Shop Available Works by Jeremy Waak

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Artist Statement

“Touch with your eyes”

There are no overt statements in the artwork presented here. Rather, if one is quiet and actively listens, the artwork will speak about what it is. The aim is to provide just enough structure for the mind to grab onto, with still enough mystery to let the mind move through it. This is art as a rostrum for deeper thought, for contemplation; an attempt to understand ourselves through quiet introspection and careful unraveling of thoughts. Artwork that acts like a vail-covered mirror.

The artist Panamarenko, “What is most important for me is that, occasionally, a kind of poetry lurks in what I create.”

I am fascinated by the human condition; those elements that are beneath our conscious behavior. For example, that anthropomorphism and personification are both related to art in some fundamental way. This I explore through a language of form descended from Brancusi; fully dimensional, considered from the support surface directly, tedious application of skill, reductive as a way of alluding to symbolism.

Looking for shapes and forms to use in my artwork beyond Euclidian geometry, I venture out into the world around me as a shape hunter. The gesture of a plant, or the structural transparency of a trellis framed machine, will catch my attention, and then my imagination will take over and transform/invent forms for sculptures. No one point of inspiration can fuel the whole artwork, so I combine and then distill multiple sources into Hybrids.

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Artist Biography

Jeremy Waak was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. At an early age, he began to pursue creative endeavors, such as drawing and painting, which have remained integral activities for him. Being the child of a mechanic, Jeremy was heavily influenced by cars, engines, and all things mechanical. Jeremy attended the Memphis College of Art as an undergraduate and majored in metalsmithing. In Memphis, he began to explore the design and creation of mechanisms, which spawned the first in a series of hand-held devices called the "One Kernel Popcorn Popper." These disarmingly funny objects have allowed him to explore his love of the mechanical while making social commentary about our relationship to gadgets, planned obsolescence, absurdity, and Americana.

Jeremy continued to hone this body of work as a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His work in graduate school culminated in a thesis show titled, "One Kernel Popcorn Popper". This work earned him an Illinois Arts Council Grant in 2002. In 2010, he began a ten-year project converting an 19th century warehouse and blacksmith’s shop into a home and studio. After sixteen years in higher education, Associate Professor at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, Jeremy is now a full-time studio artist. His current interest is in exploring new work involving industrial imagery/mechanisms hybridized with plant/animal subject matter. His studio practice includes functional objects, wearable artwork and jewelry, gallery installations and public artworks.

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Education

2001
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Master of Fine Arts, Metalsmithing

2000
The Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University CollegeFarnham, Surrey, UK
Student Exchange

1998
Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Emphasis in Metals

1994
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

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Awards & Honors

Illinois Arts Council 2002 Artists Fellowship Award

3M Innovative Tools for Personal Use, Tools Not Worn on the Body During Use

Brent Kington Scholarship Fund

National Deans List

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Artist's Bibliography

‍Riveting News, April 2019‍

Lancaster Online, July 2014

Fig Lancaster, Fall 2011‍

Intelligencer Journal, January 2009

Intelligencer Journal, April 2008‍

Susquehanna Style, March/April 2007

Intelligencer Journal, October 2007‍

The Commercial Appeal, August 2004‍

Metalsmith, Winter 2003‍

SNAG News, September 2002

Number: 33, Fall 1997

The Memphis Flyer, September 1997

The Commercial Appeal, September 1997

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Public Projects

2025
Sideling Hill Trailhead Bike Wash
Joint project with PA Turnpike Authority, Cultural Alliance of York County,
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Southern Fulton High School

2022
Willow Oak
‍Kinetic sculpture, Lancaster Science Factory, Lancaster, PA

2021
Splits & Giggles Bike Corral
Public sculpture, functional art, installation

2019
AGVC3v1
Private Installation in Burks County, PA

2015
Champion Forge Bike Racks
Champion Forge Center, Lancaster, PA

Outdoor Alter
Grace UCC, Lancaster, PA

Common Wheel Bike Racks
The Common Wheel, Lancaster, PA

2014
Blossom, Memorial Garden Sculpture
Grace UCC, Lancaster, PA

2013
Bike Fan Light, bike racks for City Hall
City Hall, Lancaster, PA

Garden Gate Sculpture
Public/Private Sculpture, Private Home, Lancaster, PA

2011
Poetry Paths Alcove Handrails (Permanent Installation)
‍Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2008
Cup Tower, Site specific installation for Mayor’s Office of Special Events
Art Garden, Lancaster, PA

