BIO
BIO
Perhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not seem to require so much an active energy, as a passive aptitude of the soul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diversified; it has no reality, but is the pure and simple creation of the mind that invents it. In this field the soul has room enough to expand herself, to display all her boundless faculties, and all her beautiful and interesting extravagancies and absurdities. – From the Report of Dr. Benjamin Franklin, and other commissioners, charged by the King of France, with the examination of the animal magnetism, as practiced in Paris (1785)
Amy Hicks works with a range of time-based media including film, photography, and video projection. Through image processing, moving collage, purposely rudimentary erasure-animation, and DIY methods of redigesting 16mm film into digital video, she combines pre-existing material with original footage to develop projects that question belief systems and the impact they have on the individual and social body. Her award-winning videos have exhibited in museums, galleries, and film festivals internationally such as the Ann Arbor Film Festival (MI), Pacific Film Archive (CA), Galerija Miroslav Kraljevic (Croatia), San Jose Museum of Art (CA), San Francisco International Film Festival (CA), and Institute of Contemporary Art (PA). Awards include grants from the San Francisco Arts Commission and Film Arts Foundation, a Djerassi Artist in Residence, and a Philadelphia Foundation Fellowship for the Flaherty Film Seminar.
Much of her practice is collaborative and socially engaged. As an educator and a member of Grizzly Grizzly, she co-produces exhibitions and Speak Speak, a blog featuring critical writing on exhibitions. She co-edited Grizzly Grizzly's first publication "In Retrospect: 10 Years, 10 Essays, 10 Exhibits" released in 2019 and supported by the Velocity Fund, a regranting initiative of the Andy Warhol Foundation. In collaboration with other artist collectives in the building located in North Chinatown, Grizzly Grizzly launched a short-term residency program, funded by Added Velocity, to support Philadelphia artists during the pandemic.
Amy Hicks is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware teaching moving images, experimental animation, and video projection.
Visit Grizzly Grizzly.
PROFESSIONAL
Associate Chair, Department of Art & Design, University of Delaware
EDUCATION
2005. Master of Fine Arts (New Genres), Stanford University, Stanford, California
1990. Bachelor of Art (Photography), University of California, Riverside, California
AWARDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS
2024. Interlude Artist Residency, Hudson Valley, NY
Go! Grant, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE ($6,000)
2022 Philadelphia Foundation Fellowship for the Flaherty Film Seminar 2022, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
2020. Residency, Bogong Centre for Sound Culture, Bogong, Australia (postponed due to COVID-19)
2019. Velocity Added Grant for Grizzly Grizzly, Public Programming and Publications (administered by Temple Contemporary with generous funding from William Penn Foundation. $15,000)
2018. Velocity Fund Grant for Grizzly Grizzly, Speak Speak Blog and Publication (administered by Temple Contemporary with generous funding from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. $5,000)
2016. General University Research Grant, University of Delaware
2013. International Travel Grant, Institute for Global Studies, University of Delaware
2012. General University Research Grant, University of Delaware
2008. Residency, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, California
John D. and Susan P. Diekman Fellowship, Djerassi Program
2007. Individual Artist Grant, San Francisco Art Commission
2006. Golden Gate Award Nominee, San Francisco International Film Festival
2005. Creative Capital Professional Development Award, administered by Film Arts Foundation, San Francisco, CA
2004. Jack and Gertrude Murphy Fine Arts Fellowship, San Francisco Foundation
Ellie and John Stern Fellowship, Stanford University
2003. Robin Eickman Fiction Shorts Award, Film Arts Foundation
2002. Liberty St. Video Award for Film Best Addressing Gender Issues, Ann Arbor Film Festival
SOLO / DUO EXHIBITIONS and SCREENINGS
2014. Happiness, Free, for Everyone, Right Window, San Francisco, California
2014. Primum Movens: IDOK Center for Research, Co-Lab Projects, Austin, Texas
2013. Skull Island: IDOK Center for Research, Galerija Miroslav Kraljevic, Zagreb, Croatia organized by Nathan Brown & Peter Milat for CONJUNCTURE: 21st Century Philosophy, Politics, and Aesthetics
