MFA, Maine College of Art & Design, Portland, ME
Interdisciplinary Studio Art/Sculpture
BFA, School of Art + Design, Purchase College, SUNY (Magna Cum Laude)
Concentration: Painting and Drawing
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME
Recipient of Zorach-Bingham Fellowship
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, West Rockport, ME
12-Week Furniture Intensive
International Honors Program (Bard College)
Two-semester undergraduate international study in environmental studies
Solo Exhibitions
2024 To Understand a Tree, Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA
2022 Living Material, Eli Marsh Gallery, Amherst College, Amherst MA
2020 New World Reconsidered, Mazmanian Gallery, Framingham State University, Framingham MA
2019 Self-Made, The Mildred Complexity Project Space, Mildred’s Lane, Narrowsburg NY
2018 Gina Siepel: Self-Made, Vox Populi, Philadelphia PA
2016 SELF-MADE, Oresman Gallery, Smith College, Northampton MA
2015 A River Twice, Marlboro College Art Gallery, Marlboro VT
Audubon’s Birds, Mariboe Gallery, Peddie School, Hightstown NJ
2013 1x1, A.P.E. Gallery, Northampton MA
2010 Currents6, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME
Two-Person and Group Exhibitions, Public Projects
2023 This is Out of Hand, Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA&D, Portland ME
2022 Becoming Trees, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord MA
Forest Composition, Fine Arts Gallery, Landmark College, Putney VT
2021 Skowhegan Artists, Maine Jewish Museum, Portland ME
FOREST-BODY-CHAIR, three-week collaborative socially-engaged summer session, co-led with Sara Smith, Mildred’s Lane, Beach Lake PA
2020 AREA CODE Art Fair, Drive-In Video/Digital Art Project, Boston MA
Lush, Hush, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockland ME
Invitational Bandsaw Box Exhibition, Center for Art in Wood
2019 Moving Image Matters: Documenting and Performing Craft in Video, Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia PA
Water Access, Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven CT
Phallacies, A Guide to the Field, A Guide to the Field Project Space, Mountaindale, NY
2018 Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial, Rockland ME
Encampment, A Guide to the Field, A Mildred's Lane Project, A Guide to the Field Project Space,
Mountaindale NY
The Stars are Some Compensation: A Nocturne in the Form of a Walk, with Sara Smith, gallery talk and public event, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, South Hadley MA
2017 Personals, Skowhegan New York Program Space, New York City, NY
2016 The Coracles of Pignut Pond, Mildred’s Lane, Beach Lake PA
Reimagining Audubon, with Lyell Castonguay, Von Auersperg Gallery, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield MA (two-person exhibition)
Hanglines and Margins: A Visiting Faculty Exhibition, Blanchard Gallery, Mount Holyoke College,
South Hadley MA
The Candidate is Absent (with Bernadine Mellis, E.E. Miller, Sara Smith) A.P.E. Gallery,
Northampton MA
2015 MCC Awardees in Crafts/Sculpture/Installation/New Genres, New Art Center, Newton MA
CACOPHONY, with Sara Smith, Mildred’s Lane and Complex(ity) Project Space, Narrowsburg NY
2014 Walden, Revisited, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln MA
No Country for Old Men, Landmark College Gallery, Putney VT
SELF/Selfie, Engine, Biddeford ME
Amherst College Fringe Festival, Amherst College, Amherst MA
Play/Labor/Play, with Jamie Horgan, Flying Object, Hadley MA
2013 Finding Place, Eli Marsh Gallery, Amherst College, Amherst MA
Be Here Now: Northampton Biennial, Hosmer Gallery, Northampton MA
2012 Comedy, Seriously, Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville ME
To Extremes: Public Art in a Changing World, MIT, Cambridge MA
2011 Sea Worthy Festival, Flux Factory, New York City, NY
Curiouser: New Encounters with the Victorian Natural History Collection, Providence Museum of
Natural History, Providence RI
