1951  Charleston, South Carolina

1983  MFA, University of Georgia

1975  BFA, University of Georgia

1969-72  Auburn University

Professional Experience

Judy Bales is a sculptor and public artist. She has exhibited her studio work nationally for over 20 years and her work has been featured in numerous national art publications. She is an experienced educator and lectures frequently about her work. Upon receiving her first public art commission in 2000 for bridge enhancements, she became passionately interested in bridges—their structure, history and aesthetics. Two bridge projects completed in 2004-2005 led to four current projects, and during 2005-06 she competed as a finalist in major highway or trail bridge projects in Washington, Oklahoma, Iowa and North Carolina. She researches her projects extensively and draws upon her long experiences as an artist to develop site sensitive enhancements for bridges and their surroundings. She designs for maximum aesthetics while working carefully within budgetary and time restraints.

Commissions and Public Art

Fourth Avenue Underpass, Tucson, Arizona
Design team member for redesign of the Historic Fourth Avenue Underpass. Scope of project includes design of entrance facades, railings, walls, lighting, pedestrian bridge and finishes for pedestrian areas. Contracted by TranSystems.
Aesthetic consulting budget: $40,000.00

Old US-80 Highway Bridge at Gila River, Maricopa County, Arizona
This project is part of the historic rehabilitation of the bridge. Collaboration with engineer Jerry Cannon to design new pedestrian walkway to be attached to the bridge. Contracted by Cannon TranSystems. Project began 2006.
Artist design budget: $15,000.00

35th Avenue and Salt River Bridge, Phoenix, Arizona
Design for concrete rustication at piers and ends of bridge. Contracted by Cannon TranSystems. Artist design work is completed, bridge construction scheduled to begin 2006.
Artist design budget: $6,000.00

Jefferson County Trails Council Bridges on the Cedar View Trail, Fairfield, Iowa
National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Grant awarded to the Jefferson County Trails Council to hire Judy Bales to design artistic enhancements for existing Cedar View Trail Bridge and for new bridge planned for Cedar View Trail. Project began January, 2006.
Artist design budget: $4,500.00

Maryland Avenue Bridge Public Art Project, Phoenix, Arizona.
Commissioned by the City of Phoenix, through the Phoenix Arts Commission’s Public Art Program. Project began 2000. Artist collaborated with engineering firm Cannon TranSystems to design superstructure, ramps, lighting and landscaping for pedestrian overpass at I17 and Maryland Avenue. Project completed December, 2005. Artist also coordinated with local schools to involve students in enhancements for the approaches to bridge.
Artist design budget for all phases of project: $63,000.00

Jefferson County Trails Council Bridge over BNSF Railroad, Fairfield, Iowa
National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Grant awarded to the Jefferson County Trails Council to hire Judy Bales to design artistic enhancements for bridge and to involve the local community in the public art process. Project completed October, 2004.
Artist design budget: \$6,000.00

Sculptural commission for Amy O’Deen residence, Iowa City, Iowa
Artist fees: $3200.00

Sculptural commission for Delores Stiles residence, Newport News, Virginia
Artist fees: $2000.00

Grants/Awards for Collaborative Projects

Arizona Engineering Excellence Grand Award awarded to TranSystems for the Maryland Avenue Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge Over I-17, Phoenix, Arizona. Awarded by the Arizona Council of Engineering Companies.

Challenge America Fast Track Grant awarded to Jefferson County Trails Council to support the design and installation of public art by Judy Bales on the Cedar View Trail Bridges.

Challenge America Fast Track Grant awarded to Jefferson County Trails Council to support the design by Judy Bales of a decorative steel cage for the BNSF Trail Bridge and to involve the community in the public art process.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Tech University, Smithville, Tennessee

Peter Paul Luce Gallery, Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Unity Gallery, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa

Larson Art Gallery, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota

Arts Iowa City, Iowa City, Iowa

Len G. Everett Gallery, Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois

University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Studiolo Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa

Shaw Cramer Gallery, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

Adams Gallery, Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee

Iowa State Bank, Fairfield, Iowa

Unity Gallery, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield Art Association Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa

Arts on Grand, Spencer, Iowa

Unity Gallery, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa

Bank of Nashville, Tennessee, sponsored by Zimmerman Saturn Gallery

Institute for Creative Arts, Fairfield, Iowa

Topan Gallery, Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia Botanical Gardens, Athens, Georgia

Selected Group Exhibitions

"Earth Bound," MacNider Art Museum, Mason City, Iowa (two person exhibition)

"Out of Fashion," Union Art Gallery, University of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"Judy Bales and Maureen Bardusk," Quad City International Airport, Moline, Illinois (two person exhibition)

"Ready to Wear," John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI

"Fiber Focus," Art St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri

"Constructed Surfaces," Textile Center of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Confluence I, II, III and IV," Gallery 51East, Fairfield, Iowa and Mt. Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (series of collaborative installations with sculptor Truly Ball)

"FIBERARTinternational 2001," Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"Contemporary Baskets," Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, Arizona

"Telling Tales: Contemporary Narrative Teapots," Craft Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri (curated by Gail Brown)

