W. Chester Old
  • About
  • Material Life
  • "Shadow Portraits" 2013 - 2018
  • "Dysfunctional Objects" 2006 - 2019
  • Collection for ASD offices, Atlanta 2008 - 2011
  • Metal Designs 1989 - 2000
  • "Constructed Elements" installation 1983
  • "Storytelling" 1983
  • Sketch books (1981 - 1982)
  • "Limits" 1982
  • Works in Clay (1973 - 1980)
  • Résumé
  • Contact
  • Lola

W. CHESTER OLD
Atlanta
wchesteroldartist@gmail.com
www.WChesterOld.com


EDUCATION
1979-1983    Atlanta College of Art, B.F.A. 1983. Sculpture, video, drawing.
1974-1976    Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC. Ceramics and graphics
1969-1974    The Galloway School, Atlanta, GA

SELECTED GRANTS AND AWARDS
2013   Virginia Highland Summerfest, Selection Committee juror, Atlanta, GA.
2011    Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences, artist residency, Rabun Gap, GA.
2006-2011 Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences, Board of Directors.                                                                  
             Rabun Gap, GA.
2009   American Crafts Council, Selection Committee juror, Highland, NY.
2008   Southwest Arts Center, Commission for eight light sculptures in the
             theater, Atlanta, GA.
2005    American Crafts Council, Selection Committee juror, Highland, NY.
2004    Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences, five-week artist residency,
              Rabun Gap, GA.
2001    Artscape, Juror, Atlanta, GA,
2000   American Craft Council, Selection Committee juror, Highland, NY.
1998     American Craft Council, Selection Committee juror, Highland, NY.
             Atlanta’s Urban Design Award for Architectural Excellence, lighting design
             for Nickiemoto’s Midtown, Atlanta, GA.
1996     Hand Workshop Craft and Design Show, Honorable Mention in Metal.
             Richmond, VA.
1992     City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Exhibition grant at Chastain
             Gallery, Atlanta, GA.
1991      American Crafts Awards, Merit Award for Image Reflector.
1989     Atlanta College of Art, Alumni Juried Exhibition. Best of Show cash award.
1983     City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs and National Endowment for the
             Arts, visual arts grant for solo exhibition.
             Atlanta College of Art. Recipient of Nanie Boyd Senior Award.
             Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Rental of Tape Tape videotape.
1981      Visiting Artist, Artist-in-Residence Program, Georgia Council for the Arts
             and Humanities. Video and Performance Art Workshop.
             Recipient of Joel C. Reeves Institutional Scholarship for 1981-82
             academic year.
1979     Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), Winston-Salem, NC.
             Artist-in-residence sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts and the
             Rockefeller Foundation.
1978     City of Atlanta Department of Cultural Affairs, Exhibition grant.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012    Mason Murer Gallery of Fine Art, Atlanta, GA, Dysfunctional Objects.
2007   Open Studio show, Beacon Hill Artist Studios, Decatur GA, New Work.
2002   River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, New Traditionalists IV.
2001   Signature Shop & Gallery, Atlanta GA, Chester Old.
2000  River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, New Traditionalist.
            M.C Ginsberg, W. Des Moines, IA. New Work by Artist W. Chester Old.
            By Hand South Gallery, Decatur, GA. New Works in Metal.
1998   Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, W. Chester Old, Winston-Salem, NC.
1997   Boulder Arts and Crafts Cooperative, Boulder, CO. Metalworks.
1996   River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN. Point of View.
           Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts, Detroit, MI. Metalworks.
1995   River Gallery, Chattanooga, TN. Reflections.
1993   Studio Show, Atlanta. New Works.
1991    Lowe Gallery, Atlanta. New Designs
1990   Lowe Gallery, Atlanta. Vanities.
1989   Lowe Gallery, Atlanta. Light Sculptures.
1988   Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC. Light Sculptures and
           Furniture.
1986   Ersatz Gallery, Atlanta. Paintings/Lighting.
1983   Chastain Gallery, Atlanta. Constructed Elements, sculpture and video
           Installation, artist talk.
           SECCA, Winston-Salem, NC. Constructed Elements.
1982   Atlanta College of Art, Gallery 413. Arrangements, video and sculpture
           installation.
1981    Atlanta College of Art, Gallery 413. Limits, Isolation, Removal and
           Insulation, sculpture and video installation.
1979   SECCA, Winston-Salem, NC. Illusions, sculpture installation.
1978   Penland School of Crafts. Guest artist, Bridges, outdoor installation, artist
           lecture.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015   Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia (MOCA GA), GATHERED: Georgia Artists Selecting Georgia
           Artists