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Affiliations

Society of North American Goldsmiths
International Sculpture Center
Foundations in Art: Theory and Education
American Association of University Professors
make717 (community makerspace)
Mechanical Engineering Technology Advisory Committee, Thaddeus Steven’s College of Technology

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Professional Experience

2026
York College-Lecturer
Methods and Materials and Drawing 1, 2, 3, 4

2024
F&M College-Adjunct Instructor
Introductory Sculpture

2022 - 2024
York College – Lecturer, Sculpture 1, 2, 3, and Drawing 1

2023
The Stone Independent School-Substitute Teacher
Grades 8 - 9 Art

2009 - 2021
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA
Chair Foundation Department

2019 - 2021
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, PA
Associate Professor Foundation

2008 - 2019
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, PA
Assistant Professor Foundation

2007 - 2008
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, PA
Part-time Instructor, Foundation and Fine Art

2007 - 2009
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, PA
3D Lab Technician

2005 - 2007
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design (PCA&D), Lancaster, PA
Adjunct Instructor, FD106 3D Design, FA212 Intermediate 3D Design

2005 - 2008
Handrail Design Inc. - Fabricator and Installer, Columbia, PA
Built architectural samples, worked with R&D team to design and build proto-types, fabrication, welding, and onsite installation

2002 - 2004
Medwedeff Forge and Design - Fabricator
Built large-scale public sculptures

2001 - 2004
Illinois Motorcycle Rider Program - Rider Coach, Lead Coach
Taught basic and advanced motorcycle riding skills

1998 - 2001
Teaching Assistant, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
AD101 Introduction to Art
AD205 Beginning Jewelry and Metalsmithing

1994 - 1998
Wolf Camera - Lab Technician
Film developing, photo printing, maintenance of machines
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Lectures and Talks

2022
Visiting Artist Lecture, Micro-Residency for Art Educators Summer Institute
Millersville University, Millersville, PA

2021
Visiting Artist Lecture
Echo Valley Art Group, Lancaster, PA

2009
ContainedUniversity Gallery, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

2004
Visiting Artist Lecture
Rochester Institute of Technology, College of Art and Design, Metals and Jewelry Design

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Professional Organizations

Echo Valley Art Group (EVAG)

Demuth Foundation Board Member

Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)

International Sculpture Center (ISC)

American Association of University Professors (AAUP)

make717 (community makerspace)

InLiquid Art + Design

Solo Exhibitions

2026
Hybrids
Curio Gallery, Lancaster, PA

2023
Erector Set
NoWare Gallery, Lancaster, PA

2022
Post-Industrial Fetish
Curio Gallery, Lancaster, PA

2015
Idols and Totems, Regitz Gallery
The Ware Center, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA

2014
Post-Industrial Fetish, Regitz Gallery
The Ware Center, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA

2010
Guest Artist, February
Hamilton Club, Lancaster, PA

2009
Contained, University Gallery
Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

2001
One Kernel Popcorn Poppers, MFA Thesis Show
Vergette Gallery, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

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Group Exhibitions

2027
Echo Valley Art Group Exhibition
Suzanne H Arnold Art Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA

2026
Echo Valley Art Group 81st Annual Exhibition
Eckert Gallery, Millersville University, Millersville, PA

Demuth Invitational Exhibition
Demuth Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

Arcadia
Third Story, Lancaster, PA

2026 Abstract National Exhibition
MarkArts, Wichita, KS

Serious Play: Explorations in Contemporary Craft
Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO

2026 International Juried Exhibition
The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ

2025
Faculty Biennial, York College of Pennsylvania
Marketview Arts, York, PA

In Motion
Graver’s Lane Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Curated by Night Shift Studio

63rd Annual Community Art Exhibition
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

Echoes of the Lens
Curio Gallery, Lancaster, PA

Echo Valley Art Group 80th Anniversary Exhibition
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

2024  
‍Sculpture Tucson: The Kinetic Factor
Sculpture Tucson, Tucson, AZ

METALmorphosis: The Art of Transformation
Colorado Metalsmithing Association
The Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO

Garbled Guise: Contemporary Wearable Art
Indy Art Center, Indianapolis, IN

DownEast – National Juried Indoor Sculpture Exhibition
Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Greenville, NC

