GEORGE TOBOLOWSKY                                                          January, 2012

 

American                                                                                          

   1949  Born and Lives in Dallas, TX

            Works at Mountain Springs Sculpture Studio, Mountain Springs, TX

Education                                                                                                     

   1970  Southern Methodist University, B.B.A. in Accounting and a Minor in Sculpture

   1974  Southern Methodist University, J.D.                     

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2012      Exhibition:  Blue Star Contemporary Art Center and the San Antonio Botanical Garden Curated by James Surls

2012      Exhibition:  ilume Gallerie, “The Sum of Parts Create a Whole,” Dallas, TX

2012      Exhibition:  The City of McKinney, Texas at City Hall

2011      Exhibition: WEST TEXAS TRIANGLE: 5^th Annual Triangle Show (a consortium of four art

              museums in West Texas) San Angelo,Abilene,Albany and Odessa, TX

2010     Exhibition:  The Tyler Museum of Art ,Tyler, TX (September 2010 with Catalogue)

2010    “The Road Through Texas,” Colton & Farb Gallery, Houston, TX

2010     Exhibition: “Form & Substance”, The Grace Museum, Abilene, TX

             (April 2010) (Catalogue:Essay by Jed Morse,Curator at the Nasher Sculpture Center)

2010     Dallas Design District Outdoor Art Installation, Dallas, TX

2009     Outdoor Sculpture Show: “International Bridge”, Town of Vail, CO. (June 2009/10) 

 Promoted by Vail with a show at the Masters Gallery Vail

2009     Irving Arts Center and Sculpture Garden, Irving, TX                                        

2009     “Parts for a Sculpture”, Temple Emanu–EL, Dallas, TX

2008     “Poetry in Steel”, The McKinney Avenue Contemporary (The MAC), Dallas, TX   (catalogue)

2007     “New York Show”, Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY

2007     “The Business of Art”, Bryan Tower: Sponsored by Spire Realty, Dallas, TX

2007     “Poetry in Steel”, The Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX (catalogue)

2007     The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, Dallas, TX: 3 D on Swiss

2006     “My First Rodeo”, Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, TX

2006     Outdoor Sculpture Show, Southern Methodist University, Meadows School of Arts, Dallas

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:         

2012    Art in the Garden 2012, San Antonio Botanical Garden, Juried

2012    Lakefront Sculpture Exhibition, The City of Chicago, IL, Juried

2012    Chautauqua Sculpture Garden Exhibition, Chautauqua Institution, NY, Juried

2011    Exhibition: The Sculpture Network of Texas, University of Texas at Tyler, Juried

2011    Exhibition: Texas Sculpture Group, Houston, TX, Juried

2011    Art in the Garden: Texas Uprising, Texas Sculptors Group, San Antonio Botanical Garden, Juried

2011    Lake Oswego: Gallery Without Walls Exhibition, Art Council of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Juried

2010    30^th Abilene Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Abilene, TX, Juried

2010    MOTA Show: 12 Jewish Artists, Dallas, TX, Juried

2010    Henderson Art Project, Juried Sculpture Exhibition,Dallas, TX

2009    Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture, Meadows Museum SMU, Dallas, Juried

2009    Texas Sculpture Association State-Wide Juried Art Exhibition,Dallas,TX

2009    D Art Slam, Dallas, TX, Juried

2009    Sculpture for New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, Curated: Tulane University, Diamond Street

           and Hotel Le Cirque

2008   Texas Sculpture Association’s 25^th Anniversary Exhibition, Dallas, TX, Juried 

2008   Obelisk Awards & 20^th Anniversary Gala, sponsored by North Texas Business for

               Culture and the Art’s, Dallas, TX, Juried

2008     “Group Show”, Gerald Peters Gallery, Dallas, TX

2008     The Chair Project, Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX

2007     Martin Museum of Art, Baylor University, Waco, TX

            Group Show: James Surls, Jeff Brosk and George Tobolowsky

2006     Critic’s Choice Exhibition, The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art, Dallas, TX

2006     Waco National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition: Invitational Artists, Juried

2006     Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls, TX, Juried

2005     New Texas Talent, Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX, Juried

 

 

SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:

           

The City of Abilene, TX, Public Art Collection             

The Ellen Noel Art Museum, Odessa, TX

            The Old Jail Art Center, Albany, TX

            San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX

Dallas Contemporary Museum, Dallas, TX

The Grace Museum, Abilene, TX             

            The Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TX

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX

            Southern Methodist University Art Collection, Dallas, TX

            Texas Sculpture Garden, Hall Office Park, Frisco, TX

            Irving Arts Center and Sculpture Garden, Irving, TX

            The Town of Vail, CO, Public Art Collection

            Gary and Karleen Kusin, Dallas, TX

            Craig and Ambassador Kathryn Hall, Dallas, TX and Napa Valley, CA

            Mark and Geralyn Kever, McKinney, TX

            Dean Carol Brandt, Meadows School of Arts, Dallas, TX

            Donald and Barbara Zale, Dallas, TX and Vail, CO

            Joyce and Larry Lacerte, Dallas, TX and Ketchum, ID

            Regency Nursing Centers, Victoria, TX

            Mary Jane Garth, Beaumont, TX

            FedEx Kinko’s, Dallas, TX

            Ergoline Holdings, Windhagen, Germany

            Commercial Metals Company, Irving, TX

            Spire Realty, Dallas & Houston, TX

            The Legacy Senior Communities, Plano, TX

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS / ARTICLES:

