Anna Von Mertens

b. 1973, Boston, Massachusetts

Education:
2000 MFA, California College of Arts and CraftsSan Francisco, California
1995 BA, magna cum laude, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Solo Exhibitions:
2006 "As Stars Go By," Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2005 "Suggested North Points," University Art Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara
2005 "Black and White, Shades of Gray," Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2004 "Point of View," Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, California
2004 "West and East," J.P. Morgan Chase Project Space, San Francisco, California,Curated by Arnold J. Kemp
2003 "MATRIX 207/Suggested North Points," Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California
2002" Introductions 2002," Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, California
2001 "Via," Southern Exposure, San Francisco, California
2001 "Migrations," Project Space, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2007 "Artists of Invention: A Century of CCA," Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
2007 "Burned out by the Rising Sun: Works by Anna Von Mertens," University Art Museum, California State University, Long Beach (solo)
2006 "Prevailing Climate," Sara Meltzer Gallery,New York, NY
2006 "Juxtapositions (2): View-Vista-Perspective," Including works by Vija Celmins, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Spencer Finch, and Anna Von Mertens, May 25-July 1, Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York, NY
2005 "Bay Area Now 4," Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California
2005 "Mental Mappings," MDorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs, Long Island City, New York, Curated by Kate Green
2005 "Practice Makes Perfect: Bay Area Conceptual Craft," Southern Exposure,
San Francisco, California
2004 "Topographies," Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, California
2004 "Astonishing Knowledge," Center for Curatorial Studies Museum, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Curated by Claire Barliant
2004 "Topographies," San Francisco Art Institute Walter and McBean Gallery San Francisco, California
2003 "Preservation," Artists Space, New York, New York Digital exhibition curated by Hillary Wiedemann
2003 "Sewn Together," Gregory Lind Gallery, San Francisco, California
2003 "Close Calls: An Exhibition of California Art," Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California
2002 "Maps and Charts," Penrose Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2002 "Conceptual Color: In Albers’ Afterimage," The Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, California
2002 "High Tech/Low Tech Hybrids: Art in a Digital Age," Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, California
2002 "Night Skies and Imaginary Coordinates: The Artist as Navigator," Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, California
2002 "Commission 02," San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, California
2001 Emerge, GenArtSF, San Francisco, California
2001 "Mapping," Works Gallery, San Jose, California
2001 "Body: Inner and Outer Landscapes," Balazo Gallery, San Francisco, California
2000 "Bay Area Selections: The Annual Ernie Kim Award," Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California, juried two-person show
2000 "Point of Departure," California College of Arts and Crafts MFA Exhibition, San Francisco, California
2000 "It Can Change, 2000," 3012 Harrison, Oakland, California, three-person show curated by John Hoppin and Anthony Marcellini
2000 "Annual Invitational Auction," Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Washington, D.C.
1999 "Topography/Typography," Paulette Long and Shepard Pollack Gallery, San Francisco, California, two-person show
Awards:
2002 Artist in Residence, New Hampshire Committee Fellowship, The MacDowell Colony
Peterborough, New Hampshire
2001/2002 Lead Artist for the Artist Residency Program, San Francisco Arts Education Project, San Francisco, California
2001/2002 Affiliate Artist, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California
2000 M.F.A. Studio Award Recipient, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California
Collections:
Cristina Enriquez-Bocobo, New York, New York
Gedalia Braverman, San Francisco, California
Topher Delaney, San Francisco, California
Eric McDougall, San Francisco, California
Richard and Lenore Niles, San Francisco, California
Robert Shimshak, Berkeley, California
Christopher Vroom and Illya Szilak, New York, New York
Bibliography:
Knight, Christopher. “A Debate Put to Rest,” Los Angeles Times, Friday, February 18, 2005, E29
Orden, Abraham. “Circus Without a Tent,” www.artnet.com, February 2005.
Hemmings, Jessica. “Anna Von Mertens: Conceptual Craft,” Surface Design Journal, Winter 2005, Volume 29-2.
Frank, Peter. “Natural Wonders: A look beneath the surface of a California landscape exhibit,” frontdesk, L.A. culture>spotlight, p. 110-111.
KQED Public Television. “Needlework,” Spark, First aired May 26, 2004.
Barliant, Claire. “Astonishing Knowledge,” Center for Curatorial Studies Thesis, Bard College, 2004.
Spalding, David. “Anna Von Mertens at the Berkeley Art Museum,” Flash Art, October 2003, p. 118-119.
Alba, Victoria. “Anna Von Mertens: Suggested North Points,” Fiberarts, Nov/Dec 2003, p. 58-59.
Parker, Susan. “Existential Quilting? Yes, and Von Mertens does it,” Oakland Tribune, Friday, August 29, 2003, living section, p. 1.
Baker, Kenneth. “Artist Anna Von Mertens has quilting down to a science at the Berkeley Art Museum,” San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, August 9, 2003, D1.
KQED Public Television. “Threads,” Spark, First aired June 25, 2003.
Baker, Kenneth. “New Threads at Lind,” San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, April 12, 2003, D10.
Bing, Alison. “Sew Complex,” SFGate.com, April 10 – 16, 2003.
Westbrook, Linsey. “Sewn Together: Graphic Uses of Thread,” Critic’s Choice, San Francisco Bay Guardian, April 2, 2003, p. 77.
Koppman, Debra. “Sewn Together: Graphic Uses of Thread,” Previews, Artweek, March 2003, p. 25.
Janku, Laura. “Sewn Together,” Exhibition Catalogue, Gregory Lind Gallery, 2003.
Baker, Kenneth. “Galleries,” San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, February 22, 2003, D12.
Rapko, John. “Night Skies and Imaginary Coordinates: The Artist as Navigator at the Palo Alto Art Center,” Artweek, September 2002, Vol. 33, Issue 7, p. 13-14.
Fowle, Kate. “San Francisco,” Contemporary, June/July/August 2002, p. 116.
Bills, Joe. “Coming ‘home’ to MacDowell,” Monadnock Ledger, Thursday, July 25, 2002, arts section p. 5.
Israel, Robyn. “Charting a New Course,” Palo Alto Weekly, July 5, 2002, p. 23-25.
Wetter, Terri D. “Brave New Works: Making Art in the Digital Age,” Diablo Arts Magazine, April - June 2002, p. 16-20.
Spalding, David. “Anna Von Mertens at Southern Exposure,” Artweek, April 2001, p. 19-20.