ROTEM TAMIR
Rotemtamir.studio@gmail.com
www.rotemtamir.com
Education
M.F.A. Sculpture + Extended Media May, 2013
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
Vikki Katen Memorial Scholarship in Sculpture
Graduate Teaching Scholarship
B.F.A. Fine Arts May, 2007
Bezalel Academy for Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel
Exchange Program, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California (2006)
Excellence Prize, award in recognition of artwork
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor of Sculpture, Department of Art 2019 – present
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Selected Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions and Projects
Rima: Passages in Sephardic Sculpture August 8 – October 27, 2024
Rochester Art Center, Rochester, Minnesota
Curated by Sharon Toval
Catalogue: Rima: Passages in Sephardic Sculpture (Toval, S. & Alon, K.,)
Panel discussion: Exploring Sephardic Art and Jewish Eastern Culture, with Rotem Tamir, Sharon Toval, and Dr. Ktzia Alon (October 13, 2024, online): https://youtu.be/Qudnv7a1Qz4?si=rGRKJBJuZ-Sc16jK
Artist Talks (September 14 and 29, 2024, in person)
Funding: Project Support Grant, Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council ($3,000)
Home Sick, with Omri Zin July 1 – September 10, 2023
Mardag Gallery, Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, Minnesota
Artists Talk with Franconia Artistic Director Sharon Louden (August 3, 2023, online): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnxS5kMeHaU.
Again, Again and Again, September 1 – September 29, 2022
Cyrus M. Running Gallery, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
Workshop: Making as a Catalyst for Remembering: Community Engagement Workshop, hosted by artist and educator Dwight Michelson (March 9, online, March 16 and 17, in person)
Through visits preceding the exhibition, I brought students, faculty, and community members together to collaboratively create hand-sewn wool cushions, which were loaned to the gallery for the duration of the exhibition.
Artist Talk (September 1, 2022, in person)
Maybe a Horse, with Omri Zin June 1 – June 28, 2018
LIT Gallery, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The ARC: Artist Residency Chattanooga provided a studio and housing for the month of June, culminating in an exhibition at LIT Gallery developed with my partner as the collaborative Tamir-Zin Duo (June 21 – June 28, 2018)
Artist Talk (July 21, 2018, in-person)
Event: Maybe a Horse — Happening in the Park, East Lake Park, Chattanooga Tennessee (June 28, 2018)
Apertures
Ha’Kibbutz Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel June 1 – July 1, 2017
Performance (June 1, 2017): https://vimeo.com/221222369
As part of the opening reception, I invited professional musician Eyal Fein to wander the exhibition as a guest, attaching his trombone mouthpiece to my sculptures and improvising musical compositions.
Larval Acceleration: A Conversation in Chunks, with Omri Zin March 4 – April 15, 2017
Locust Projects, Miami, Florida and Tel Aviv Artists’ Studio, Tel Aviv, Israel
Locust Projects is an arts incubator in Miami dedicated to producing and presenting exhibitions, programs, and projects that support visual artists at all career stages. The gallery fosters experimentation, risk-taking, and critical conversations around contemporary art and ideas ($5,000).
Additional Funding: Exhibition Grant, Artis, New York, New York ($2500)
This exhibition began as a durational performance in which Omri and I activated the space during gallery hours by working in our sculptural “stations” (March 4 – 11, 2017).
While the unactivated stations remained on display at Locust Projects, a two-channel video installation of our activations was concurrently exhibited at the Tel Aviv Artists’ Studio (March 14-18, 2017).