2010 Beyond Purview, New Art Center, Newton MA
Float: Buoyant Things, a Sinking Feeling, PROGRAM Initiative for Art and Architecture
Collaborations, Berlin, Germany
The Echo as an Original Sound, with Christopher Carroll FiveSevenDelle Project Space, Boston, MA
2009 Emma’s Walk, An Anti-Versary Event for Labor Day 2009, Public event, New York City, NY
Content/Community, FiveSevenDelle Project Space, Boston MA
Historic Interpretation: Artists Interpret the Historic Collection, Peabody Historical
Society, Peabody MA
Domestica, Eel Space, Chicago IL
2008 The New Constructionists, SPACE Gallery, Portland ME
Maine College of Art MFA Thesis Exhibition, Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA, Portland ME
Surf Point Residency, 2024 (upcoming)
Fellowship, Kahn Liberal Arts Institute at Smith College, "Knowing Time and Place Through Plants," 2024
Teaching Artist Cohort Grant, Center for Craft, 2023
Puffin Foundation Artist Grant, 2023
Artist-in-Residence, Arts Afield, MacLeish Field Station, Smith College, 2018-present
Vermont Studio Center, Windgate Fellowship, 2023
Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural Sector Recovery Grant, 2023
Permanent Collection, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, 2023
Assets for Artists/Mass MoCA Artist U Cohort, 2022
Swimming Hole Foundation Collaborative Residency, 2022
Maker-Creator Fellowship Award, Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, Wilmington DE, 2021
Anonymous Was a Woman Award nomination, 2020
Faculty Research Support Grant Award, Mount Holyoke College, 2021
Hewnoaks Artist Colony, Artist-in-Residence, Lovell ME, 2018Mount Holyoke College Faculty Research Grant Award, 2018, 2019
Sculpture Space, Artist-in-Residence, Utica NY 2017
Mildred's Lane, Contributing Guest Artist, 2016, 2017
Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship Finalist: Sculpture and Installation Category, 2015
Northampton Arts Council Grant, Northampton MA 2013
Viewing Program Artist Registry, The Drawing Center, NYC, 2012
Permanent Collection, Colby Museum of Art, 2011
Berkshire Taconic Foundation, Artist’s Resource Trust Grant, 2010
Puffin Foundation Ltd. Artist Grant, 2010
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Zorach/Bingham Fellowship, Skowhegan ME, 2008
Selected Participant, Puppet Lab, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn, NY 2006
Studio Fellowship, Center For Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME 2005
WoodCentral Craftsmanship Award: 1st Place, 2005
BIBLIOGRAPHY (Reviews, Articles, Catalogues)
"The Museum for Art in Wood Presents To Understand a Tree," by Anndee Hochman, Broad Street Review, July 30, 2024
“Coming into Relationship: Conversation with Gina Siepel,” Artist & Place Podcast, created by Kim Carlino, March 2024
“Wexcast: Hope Ginsburg, Gina Siepel, and Sara Smith on Meditation Ocean,” Wexner Center of the Arts podcast, by Melissa Starker, February 2024
“To Understand a Tree,” Inquiry with Mark Lynch, WICN public radio interview, 2023
“Against the Grain: The Emergence of Queer Woodworkers,” by John Duane Kingsley, Decorative Arts Trust Bulletin, June 2022
"Good Housekeeping: Ian Bourland on Mildred's Lane," Ian Bourland, ARTFORUM, April 2022
Becoming Trees, catalogue publication, Concord Center for the Visual Arts, essay by Fritz Horstman, 2022
"Self-Made, Gina Siepel's Queer Coming of Age Story at Vox Populi," Levi Bentley, Artblog, Nov. 23, 2018
"Gina Siepel's Listening Trips," ART21 Magazine, Jacquelyn Gleisner, Feb. 2016“Reassembling Time: The Alternative Pedagogy of Mildred’s Lane,” Owen Duffy, art&education, Fall 2016
“Reimagining Audubon: Local Artists Use Famous Naturalist’s Art as Starting Point for Their Own,” Steve Pfarrer, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Dec. 7, 2016
“Audubon's Birds,” Inquiry, Public Radio interview, Mark Lynch, WICN, 2015
“DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: Walden Revisited,” Inquiry, Public Radio interview, Mark Lynch, WICN, 2015
