IVAN SCHWARTZ
Ivan Schwartz is a sculptor, painter, inventor and lately writer. He’s always been interested in what lies in our peripheral vision and has been exploring the visual world as a storyteller since he was very young.
Often seen as the face of StudioEIS, Ivan lectures about visual storytelling especially as it has related to the work of StudioEIS – the sculpture and design studio founded with his brother Elliot in 1976.
Ivan received his degree in Sculpture from The College of Fine Arts at Boston University before spending a year working and studying in Pietrasanta, Italy in the early 1970s. He was the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from BU in 2003, and has shown his paintings in New York since 1981. Ivan was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts until the end of the 2009 academic year. He was also a founding board member of Art Omi, an international arts workshop located in NY State.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Special projects from the worlds of dance, theater, science and design occasionally emerge from Ivan’s peripheral thinking.
PEG (Personal Encoded Guarantee) 2001-2002 / This highly unusual project, directed by Ivan Schwartz came about as a result of Anthrax attacks in the US in late 2001. Ivan created a counter-intuitive program to thwart future attacks that were noticed by the Office of Homeland Security and resulted in presentations to the White House Office of Science and Technology and the Investigations division of the US Postal Service in early 2002. The project resulted in the filing of a US patent.
FACING RACE/ 08 / a program designed to encourage discussions about race in the run up to the 2008 Presidential Election. This program emerged in 2008 when Ivan discovered the disparity between the French and their great involvement prior to the Presidential election in that country and America’s deep disenchantment with politics.
In the run up to our most recent election, Ivan organized a program of engagement with the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights. Plymouth, unchanged from the time of Henry Ward Beecher
GODS’ MAN/ based upon the 1929 novel in woodcut by Lynd Ward. Ivan obtained the rights to produce a version of this extraordinary work as a work of theater or dance from the family of Ward. This is an ongoing project.
Continuing to develop new programs for StudioEIS, Ivan can be seen regularly traveling the Northeast Corridor - directing a series of new and important projects from his Washington DC office.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/AFFILIATIONS
Vice President/ Founder, StudioEIS, Brooklyn, NY 1976 – 2009
StudioEIS has produced hundreds of sculpture projects related to Anthropology, Science, History and Entertainment in the public and private sector for major museums and cultural institutions in the U.S. and abroad.
Principal Partner, KYSO, Brooklyn NY 2000 – 2004
Board of Directors Art Omi 1999-2001
Deans Advisory Board, College of Fine Arts, Boston University 2005 – 2009
EDUCATION
BFA College of Fine Arts at Boston University, 1973
Independent Study Pietrasanta, Italy 1973-1974
Teaching Penland School 1978, 1979
AWARDS
Honorarium, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, 1981
Jurors Award, Berkshire Artists Association, 1982
Distinguished Alumni Award College of Fine Arts, Boston University, 2003
US Postage Stamp “To Form A More Perfect Union” , 2005
LECTURES AND COLLOQUIUMS
James Madison’s Montpelier: Sculpture dedication/ May 27 2009
President Lincoln’s Cottage April 28, 2008
Paul Peck Institute for American Culture – Montgomery College, Takoma Park, MD, April 09
National Trust For Historic Preservation, Washington DC Feb 09
National Military Park, Gettysburg PA, Capturing History in Bronze, Feb, 09
Washington College, Chestertown, MD, 2006
Marymount College, NYC, 2006
U.S. Army Museums Conference, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, “Thinking outside the Box” , 1998
Lower East Side Tenement Museum, NYC, 2000
Exhibit Design, World Symposium, Chicago Il., 1998
Guest Lecture, The University of Minnesota School of Architecture, 1976
FILM AND DOCUMENTARY
Looking for Lincoln, Henry Louis Gates; Feb. 12, 2009 PBS
CSPAN, “Founding Fathers”, The National Constitution Center, March 4, 2005