The Periplanómenos Whistles April 20, 2016 – April 20, 2018
Public outdoor sculpture, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Funding: Creative Grant, School of Art and Art History, University of Florida ($25,000)
Performance: The Periplanómenos Whistles Concert, composed by Dr. Kristen Stoner, performed by Stoner and the UF Flute Studio (April 20, 2016)
Artist talk (April 20, 2016, in person)
The Homeless and the Great Titmouse Dec 12, 2009- January 16, 2010
Nachshon Gallery, Nachshon, Israel
Curated by Yael Kainy
Selected Group Exhibitions and Projects
Civilizations: Under the Same Sky- Ras Al Khaimah Biennale January 16 – February 08, 2026
Heritage Village of Al Jazeera Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Curated by Sharon Toval
Sussita: The Exhibition Sept 26, 2024 – May 25, 2025
Haifa City Museum, Haifa, Israel
The Other Four February 9 – May 19, 2024
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Curated by John Schuerman
Panel Discussion: with Rotem Tamir, Christopher Jones, Liza Sylvestre, and Dr. Jessica Cooley: https://youtu.be/NZQWGwZBZAc?si=I-jN-c1pVdKgedBQ
Im/perfect Slumbers February 11 – August 20, 2023
Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, Minnesota
Curated by Katya Oicherman
Panel Discussion: Let Go, Breathe Deeply: An ‘Im/perfect Slumbers, Virtual Conversation with Rotem Tamir, Katya Oicherman, Amoke Kubat, Shanai Matteson, Rotem Tamir, Yuko Taniguchi, Gwen Westerman (April 3, 2024, online): https://vimeo.com/849134642
Artist Interview with Katya Oicherman. Published online and as a hard copy for exhibition visitors: https://mmaa.org/im-perfect-slumbers-artist-interviews/#toggle-id-8
Carriers for Posterity January 28 – March 23, 2022
Law Warschaw Gallery, Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Curated by Jehra Patrick
Catalogue: Carriers for Posterity, printed, with essays by writer Erin Gleeson and the Curator and Law Warschaw Gallery Director Jehra Patrick
Panel Discussion: “Other Unknown Relations,” with Rotem Tamir, Jehra Patrick, Erin Gleeson, Jessica González, Alexa Horochowski, Jovan Speller, and Maggie Thompson, Hewitt Hall, Macalester College (in person, March 4, 2022)
Teachable Moment December 18 – March 27, 2021
Stove Works Gallery, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Curated by Mike Calway-Fagen
Conversation: Speaks: Making as Catalyst for Remembering with Rotem Tamir, curator Mike Calway-Fagen, and collaborator Wendy Wustenburg, Minnesota Textiles Center (online, April 8, 2021)
Artist Talk: Making as Catalyst for Remembering (online, March 24, 2021)
Publication: Tamir, R., Daulton S., Ogletree D., et al., Antiviral Community Pamphlet editions 1 – 32. Stove Works, printed zine.
Performing Objects November 7 – December 6, 2019
Paul Whitney Larson Art Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota
Curated by Chris Larson
Airflow: Short Films for a Chamber Concert July 28, 2017
Film Festival, Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, Vermont
Traveled to: Jamaica Town Hall, Vermont (July 29, 2017)
Solo: Together September 16, 2014 – January 14, 2015
Harn Museum, Gainesville, Florida
Artist Talk (October 1, 2015)
The Study Room December 18, 2013 – March 15, 2014
Haifa Museum of Art, Haifa, Israel
Land and Local September 14 – October 14, 2013
Burlington City Arts Center, Burlington, Vermont
State-wide exhibition including 6 additional locations
VCU Recent Sculpture MFA Alumni May 24- June 2, 2013
Meserole Gallery, Brooklyn, New York
VCU Thesis Exhibition March 3 – 10, 2013
Anderson Gallery, Richmond, Virginia
Award: Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship, Virginia Commonwealth University ($10,000)
Suzanne June 7 – July 29, 2012
Artisphere, Arlington, Virginia
The Alchemists November 11 – December 23, 2010
Kav 16 Community Gallery for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
Curated by Sally Haftel-Nave
Publication: Between Stations 1998-2018, (2019). Kav 16 – Community Gallery For Contemporary Art (December 26, 2019)
Published in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Kav 16 Community Gallery for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv, this book documents the gallery’s history, highlighting its role in fostering contemporary art within the local community. It includes essays, interviews, and images from key exhibitions and projects over the years.
And You Have No Thing That Hasn’t Its Place May 27 – June 20, 2010
Artists’ House, Tel Aviv, Israel
Curated by Moran Shoube
Catalogue: And You Have No Thing That Hasn’t Its Place, printed by Artist’ House with an essay by curator Moran Shoube
Artists and Curators Conversation (June 4, 2010)
Real Science Fiction January 8- February 7, 2009
Bezalel MFA Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
Curated by Boaz Kadman
Tool Test 6 May 22 – 24, 2008
Bikurei Haitim Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
Invitational festival of site-specific installations
Curated by Moran Shoube
Spotlight Group Show March 6 – 8, 2008
Fresh Paint, The Young Israeli Art Fair, Tel Aviv, Israel
Curated by Yifat Gurion
Catalogue: Printed guide profiling each artist included in the Fresh Paint Art Fair along with an exhibition text by Yifat Gurion
Snap Shot February 7 – May 17, 2008
Gallery for Contemporary Art, Ramle, Israel
Curator: David Wakstein
Cultural Art Exchange: The Global Experience December 1, 2006 -February 23, 2007
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California
Residencies
Green Olive Arts Residency (Upcoming) 2026
Tetouan, Morocco
The Green Olive Arts residency hosts international artists for research and production in Tetouan, with opportunities to engage local artisans and cultural traditions: https://greenolivearts.com
Jackman Goldwasser Residency May 15- May 27, 2023
Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Jackman Goldwasser Residency is tailored to the needs of the artist, providing a studio, housing, and connections to artists, organizations, and curators in Chicago: https://www.hydeparkart.org/directory/rotem-tamir.
