BEN TOLLEFSON
benjamin.tollefson@gmail.com • bentollefson.com • 973 580 6344
EDUCATION
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA; Master of Fine Arts; 2014
Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI; BA in Fine Arts, 2008
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Location Gallery, Savannah, GA; Heaven Scenes I-VII, 2018
Iridian Gallery, Richmond, VA; Wish You Were Here, 2018
International Gallery of Contemporary Art, Anchorage, AK; Paradise, 2016
FRESH Exhibitions, Exhibition Fellowship, Savannah, GA; The Distance That Separates One Person’s Heart From Another’s, 2015
Utrecht, Savannah, GA; Concerns of a Tone-Deaf Pop Star, 2014
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Pay No Attention to That Man Behind The Curtain, 2014
GROUP and TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
Center for Art, Georgia Southern Univ., Statesboro, GA: Mode/Code, curated by Jason Hoelscher , 2021
Laney Contemporary, Savannah, GA; Clerestory, 2020
The Stables, Savannah, GA: Another Body for Myself, 2020
Location Gallery, Savannah, GA; LUSH: A Celebration in Pink, 2019
Judge Realty, Savannah, GA; Come Rain or Come Shine, public art project with Elmer Ramos, 2018
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; The Message, curated by Heather MacRae, 2017
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Faith, juried exhibition, 2016
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Member’s Only, 2016
Gutstein Gallery, Savannah, GA; Modern Love, juried exhibition, 2016
Iridian Gallery, Richmond, VA; Manufactured Faces, Performative Spaces, curated by Michael-Birch Pierce, 2016
Alexander Hall, deFine Art Alumni Showcase, Savannah, GA, curated by Amanda York, 2015
Center for Art and Theater, Georgia Southern, Statesboro, GA, Mode/Code, curated by Jason Hoelscher, 2015
Gutstein Gallery, Savannah, GA; Landfall, juried exhibition, 2015
Foxy Loxy Print Gallery, Savannah, GA; Beyond the Cup, 2014
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Pop Up Shop, 2014
Gutstein Gallery, Savannah, GA; Immediate Surroundings, juried exhibition, 2014
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Pop Up Shop, 2013
ThincSavannah, Savannah, GA; Fussy Failures, two-person show with William Ruller, 2013
Gallery Le SNOOT!, Savannah, GA; Can We Talk? Artists in Dialogue with Joan Rivers, 2013
Schlueter Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; 2013 Invitational Exhibition, 2013
Ashmore Gallery, Savannah, GA; The Sketchbook Show, 2013
Oglethorpe Gallery, Savannah, GA; Soft Strokes, 2012
Ashmore Gallery, Savannah, GA; Happy Medium, 2012
Gutstein Gallery, Savannah, GA; Figuratively Speaking, 2012
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show, 2010
Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI; Iceland: A Visual Saga, 2010
Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, WI; Past/Present, 2010
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show, 2009
The Soundry, Vienna, VA; 12 Angry Women, 2009
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Lakefront Festival of the Arts; Milwaukee WI, 2008
The Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha, WI; 2006 Winter Juried Exhibition, 2006
ART FAIRS
Art Fields, Lake City, SC, 2018
Current Art Fair, represented by Iridian Gallery, Richmond, VA, 2017
WORK EXPERIENCE
SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Associate curator, Jun. 2016 to present
· Curate solo and group exhibitions by international contemporary artists, and SCAD faculty, alumni and students
· Work with dynamic team of curators to promote museum mission, special projects and exhibitions
· Curate all M.F.A. thesis exhibitions taking place in college galleries
· Curate and organize solo and group exhibitions. Select curated solo exhibitions include:
o Marcel Dzama, An End to the End Times, 2021
o The Haas Brothers, Beast in Show, 2021
o Shoplifter, Chromo Zone, 2020
o Wong Ping, Wong Ping’s Fables: How to Politely Refuse a Booty Call from your Neighbor’s Dog, 2020 (co-curated with Ariella Wolens), includes published book with essay
o Raphaël Barontini, The Golden March, 2019 (co-curated with Storm Janse van Rensberg)