2010. I, Daughter of Kong, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, New York
2009. Super Massive Suspension: Amy Hicks and Nate Boyce (A Retrospective), San Francisco International Animation Festival, San Francisco, California
2008. Amy Hicks: Suspended Series, Meat Market Gallery, Washington, DC
2006. Amy Hicks: Suspended Series, Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco, California
Suspended Series, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, California
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS and SCREENINGS
2024. Grizzly Grizzly Off-site: Moving + Masking, Arts League, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Upcoming)
2023. Essential Work, The Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Skull Sessions, Hicks Art Center Gallery, Bucks County Community College, Newton, PA
2021. Everted Living, Center for Visual Research at the Lachaise Gallery, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Here / Now: Art & Design Faculty Exhibition, Mechanical Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
2020. Atmosphere: A Speculative Fiction Exquisite Corpse Under Shelter In Place organized by Elia Vargas, Accumulations.online: https://www.accumulations.online/atmosphere.html
2018. Annual Philadelphia Independent Animators Festival, The Plastic Club, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2017. A Mesh Is Also A Snare, Esther Klein Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Future Imperfect Continuous, Arlington Art Center, Arlington, Virginia
2016. We See The Stars, The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, Delaware
2015. Cross-Pollinated: Hybrid Art Abuzz, Center for the Arts Gallery, Towson University, Towson, Maryland
Were The Eye Not Sunlike, curated by Third Object for ACRE_TV, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, Illinois.
2014. The Art of Darkness: Inspired by the Paranormal, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, Fridley, Minnesota
2014 Philadelphia Truck Expo, IceBox Project Space, Crane Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Testimonies and Evidence, ACRE_TV live stream, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, Illinois. Curated screening traveled to P.3+ Hammond Regional Arts Center, Hammond, Louisiana
2013. 20/92 Video Screening, IceBox Project Space, Crane Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2012. Open Video Call 2011/2012, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pixilerations [v.9], New Media Fringe Festival @ First Works & Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
Big Muddy Film Festival 34, Carbondale, Illinois
2011. Whenever Wednesday: Juried Video Screening, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
PROOF!, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, California
Inquiry Toward the Practice of Secular Magic, Co-presented by Los Angeles Filmforum and the Disembodied Theater Corporation, piXel + freQuency, Los Angeles, California
2010. Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon, Boise Art Museum, Boise, Idaho. Exhibition traveled to Sonoma County Museum, Sonoma, California; Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita Sate University, Wichita, Kansas
2009. Cinema By the Bay: Opening Celebration, San Francisco Film Society, San Francisco, California
Reflections: Material and Metaphor, Cinema Arts Series, Exploratorium, San Francisco, California
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Elizabeth. “Grizzly Grizzly talks curating others and not showing their own work.” Artblog https://www.theartblog.org/2023/08/grizzly-grizzly-talks-curating-others-and-not-showing-their-own-work/, August 22, 2023
Brown, Quinn Russell. “Berman Museum of Art’s new show puts in the work.” The Philadelphia Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/arts/berman-museum-art-new-show-essential-work-20230210.html, February 9 2023.
Barkun, Deborah. Exhibition Catalog for “Essential Work,” Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA (January 2023)
Filipowska, Roksana. Exhibition Catalog for “Everted Living,” Center for Visual Research at the Lachaise Gallery, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA (Sept 2021)
Fitch, Kristen. “Science Center’s Esther Klein Gallery explores the interdependence of art and science.” Science Center,
https://sciencecenter.org/news/science-centers-esther-klein-gallery-explores-the-interdependence-of-art-and-science, September 13, 2017.