Funding: McKnight Artist Residencies Consortium and the Artist Communities Alliance
Artist-in-Residence Summer, 2021
Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, Minnesota
Deferred from 2020 due to COVID-19
Franconia Sculpture Park’s Fellowship Artist Residency Program allows artists and/or artist teams to create ambitious new projects, interact and collaborate with a community of makers, and impact the public.
Funding: Project Support Grant, Franconia Sculpture Park
Artist-in-Residence June – July, 2019
Art OMI International Art Center, Ghent, New York
Art OMI’s fully-funded residency brings two dozen international artists together to engage in creative exchange, collaboration, and critical discussion, alongside visits with critics and curators. The program includes studio visits, engagement with art professionals, and direct connections to New York City.
Additional funding: Unlimited Art Fellowship
Open Studio (July 7, 2019)
Publication: “Artist Catalog,” Art Omi (2019)
Artist-in-Residence June 29- August 29, 2015
Sculpture Space, Utica, New York
A highly competitive two-month residency for innovative sculptors, providing 24/7 access to a 5,500-square-foot shared studio with technical support. Residents engage in a collaborative environment, participate in Works-in-Progress public receptions, and receive visits from arts professionals. Housing is provided, and artists are expected to develop new work while benefiting from community engagement and fabrication resources.
Funding: New York State Council on the Arts Fellowship
Artist-in-Residence July 3 – 31, 2013
Seven Below Arts Initiative, Burlington, Vermont
One-month residency providing a studio, housing, and stipend.
Open Studio (July 25, 2013)
Fellowships, Awards, and Grants
Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship 2022
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
The Grant-in-Aid of Research, Artistry, and Scholarship (GIA) program supports academic
excellence by promoting research, scholarly, and artistic activities among faculty across the University. GIA funds supported my independent research from July 2022 to October 2024, including a research trip to India.
McKnight Visual Artist Fellowship 2021 McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota Each year, six fellowships in the visual arts category are awarded. The focus of the fellowship program is to connect fellows to national and international visiting critics, participate in a McKnight Discussion Series featuring fellows and invited critics, and work with each fellow to pursue additional professional development opportunities.
Imagine Fund Faculty Annual Award 2021
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
This award supported a research trip to the Negev Desert in order to learn the nearly extinct knowledge of folk weaving traditions from the region.
Lenfest Summer Research Grant 2018
Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia
For faculty to pursue their individual research, this grant supported my work towards Maybe a Horse.
Professional Development Grant 2016
Department of Art, Florida State University
Funding to support professional development activities of art faculty
Institutional Collections
The Minnesota Museum of American Art
Visiting Artist Talks and Critiques
Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 19, 2023, in person)
“McKnight Discussion Series” with Dan Bowen, Maura Duvra, and Jasmine Wahi
Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota (April 6, 2023, in person).
Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, Minnesota (December 9, 2021, in person)
Professional Practice class, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Israel. (December 21/2020, online).
“Space In Objects.” Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. (November 22, 2019, in person).
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Israel (2017, in person).
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida (2016, in person).
College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio (2015, in person).
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Israel (2011, in person).
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem, Israel (2010, in person).
Publications
Toval, S., (Feb, 2025). “RIMA: Passages in Sephardic Sculpture. Dwelling in Present Memory: Transiting between Creation and Completion of North African and Middle Eastern Crafts.” Safah Hadasha, Israel (online): https://www.safahadasha.co.il/2num/גיליון-2/.
Toval, S. & Alon, K., (Feb, 2025). Rima: Passages in Sephardic Sculpture, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, Minnesota (print). Essays included in both English and Hebrew.
Or, M., (Dec 25, 2024). “Foot on the Gas: The Story of the Mythical Susita Car.” Portfolio Magazine, Israel (online): https://www.prtfl.co.il/archives/213973.
Eler, A,. (Dec 16, 2024). “Top 10 art events in the Twin Cities in 2024.” The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minnesota (in print and online): https://www.startribune.com/top-10-art-events-in-the-twin-cities-in-2024/601195334.
