Kim Beck (born 1970, Colorado) is an American artist living and working in New York City and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beck works in drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, printmaking and multimedia, focusing her attention on subjects that might otherwise be overlooked. She is especially known for her artist's books and public artworks dealing with the subject of environment and landscape. Beck's work has been reviewed by media such as ''

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ × 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...

'', '' Art in America'', ''

Hyperallergic ''Hyperallergic'' is an online arts magazine, based in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by the art critic Hrag Vartanian and his husband Veken Gueyikian in October 2009, the site describes itself as a "forum for serious, playful, and radical thinki ...

'', KQED, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', and ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

''.

Artist's books

* ''A Field Guide to Weeds'', 2007 * ''A Flock of Signs'', 2014 * ''Pavements, Potholes & Repairs'', 2019

Public art commissions

''Adjutant'', 2015

''Adjutant'' — a mural installed on the concrete wall beneath the 10th Street Bypass ramp for the Fort Duquesne Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA. The mural is composed of images of oversized common weeds using silhouettes in shades of black, gray and white. A team of some 150 volunteers organized by Riverlife Pittsburgh executed the work June 6–14, 2015, during the Dollar Bank

Three Rivers Arts Festival Three Rivers Arts Festival is an outdoor music and arts festival held each June in the Downtown district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The festival features live music and performance art, as well as visual art and vendors who sell their wares. The ...

. The mural is part of #TBD, a concept for public art projects to bring dramatic changes and attention to the downtown Allegheny riverfront underneath the Fort Duquesne Bridge. In June 2020, this artwork was updated with a BLM mural and subsequent additions.

Wildish, 2014

''Wildish'' was commissioned by the

Mural Arts Program Mural Arts Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that supports the creation of public murals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1986 as the Mural Arts Program, the organization was renamed in 2016. Having ushered more than 4,000 murals ...

of Philadelphia.

The Sky Is the Limit/NYC, 2011

''The Sky Is the Limit/NYC'' was a temporary skywriting installation in New York City on October 10, 2011.

Space Available, 2011–2012

''Space Available'', was installed March 4, 2011 – January 2012 on rooftops along Washington Street, between West 13th Street and Gansevoort Street in ew York City Intended to be viewed from the

High Line The High Line is a elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The High Line's design is a collaboration between James Corner Field Op ...

, the exhibition was commissioned by Friends of the High Line.

Selected awards

Beck has received awards from the Sharpe Foundation,

Bemis Center for Contemporary Art Bemis may refer to: Companies * Bemis Company, a packaging company * Bemis Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of toilet seats and other plastics products People with the surname * Andru Bemis (born 1978), American musician * Edward Herbert Be ...

MacDowell Colony MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The program was founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDo ...

Yaddo Yaddo is an artists' community located on a estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment.". On March ...

International Studio & Curatorial Program International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) is a contemporary art institution that runs an international residency program and related exhibitions and events based in Brooklyn, New York. ISCP's exhibitions, talks, screenings and lectures gen ...

, Art Omi International Artists Residency,

Prix Ars Electronica The Prix Ars Electronica is one of the best known and longest running yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music. It has been awarded since 1987 by Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria ...

Pollock-Krasner Foundation The Pollock-Krasner Foundation was established in 1985 for the purpose of providing funding to visual artists internationally to further their artistic practices. It was established at the bequest of Lee Krasner, who was an American abstract expr ...

, and the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.

Exhibition and public collections

Beck has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the US and abroad, and her work is displayed in numerous public collections.

Professional affiliations

Beck is an associate professor in the

School of Art An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on practice and related theory in the visual arts and design. This includes fine art – especially illustration, painting, contemporary art, sculpture, and graphic design. T ...

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Kim Living people Rhode Island School of Design alumni Rhode Island School of Design faculty Carnegie Mellon University faculty Brandeis University alumni Yale University alumni 1970 births