HEATHER CARSON
American, b. Los Angeles, CA 1960
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
EDUCATION:
1997 Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2018 Light Sculpted, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
2016 light/WHITE, Ace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2014 light/LINES: Gold/Green, Black Cat Pop-up Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2012 Heather Carson, Ace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 New Installation: light/ALBERS, Ace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 light/ALBERS, Ace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007 light/CONCENTRIC, Phantom Galleries LA, Beverly Hills, CA
Light Action: light/CONCENTRIC, Brewery Artwalk, Los Angeles, CA
2005 Light Action: light/CUBED, Brewery Artwalk, Los Angeles, CA.
1998 Light Action: light/House, Smallwood, NY
1997 Light Action: push/Pull, Skowhegan, Maine
Light Action: Octagonal Plane, Skowhegan, Maine
1996 Light Action: stop/GO! (for Elizabeth Streb), New York, NY
1995 Light Action: up/Down, Action Occupation: Streb/Ringside, The Temporary Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2015 Elemental | Seeing the Light, Sturt Haaga Gallery, Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
2013 Size Really Does Matter, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
In Direct Light, Nan Rae Gallery, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA
2011 COLA 2011 Individual Artist Fellowships Exhibition, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, CA, (catalog)
Blink! Light, Sound and the Moving Image, Denver Art Museum, Curated by Jill Desmond, Denver, CO, (catalogue)
Kiss the Band With Your Eyes, The Armory Show, Nyehaus, Curated by Tim Nye, New York, NY
2010 12 Gauge: Rapid-Fire Study of Art in Los Angeles Today, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2009 High Strangeness, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, CA
2008 Curtain Call Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance,
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York, NY
2007 Downtown Artist Project Grant Winners, Dangerous Curve, Los Angeles, CA
2006 Light Sensitive, Arena 1 Gallery, Curated by Julie Lazar, Santa Monica, CA
2003 FAAR OUT, 6 Months in Rome: Celebrating Design Fellows of The American Academy in Rome, The ADC Gallery, New
York, NY
1999 Hallowed Halls: A Hybrid Halloween, Tenement Museum, New York, NY
Annual Exhibition 1999, American Academy in Rome, Italy, Curated by Peter Boswell (catalogue)
1997 Light Action: Lightfall, The L. C. Bates Museum Hinckley, Maine
PUBLIC ART:
2012-2014 prequalified Art + Technology Artist Pool, Norman Y. Mineta International Airport, City of San José Public Art
Program, San José, CA
2012-2013 prequalified public artist roster, Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle, WA
2007-2013 Public commission, light/RAILS, Vine Street Parking Garage, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, CA,
designed to budget, unrealized.
2013 finalist University Avenue Tunnels, City of Palo Alto Public Art Commission
finalist, NEA Arts A LOT Initiative, Arts Council for Long Beach, CA
2011 Public commission from the Arts Council for Long Beach for a temporary Public Art Project Mobile Exhibit in
downtown Long Beach, CA
2008 finalist, Playa Vista Library, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
2007 selected for pre-qualified pool of artists, Bridge Improvement Program projects, Department of Cultural Affairs,
Los Angeles, CA
finalist, Los Angeles Street and Main Street (101 Overcrossing) bridge project, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
2019 Shortlisted, Knight of Illumination (KOI) Award, Lighting Design for Abraham in Flames (premiere), San Francisco, CA
2011 City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Falstaff Award, Best Lighting Design, The RSC History Cycle, RSC, London, England
2007 Downtown Artist Grant, Los Angeles, CA
2006 The Durfee Foundation, Santa Monica, CA
2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Artists Fellowship in Architecture/Environmental Structures, New York, NY
1999 Graham Foundation for the Advancement of the Fine Arts, Chicago, IL
1999 Rome Prize in Design Arts, American Academy in Rome, Italy
1998 New York Foundation for the Arts Artists Fellowship in Architecture/Environmental Structures, New York, NY
1997 Fellowship, Skowhegan Art Program, Skowegan, Maine
COLLECTIONS:
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA
Just One Eye, Los Angeles, CA
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Books and Catalogues:
2018 Stouffer, Hannah. “Lust for Light”, Berkeley: Gingko Press, 2018
2011 Nys Dambrot, Shana "COLA 2011", online exhibition catalogue, http://cola2011.lamag.org/carson/ essay1.html, May
2011 Denver Art Museum, “Companion to: Blink! Light, Sound and the Moving Image”(catalogue)
2009 Carver, Rita Kogler, “Stagecraft Fundamentals: A Guide and Reference for Theatrical Production”, New York: Focal
Press, 2009, p.482-3
1999 Little, Lester K. and Boswell, Peter, “American Academy in Rome 1999” (exhibition catalogue). Rome and New York:
American Academy in Rome 1999, illustrated.