White, R., (March 16, 2023). “2021 McKnight Visual Artist Fellow: Rotem Tamir.” mplsart.com. Minneapolis, Minnesota (online): https://www.mplsart.com/written/2023/03/2021-mcknight-visual-artist-fellow-rotem-tamir.
Lamb, J., (September 16, 2022). “Creative art projects with Middle Eastern roots is more than pillow talk for Concordia students, community.” FORUM. Moorhead, Minnesota (in print and online): https://www.concordiacollege.edu/news/details/in-the-news-creative-art-project-with-middle-eastern-roots-is-more-than-pillow-talk-for-concordia-students-community/.
Abrams, A., Paul, S. (2020). “Paper & fiber arts.” Illustrating Mathematics. Davis, D., ed. American Mathematical Society, Providence, Rhode Island (print book): p. 29.
Haynes, O., (June 20, 2018). “It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…It’s A Horse?” The Pulse, Chattanooga, Tennessee (online): https://www.chattanoogapulse.com/arts_entertainment/arts-news/it%E2%80%99s-a-bird-it%E2%80%99s-a-plane%E2%80%A6it%E2%80%99s-a-horse/.
Werner, S., (June 1, 2017). “Not Ai Weiwei, Weekend Recommendations 1-3.6,” Talking Art, Tel Aviv, Israel (online): https://www.talkingart.co.il.
Uszerowicz, M., (March 24, 2017). “Two Artists Make a Mess in the Name of Process.” Hyperallergic, Brooklyn, New York, New York (online): https://hyperallergic.com/365382/two-artists-make-a-mess-in-the-name-of-process/.
Vazquez, N., (March 10, 2017). “At Locusts, A Tale of Two Factories and Two Artists.” ArtSlant, Los Angeles (online).
Vazquez, N., (March 9, 2017). “Israeli Artists Take on Modern Industry at Locust Projects.” Miami New Times, Miami, Florida (in print and online)
De Almeida, G., (April 10, 2016). “UF gains musical sculptures for University Auditorium lawn.” The Independent Florida Alligator, Gainesville, Florida (online): https://www.alligator.org/article/2016/04/uf-gaines-musical-sculptures-for-university-auditorium-lawn.
Hybenova, K., (May 30, 2013). “VCU Sculpture + 299 Meserole = Interesting Conversation.” Bushwick Daily, Brooklyn, New York (online): https://bushwickdaily.com/arts-culture/1328-vcu-sculpture-299-meserole-interesting-conversation/.
Sheffi, S., (June 18, 2010). “The Dance Of Death And The Bird.” Weekend Edition Haaretz, Tel Aviv, Israel (print).
Tal-Tene, N., (December 2, 2010). “Impure Gold.” City Mouse, Haaretz, Tel Aviv, Israel (print).
Yahay, G., (November 25, 2010). “The Magnificent World.” Time Out, Tel Aviv, Israel (print).
Amir, J., (December 25, 2009). “A Bird’s Nest Between the Plastic Bags.” Israel Today Weekend Edition, Tel Aviv, Israel (print).
Stromber, D., (Janurary 15, 2009). “More Than Little Green Men.” Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem, Israel (in print and online): https://www.jpost.com/arts-and-culture/arts/more-than-little-green-men.
Publications as Author and Interviews
Tamir, R. (Upcoming) 2026. “Roundtable Discussion on Deafness in Contemporary Art.” Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA) Journal, eds. Liza Sylvestre & Christopher Robert Jones (online).
Tamir, R. (April 25, 2025). “Prichat Mochot 49 – Rotem Tamir.” Interview. Erev Rav, Tel Aviv (online): https://www.erev-rav.com/archives/59120.
Tamir, R., (November 9, 2021). “Jerayah: Making as a Catalyst for Remembering.” from Dream/Bed, Oicherman, K., ed. MnArtists, online, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota: https://mnartists.walkerart.org/jerayah-making-as-a-catalyst-for-remembering.
Reprinted in Hebrew (March 3, 2022), Agam-Segal, D., ed. Erev Rav: Art. Culture. Society., Israel. https://www.erev-rav.com/archives/53998.
Bloomfield, C. (2018). “Omri and Rotem Zin-Tamir ‘Maybe A Horse’ at LIT.” Interview. Mineral House, Chattanooga, Tennessee (online): https://www.mineralhousemedia.com/media/2018/8/20/omri-and-rotem-zin-tamir-maybe-a-horse-interview.
Tamir, R., (March 6, 2012). No title, p. 32-39. Curious. Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Department of Sculpture + Extended Media, Richmond, Virginia (print): https://issuu.com/curious-vcuarts/docs/2012-curious-04.