Ken Kalman Bio

Ken Kalman has worked with a range of materials throughout his career. It is an ongoing exploration of how form and meaning can be constructed from discrete elements. Each artwork is developed and executed solely by Kalman himself. His work thus reveals both the vision of the artist and the skill of the craftsperson.

Metal sculptures are shaped from aluminum or copper plate with hand-cast details. Wooden constructions are created from many smaller elements. Watercolor paintings are composed of geometric shapes that are, in turn, created with pointillist brushwork. Multimedia sculptures result from unexpected combinations of aluminum, plastic, and found materials.

Kalman is a Detroit native who studied and worked in Boston and Albuquerque before settling in the Bay Area more than 20 years ago. He holds an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico.

Bay Area exhibitions have included Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, and in San Francisco, the Virginia Breier Gallery, Terrain Gallery, Vorpal Gallery, Museum exhibitions include the Carlsbad Fine Arts Museum, Carlsbad, NM, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA, Jewish Community Museum, San Francisco, CA, Seattle Art Center, Seattle, WA, and the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, CA.

Kalman’s artworks can be found in private and corporate collections across the country; the Nestle Corporation, the Milwaukee Bucks, Tiffany & Company, and the US Department of State in Washington DC, to name a few. Private Collectors include Mr. & Mrs. Paul Cook, Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Kennedy, Ms. Danielle Steele, Mrs. Brett Pabst, Mr. John Traina.

BORN     in Detroit, Michigan, 1955

EDUCATION

1998      MFA, Sculpture, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, California  

1981       B.A., Fine Arts, Painting, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

1979       B.A., History, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

1977-78 Undergraduate Studies, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI

1975-77 College of Basic Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA

COMMISSIONS

2021-22 Republic Urban Properties (4 aluminum sculptures) Gateway Project, Millbrae, CA 

2020-21 The Rosen Table Hillsbourgh, CA 

2019-21  Panoramic Interests, City Gardens 333 12th Street, SF  (lobby and furniture) 

2018-19 Panoramic Interests (facade and gates) 2711 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

2017       Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Miner (copper lizard) SF, CA 

2015-17 The Panoramic (copper sculptures and furniture) 1321 Mission Street, SF 

2015       The Panoramic (“Urban Currents”) 1321 Mission Street, SF 

2009-10 Perforce (aluminum giraffe, tree, and seagulls) Alameda, CA 

2006       UC Storage (aluminum relief sculpture “Oceana”) 2127 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 

2002       Artech Building (copper salamander) Berkeley, CA 

ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2013       Ken Kalman: Points of Interest, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2012       A Historical Narrative: A Survey Through Objects and Collectables by Ken Kalman. San Marco Gallery,

                Dominican University, San Rafael, CA

2012       Ken Kalman, OK Harris, New York, NY

2009       Ken Kalman, Metal, Wood, Paper, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA 

2008       Animal, Insects and Mapworks, Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA 

2006       Crockett Contemporary Art, Crockett, CA 

2002       “Native”, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, sculptures by Ken Kalman, Walnut Creek, CA

1995       Transamerica Two, San Francisco, CA

               AirTouch Communications, Walnut Creek, CA 

1994       Gensler and Associates Architects, San Francisco, CA

1993       Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Las Vegas, NV

TWO AND THREE PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2004       Aluminum, Three Person Show, Virginia Breier Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1999       Central California Art Center, Two Person Show, Modesto, CA  

1994       Sculpture, Works by Kalman, Bui and Thrift, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1993       4N3D, Works by Bui, Falk, Kalman and Matsumoto, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA 

               Constructure, Works by Robin Bernstein and Ken Kalman, College of Marin Art Gallery, Kentfield Campus, San Raphael, CA

               Ken Kalman and Michael Wells, New Ground Gallery, Montclair, CA

1992       Ken Kalman and Neil Hart, Modesto Junior College Art Gallery, Modesto, CA

1991       Ken Hendrickson and Ken Kalman, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1990       “Independence / Interdependence”, Paul Douglas and Ken Kalman, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1989       Mary Hatch and Ken Kalman, Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago, IL

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012       “Artistic Visions of the Golden Gate Bridge”, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2012       “Football Invitational” National Art Museum of Sport, Indianapolis, IN

2011       “14th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition” George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2010       “Mapping: Memory and Motion in Contemporary Art”, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY

2009       A Modern Day Drawings Cabinet, Bay Area Figurative Works, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisc, CA

2009       “Marking Time: Omer Calendars by Community Artists”, BJE Jewish Community Library, San Francisco, CA  

2008       Wild Thing! The Gallery at Cliff Lede Vineyards. Yountville, CA    

               “Building a Team”, The 11th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                 Community Artists Look at Israel, BJE Jewish Community Library, San Francisco, CA 