Echo Valley Art Group 79^th Annual Exhibition
Sykes Gallery, Millersville University, Millersville, PA

Garbled Guise: Contemporary Wearable Art
Indy Art Center, Indianapolis, IN

DownEast – National Juried Indoor Sculpture Exhibition
Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Greenville, NC

2023
Crafting Nature
InLiquid Art + Design, Philadelphia, PA

2023 Faculty Biennial, York College Galleries
York College, York, PA

New Works by Echo Valley Art Group
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

2022
New Now V
‍InLiquid Art + Design, Philadelphia, PA

WE ARE SNAG: Anthology 2022
Online at: snagmetalsmith.org

Craft Nouveau, Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA
Juror: Ariel Zaccheo

Echo Valley Art Group Annual
Elizabethtown College, Hess Gallery, Elizabethtown, PA

2021
Faculty Biennial Exhibit 
‍Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2020
As Good as Gold, snagspace.org, Online Exhibition
Juried Exhibition

2019 - 2021
Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Indiana University East
Indiana University East, Richmond, IN
Juried Exhibition

2019
CraftForms 2019, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
Juror: Jane Milosch

Cycle, Halstead Design Challenge, SNAG Conference, Chicago, IL
Juried Exhibition

2018
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2017
Beyond the Surface, a curated survey of contemporary drawing
Red Raven Art Company, Lancaster, PA
Invitational, Curator: Evan Kitson

2016
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2015
Self-Made, Sunshine Art+Design, Lancaster, PA
Invitational

2014
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2012
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2011
PCA&D Studio Faculty Showcase - Foundation Department
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

2010
To Build a Better Mouse Trap
‍Infantree Gallery, Lancaster, PA
Invitational

2009
Horn Island 25
Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN

Artists of the Keppel Building
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

2008
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

Man & Machine
Howard County Center for the Arts, Ellicott City, MD
Juried Exhibition

Works in Progress
Candy Factory Gallery, Kepple Building, Lancaster, PA

Searching for Beauty: A Visual Questionnaire
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

Art Of The Martini 7
‍Zaruba & Zaruba Gallery, Fredrick, MD
Juried Exhibition

2007
A Year Invitational
Parlor Gallery, Lancaster, PA

Show-up and Show, Show
Future Home of Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

Open Art Awards
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA

2006
Faculty Biennial Exhibit
Gallery, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Lancaster, PA

Lancaster ArtWalk
Lobby Gallery, Kepple Building, Lancaster, PA

2005
Made In America Invitational
Bevier Gallery, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

2004
Horn Island Twenty
Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN

Anti-War Medals
Artists Respond to the War, Traveling Internationally 2004

Working Drawings
Biggin Gallery, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Invitational, Curator: Eric Cuper

2003
Anti-War Medals, Artists Respond to the War
Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, CA

2002
Innovative Tools for Personal Use
The Center for Visual Arts, Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO

Metals Invitational
Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN

Working Drawings
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Invitational, Curator: Eric Cuper

2001
Odyssey, James Renwick Alliance 2001 Student Competition
Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

2000
Fun and Games Invitational
OXOXO Gallery, Baltimore, MD

MFA Preview Show
University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

1999
Playful Intent, Mae Whitaker Gallery, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO
Juried Exhibition

Containment, SIUE Art Museum
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL
I-Space, Chicago, IL
Juror: Billie Jean Theide

Southern Illinois Artists Open Competition
Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst, Mt. Vernon, IL

Ceramics and Jewelry/Metals Exhibition Invitational
Student Exhibition Center, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

Ton of Art
Glove Factory Surplus Space, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

1998
BFA Exhibition
Gallery, Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN

1997
Young Memphis Biennial
Clough-Hanson Gallery, Rhodes College, Memphis, TN

Horn Island 13 to Taos 3
Plan B Gallery, Memphis College of Art, Memphis, TN

1996
Boxing Match: University of Memphis vs. Memphis College of Art
Plan B Gallery, Memphis, TN

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Exhibitions Curated

2026
Counterbalance
Juried by Jeremy Waak and Matthew Apol
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA and Marketview Arts, York, PA

2021‍
Work Behind the Work
Juried by Jeremy Waak, Justin Phillips, Aaron Thompson
Demuth Museum, Lancaster, PA