RESUME

Working primarily as a painter and occasionally a printmaker, Val Sivilli sometimes writes and illustrate stories. Val is an artist and adjunct professor of fine arts. Val attended 3 different Art Schools inside the SUNY system toward a BFA from Alfred University and earned her MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers, New Brunswick, NJ. As a younger artist, Val lived in Brooklyn and worked in New York at Bob Blackburns Printmaking Workshop and spent 7 years as an assistant to Leon Golub and Nancy Spero. She exhibited extensively during that time. After Val moved to the Delaware Valley in the 1990’s to raise a family, she quickly became a community building local artist. She became the director and founding member of a local cooperative gallery called “STEAMROLLER, a home for not-so-local artists”, organized many art-driven fundraising events, as well as exhibiting extensively throughout New Jersey in solo exhibitions and group venues.

Around 2005, Val took a bit of a sabatical from formally exhibiting her paintings to regroup from a divorce, tend to her children and run her handprinted clothing and graphic design business Civilian Art.

In 2015, with those children successfully thrust out into the world, Val shuttered her business and spent 3 months at the Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, New Mexico to reestablish her art making practice. Upon her return to Hunterdon County in 2016, Val founded THAT, The Hunterdon Art Tour, a county wide Artist Studio Tour in Western New Jersey which is currently in its 5th year. She created ‘The Civilian School of Art’, a virtual learning venue and most recently recently founded a new artist collective, STEAMROLLER GROUP. Val has been part of the adjunct faculty at at TCNJ, MGSA, RVCC where she is actively creating virtual artmaking tools and programs. Val continues to teach at Bucks County Community College and is currently developing accessible training in the foundations of visual arts through the lens of a formal credited art education.

Born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island, she tends not to stray too far from the banks of the Delaware River on the west coast of New Jersey where you might find her playing the accordion somewhere.