2007       Small Treasures with a Special Twist, Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA

                “Curtain Call,” Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA

                “Americana”, The Main ARTery Gallery, Benicia, CA

                Spring Training: The Art of Baseball, George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                All About Books: Artists’ Books, BJE Jewish Community Library, San Francisco, CA

                George Krevsky Gallery, “A Closer Look.” San Francisco, CA

                Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, “Creatures of Magic and Myth,” Sonoma, CA 

2006       Perlow-Stevens Gallery, 2006 Fall Exhibit, Columbia, MO

                Menagerie: Artists Look at Animals, Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, CA 

                George Krevsky Gallery, “My America,” San Francisco, CA   

                James Gallery, “Baseball and Jazz,” Pittsburgh, PA

                Claudia Chapline Gallery, “Summer Exhibition,” Stinson Beach, CA

                I. Wolk Gallery, Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford, CA

                12th Annual Ruth Bancroft Garden Sculpture Show, Walnut Creek, CA

                Artscape, “Spring Green and Woven Things,” Walnut Creek, CA

                George Krevsky Gallery, “Top of the Ninth, The Art of Baseball.” San Francisco, CA 

2005       George Krevsky Gallery, “Works on Paper.” San Francisco, CA              

                Virginia Breier Gallery, “Tiger in the House.” San Francisco, CA

                 George Krevsky Gallery, “Sculpture: Then and Now.” San Francisco, CA 

2004       Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA 

                 Virginia Breier Gallery, “Primates”, San Francisco, CA 

                 Modesto Junior College Faculty Exhibition, Modesto, CA 

                Solomon Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, CA 

2003       Virginia Breier Gallery, “Time”, San Francisco, CA

                Virginia Breier Gallery, “Metal”, San Francisco, CA              

2002       Virginia Breier Gallery, “Figurative Show”, San Francisco, CA 

2001       Modesto Junior College Faculty Exhibition, Modesto, CA 

                Claudia Chapline Gallery, Stinson Beach, CA  

2000       “Inspired by Title”,Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA 

1999       Modesto Junior College Faculty Exhibition, Modesto, CA 

                Terrain Gallery, “Before the Fall,” 5 Sculptors, San Francisco, CA 

1998       Boritzer, Gray, Hamano Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 

               Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA 

                Island Arts, Newport, RI 

                Yerba Buena Sculpture Walk ’98, San Francisco, CA  

                San Francisco Art Institute, Masters Thesis Exhibition, Herbst Pavillion Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA

1997        Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA 

                 Lumina of New Mexico, Taos, NM  

                Yerba Buena Sculpture Walk ’97, San Francisco, CA    

                 Posner Gallery, Birmingham, MI

                 Walter/McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA 

                 Quietude Garden Gallery, East Brunswick, NJ

                 Northern Telecommunications Corporation, Santa Clara, CA 

1996       Northern Telecommunications Corporation, Santa Clara, CA

               Yerba Buena Sculpture Walk ’96, San Francisco, CA                

               Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA

               Joan Roebuck Gallery, Lafayette, CA

1995       Joan Roebuck Gallery, Lafayette, CA

                Posner Fine Art, Santa Monica, CA 

1993       Terrain Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1992       Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1991       Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

               Gallery West, Los Angeles, CA

1990       Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1989       Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago, IL

                Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1988       Arden Gallery, Boston, MA

                Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                Gallery West, Los Angeles, CA

                Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago, IL

1987       Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1986       Interart Gallery, San Francisco, CA

1985       Djurovich Gallery, Sacramento, CA

1983       Los Llanos Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

                GMB Gallery, Birmingham, MI

                 Navasaya Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1982       Robert Taylor Galleries, Houston, TX

               Images ll, Houston, TX

                Ruth Volid Gallery, Chicago, IL

               Performance Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

1978       Bloomfield Art Association, Birmingham, MI

CORPORATE COLLECTIONS

United States Department of State, Washington, D.C.                       

Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee, WI

Nestle Corporation, Glendale, CA

Letterpower Institute, Chicago, IL

Crawford/Wu Films, San Francisco, CA

Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL

Hewlett Packard Corp., San Diego, CA

Hewlett Packard Corp., Atlanta, Georgia

Kaiser Permanente Corporation, Rancho Cordova, CA                      

Kaiser Permanente Corporation, San Francisco, CA                          

Corp Art, Rockville, MD                                                                                            

Tiffany and Company Jewelers, San Francisco, CA                             

Intergroup Corporation, Los Angeles, CA

Ruth Volid Gallery Inc., Chicago, IL

Pensione International Hotel, San Francisco, CA

Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD

Jewish Community Library, San Francisco, CA

PATENTS

Folding semi-table bracket

Eco-Basin