Miguel Edwards
Artist Statement
As a sculptor, photographer and installation artist, I am constantly investigating new ways to explore beauty, and locate hidden common denominators in the world we perceive. Underlying forms and concepts intrinsic in the dynamic between our sleeping and waking lives, as well as the visual logic of human perception are explored through my three dimensional and film-based works. Time, chaos and intuition are the co-conspirators in my creative process. Whether my medium is steel, glass, or film, it is the act of creation that defines my work, as much as it is the finished piece.
Natural and cultural environments influence my passion for making art and working with visionary individuals. I express my encounters with the world by creating works that push both personal and material boundaries. Although primary materials are metal and glass I am always exploring new materials and methods such as LEDs, sensors and controllers. With each new project, my skills and capabilities grow in complexity and scope, as inspiration becomes a quest to solve complex problems involving aesthetics, engineering, logistics, and budget. The fusion of these requirements is the core creative process that I find most rewarding. It embodies the totality and love for the process that motivates and informs my work from start to finish.
I try to create artworks that invite everyone to re-discover the curiosity we all had as children: to encourage us to see life as full of possibilities and to value our experience in the present.
Artist Bio
SUMMARY: Miguel has over 20 years of experience as a creative professional and entrepreneur. He has been brought in to manage people, budgets, and productions, and to provide leadership and inspiration in a variety of industries. He has been both an art director and a construction coordinator for award winning feature films. He has been a stage manager for the Experience Music Project, steel fabricator and heavy equipment team lead for the nations largest Flower and Garden Show, and has had exhibits of his art across the US and in Europe. Currently Miguel is working with a startup company, shooting commercial and editorial photography up and down the west coast. His public art and sculpture career is on a healthy trajectory with several public commissions in the works and is represented in Denver, Santa Fe, LA, Seattle, Palm Springs and Camano Island. As a public artist, Miguel has worked with the cities of Seattle, Bellevue, Palm Springs, Edmonds, and Auburn as well as the international exhibition at Peace Arch Park.
EDUCATION
2010 South Seattle Community College, Electric Vehicle Technologies
2009 Artist Trust EDGE Program, Port Townsend, WA
Washington Lawyers for the Arts Copyright Workshop, Seattle, WA
1998 PROLAB/Bowen Lighting Series, Seattle, WA
1995-96 Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle, WA
1994 Polaroid Transfer Workshop, Seattle, WA
1991-92 Southern Oregon University, Communications, Ashland, OR
1989-91 University of New Mexico, Fine Art, Albuquerque, NM
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2015- 2017 President of Center on Contemporary Art [CoCA]
2013-2014 Vice President of Center on Contemporary Art [CoCA]
2009-Present Center on Contemporary Art [CoCA] Board member
2009-Present Owner, Hardware Studios Seattle
1998-Present Owner, Evolution Vision
1997-2011 Commercial Metal Fabricator
1993-Present Commercial Photographer
2012 Trained to be a CALL (Creating a Lasting Legacy) Ambassador for Artist Trust and Joan
Mitchell Foundation
2011 Second Unit Art Director for “Safety Not Guaranteed” {Winner of Best Dramatic Screenplay
at Sundance Film Festival 2012}
Construction Coordinator for “Eden” {Winner of Best Narrative Feature at SxSW 2012
Photographer & Steering Committee Member for Seattle Dept of Transportation’s “Life in Ballard: A Signal Box Installation”
Project Manager “Fusion Fire” a commissioned interactive fire and water art installation
2007 Lead Fabricator for Joseph McDonnell, Seattle, WA
2000-2001 Instructor of Photography, Bellevue Community College
1997-2000 Creative Use Consultant, Polaroid Corp
1996-1999 Artistic Director, Electron Love Theory
Selected Exhibitions
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014
“SOAR” Sculpture show at ArchAngel Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2013
“(Un-Re) Attached”, Two man show at Bherd Gallery, Seattle, WA
“Penumbra” Installation for Auburn Storefronts, Auburn, WA
2012
Assorted Works Kickit , Seattle WA
2010
Assorted Works, Habitude, Seattle, WA
Assorted Works, Utilikilts Flagship Store, Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
2009
12 year retrospective featuring airbrush on canvas, manipulated polaroids, and C-prints of studio
sets and installations, Calamity Jane’s, Georgetown, WA
“Burning Man Retrospective”, large scale paintings, Tiger Lounge and Gallery, Georgetown, WA
2008
“Skike Evolutions”, acrylic on canvas, Kickit, Ballard, WA
“Skike Evolutions 1.2”, acrylic on canvas, Kiss Cafe, Ballard, WA
2007
11 ft canvases and C prints in steel frames from the “Andora” series, Ploy Studios, Bremerton, WA
2006 “Some Places I Went Last Summer II”, site specific installation with LEDs, CoCA Belltown
Gallery, Seattle, WA
2005
“Andora Arranged”, Sequenced LEDs and photographs, CoCA’s Dexter Gallery, Seattle, WA
Featured Artist at “Heaven and Hell Ball”, Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA
“Integrations”, Zito Gallery, NY, NY
“Show of No Particular Title”, Fenix, Seattle, WA
Selected artist for Juried Show, Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Seattle, WA
2004
“Ascending Aiomerion”, Vibrant Eye Studios, Seattle, WA
Featured Artist at “Surrealist Ball”, Seattle, WA
“Ascending Aiomerion”, show with Sam Bligh, Oseao Gallery, Seattle, WA
2003
Unveiling of permanent mural “Neighborhoodtangy” at Dexter and Hayes Pub, Seattle, WA
“Angels Landing”, What Is Art What is Sound, Luisen Park, Mannheim, Germany
Selected Works, Aria, Seattle, WA
“Distraction and Social Refractions”, Noiselab, Seattle, WA
2002
Unveiling of “Some Places I Went Last Summer”, a permanent 40’ airbrushed mural, Vegete, Seattle, WA
“Miscellaneous Memories”, Marcus’, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Satellite, Seattle, WA
UnMural installation for Stronghold, “Freezer Burn”, Seattle, WA
“Skike Reticuloso” the series, wall-size paintings, Noc Noc, Seattle, WA
“Time, Chaos, Intuition”, Nation Gallery, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Atrium Gallery, Real Networks Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Rebla Contemporary Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Mariposa Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2001
Temporary Video/Mural installation for Stronghold, “Super Heroes and Super Villains,” Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Atrium Gallery, Real Networks Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Rebla Contemporary Art Gallery, Seattle, WA
“Indexterity” Center on Contemporary Art, curated by Dan Kany, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Mariposa Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
2000 “Inspiration Integration II”, Marcus’ Martini Heaven, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man”, Marcus’ Martini Heaven, Seattle, WA
“Inspiration Integration II”, Habitude, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Contour, Seattle, WA
“Retrospects and Experiments”, Odeum Gallery, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Site 17, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Shoe Building, Seattle, WA
“Inspiration Integration”, Contour, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Dexter and Hayes, Seattle, WA
Selected Works, Dop Dop, NY, NY
1999
“Burning Man 1999”, Marcus’ Martini Heaven, Seattle, WA
“Inspiration Integration”, Habitude, Seattle, WA
“Schooners and Dinghy”, Lock and Keel, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1998 – Welcome to Black Rock City”, Sit and Spin, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1998 – Welcome to Black Rock City”, Floyds, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1997”, Ruperts, Seattle, WA
“Body Work”, Colourbox, Seattle, WA
“From the Archives”, Pioneer Square Saloon, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1997” and “Burning Man 1998 – Welcome to Black Rock City” (concurrent),
Pioneer Square Saloon, Seattle, WA
1998 “Burning Man 1998 – Welcome to Black Rock City”, Marcus’ Martini Heaven, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1998 – Welcome to Black Rock City” (debut), Café D’Amici, Seattle, WA
“Schooners and Dingys”, Trolleyman, Seattle, WA
“Religion in America”, Trolleyman, Seattle, WA
“Burning Man 1997”, Sit & Spin, Seattle, WA
Awards
PUBLIC ART EXPERIENCE, AWARDS, GRANTS, AND COMMISSIONS
2021
-Selected Artist/ Commissioned for the anchor artwork at 118 W Mercer in Seattle-Install 22-23
-Selected Artist/ Commissioned for the anchor artwork at 101 W Roy in Seattle-Install 22-23
– Invited Artist, Sugar Rush, Los Angeles drive through exhibition
-Finalist 101 Roy, Seattle WA
-Invited Artist, Art in Paradise, Paradise Ridge Winery
2020
– Commission awarded for Center Steps and GGLO across from Seattle Ballet
2019
-Featured Artist Oregon WinterFest, 20,000 participants
– Installed Ascent for Ketchum/Sun Valley Idaho, Art on Fourth
-Commissioned to create Clock of Relativity with Jesse Pemberton for the City of Redmond, OR
2018
-Commissioned to build the flaming Cauldron for the grand opening ceremony for the Special
Olympics Summer Games in Seattle
2017
-Installed Red Emperor for the City of Auburn’s Downtown Sculpture Gallery
-Commissioned for 2 large sculptural wall murals at West Seattle Junction
-Commissioned for 5 stories of sculpture and site specific AR for the Broadcast building in Seattle
2016
-Installed Perseus II in Greenwood(Seattle) 3.5 story stainless, glass kinetic monumental scale sculpture
2015
-Commissioned for 8 sculptures for the Junction 47 project in conjunction with Equity Residential Partners and Weber Thompson Architects.