           Art Miami Aqua, Signature Shop exhibition, Shadow Portraits.
2011   Swan Coach House Gallery, The Summer Swan Invitational, Atlanta, GA.
2001 - 2004  Enhancements: Handcrafted Functional Objects, Traveling
            Museum Exhibition.
2002   Quinlan Visual Arts Center, A Man’s Point of View, Gainesville, GA.
            Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, Strength in Numbers,
            Greensboro, NC.
2001   Artwalk at Lenox Square, A Salute to American Craft, Atlanta, GA,.curated
           by Marianne Lambert.
           The Chelsea Collection, NYC.
2000  Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA.Spotlight 2000.
            Schneider Museum of Art, Southern Oregon University, Ashland,
            OR, Sheen of Silver, Weight of Air, curated by Lloyd Herman.
1998    Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts, Detroit, MI. Metalworks
            American Craft Exposition, Evanston, IL.
1997    Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts, Detroit, MI. Best Seat in the
            House.
           Philadelphia Museum of Art, Craft Show, Philadelphia.
           Gallery I/O, New Orleans. It’s About Time.
           The Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory, NC. Spotlight ‘97.
           Washington Craft Show, Washington, DC.
           ACC Showcase of Fine Craft, Bellevue, WA.
           ArtWalk at Lenox Square, Atlanta. VESSELS: Southern Expressions of an
           Art Form.
1996   Kentucky Art and Craft Gallery, Louisville. Spotlight ‘96.
            American Crafts Council Show, Baltimore, MD.
            Luckie Street Studios, Atlanta. 1996 Summer Olympics Exhibition.
1995   Archetype Gallery, NYC. Art Designed for Living 1995.
           Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA. Mirror, Mirror.
           American Crafts Council Show, San Francisco.
1994   Archetype Gallery, NYC. Re-Enchantment for the Home.
           Philadelphia Museum of Art, Craft Show, Philadelphia.
           Gallery 500, Philadelphia. Inside/Outside.
1993   Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Atlanta. Alumni Juried Exhibition.
           Ruskin Place Artists Colony, Seaside, FL. Form Meets Function.
1992    Archetype Gallery, NYC. Transition, Chastain Gallery, Atlanta. Strange Things.
1991    American Crafts Council, Atlanta. A Salute to American Craft.
           Metropolitan Home Show House 2, NYC. Benefit for DIFFA (Design
           Industries Foundation for AIDS).
1990   Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA Light’n Up.
1989   Gallery of Functional Art, Santa Monica, CA. Illuminations, Lighting as Art.
           Archetype Gallery, NYC. Art Designed for Living.
           Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Atlanta. ACA Alumni Juried Exhibition.
           Herman Miller and Axis Twenty, Atlanta, preview of Newhouse Group
           Furniture.
1987   Nexus Contemporary Arts Center Gallery, Atlanta. 1987 Atlanta Biennale.
1984   University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Twenty-two Southeastern Artists
           from SECCA.
1983   SECCA, Winston-Salem, NC. The Plate: Form and Function.
           Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA. Southern Voice.
1982   Atlanta College of Art. Magnetic Image 7 International.
1978   Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC. Biennial Exhibition of Piedmont Crafts.

 PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
2019   Museum of Contemporary Art, permanent collection, Dysfunctional Object series.
2017   Susan and Ron Antinori, private collection.
2008-2011 Barbara and Thomas Williams, purchases for Atlanta architectural
          firm ASD.
2007   Marianne Lambert, private collection, Atlanta.
2006   Lucinda Bunnen, private collection, Atlanta.
2001   Jane Fonda, private collection, Atlanta.
2000  Jane Fonda, commissions for offices, Atlanta.
1998   MCI Center, commission for corporate office, Atlanta.
1997   Truman Hall, purchase for the residence of The United States
           Ambassador to NATO. Brussels, Belgium.
1994   David Justice and Halle Berry, commissions for Atlanta home.
1994   Henry and Linda Schimberg, commissions for Atlanta and Aspen homes.
1992   Susan Krane, curator of 20th Century Art, High Museum of Art.
           Commission.
1988   Herman Miller, purchase for Atlanta showroom and offices.
1983   Magnetic Image 7 & 8, videos and catalog, Atlanta College of Art
           Library (now SCAD).
1977   General Services Administration, purchase for United States Government
          Offices.