"Drama of the Ordinary," Cade Center for Fine Arts Gallery, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland

"The Feel of Fiber," Barrington Area Arts Council Gallery, Barrington, Illinois

"Craft Today," Bennett Galleries, Knoxville, Tennessee

"Foundation of a Century," Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York

"By Water’s Edge," Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"Woodland Sculpture Garden Invitational," Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls, Iowa

"Sculpture and Fine Crafts," St. Louis Artists Guild, St. Louis, Missouri

"Juxtaposition," Unity Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa (two person exhibition)

"Iowa Artists 1999," Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, Iowa

"Materials: Hard and Soft," Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, Texas

"A Sense of Place: Revisioning the Regional," CSPS Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"1999 Craft Gallery," Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, New Jersey

"Constructed Images," CSPS Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (two person exhibition)

"Overtones!," Convergence, Atlanta, Georgia

"Small Expressions," Atlanta International Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

"Surface: New Form/New Function," Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

"Fiber Focus ’97," St. Louis Design Center, St. Louis, Missouri

"Paper/Fiber XX," Iowa City, Iowa

"Iowa Artists ’97," Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, Iowa

"Line, Color, Texture in Clay, Fiber, Paint," Shaw Cramer Gallery, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts

"Judy Bales and Karen Schulz, Sculptures and Quilts," West Music, Coralville, Iowa (two person exhibition)

"Showing Off," Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"Fiber," Inspired Woodworker Gallery, Fairfield, Iowa

"Vessels," College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, New York

"Craft Iowa 95," Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa

"Wiggles and Spots," Delta State University, Cleveland, Mississippi (two person exhibition)

"Form/Function: Diversity in Iowa Crafts," Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa

"The Space Within: Contemporary Basketry in the Midwest," Waterloo Museum of Art, Waterloo, Iowa

"Paper/Fiber XVI," Iowa City, Iowa

"Woven Vessels: Contemporary Baskets," Sheldon Memorial Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Lincoln, Nebraska

"Needle Expressions ’92," Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona

"Influences>Innovations," Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, Virginia

"Iowa Artists ’92," Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, Iowa

"Basketry From All Directions," Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

"Multimedia Basketry Invitational," Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

"Art Designed for Living," Archetype Gallery, New York, New York

"Featured Artists," Banaker Gallery, Walnut Creek, California

"Contemporary Crafts," Farrell Collection, Washington, D.C.

"1st Anniversary Show," Perspectives Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"The Spirited Touch," Archetype Gallery, New York, New York

"Basketweave '90," Dairy Barn Gallery, Athens, Ohio

"Exploring Fiber Traditions," Views Gallery, Manayunk, Pennsylvania

"Just for Fun," The Craftsman's Gallery, Scarsdale, New York

"Works in Progress," Archetype Gallery, New York, New York

"Iowa Artists 1989," Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, Iowa

"Fast Forward," Gayle Willson Gallery, Southampton, New York

"Fiber/Weavings," The Private Collection, Cincinnati, Ohio

"Personal Packaging," Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, New York

"Small and Curious Objects," Carega Foxley Leach Gallery, Washington, DC

"Three Iowa Artists," Theater Art Gallery, High Point, North Carolina

"Tabletop Objects," Archetype Gallery, New York, New York

Publications

Surface Design Journal, Spring 2005, Volume 29

Fiberarts Design Book Seven, Lark Books, 2004

Ornament, Vol. 27, No. 2, 2003/04

Surface Design Journal, "Exposure," Spring 2003

Fiberarts Magazine, "Curtains," March/April 2003

Fiberarts Design Book Six, Lark Books, 1999

Iowa artists 1999, exhibition catalog, Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, IA

Materials Hard and Soft, catalog, 1999, Greater Denton Arts Council, Denton, TX

American Craft Magazine, "Gallery," February/March, 1999

Fiberarts, "New Works," September/October, 1997

Iowaartists97, exhibition catalog, Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, IA

The Flying Needle, "Life and Art: An Artist's Viewpoint," Judy Bales, 1995

American Craft Magazine, "Gallery," December/January, 1995

The Bolivar Commercial, Cleveland, MS 1994

American Craft Magazine, "Portfolio," December/January, 1993

Second Nature, brochure for Potlach Corporation, 1992

Iowa Artists 1992, exhibition catalog, Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, IA

American Craft Magazine, "Gallery," October/November, 1990

Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, February, 1990

Syracuse New Times, Syracuse, New York, July 26-August 2, 1989

Teaching and Residencies

Visiting artist slide presentations given at University of Wisconsin, River Falls, Wisconsin; Monmouth College, Monmouth Illinois; and Cornell College, Mt. Mercy College and Maharishi University of Management in Iowa.

"Dissonance/Resonance: Consciousness, Body and Place," panel presentation with Anna Bonshek, Ph.D., at Midwest Regional Conference for Women's Caucus for the Arts, CSPS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"African American Quilt Traditions: Origins and Contrasts with Anglo American Quilt Traditions," slide lecture, Maharishi International University, Fairfield, Iowa

Resident Artist, Artpark, Lewiston, New York

Art teacher, elementary and secondary schools, Putnam and Oglethorpe Counties, Georgia