The History Channel, “Discover the Real George Washington”, February 17, 2007
WNYC, New York Public Radio, January 2, 2002/ Fireman’s Memorial
PUBLICATIONS
Abe we Hardly knew Ye This Way, New York Times June 29, 08
Cincinnati Sculpture Unveiled, The Story Behind The Art, by Randy Centner & Philip Farr, 2006
Scientific American, Putting a face on the first President, 2006
NY Times, Coming Soon to Mount Vernon, 3 Georges, Feb. 17, 2006
Richmond Times, 2006
Baltimore Sun, 2006
Daily News, 2006
AP, 2006
USA Today, 2006
Time Magazine for Children, Feb., 2006
The World of Interiors, Casting Directors, Nov., 2004
NY Times, Arts& Leisure, Founding Fathers Large as Life, Nov. 24, 2002
NY Times, History is Remade, One Bronzed Gentleman After Another, July 4, 2002
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday Magazine, May 22, 2002
NY Times, Madame Tussauds, These Two Are Not, May 2, 2001
NY Times, Currents, StudioEIS, Jan. 13, 2000
NY Times, A Private Eye, Art Flourishes on a Grimy Bklyn Waterfront, Oct. 27, 1997
Civilization, 1997
Archtektur & Wohnen (Germany)
Abitare (Italy)
In Design (Australia)
Art in America, Review of Exhibition, Sept. 1989
Art News, Review of Exhibition, May, 1989
New Drawing in America, the Drawing Center, 1982
Collage and Assemblage, the Mississippi Museum of Art, 1981
Art Papers, Nov-Dec, 1981
New York Magazine
EXHIBITIONS
The Attik, NYC, Group Exhibition, 1999
Victoria Munroe Gallery, NYC The Painters, Group Exhibition, 1991
Victoria Munroe Gallery, NYC Selected Drawings, 1989
Christopher Leonard Gallery, NYC, Two Person Show, 1989
Christopher Leonard Gallery, NYC, Group Exhibition, 1989
Victoria Munroe Gallery, One person Show, 1988
Victoria Munroe Gallery, Group Exhibition, 1988
Barbara Toll Gallery, NYC, Group Exhibition, 1985
The Drawing Center, NYC New Drawing in America, Group Exhibition, 1982
The Mississippi Museum of Art, Collage and Assemblage, Group Exhibition, 1981
The Berkshire Museum, Berkshire Artists Show, Group Exhibition, 1981
Sculpture Installation, Interlaken MA, 1981
Sculpture Installation, Penland, NC, 1980
The Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, Environmental Arts Project, 1980
The Drawing Center, NYC, Selections 12, Group Exhibition, 1980
Sculpture Installation, Penland, NC, 1979
Peter M. David Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, Group Exhibition, 1976
StudioEIS Productions: 2008-2009
President Lincoln’s Cottage/ Soldiers’ Home, Washington DC Feb 09
Monticello, Charlottesville Va. April 09
Montpelier, Orange Va. May 09
National Infantry Museum, Columbus GA, June 09
National Museum of Natural History “Written in Bone” Feb. 09
New York Yankees, April 09
Gettysburg National Military Park and Visitor Center November 09
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI
STUDIOEIS
StudioEIS maintains a surprisingly youthful profile, given its more than three decade history- even with a legacy now assured as a result of a series of projects produced since the completion of the exceptional Signer’s Hall Gallery at the National Constitution Center, in Philadelphia, in 2003 - which has led to new prominence and notoriety for the studio. The NCC undertaking immediately led to a series of other high profile projects for Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, the National Military Park and Visitor Center at Gettysburg, The new Marine Corps and Infantry museums and President Lincoln’s Cottage.
StudioEIS enjoys the kind of currency today that comes from a varied and layered approach to its work. We continue looking for new and challenging projects like the wonderful project for the Nurai Island Residences - a project for the Abu Dhabi showroom of the luxury developer Zaya. The 25 sculpted abstract models were works of art.
Founders, Elliot and Ivan Schwartz have created a remarkable history as visual storytellers, sculptors, object makers, and designers producing more than three hundred of projects for clients in the US, Europe and Asia.
The Studio has been the leader in the design and production of museum figures worldwide, but has a much broader working life with an increasingly varied range of projects for Architects, Interior & Restaurant Designers, Corporations, and Retail & Entertainment clients world-wide.
StudioEIS has produced more than 350 projects since its founding in 1976.
