Devin Balara (b. 1988, she/her) is an artist living and working in New Orleans, Louisiana
2014 MFA in Sculpture, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
2010 BFA in Sculpture, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Residencies + Awards
2023
Stoveworks Artist Residency (October), Chattanooga, TN
2021
Stoveworks Artist Residency (November-January), Chattanooga, TN
2019
Monson Artist Residency (April), Monson, ME
2016
The Wassaic Project, Mary Ann Unger Fellowship Recipient (September-October), Wassaic, NY
Say Uncle Artist in Residence (November), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
First Place Prize, Contemporary South Juried Exhibition, Visual Arts Exchange, Raleigh, NC
2015
Vermont Studio Center Full Fellowship Award (July), Johnson, VT
2014
Elsewhere Museum Artist in Residence (May - August), Greensboro, NC
8550 Ohio (formerly Harold Arts), Invitational Artist in Residence (July), Chesterhill, OH
Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, International Sculpture Center, Hamilton, NJ
Friends of Art/Grunwald Gallery Thesis Prize, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Sculpture Trails Cast Iron Conference, Artist in Residence, Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, Solsberry, IN
Solo + Two-Person Exhibitions
2024
Blue Hole, Coco Hunday, Tampa, FL, solo exhibition
2021
Endless Reach, exhibition with Bradley Marshall, Atlanta Contemporary, Atlanta, GA
Deeper + Deeper, exhibition with Bobby Gonzales, Roots & Culture, Chicago, IL
The Living Daylights, exhibition with Douglas Degges, Cleaner Gallerym Chicago, IL
Big Spiral, sculpture installation and performance as a part of the Terrain Biennial, Chicago, IL
2020
Doggy Dog World, exhibition with Mac Akin, Alone Time Gallery, New Orleans, LA
2018
What Did You Expect, What More Do You Want?, solo exhibition at Comfort Station, Chicago, IL
2016
Pavers, culmination of residency with Say Uncle, exhibited without permission at Lincoln Mall in Urbana, IL and with permission at DEMO Projects in Springfield, IL
2015
Gazebo, William Thomas Gallery, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
2014
Fixer-Upper, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Grunwald Gallery, Bloomington, IN
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
Christmas in July, NADA x Andrew Rafacz Gallery, curated by Wells Chandler, New York City
Life is Delicious, Curve Line Space, Los Angeles, CA, curated by Alana-Lynn Berglund
Phone Wallet Keys, Coco Hunday, Tampa, FL
2023
Lilac, Moonbeam & Heavenly Blue, Goldfinch Gallery, Chicago, IL, curated by Dove Drury-Hornbuckle
2022
Fall Ability, curated by Madeleine and Alberto Aguilar, Mayfield project space, Chicago, IL
2020
Kismet, curated by Meghan Grubb and Jessica Hunt, Monaco Gallery , St. Louis, MO
2019
Fuzzy Transposition, curated by Jesse Malmed, Monaco Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Animal Tactics, curated by Jordan Martins, Goldfinch Projects, Chicago, IL
2018
Pocket Objects, traveling exhibition of small keychain sculptures curated by Noel Morical
Alligator, floating lake-based sculpture curated by Partial Shade Collective, Huntsville, TX
2017
One Liners, with Aay Preston Myint and Danny Giles, Ox-Bow Gallery, Saugatuck, M
To See The Moon Fall From The Sky, Spring Break Art Fair, Times Square, NYC, curated by Will Hutnick and Mark Joshua Epstein
2016
The Mysterious Flight of the Peacock, COOP Gallery, Nashville, TN, curated by MikeCalway-Fagen
Contemporary South, juried exhibition, Visual Arts Exchange, Raleigh, NC, First PlacePrize recipient
2015
I Wish I Felt This Way at Home, curated by The Packing Plant, Torrance Shipman,Brooklyn, NY
The Soul and the Pawn Shop, Sediment Arts, Richmond, VA
The Reject Show, The Living Gallery, Curated by Katherine Farley, Brooklyn, NY
2014
International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Student Achievement Award Exhibition, Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ
Do You Belong Here?, curated by Lauren Frances Moore, Public Space One, Iowa City, IA
Wastelands, curated by Allison Remy Hall and Jacob Winchester, 313 Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Double Vision, Invitational Exhibition, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
Kinsey Institute Juried Exhibition, Grunwald Gallery, Bloomington, IN
Professional Experience
2024 - present Solid Space Glass, Owner/Educator, freelance stained glass artist, New Orleans, LA
2016 - 2023 Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residency, Metal Studio Manager, Saugatuck, MI
2014 - 2016 University of Tennessee, Metal Studio Manager, Knoxville, TN