Val Sivilli

PO Box 115 • Milford, NJ 08848

valsivilli@icloud.com • 908.268.2843

EDUCATION

1991        MFA Mason Gross School of the Art,Rutgers,Printmaking,Painting

1984        BFA Alfred University, Alfred, NY . Printmaking, Painting, Ceramics

BFA Program @ SUNY at Purchase, Visual arts – Foundation

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 

2022        14C ARTFAIR Jersey City Armory

2021        No-Filter 2 person exhibition at Whittemore CCC, Oldwick, NJ 2021

2020        BEASTS Caldwell University, New Jersey, 3rd floor gallery 2020

              14C ARTFAIR Jersey City, NJ, Mana Contemporary,

2018        RECENT WORK with Hee Jung Kim • RVCC• Branchburg, NJ Main Gallery

SFA Gallery Frenchtown NJ Solo Exhibition: Unpacking the Wild Beast

PULP Frenchtown NJ, artist in residence

Small World Coffee Princeton NJ

2008        BodyPrints, The Madelon Powers Gallery, East Stroudsburg University

Body Prints Gallery 31 North , Glen Gardner, NJ , exhibition & workshop

1996-2006

Steamroller Gallery Frenchtown , NJ , collective

“MATTER” & Peace Flags & Exhibition with Chaz Hampton 2014

Nabisco Brands Gallery, East Hanover, NJ

Johnson and Johnson Gallery, The New Jersey Artist Series

The Hunterdon Museum, Clinton, NJ

The Gallery of South Orange South Orange, NJ

Pebble Hill Church Doylestown, PA

The Donald Palmer Museum Springfield, NJ

The Korn Gallery Drew University, Madison, N.J

1996-2006

Cocina Del Sol & El Segundo Clinton NJ

Alchemy, Frenchtown NJ

OWOWCOW, Ottsville PA & Wrightstown PA

NelliRae’s , Revere, PA

MFA Thesis Exhibition Downtown Arts Building, MGSA

GROUP SHOWS

2023        

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies PEN & BRUSH 2023

Connexions Gallery, Easton 2023

HERA Gallery: OBJECTS of AGENCY

2022

Paris Koh Gallery, Holiday Show, 2022

SIHAF, Seoul International Hotel Art Fair, 2022, with Paris Koh Gallery

Steamroller Group at the 14CArtFair, Jersey City, NJ 2022

NEW FACES ART MORA, Ridgefield Park, NJ

2021

Hunterdon Art Museum, The Hunterdon Art Tour, 2017-2021

RVCC Faculty Group Shows, Branchburg NJ  2021

Member’s Invitational LongYear Gallery Margaretville, NY

“5 at the Mill” THAT, Stockton NJ

Art of Preservation, Kirkland Farm, PA

Pre/2010

Philadelphia Sketch Society’s 152nd Small Oil Painting Juried Show

NOVO NORDISK Corporate office, Princeton NJ

Group Show: Brick and Mortar Gallery, Easton PA

BODIES AND SOUL at the MONTCLAIR Public Library

RVCC Faculty Exhibitions : 2003 – 2016

BCCC Faculty Exhibitions : 2003 – 2016

Station of the Cross Clinton Presbyterian Church, N

Art & Antiques, Gallery 31 North, Glen Gardner, NJ

Hunterdon County Land Trust Alliance, Plein Air Project

Pre/2010

Fish & Foul The Triumph Brewery, New Hope PA

Grounds for Art,  Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ

SYNOPSIS@10 Pierro Gallery of South Orange

The Gallery Petite High Bridge, NJ

Hudson Bank Window Frenchtown, NJ, installation

The Artists of Hunterdon County Hunterdon Museum of Art

Main Street Gallery Prince Frederick, MD

Gallery 37 (gallery artist) Summitt, NJ

Genius Loci, a sense of place, Prallsville Mills, Stockton

Borders Book Store, Princeton,

Ben Shahn Gallery: American Impressions: Cont American Prints.curator: Judith Brodsky

Hrefna Jonsdottir Gallery Lambertville, NJ

Hootenanny Magazine, Benefit CB’s Gallery, NYC

Artworks, group exhibition Trenton, NJ:

Artsquad Current State of American Drawing, Easton PA

Riverrun Gallery National Juried Exhibition, Lambertville, NJ

30th Anniversary Show Rutgers, Invitational

Small Works Hunterdon Museum of Art, Clinton, NJ

At the Edge II: A National Print & Drawing Exhibition, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, Texas, curated by Wendy Weitman:

China, June 4…, Institute for Contemporary Art PS1, NYC

Spheres of Influence NJ Center for the Visual Arts, Summit, NJ:

Artists Book, Montclair U, curated by Larry McKim

Reagan: The Cultural Icon City Gallery, Bucknell & Humphrey Gallery

The Triannual Portrait Show The Ridge Street Gallery, NYC

The Jane Doe Show  The Pyramid Gallery, NYC

The Helms Degenerate Art Show ,Circus Maximus, NYC

The Outdoor Artists Project, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York

The Sex Show,  Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick, NJ

The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York:

MFA Group Exhibition The Zimmerli Museum, New Brunswick, NJ

New Prints Northeast, Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY

Real Democracy White Columns, NYC

CONEXES at MOCHA collab.Nancy Spero NYC-MOCA & San Paulo, Brazil

I.R. Christmas Show A.I.R. Gallery, NYC

The Year of The Ox – Graphic Eye Gallery, Port Washington, New York

Western New York Artists Show Allbright – Knox Gallery, Buffalo, NY

PROJECTS • ACHIEVEMENTS

2023

       PRINT JAM with STEAMROLLER GROUP, 2023

       Juror for group show http://www.njartassoc.org

2022

Adjunct Research Project Award - Raritan Valley Community College 2020

Certified Online Instructor Bucks County Community College

ART DIRECTOR at WhittemoreCCC

Covid Quilt Project Fundraiser

2021

THAT: The Hunterdon Art Tour

Founding member / Operations / Graphic Designer

2019

       “Delia's Delectable Donuts” performance at ARTYARD, collaborative project 2019

       “Keepers of the Chroma, an exhibition regarding Color” curator CCA Bedminster, NJ

“The Fig Tree on 9th and Christian” edition of 3, summer 2016 Book Design & Graphics ­­collaborations with / Ross Gay  Lafayette College Library Artist Book Collection 

“Living with Barry” Video Series ongoing – neverending – relentless.

“Singing Head”  Fred Lowe  and Ulla Warchol Center for Contemporary Art CCA: Bedminster, NJ : Collaborative Book Project & Exhibition

2018

“Miss Logan Street” at ARTYARD, 2018, collaborative project with Chris Mundy

2016-17

“The Wild Boar” a series of 6 books by Val Sivilli, Wild Root Press 2016-7

“The Luger”  Written & llustrated Book by Val Sivilli

“57” a year – well, really 6 months.

“The Wild Boar” a series of 6 books by Val Sivilli, Wild Root Press 2016-7

Design with / Ross Gay “The Fig Tree on 9th and Christian” Screen Printed Banner

pre

2015

BCCC Poet Laureate Print Banner Project  2015

Cultural Incentive Grant for Poetry and the Visual Arts

Screenprinted Banner Project, Banners Installed at BCCC Library, Newtown, PA

Wurlitzer Foundation, Fellow, Taos, New Mexico, 2015

Winter 2015: 3-month Residency : Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos NM

“Tree of Life” Mural in Frenchtown NJ, 2013, Harrison Street

Etching Studio Printer, Springfield, NJ, for HELEN FRANK, 

STUDIO ASSISTANTto LEON GOLUB & NANCY SPERO – 1986-1991: 

