CV
SONYA YONG JAMES
Represented by Whitespace Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
www.whitespace814.com
sonyayongjames@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Bachelors of Fine Art
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
AWARDS & RESIDENCIES
(forthcoming) radio28 residency, Mexico City, February 2024
UNITED STATES ARTIST FELLOWSHIP, 2023, (nominated)
Mass MOCA Residency Fellowship, North Adams, Massachusetts, October 2022
STOVE WORKS Residency, Chattanooga, Tennessee, October 2021
IDEA CAPITAL Antinori grant, 2021
ARTADIA Award Atlanta, 2019-2020
Studio Artist Residency Program, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. 2016-2019
Sterne Scholarship for Printmaking, Atlanta Printmakers Studio, October 2018
Emerging Artist Award Finalist, Forward Arts Foundation, March 2018
Juror’s Award, “Gathered: Georgia Artists Selecting Georgia Artists”. Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, May 2017
Arrowmont Pentaculum Residency Invitational, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, January 2016
New Fibers Award of Merit, Eastern Michigan University Gallery, October 2014
Elena Prentice Scholarship, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, 2011
Handweavers Guild Of America Award of Excellence, 2011
Award of Excellence in Fiber, American Craft Council Show, 2010
Teacher assistant scholarship, Penland School of Craft, 2008
Marion Bowen Davis Scholarship, 1999
The GSU Reward, 1998
Cassandra B. Walker Award, 1997
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
National Center for Contemporary Arts, Minsk, Belarus
Racine Art Museum Racine, Wisconsin
Art In Embassies, Permanent Collection of the US Embassy, Nouakchott, Mauritania, Africa : US Department of State, May 2017
King and Spalding
Private and Corporate collections
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
“The pleasure was all mine.” Whitespace Gallery. Atlanta, GA: October 6 - Nov 25, 2023
(traveling) “The eye of a needle.” Wiregrass Museum of Art. Dotham, AL: April 22-June 25, 2022
“The eye of a needle.” Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama. Birmingham, AL: January 10- March 19, 2022
“I eat the stars.” Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Project wall. April 27, 2021- January 9, 2022.
”Loud Magic.” Whitespace Gallery Atlanta,Georgia : September 6 - October 19, 2019
“One Hundred Blossoms and the Sweetest Scent.” Site specific installation on Project Wall, Zuckerman Museum of Art. Kennesaw, Georgia: August 25, 2018 - January 3, 2020.
“Shedspace series.” Site specific installation in Inman Park, Atlanta, Georgia: August 2, 2003.
“Aggregate: sculptures.” Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Atlanta, Georgia: February 21 - March 21, 2003.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
“Unstuck in Time: St. EOM, Pasquan, Here, Now.” Pasaquan and The Bo Bartlett Center. Columbus, GA: September 15 - December 16, 2023.
“Entwined.” Marietta Cobb Museum of Art. Marietta, GA: April 1 - June 4, 2023.
“Southern Exigency.” The Anderson at Virginia Commonwealth University. Richmond, Virginia: February 4, 2022- March 5, 2022.
“Welcome Home: The Liminal Asianx-Appalachian Experience”. East Tennessee State University, Slocum Gallery, Johnson City, TN, 2021.
“She is Here.” Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Atlanta, Georgia: August 22, 2020- January 31, 2021.
“Parallel.” Curated by Teresa Bramlette-Reeves Whitespace Gallery. Atlanta, Georgia: June 26, 2020-September 11, 2020.
“Entwined: Ritual Wrapping and Binding in Contemporary Southern Art.” Ogden Museum of Southern Art. New Orleans, Louisiana: June 15-February 21, 2021
“PROJECT.” Curated by Scott Ingram Temporary Art Center. Atlanta, GA : November 16-December 29, 2019
“Noface Land.” Collaboration with Jiha Moon. Zeitgeist Gallery. Nashville, Tennessee: November 2 - December 21, 2019
“Entanglements.” Curated by Melissa Messina and Lisa Jaye Young Laney Contemporary Fine Art. Savannah, Georgia : August 15th - October 26th, 2019
“Forward Arts Foundation Finalist Award Show.” Swan Coach House Gallery Atlanta, Georgia : April 11 - May 16, 2019.
