About The Artist

Artist Bio

For over six decades, Jay Pearson has explored the intersection of art and craft. Born in Pasadena, California in 1948, he grew up with the knowledge that his father’s side of the family was Native American—Kiowa, specifically. Because of the connection he felt to the natural world, Jay at first dreamed of becoming a forest ranger before a high school counselor steered him into art classes. After studying graphic arts for two years at Glendale College, he moved on to Cal State Northridge to focus on ceramics. In 1973, Jay moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he began his art career working in leather. He placed two sculptural leather objects in a juried event at the Albuquerque Museum in 1974; both pieces were purchased by the museum system upon the show’s closing. He continued to place work in both group shows and galleries in the seventies, receiving an NEA grant in 1976 and a Western States Arts Foundation Fellowship grant in 1977. Three of his pieces were featured in Julie Schaffer Dale’s well received book, Art to Wear, published in 1986. Though he continued working in leather until 1994, by the early eighties Jay was creating small scale sculptures using tin and wood. In 1983, the city of Albuquerque requested proposals for a Don Quixote-themed book box for the Public Library. Jay’s proposal won, and the completed work still resides in the downtown branch. During this phase of his career, Jay’s sculptures were featured in many local and regional galleries, including the Linda Durham Gallery. Starting in 2005, Jay began creating objects with museum grade mat board intended as models for possible future work in tin, but ultimately came to realize the artistic potential of mat board as a material in its own right. Also during this period, around 2007, Jay worked as a preparator for the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this role, he crossed paths with the well known art collector Sandy Besser. After learning of Jay’s background as an artist, Sandy asked to see his work, and purchased many sculptures before his sudden passing in 2011; after this loss, Jay paused selling his work, although he continued creating. He began work on a new series of mixed media articulated figures, and turned his hand to craft furniture. His most recent series is inspired by mid twentieth century architecture, re-imagining our country’s vanishing theatre marquees. The wide spectrum of Jay Pearson’s work—past present and future—is a reflection of his inquisitive nature. 

Exhibitions

SCULPTURE

1994

  • Icons of the West  –  Group Show.  William Campbell Contemporary Art, Fort Worth, Texas.

1993

  • Urban Icons.  One man show.  Amarillo Arts Center,   Amarillo, Texas.
  • Santa Fe Sculpture Project ’93.  College of Santa Fe Fine Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • New Mexico ’93.  Fine Arts, Fine Crafts.  The Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1990

  • Traje:  Un Objecto de Arte?  International Wearable Art Exhibit, Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • Art Forms and the Body.  Ginza Art Space, sponsored by Shiseido Cosmetic Company,  Tokyo, Japan.
  • One Man Show.  Wittenborn and Hollingsworth,  Los Angeles, California.

1989

  • Separate Realities.  A three person show,  Natoli-Ross Gallery, Santa Monica, California.

1988

  • Group Show.  Natoli-Ross Gallery,  Santa Monica, California.

1987

  • New Mexico ’87/A Fine Arts Competition.  The Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Death and Transformation.  Center for Contemporary Arts,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Houseguests.  Linda Durham Gallery,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1986

  • Sculpture ’86.  Houston, Texas.
  • Stairsteps.  Patrick Gallery,  Austin, Texas.

1985

  • Group Show.  Wildine Galleries,  Albuquerque , New Mexico.

1984

  • J. Pearson and Holly Roberts.  Wildine Galleries,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1983

  • Group Show.  Wildine Galleries,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Don Quixote.  Albuquerque Public Library, Commission for work, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1982

  • Masks/Fetishes.  Sebastian Moore Gallery,  Denver, Colorado.
  • Young Americans Award Winners Exhibition.  Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York, New York.

1981

  • Group Show.  Hills Gallery,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1980

  • Milkbone Pie.  Mobilia,  Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • New Mexico, Here and Now.  Albuquerque Museum,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1979

  • New Mexico:  Space and Images.  Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California.
  • Skin Forms, Innovations in Leather.  Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

1978

  • Invitational Exhibition.  College of Marin,  Kentfield, California.

1977

  • Young Americans: Fiber/Wood/Plastic/Leather.  Museum of Contemporary Crafts, Winston-Salem and New York,  Award Winner.
  • Southwest Crafts Biennial.  Museum of International Folk Art,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Lake Superior ’77.  Tweed Museum of Art,  Duluth, Minnesota.

1976

  • Contemporary Craft Show.  New Mexico State Fair,  Albuquerque, New Mexico. Award: Best in Sculpture.
  • New Mexico Crafts Biennial.  Museum of International Folk Art,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Award: Artist Award.
  • Six From Albuquerque.  Patio Gallery,  Fort Worth, Texas.

1975

  • Crafts Exhibit for the Blind.  Albuquerque Museum,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Marietta College Craft National.  Marietta College, Ohio.  Award:  Purchase Award, Judges Award. Inclusion in Traveling Exhibit (1975-1977).
  • Southwest Crafts Biennial.  Museum of International Folk Art,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Award: Honorable Mention.

PAINTINGS

1978

  • Albuquerque II.  Invitational Exhibition,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1977

  • You Gotta Live Somewhere.  Invitational Exhibition,  Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, Texas.
  • The Amarillo Competition.  Amarillo Art Center,  Amarillo, Texas.

1974

  • Introductions ’74.  Albuquerque Museum,  Albuquerque, New Mexico. Award:  Purchase Award.

PERMANENT AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

  • Albuquerque Museum,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Mrs. Robert Arnold,  Lubbock, Texas.
  • Mr. Daniel Bish,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Ms. Patsy Catlett,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Coach Leatherware Company,  Los Angeles and Paris.
  • Condec Corporation,  New Jersey.
  • Leo Ducal Associates, Inc.,  Los Angeles, California.
  • Fine Arts Museum of the South,  Mobile, Alabama.
  • Ms. Linda Garfunkel,  Clayton, Missouri.
  • Greenville County Museum of Art,  Greenville, South Carolina.
  • Pat Hall,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Susie & Tom Hollingworth, Los Angeles, California.
  • Grover M. Herman Fine Arts Center,  Marietta College, Ohio.
  • Stephanie Janssen & Michael Johns,  Carefree, Arizona.
  • Ms. Elizabeth Ross Johnson,  New York, New York.
  • Jay Kobrin & Gordon Micunis,  Stanford, Connecticut & Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Lewis,  New York, New York.
  • Mr. Bob Mackie,  Los Angeles, California.
  • Dr. & Mrs. James Moore,  Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Mr. Petter Olson,  Oslo, Norway.
  • Julie Schafler,  New York, New York.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Howard Stringer,  Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
  • Mr. Robert Tobin,  Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Mimi West,  Los Angeles, California.
  • David Astilli, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
  • Megan Jackson and Robert Siebert, Santa Fe, New Mexico.