Assigned to all practical functions within the artists studio. Prep, masking, paint layering and finish work on Mr. Golub’s  paintings. Master Printer of Mr. Golub’s etchings: editioned at Bob Blackburns Printmaking Workshop, NYC INHOUSE and ONSITE printer for Ms. Spero. Printed accompanying Ms. Spero for on site for installations. Projects included Josh Baer Gallery, NY; S.L. Simpson Gallery, Toronto; L.O. Gallery,Phila; 4 Cities Project, Derry, N Ireland; Circulo des Bellas Artes, Madrid; New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY. 1986–1991

Leon Golub 2nd printing of 1950’s Etchings/Monoprinted by Collaboration at Bob Blackburn’s Printmaking Workshop

Nancy Spero : Collaborative Torture Print for Center of Contemporary Art, NYC 

TEACHING

·       Bucks County Community College: Drawing, Screenprinting: 2003 – present

·       Raritan Valley Community College: Art of the Book, Color Theory, Screenprinting, Art  Appreciation, Contemporary Printmaking, Woodcut, Relief, Monoprinting, 2-D Design, Lithography : 2003 – 2023

·       The College of New Jersey: The Art of the Book, Conceptual Art Seminar/Studio: Foundation  • RCIPP, New Brunswick, NJ  - monoprinting workshops • Lower East Side Printshop, NYC - Screenprinting Workshops  • Artworks, Trenton, NJ – Woodcut Workshops and Adult Figure Drawing Classes • NJ Center For the Arts -  Summit - Etching  • Drew University, Madison NJ -  Etching, Monoprinting & Lithography •  Mason Gross School of the Arts - Director of Screenprinting Studio

COMMUNITY Fundraisers & Design PROJECTS

• CivilianArt:  Graphic Design & Screenprinting : Specializing in Tee Shirt Graphics & Civilian’s Printmaking Studio: Linocut, Etching, Monotype Classes Handprinted T-shirt & Monoprinting Workshops
• The Steamroller Gallery cooperative gallery , Frenchtown, NJ Director & founding partner with M. Henkin Bader charged with all the basic functions of the gallery: monthly mailings, hangings , PR
• 3 Artists Creekside . Founding partner , artist collective , Frenchtown NJ
• Coordinator of High School Youth Mural Project “TREE OF LIFE” at 108 Harrison St, Frenchtown NJ  summer 2007
• T-Shirt Design Contests: Environmental Club, Del Val High School and many others.
• Graphic Designer for RIVERFEST, Frenchtown NJ 2005 – present
• Special Projects Director for CREO. the creative voice of the river valley, a local arts publication in Bucks/Hunterdon Counties/Delaware River Valley:  2001-3
• Coordinator of an Art Auction to benefit the Frenchtown Elementary Art Program 1995
• 8th grade Project to Layout and Research the Frenchtown Newsletter
• Founding Member of A.G.E.N.T. a local environmental education organization
• Organizer of Annual River Garbage Sculpture Project, Frenchtown, NJ – 2 years
• PTA sponsored printmaking projects at the Frenchtown Elementary School:
• Coordinator of High School Youth Mural Project “TREE OF LIFE” at 108 Harrison St, Frenchtown NJ  summer 2007
• Graphic Designer for RIVERFEST, Frenchtown NJ 2005 – present
• Special Projects Director for CREO. the creative voice of the river valley, a local arts publication in Bucks/Hunterdon Counties/Delaware River Valley:  2001-3
• PTA sponsored after school printmaking program

PRINTED MATTER

• The Vagina Monologues playbill, illustrations page 4 & 39, Jersey City NJ : 2009
• PAINTING IN THE KEY OF LIGHT: the work of Val Sivilli, cover article, TIME OFF, throughout central NJ, June 16-25 2000
• Sunday Star Ledger, Eileen Watkins, SPOTLIGHT, ART CENTER1996
• TIME OFF, Cover article, Steve Janus 1996
• “One man’s trash becomes another’s treasure” 1996
• Liz Johnson, WHAT’s Up, Hunterdon County Democrat & Del Val News
• ART CENTER,showing the art of the local & world community, Courier News 1996
• STAR LEDGER, “Trash Art in Frenchtown” 1995
• PROFILE – Frenchtown woman exhibits , DEL VAL NEWS 1994
• Fish & Figurative – Springfield Leader, Suburban news 1994
• Heresies Magazine: The Art of Education editorial collective, 1990
• Texas Fine Arts, Juried Print Exhibit” Exhibition catalog, essay by Wendy Weitman, asst curator, MOMA Visual Arts, At the Edge II Austin American-Statesman 1009
• Reagan: American Icon Exhibition Catalog, curated by Robert Metzger, 1989
• A Skewering of Reagan In a Surprising Form The New York Times, Sunday, 1989
• Watershed, Lewisberg Exhibit Features Reagan The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1989
• Reagan in Art: Bucknell show depicts Ex-President Phila Inquirer, Daily Magazine 1989