“Shebang.” The Corn Center for the Visual Arts, Columbus State University Columbus, Georgia : March 12- April 20, 2019.
“I am Both” : a two person exhibit with Trevor Reese.” Chastain Art Center Atlanta, Georgia : January 18 - March 9, 2019.
“The December Show.” Whitespace Gallery Atlanta, Georgia : December 8 - January 4, 2019.
“Biophilia of Life.” Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, Indiana: December 14, 2018 - February 18, 2019.
“Material + Method: Exploring Gender Roles through Tradition.” Mary S. Byrd Gallery, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia: June 21 - August 23, 2018.
“The Making of Meaning”. Hadeland Glasswork AS, Jevnaker, Norway : September- December, 2017.
“The Summer Swan Invitational.” Swan Coach House Gallery Atlanta, Georgia: June 1 - August 4, 2017.
“Gathered: Georgia Artists Selecting Georgia Artists.” Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia Atlanta, Georgia: May 16 - July 1, 2017.
“These Things Are Tangible.” Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado: January 27 - March 13, 2017
“Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge”. (traveling) Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, Michigan: December 6, 2015 - March 2016
Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, Michigan: August 20, 2015 - November 1, 2015
“Touched: Soft Sculpture”. Ground Floor Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee: October 1 - 29, 2015
“New Fibers: A national survey of contemporary fiber art”. Eastern Michigan University Gallery Ypsilanti, Michigan: October 27 - December 10, 2014
“Repetition & Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber”. The Project Space - Minnesota Museum of American Art St. Paul, Minnesota: November 7, 2013 - January 19, 2014 (traveling)
“Repetition & Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber”. The Hudgens Center for the Arts Duluth, Georgia: March 26, 2013 - May 25, 2013
“Fibers”. Madison - Morgan Culture Center Madison, Georgia: August 2 - October 20, 2012
“Zen Dixie: a group exhibition - curated by John Otte”. Driver - Phillips Studio, Atlanta, Georgia: June 15 - July 15, 2012
“Extraordinary Things: 2011 Chattahoochee Biennial of Textiles”. The Art Institute of Atlanta -Decatur Gallery: April 15 - June 2, 2011
“Seamless: a group exhibition with Glen Kaufman, Junco Sato Pollack, and Clay McLaurin”. One Twelve Gallery - Atlanta, Georgia: November 12 - January 16, 2011
“Fiber and Wood”. Pocosin Arts Folk School and Gallery, Columbia, NC: May 8 - June 12, 2009.
“Tender Landscape: artists respond to human involvement in the natural world”. Dalton Gallery, Agnes Scott College: January 29 - March 5, 2004.
“Res Secundae: the Best of the Biennial”. Albany Museum of Art - Albany, GA: November 7 - January 5, 2003.
“Small Works”. Nexus Gallery, New York, New York: January 31 - February 23, 2002.
”Georgia/Alabama Biennial”. Albany Museum of Art Albany, Georgia: October 5 - November 25, 2001.
“Japonisme: Asian Inspirations”. Target Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia: March 28 - May 6, 2001.
“Layers Into Light”: an exhibition of paintings, constructions, and book arts. Eyedrum Gallery - Atlanta, Georgia: August 5 - September 4, 2000.
“2000 Defining Vessels” Chico Arts Center - Chico, California: May 5 - June 11, 2000.
“Day of the Dead”. Fine Art Center en Taos, Taos, New Mexico: October 16 - November 19, 1998.
“Booked: Contemporary Artist Books”. Art Academy of Cincinnati Chidlaw Gallery. Cincinnati, Ohio: January 15 - February 12, 1998.