 

     HomeTown Hero, George Tobolowsky, Fox 4 News, Clarice Tinsley, Dallas,TX, Oct 31, 2011

      Steel Inspiration: George Tobolowsky, Modern Steel Construction, Aug. 26, 2011

      Texas Sculptor Creates Art From Scrap, Midland’s Pulse, June, 2011

      D Magazine: How Sculptor George Tobolowsky Got The Calling, May, 2011

      Texas Artist George Tobolowsky at the Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler Daily, Aug. 23, 2010

      TMA to present George Tobolowsky’s Found Object Assemblages,Tyler Morning Teleg., Aug 21, 2010

      ‘George Tobolowsky: Sculpturing’ Documentary Film by Dallas Filmmaker Quin Mathews, April 2010

      ‘Form & Substance:The Art of George Tobolowsky’,Exhibition Catalogue,April 30,2010,The Grace

      Museum,Essay by Jed Mores,Curator of the Nasher Sculpture Center,Dallas

      ‘Face and Form: Modern and Contemporary Sculpture in the Meadows Collection’,Dallas

      Morning News ,November 2,2009     

      ‘Poetry in Steel’ told in Vail,Vail Daily,May 20,2009

      DMagazine.com, “A Preview of the Dallas Art Fair”, February 3, 2009

      Modern Sculptures Transform Tulane Quad, New Wave, Tulane University, November 5, 2008

     Past Exhibition & Artists 2008, McKinney Avenue Contemporary, August 8, 2008

     “Napa art-wine parings” Los Angeles Times, Sunday, June 15, 2008

     “Sculpture Exhibit: Opens in September; Baylor University News, Waco TX, August 29, 2007     

     “George Tobolowsky: Poetry in Steel”, Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau, April 2, 2007   

     “Poetry in Steel”, Exhibition Catalogue, April 28, 2007

      Essays by James Surls and Dr. Edmund (Ted) P. Pillsbury

     “Finding Treasure: Sculptor sees beauty in everyday scraps” Annotations,

      Southern Methodist University Dallas TX, Spring 2007

      Art Museum of Southeast Texas: 500 Main: “George Tobolowsky: Poetry in Steel,” Spring2007   

      Public Radio Interview: WRR “Art Matters” by Quin Mathews, Dallas, TX  April, 2006

 

 

SELECTED CURRENT/PAST BOARDS:

            Texas Sculpture Association, Co-Founder, Dallas, TX        

            Public Art Committee, Panelist, Dallas, TX

            Meadows School of Arts Executive Committee (SMU)

            Meadows Museum Advisor Council (SMU)

            Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX

            Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX

            Library of Congress, Washington, DC Phillips Society

            Young Presidents Organization, Dallas, TX

            Dallas and Texas Bar Associations

            Texas Map Society, Past President

            Communities Foundation, Advisory Board

            M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation, Treasurer

            Abe Zale Foundation, President

 

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS/ACTIVITIES:

2012    Dallas Historical Society’s 2012 Award Excellence in Creative Arts

2011     Short-listed, Love Field Airport-Terminal, Dallas, TX

2010      Served as a Juror for the Annual “Scrap Can Be Beautiful Contest”, held by Commercial Metals Company. Irving, TX (2009/2010/2012)

2010      Served as a Docent for the “1^st Annual Dallas Art Fair”, Dallas, TX (2009/2010)

2008      Demonstrating artist for the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts and

             Visual Arts. Dallas, TX

2008      Committee Member, planning Texas Sculpture Association’s 25^th Anniversary Symposium.

2007      Invited to participate as a demonstrating artist, with sculpture students in Hooper-Schaefer Arts Center,

 Baylor University, Waco, TX

Prior 2000

   Co-Founder of the Texas Sculpture Association

   Co-Founder Hiram Butler Gallery, Houston, TX

   Installer of Sculptures for James Surls and Louise Nevelson

 

 

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:

 

I create steel and stainless steel sculptures by welding together “found objects,” discarded machine parts, industrial parts and scrap metal.  I acquire my objects and scrap from fabrication plants and scrap yards in the Dallas area.  I let the original shapes of the discarded steel pieces determine the form of each sculpture by balancing it’s compositions with each “found object” or scrap metal.

 

I also work with pre-bent, molded, extruded and painted steel pieces of industrial scraps.  About half of my steel objects and scrap metal have “original color,” added to the metal by the fabricators or manufacturers.  I then rejuvenate and recapture these colored pieces and integrate them onto my sculptures.  The size and weight of my sculptures will range from table top pieces of 40 pounds plus, to large outdoor sculptures weighing up to 2 tons. 

 

My sculptures are visual memories that reflect my business experiences of the past three decades working in the legal and business world.  Many works have an element of motion:  “Road to success,” a rough road home, “IS THIS THE ROAD WE’RE ON?” and  “the road through TEXAS”.  I also work in series and develop my titles after the works are finished:  Entrepreneur series; Deal Breaker series; The Idea Factory series; Mapping series and Parts & Inventory series.  All my works have a “circle” element on it which represents an idea or place. My Sculpture Studio is in Mountain Springs, Texas just an hour north of Dallas/Ft.