“Open Studio with Jared Bowen, Walden Revisited,” WGBH public television profile, January 2015
“Artists Show Poetic, Playful Takes on Thoreau at deCordova,” Cate McQuaid, Boston Globe, December 4, 2014
“Thoreau's Experiment In Simplicity And Solitude Inspires DeCordova Artists,” (radio profile) Andrea Shea, WBUR, 2014
WALDEN, revisited, catalogue publication, deCordova Sculpture Park + Museum, essay by Dina Deitsch, 2014
“1 x 1,” Samuel Rowlett, The Uncanny Pioneer Valley, Magazine 1, Parsons Hall Project Space, 2013
“Art People: Installation Artist Gina Siepel” Suzanne Wilson, Daily Hampshire Gazette,July 18, 2013
“Along the Line” James Heflin, Valley Advocate, July 11, 2013
“Gina Siepel: Currents6” Carl Little, Art New England, Jan/Feb 2011
Currents6: Gina Siepel, catalog publication Colby Museum of Art, 2011
“New Art Center Exhibit Challenges Viewers’ Perceptions,” Chris Bergeron, MetroWest Daily News, Oct. 3, 2010
“Maine Artist Explores Kennebec Region, nostalgia,” Esther King, Colby Echo, Nov. 3, 2010
“Emma Goldman Labor Day Spectacular” (radio profile), Acousmatic Theater Hour, WFMU, hosted by Karinne Keithley and Jason Grote, 2009
“Native Funk and Flash (Part Two),” Allison Smith, Journal of American Craft, 2009
SELECTED ARTIST LECTURES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, VISITING ARTIST ENGAGEMENTS
To Understand a Tree, a Conversation with Gina Siepel and Dr, Michael Mann, presented by UPenn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, and the Museum for Art in Wood, 2024
Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Maine Orono MFA Intermedia, 2024
Museum for Art in Wood, "To Understand a Tree" panel discussion with project collaborators Vernon C. David and Kate Wellspring, moderated by curator Jennifer-Navva Milliken, 2024
Early Career Conservation Network Invited Speaker, 2024
Maine College of Art & Design MFA Program Visiting Artist Lecture, 2023
Maine College of Art & Design MFA Visiting Artist, 2023
Out of Hand: On Wood Carving, Panel Discussion, Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art & Design, 2023
How to Breathe with a Tree, Forest Meditation and Discussion, co-led with Bernadine Mellis, co-sponsored by Insight Meditation Community of Western Mass and Smith College Center for the Environment, 2023
“Art, Craft, and Identity” MFA Colloquium panelist, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 2023
“To Understand a Tree” four-part public event series curation, Arts Afield, Smith College, 2023
“To Understand a Tree,” interdisciplinary art/science panel discussion, Hilltown Land Trust, 2023
“Living Material,” Amherst College, 2022
"An Ecology of Mutualism: Reflections on Art and Teaching," Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 2022
“Real-o-metric Reflections,” Institute of Design at New England College, Visual Arts MFA Program, 2022
"To Understand a Tree," University of Cincinnati, 2021
"Queering Woodcraft: An LGBTQIA+ Roundtable, Part 1," Center for Art in Wood, 2021
“To Understand a Tree: A Work in Process,” The Center for Art in Wood online talk series, 2020, Smith College MacLeish Field Station Visiting Artist Talk, 2020
“To Understand a Tree and Other Recent Projects,” “Local Ecologies” series, UMASS Dartmouth, 2019“Self-Made,” Mildred’s Lane, 2019
“Cycle of Self-Determination,” San Francisco Art Institute public lecture, 2019
"On Research and Process," San Francisco Art Institute MFA seminar session, 2019
Gallery Conversation with Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Vox Populi Gallery, 2018
“Work at Play,” with Michelle Grabner and Jacob Rhoads, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA 2017
“The Poetics of Failure,” New Hampshire Institute of Art MFA Winter Intensive, 2017
PLATFORM series, Northampton MA, 2017
Complex(ity) Project Space, Mildred's Lane, Beach Lake PA, 2016
New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester NH, 2015