“Print and Sculpture Show: Recent Works from the Printers Workshop”. Georgia State University School of Art and Design Gallery - Atlanta, Georgia: November 7 - 28, 1997
“The Paradise Show: Benefit for I.M.A.G.E. Film and Video”. Atlanta Stage Works - Atlanta, Georgia: November 1992
“Pathological Conditions”. New Visions Gallery Atlanta, Georgia: August 25 - September 21, 1990
CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
“Repetition & Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber”. The Project Space - Minnesota Museum of American Art St. Paul, Minnesota : November 7, 2013 - January 19, 2014 (traveling)
“Repetition & Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber”. The Hudgens Center for the Arts Duluth, Georgia : March 26, 2013 - May 25, 2013
PUBLICATIONS & BOOKS
“Entwined” artists weave beauty, memory, history, trauma into textile and fiber art.” Cullum, Jerry. Arts Atlanta, May 15, 2023
“PROJECT” speaks eloquently to supporting Atlanta artists where they live”. Sirlin, Deanna. Arts Atlanta, November 26, 2019
“See it now: “PROJECT” at innovative Temporary Art Center won’t last for long”. O’Neill, Gail. Arts Atlanta, November 13, 2019 (artsatl.org)
“Danielle Deadwyler, Sonya Yong James Win Atlanta Artadia Awards”. Burnaway, November 18th, 2019
“Sonya Yong James: LOUD MAGIC”. Flamming ,EC. ART PAPERS, October 2, 2019
“Distaff, Spindle: Sonya Yong James at Whitespace, Atlanta”. Dempster, Claire E. Burnaway, October 15th, 2019
“Cullum’s October Notebook: Whitespace, Reinike, Sinclair shows make must-see list”. Cullum, Jerry. Arts Atlanta, October 4, 2019
“Nature is an artist’s helpmate and muse in ‘Loud Magic’”. Feaster, Felicia. Atlanta Journal and Constitution, September 11, 2019
“At Chastain Arts Gallery, Puzzling, Rewarding I Am Both Digs into Dualities”. Cullum, Jerry. Arts Atlanta, February 7, 2019 (artsatl.org)
“The Fibers of Her Being: Textile Artist, Sonya Yong James celebrates the cycle of life”. Ledoux, Jeanee. Uppercase Magazine, January, 2018, pg 79-83.
“Fine Art Exporter”. Ledoux, Jeanee. The Atlantan, September, 2017, pg 62.
“A studio conversation with Sonya Yong James”. Nelson-Daniel, Anna. Arts Atlanta, August 23, 2017.
“Gathered III makes for a rich experience, conservative in tone”. Brantley, Rebecca. Arts Atlanta, June 27, 2017.
“Extreme Fibers: Textile Icons and the New Edge”. Martin, Art. Fiber Art Now, Fall 2015, pg 10-12.
The Craft Companion. Barry, Ramona & Rebecca Jobson. Thames & Hudson, Australia, November 2015, pg 118.
“A fresh take on fiber art at Minnesota Museum of American Art’s Project Space”. Schouweiler, Susannah. Knight Arts Foundation, January 6, 2014.
“Year in Review: Notable exhibitions, works of art and experiences of 2013”. Cullum, Jerry, Arts Atlanta, January 1, 2014.
“In Review: Repetition and Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber”. Hansell, Sally. Surface Design Journal, Fall 2013, pg 60-61.
“Review: In Hudgens fiber show, loveliness and pleasing unease”. Cullum, Jerry. Arts Atlanta, May 17, 2013.
“Review: Repetition and Ritual at the Hudgens Center”. Rich, Leisa. Burnaway, May 30, 2013.
500 Felt Objects: Creative Explorations of a Remarkable Material. Lark Books, Sterling Publishing Company, New York, New York, 2011, p. 297.
“Sculpture of self - effacing power”. Cullum, Jerry. Atlanta Journal/Constitution, , March 14, 2003, p. Q6
“Exploring Light and Bugs”. Cullum, Jerry. Atlanta Journal/Constitution, August 25, 2000, p.Q8