residence Talk, University of New England, Biddeford, ME
Pecha Kucha, Rockport Opera House, Rockport, ME
Pecha Kucha, Atlantic Hall, Kennebunkport, ME
2016
Volunteer Art Teacher, Knox County Homeless Coalition, Rockland, ME
Artist-in-Residence Talk, University of New England, Biddeford, ME
Pecha Kucha, Atlantic Hall, Kennebunkport, ME
Pecha Kucha, The Engine, Biddeford, ME
Volunteer Art Teacher, Midcoast Children’s Museum, Rockland, ME
Guest Speaker, American Physical Society, Sarah Lawrence College, NY, NY
Lecture, Massachusetts College of Design, Boston, MA
Visiting Artist, The Discovery Museum, Acton, MA
2015
Colloquium Lecture, University of Texas, Dallas, TX
Catalyst Conversations Lecture, MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA
Visiting Artist, The Discovery Museum, Acton, MA
Artist Talk, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Artist Talk, Harvard Physics Department, Cambridge, MA
2014
Artist Talk, Qorikancha Museum, Cuzco, Peru
Panel Discussion, Breaking Boundaries, Fountain Street Art, Framingham, MA
2013
Juror, Big Bad Wax, Mount Dora Center for the Arts, Mount Dora, FL
2012
Visiting Artist, Hyde School, Bath, ME Visiting Artist, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
Public Art Selection Committee, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Lecturer, Southern Maine Community College, Portland, ME
2011
Visiting Instructor, Hyde School, Bath, ME
Artist Talk, University of New Hampshire Museum of Art, Durham, NH
Artist Talk, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME
Artist Talk, Brush Gallery, Lowell, MA
Lecture, South Shore Center for the Arts, Cohasset, MA
Presenter/Instructor, International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA
Instructor/Lecturer, The Studios of Key West, Key West, FL
2010
Artist Lecturer & Presentation, Clark University, Worchester, MA
Curator: Wax In Motion, National Exhibition, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Presenter/Instructor, National Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, MA