1997 Pilbrow, Richard, “Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life”, London: Nick Hern Books
1996 Essig, Linda, “Lighting and the Design Idea”, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Articles and Reviews:
2018 . Hall, Christopher, “Lights Bright in Boise”, Via Magazine, July/August“Heather Carson Exhibit Lights Up Boise Art Museum”,
https://phvntom.com/heather-carson-exhibit-lights-up-boise-art-museum/, April 25
Carter, Felicity, “Artist, Heather Carson On Sculpted Light”,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/felicitycarter/2018/03/03/artist-heather-carson-on-sculpted-light/#3be1ca1521f7, Forbes Magazine, March 3
2016 Donoff, Elizabeth, “Heather Carson: light/WHITE”, https://www.archlighting.com/industry/heather-carson-light-white_o,
Architectural Lighting, September, 27
Rojas Torres, Jesus Manuel, “Heather Carson and Laddie John Dills at Ace Gallery Los Angeles”,
http://whatsupmiami.blogspot.com/2016/02/wum-news-la-heather-carson-and-laddie.html, WUM, February, 19
2015 Vankin, Deborah, “Descanso Gardens’ ‘Elemental’ exhibition looks at art in a different light”, Los Angeles Times, Feb 14
2013 “Heather Carson”, Light Art: Light Installations A Great Visual Impact (blog),
https://lightartblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/heather-carson/, July 10
2011 Knight, Christopher "Art review: 'COLA 2011: Individual Artist Fellowship' at Municipal Art Gallery", Los Angeles Times, June 9th
“Heather Carson - Art With Light”, https://www.interlectric.com/2011/10/06/heather-carson-art-with-light/, Interlectric Corporation,
October 6
“Heather Carson: Light Action:light/ALBERS”, http://artweek.la/issue/jan-3-2011/article/heather-carson-light-action-light-albers,
Artwork.LA, Jan 3
2009 Barbour, David “Inside the Enigma: Heather Carson on Richard Foreman’s Idiot Savant”, Lighting and Sound America, December
Barbour, David “Heather Carson opens Major Show at Ace Gallery Los Angeles”, Lighting and Sound America, October
2007 Citizen X, "Grant Winners Hurrah!: $30,000 awarded to downtown artists", Citizen L.A., May
Wilder, Matthew “Critics' Picks”, Artforum, https://www.artforum.com/picks/heather-carson-15407, (review), April
2006 “Building With Light”, Architectural Lighting, November
2004 Barbour, David "One Design Approach for a One-Person Show", Lighting and Sound America, July
2003 . Dorbian, Iris “Teaching an Endangered Art”, Stage Directions, October
2002 Barbour, David "Heather Carson to Head Lighting Program at Penn State", Entertainment Design, October
2001 Barbour, David "Centerline Q&A", Entertainment Design, October
Barbour, David "A Space for Tragedy: LD Heather Carson explains her controversial approach to lighting opera" Lighting
Dimensions, October
Napolean, Davi "Three-Ring History Cycle: RSC's Henry VI Tetralogy Comes to Michigan”, Entertainment Design, August
1999 Wasserstein, Wendy "Light Fantastic" Garden Design October
Barbour, David "Forest of Night" Lighting Dimensions, September
Barbour, David "Judgement Day" Lighting Dimensions April
1998 Orskov, Lise "Art Crash Symposiet", Lys ( Danish Lighting Magazine), November, Nr. 3
Barbour, David "Heather Carson wins Rome Prize", Lighting Dimensions, April
Orskov, Lise "Art Crash Symposiet", Art Crash Journal No. 2
1997 Brennan, Mary "Finally given a chance to shine", The Scottish Herald, February 25th
Hogan, Jane "The speed of light", Lighting Dimensions
Falvey, Jennifer "Light of her Life", The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, September 21st
Adamson, Judy "Negrin puts his spin on Hoffmann's tales", The Northern Herald, Sydney, Sept. 19th
"Heather Carson dictar curso de illuminacion en altos de Chavon", Listen Diario, Santo Domingo, July