-Commissioned Persues II for JANUS development in Conjunction with Bumgardner Architects-Mark Simpson
-Invited Artist Seattle Erotic Art Festival “Love Seats” project
-Invited Artist Kruckeberg Botanical Garden/ City of Shoreline Spring exhibition
2014
– Invited Artist and Team Lead for Bellevue Art Museum’s Ink, Drop and Roll- Steamroller Blockprinting event
– Commissioned for Bellwether 2014: Connect, Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA
– Garden Designer, Bronze Medal winning garden at NW Flower and Garden Show
– Commissioned for World Cup Trophies for Wizards Of The Coast
– Installation of “Rayo de Paraiso” for the City of Palm Springs, CA
2013
– Storefronts Auburn commissioned 3 month installation through Shunpike
– Invited artist for 3 Display Gardens at the 25th Anniversary NW Flower and Garden show
– Commissioned for 3 permanent Sculptures for the City of Edmonds
2012
– Finalist for Permanent Sculpture for City of Bellingham’s Big Rock Park
– Commissioned for CoCA’s “Heaven and Earth: Root Bound” Exhibition, Carkeek Park, Seattle, WA
– Commissioned for the City of Bellevue’s “Bellwether 2012: reGeneration” Exhibition in Downtown
Park in Bellevue, WA
-Invited artist Peace Arch Park Exhibition, Blaine, WA / Vancouver, BC
– Commissioned for an installation for Storefronts Seattle, which included a grant for materials
– “Penumbra”, a month-long installation in CoCA’s Belltown gallery, Seattle, WA
– Commissioned for 2012 Burning Man Festival to update and install “Fusion Fire”
– Commissioned for an installation piece “Penumbras Posession” by Seattle Erotic Arts Festival
– Invited Artist at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show
2011
– Invited artist, Lo-Fi Arts Festival “Not to Scale”, Smoke Farm, Arlington, WA
– Commissioned with David Kitts to build “Fusion Fire” for Ignition NorthWest
– Selected for CoCA’s “Heaven and Earth: Cycles of Return” Exhibition, Carkeek Park, Seattle, WA
– “Ticktock vs. Perseus” was chosen for the 4Culture Site Specific Performance Roster in 2011, and
received invitations to perform at the Rainier Beach Artwalk and at Arts Crush
– Invited Artist [Photography & Sculpture], Seattle Erotic Art Festival
– Invited Artist in “Wrinkle in Time”, winner of the Founders Cup (‘Best in Show’ award) and a Gold
Medal at Northwest Flower and Garden Show
– Invited Artist on Creativelive.com as the subject of a mini-documentary by 2 time Pulitzer prize
winning Photographer and Director Vincent Laforet
2010
– Finalist for a public art grant from the city of Renton, WA
– Commissioned , CoCA’s “Overgrowth & Understory” Cougar Mt. Regional Wildland Park, WA
– Commissioned CoCA’s “Heaven and Earth II” Exhibition, Carkeek Park, Seattle, WA
– 3rd place “Audience Choice” award, Seattle Erotic Arts Festival
– Invited Artist (Photography) for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival
– Recipient of 1st Annual Interactive Art Grant (3-D work) from the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival
– Group show with fellow graduates from the Artist Trust Egde Program, “Postscripts from the
Edge”, Seattle City Hall Lobby Gallery & Anne Focke Gallery
2009
– Selected for “Heaven and Earth”, Carkeek Park Outdoor Art Exhibit, Seattle, WA
– Blaubak Gallery’s 3rd Annual Sculpture Invitational, Kirkland, WA
2006
– Participant in CoCA’s 14th Annual Painting Marathon, Seattle, WA
2003
– “Angels Landing”, What Is Art What is Sound, Luisen Park, Mannheim, Germany
2000
– Contributing Editor for “Skagit Streaming” for Seattle Arts Commission and Seattle City Light
– “Urban Inversions”, Video Installation for Seattle Parks Department, displayed at Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA
– Commissioned mural “Skike Reticulum IV” for Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, WA
– Commissioned sculpture “Pedernal Inversions” for Red Mountain Loom Works, El Rito, NM
– Commissioned sculpture installation “Sappho with Love” for Contour in collaboration with
Stephanie Cameron, Seattle, WA
1997-98
– Sponsored by the Polaroid Corporation to document the 1997 Burning Man Festival
1992
– Recipient of Swan Award, Channel 9, Ashland, OR for music and social exposé