o Monica Cook, Liquid Vessels, 2019
o Berta Fisher, 2019
o Lee Bul, City of the Sun, 2019
o Hasani Sahelehe, Banana Republic, 2019
o News from Nowhere (group), 2019
o Lily van der Stokker, Huh, 2019
o Abel Macias, All at Once in Every Place, 2018
o Michael James O’Brien, We Have Translated Each Other into Light, 2018
o Melissa Spitz, You Have Nothing to Worry About, 2018
o Mark Dorf, Translations, 2018
o Christopher Chiappa, LIVESTRONG, 2018
o Wendy White, American Idyll, 2018
o Summer Wheat, Noble Metal, 2017
o Jane Winfield, Signs of Life, 2016
SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Museum Coordinator, Mar. 2015 to Jun. 2016
· Acted as liaison between museum staff and professors and students
· Scheduled and oversaw museum academic corridor
· Supported events and programming including tours, lectures, and special events
· Trained and created professional development for student docents
Non-Fiction Gallery, Savannah, GA; Director of Public Relations and Special Events, Jun. 2013 to Jul. 2015
· Collaborated with three co-owners to create engaging exhibitions and programming
· Worked with artists to write promotional ephemera, plan and install exhibitions, and act as a point of contact for artists’ needs
· Front of house manager responsible for special events
· Responsible for social media presence and promotion
SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; Docent, November 2011 to January 2014
· Facilitated unique museum visitor experiences through engaging, informal talks and formal tours
· Created curriculum-specific talks for school-age visitors and college classes
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; School, Outreach and Family Programs Coordinator, August 2010 August 2011
· Coordinated K-12 school programs including reservations, content, and docent program
· Handled all single-visit school tours
· Contributed to K-12 outreach programs with District of Columbia Public Schools
· Conducted and assisted with student and teacher workshops and public presentations
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; Young Artists Exhibition Coordinator, June 2008 to August 2010
· Functioned as program’s registrar: maintained records, documents, and student artwork
· Developed and designed student exhibition booklets, rack cards, wall panels and labels
· Matted, framed and installed artwork and exhibition materials for exhibitions
· Worked closely with members of the education department to implement teacher, school, and public programs
INTERNSHIPS
Ashmore Gallery, Savannah, GA; March 2013 to May 2013
· Worked with gallery director to plan, hang, and promote special exhibitions
· Researched the 18th and 19th Century painting collection
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; undergraduate intern, Education Department, Jun. to Dec., 2008
· Researched, developed and led tours of permanent collection and special exhibitions for K-8 school audiences
· Assisted in training of docents
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; undergraduate Intern, Installations Department, Jun. to Aug., 2008
· Assisted hanging of permanent collection, preparation of artwork for shipment, and preparation of special exhibitions
The Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; Mural Artist, January 2007 to May 2007
· Designed and painted a child-friendly mural for the clinic for child abuse
AWARDS
SCAD Painting Memorial Endowed Scholarship, 2013
SCAD Honors Grad Scholarship, 2011
Gerald and Georgia Brommer Fine Arts Scholarship, 2007
2nd Place in Wisconsin Lutheran Colleges’ juried Student Show Themselves, 2007
Recipient of the Wisconsin Lutheran College Scholarship for the Arts, 2004
DONATIONS
Savannah LGBT Center silent auction, 2017
SCAD scholarship gala to support the SCAD Scholarship Endowment Fund, silent auction, 2013
Fundraiser to support DC Public Arts Integration Catalyst School, Tyler Elementary, 2011
PUBLICATIONS
Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 34, 2016
Port City Review, 2013
50 Things You Should Know About Chickens: An Anthology of Fowl and Fine Art by Sam Bryer, 2012