CATALOGS, MEDIA COVERAGE, FILMS
2012    Last Chance To See Sculptor Chester Old’s Brilliantly Perverse and Beautiful Objets de Toolbox,
             Jerry Cullum, June 27.
2007   The Artful Home by Toni Sikes, features Karen basket and Knot bud vase.
2006   The Geometry of Clarity, Papercity, March 2006.
2004    Artist Brings Contemporary Flair, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
             October 1.
2003   People 2 People, television interview with the American Crafts Council
            director.
2001    Expect the Unexpected from Functional Artists, Atlanta Journal
             Constitution, August 31.
             Ray of Light table lamps, American Craft, February.
             Sheen of Silver, Weight of Air, Schneider Museum of Art, curated by Lloyd Herman, exhibition
             catalog.
             The Illumination of Craft, Chicago Tribune, August 20.
             Karen fruit basket, Metropolitan Home, November.
2000   The Metal Craft Book, Lark Books, New York, NY.
             Show and Tell, The Lessons of the ‘90s, The Washington Post, September 30.
            Good Day Atlanta, live television interview from studio.
1998    ACC Bellevue, American Craft, September.
            Design Takes, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, September.
            The Right Spice, Woman’s Day Kitchens & Baths, winter issue.
1997    Contemporary American Crafts at Truman Hall, residence of NATO Brussels, Belgium, collection
            catalog.

1997    La Perichole, Architectural Digest, June.
           Spotlight ‘97. American Craft Council/Southeast, juried exhibition catalog.
1996   Spotlight ‘96. American Craft Council/Southeast, juried exhibition catalog.
            Interior Elements, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, July/August.
1995   Susan Kuchinskas, Craft Fair Accentuates the Functional, San Francisco
           Examiner, August 2.
           Katherine Harris, Playful Art, The Washington Blade, November 24.
           People 2 People television interview with artist.
1994   Lisa Mowry, Mixed Media, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, October.
1992   Melissa Turner, Things That Make You Go HMMM..., The Miami Herald,
           September 25.
          Catherine Fox, Material Guy: Chester Old puts Funky Spin on the
           Familiar, The Atlanta Journal, The Atlanta Constitution, April 19.
           King Phoenix Productions, Inc. Broken Lives (work used in film).
1990   Diane DiCostanzo, See the Light, Taxi, March.
            Flash of the Spirit, the Art Lamp, Metropolis, June.
1989   Southeastern Product Designers, Design South, February.
1988   April Bogle-Booth, Good Things to Light, Chester Old’s Light Sculptures,
           Southern Homes, September-October.
1984   Jan Avgikos, Review of Constructed Elements, Art Papers, January-February.
           Catalog from XEROX: An Exhibition of Electrostatic Images, SECCA.
1983   Magnetic Image 7 & 8, videos and catalog, Atlanta College of Art library
           (now SCAD)
1982   Magnetic Image 7, video catalog.
1979   Artist’s statement and photographs for Illusions exhibition. Ceramics
          Monthly, January.
1976   Katherine Pearson, New Choices in Handmade Potter, Southern Living,
          December.
          Leon Nigrosh, Claywork: Form and Design (Davis, MA).
 

ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS
2007   Marianne Lambert, residence installation, Atlanta.
2004   410 Lakeshore residence, Atlanta. Designed lighting, cabinets, cabinet
             pulls, wall treatment, sinks and furniture.
2000   Offices of Jane Fonda, Atlanta. Reception desk, ceiling and lighting.
1998    Stang & Newdow Architects, Nickiemoto’s restaurant, Atlanta. Designed
            custom lighting.
1997   Atlanta Decorators Show House
1996   Scogin, Elam, and Bray Architects. Weekend House, Atlanta.
           Designed flooring, walls, bath fixtures, shelving.
1994   Menefee & Winer Architects, Atlanta. Lewis/Johnson residence. Designed
           lighting.



  • About
  • Material Life
  • "Shadow Portraits" 2013 - 2018
  • "Dysfunctional Objects" 2006 - 2019
  • Collection for ASD offices, Atlanta 2008 - 2011
  • Metal Designs 1989 - 2000
  • "Constructed Elements" installation 1983
  • "Storytelling" 1983
  • Sketch books (1981 - 1982)
  • "Limits" 1982
  • Works in Clay (1973 - 1980)
  • Résumé
  • Contact
  • Lola