Experience Economies Landscape Experience, Mildred's Lane, Beach Lake PA, 2015
DeCordova Sculpture Park + Museum, Lincoln MA 2014
Landmark College Art Gallery, Putney VT, 2014
Smith College, Northampton MA 2013
Art Salon, Greenfield MA 2013
Colby Museum of Art, Colby College, Waterville ME, 2010
A River Twice, Old Canada Road Scenic Byway Heritage Nights Presentation, The Forks, ME, 2010
SPACE Gallery, Portland ME, 2008
SELECTED COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY TEACHING
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley MA
Full-Time Lecturer in Studio Art, Department of Art Studio, Fall 2017-Spring 2022
Visiting Artist in Sculpture, Department of Art Studio, Fall 2016
Visiting Lecturer, Department of Art Studio, Fall 2015-Spring 2016
Amherst College/Hampshire College, Amherst MA
Visiting Instructor, Department of Art and the History of Art (Amherst College) and Department of Studio/Visual Arts (Hampshire College), Advanced Projects in Studio Art, Fall 2022
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston MA
Visiting Associate Professor, MFA Program, 2023-current: College Teaching in Art and Design (2023) and MFA Seminar II (2023, 2024)
New Hampshire Institute of Art MFA, Manchester, NH
Visiting Artist, MFA Guest Artist Seminar, Summer and Winter Residencies, 2015, 2017MFA Low Residency Studio Mentor, Fall 2015
Amherst College, Amherst MA
Instructor: Sculptural Techniques for the Theater, Interterm 2013
taught workshop in casting and moldmaking techniques for scenic and properties fabrication
Maine College of Art, Portland ME, 2006-present
Adjunct Professor: Tool Technology 2006-2007
MFA Non-Resident Studio Advisor 2012-13
WORKSHOP TEACHING
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg TN
Green Woodworking for Humans and Trees, 1-week workshop co-taught with Sara Smith, 2024
Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia PA
To Understand a Tree: An Experiential Workshop, 1-day workshop 2024
Venture Out Project, Base Camp, Halifax VT
Queer Green Woodworking and Forest Exploration, 3-day workshop co-taught with Chris Nassise, 2022
Mildred's Lane, Beach Lake PA
FOREST/BODY/CHAIR, 3-week workshop and collaborative art project co-taught and co-created with Sara Smith, 2021
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Amherst College, Department of Theater and Dance, Amherst MA, 2010-2015
Assistant Technical Director and Master Carpenter
Maine College of Art, Portland ME, 2006-8
Studio Technician, Department of Woodworking and Furniture Design
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, 2001-6
Technical Director, Department of Theater
The Juilliard School of Music Dance and Drama, NYC, 1999-2001
Production Carpenter
Self-Employed/Freelance Designer and Fabricator 1999-present
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Massachusetts Audubon Society Field Naturalist Certification Program,
A 12-week program in regional ecology and natural history
Eric Cannizzaro, Greenwood Chairmaking Workshop, Boggs Berea Chair, 2023
The Chairmaker’s Toolbox, 2021
Jennie Alexander Greenwood Chair Scholarship workshop for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Women-identified woodworkers, taught by Travis Curtis and Aspen Golann
The Green Woodshop/Chris Nassise, Easton MA, 2019
Greenwood chair construction workshop
Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, 2022
Interdisciplinary conference sponsored by NOAA, Mass Audubon, and Climate Generation, scholarship participant
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, West Rockport, ME
12-Week Furniture Intensive, 2004
Workshop with Master Woodturner Beth Ireland, 2018
New York Studio School, NYC, 2001-2006
Continuing study in drawing with Graham Nickson, Ron Milewicz
Penland School of Craft, Penland, NC: 2000, 2001
Woodworking and furniture design intensive workshops
Art Students’ League of New York, NYC
1996-1997 Continuing study in figurative drawing
*Full academic CV available upon request