Bonime, Western. “The Philadelphia Science Center Creates Success By Fusing Innovation, Art And Community.” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/westernbonime/2017/09/03/the-philadelphia-science-center-creates-success-by-fusing-innovation-art-and-community/?sh=457eb770221cTomlinson, Lynn. Exhibition Catalog for “Cross-Pollinated: Hybrid Art Abuzz,” Towson University, Towson, MD (Sept 2015)
Schwartz, Chip. “Philadelphia Pickup Truck Expo: an exercise in art more than automobiles.” Knight Arts http://www.knightarts.org/community/philadelphia/philadelphia-pickup-truck-expo-2014, July 8 2014.
Lendvaj, Ana. “King Kongova izgubljena kci u Galeriji Miroslav Kraljevic.” Vecernji List June 24 2013.
Baker, Kenneth. “01SJ lends high-tech San Jose an artsy air.” San Francisco Chronicle June 6, 2008.
Gant, Michael S. “Our Robots, Ourselves.” Metroactive http://www.metroactive.com/metro/04.16.08/arts-robots-0816.html April 16, 2008
Baker, Kenneth. “Arnold’s Realism Conveys his Anxiety and Sense of Humor.” San Francisco Chronicle July 8, 2006.
Farr, Kristin. “Art Review: Amy Hicks: Suspended Series.” KQED Arts & Culture http://www.kqed.org/arts/visualarts/index.jsp, July 14, 2006.
Schieron, Sara. “Circles of Confusion.” Filmshi.com http://filmshi.com/db/content/view/88/43/, April 26, 2006.
Retsek, Fanny. “Amy Hicks.” San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art inform Spring 2006.
Berry, Colin. “MFA Selections at the di Rosa Preserve.” Artweek April 2006.
Berry, Colin. “Cream: From the Top at Arts Benicia.” Artweek October 2005.
Bammer, Richard. “Material Girls and Boys: Cream, at Arts Benicia, Reveals a Surprising Use of Media.” The Vacaville Reporter July 29, 2005.
Taylor, Robert. “Show Offers a Taste of the Cream of the College Crop.” Contra Costa Times July 9, 2005.
Kumano, Yoko. “The Flesh Connection: A Ladyfest Film Screening Showcasing American Short Films by Ladies.” http://www.withitgirl.com/wig_archive/sight/wigarc_si_f11.006.html 2002
Canning, Liz. “Enlivening Still Objects Within Tiny Fantasy Worlds of Their Creation: Four Animators Talk about Their Obsessions.” Release Print November/December 2001.
PUBLICATIONS AS AUTHOR & EDITOR
Vargas, Elias, ed. Atmosphere for Accumulations.online. One of 42 artists to write a passage for a speculative fiction exquisite corpse during quarantine., 2020. https://www.accumulations.online/atmosphere.html
Hicks, Amy and McQuillan, Angela, eds. In Dialogue (Issue 2 and 3), Philadelphia, PA: Self-published as Grizzly Grizzly, 2020. Online. https://issuu.com/grizzlygrizzly/docs/in_dialogue_tabloid_q3_2020
Hicks, Amy and McQuillan, Angela, eds. In Dialogue (Issue 1), Philadelphia, PA: Self-published as Grizzly Grizzly, 2020. Print and Online. https://www.grizzlygrizzly.com/book
Hicks, Amy and Russell, Ephraim, eds. In Retrospect: 10 Years, 10 Essays, 10 Exhibits, Philadelphia, PA: Self-published as Grizzly Grizzly, 2019. Print.
Tucker, Daniel and Ulises, eds. Why Philly?, Common Field, Philadelphia, PA, 2018. Print and Online. https://www.commonfield.org/convenings/1949/documentation/2884/why-philly
SELECTED LECTURES, TALKS, CONFERENCES
2024. Artist Talk, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA (zoom session)
2020. Presenter, A Certain Kind of Space: How We Sustain Each Other, Common Field Convening, Houston, Texas
2017. Artist Talk, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
Art Salad, The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, Delaware
2015. Artist Talk, Towson University, Towson, Maryland
Artist Talk, Studio for Interrelated Media at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Massachusetts, http://sim.massart.edu/notice/5589
Department of Art
University of Delaware
104 Recitation Hall
Newark, DE 19716-0010