1994 Pesta, Abigail "Intuition and Integrity: LD Heather Carson blazes her own trail through the worlds of Opera, Dance, and Theatre
Lighting", Lighting Dimensions, November
1993 Pesta, Abigail "Don't Look Down", Lighting Dimensions, November
TEACHING:
Fall 2019 CSULB: Theater Department: Visiting Mentor
USC: Theater Department: Visiting Mentor
Fall 2018 USC: Theater Department: Visiting Mentor
Spring 2015 CSULB: Theater Department: Lecturer
Fall 2007 UCLA: Theater Department: Visiting Associate Professor
Winter 2007 UCSD:Theatre Department: Visiting Instructor
Fall 2006 University of Florida, Gainesville: Master Class
2004-2006 California Institute of the Arts: Faculty, Head of Lighting
2002-2004 Pennsylvania State University: Associate Professor, Head MFA Lighting Program
2000-2002 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Design: Adjunct Faculty
Fall 1999 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Design: Visiting Artist Lecture
Spring 1999 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Design: Portfolio reviews
Fall 1997 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Design: Master Class (Graduates)
Fall 1995 NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Design: Visiting Artist Lecture
Spring 2001 Bard College: Adjunct Faculty
1999-2000 Smith College: Faculty, Assistant Professor
Spring 1998 Southern California Institute of Architecture: Faculty, Fall 1998
Fall 1998 Southern California Institute of Architecture: Faculty
Fall 1998 UCSD, Theatre Department: Visiting Instructor (Graduates)
Fall 1998 California Institute of the Arts:Visiting Artist Lecture
Summer 1996 Parson's School of Design, Altos de Chavon, Dominican Republic: Visiting Instructor
Winter 1996 University of Wisconsin, Madison: Visiting Instructor, Master Class
Spring 1994 Ecole Superieure de Theatre National de Strasbourg, France: Visiting Instructor
Fall 1995 School of Visual Arts: Visiting Artist Lecture
Fall 1995 Rutger's University: Visiting Artist Lecture
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
LIGHTING DESIGNS 1979-2019: has designed lighting in the US and internationally for over 200 productions in theatre, opera, dance, concert and video primarily in downtown New York theatre and European avant-garde opera. Highlights include twenty-three years with Richard Foreman; 15 years with Elizabeth Streb Ringside and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi-award winning, 2 1/2 year, eight play History Cycle in Stratford-upon-Avon and The West End which was named “Production of the Decade” by The Guardian.
PANELS/LECTURES:
2010 City of Los Angeles, Dept of Cultural Affairs, Public Art Division, Artist Selection Panel, Reseda Pool Project
11/03 Lighting Dimensions International “ Lights of the Roundtable” – Group Panel
9/03 Parsons School of Design - “Light Action: The Intersection of Light, Art & Architecture”, Guest Lecturer
9/02 Carnegie Mellon University - Wats:on? Festival, Keynote speech
11/01 "Transatlantic Lighting" - Lighting Dimensions International Panel with Ken Billington, Sarah Sidman, Paul Anderson,
and Chris Parry
5/00 "Theatricality of Space" - Wesleyan University, Guest Speaker, Lecture series w/ Lo-Tek Architecture, digital artist
Jeremy Blake, set designer Robert Israel
4/98 Art Crash Symposium - Aarhus, Denmark, Light, New Technology in Art and The Collision between Art Forms,
guest speaker
11/94 Lighting Dimensions International, European Project Portfolio panel with Chris Parry, Marc Brickman, Rick Fisher
Using Alternative Light Sources, with Steven Poster, Eric Schwartzman, Charlie Davidson, Howard Eaton
GALLERY AFFILIATION:
Ace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA