ARTIST STATEMENT

My modified ceramic sculptures are a product of my continual desire to understand and change the meaning of objects, especially those that were once valued, then discarded. I search thrift stores for decorative figurines, then I dismantle, dissect and recompose them using the techniques of ceramics restoration. I often hunt for months or years to find figurines that are the right match. My seamless surgeries create works that humorously, yet pointedly, reflect the overlap between real science and science-fiction, and offer considerations about the power of kitsch, and the "truth" of objects as they pass from one owner to another.

BIO

Debra Broz’s interest in fantastical creatures began while growing up on a wooded prairie in central Missouri in the 1980s. As a child, she was obsessed with a collection of ceramic animal figurines made by her late grandmother, specifically a personalized white rabbit whose ears she had repeatedly broken and reglued. She had a deep connection with objects, spending many hours inspecting and arranging her collections of sidewalk detritus, delicate things from nature and miniatures. Feeling out of place in her rural community, she often relied on her imagination and her collections for comfort.

Broz received a BFA from Maryville University - St. Louis in 2003. After college, she sustained herself as a custom picture framer while creating mixed media collages based on things she collected: decaying organic material, found notes and abandoned personal items found near dumpsters and at thrift stores.

In 2005 she made a serendipitous move to Austin that defined the direction of her art and professional life for the decade to follow. She became an apprentice for a ceramics restorer, her first project being to repair her childhood rabbit. As she learned this new set of techniques she realized that she could use restoration not only for repair, but to seamlessly alter the mass-produced figurines she found abandoned at thrift stores. This led her down a path of mad science with an edge of tenderness, where she removed heads and legs while assuring her subjects they would come out the other side more fabulous than ever. During this same time, she started her own restoration business, and moved her studio to Pump Project, a nonprofit gallery and studio complex where she organized community events, curated exhibits and eventually took over as Director. While in Austin, Broz’s work was selected for ​New American Talent 24​ curated by Hamza Walker, and ​New Art in Austin: 15 to Watch​ at the Austin Museum of Art. Her work was also featured in Ceramics Monthly and American Craft magazine.

Broz moved to Los Angeles in 2014 where she rebuilt her ceramics restoration business and continued creating reconstructed ceramic figurines. Her desire to connect to the art community through nonprofit work led her to become involved with the Center for Cultural Innovation, where she helped teach artists business skills, and recently to join curatorial collective Monte Vista Projects. Since her move, Broz’s work has been exhibited in multiple local galleries, the American Museum of Ceramic Art and the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Her work has also been featured in Frankie magazine, the Huffington Post, and This is Colossal.

CV

2016 - ​Mixed & Mastered: Turntable Kitsch​, Debra Broz & Nick Deford. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft,

Houston, TX

2015 -​ RE-MADE: Contemporary Approaches to Factory Ceramics​, Blechmeki, Debra Broz & Cynthia Consentino.

American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona CA.

2014 - ​A Curio of Oddities​. Old Jail Art Center, Albany, TX. Solo exhibit.

2013 - ​Eclectic Momentum​. G Gallery, Houston, TX. Solo exhibit.

2013 - ​Wunderkammer: Debra Broz & Mark Johnson​. Dougherty Arts Center, Austin, TX.

2011 - ​New Art in Austin: 15 to Watch​. Austin Museum of Art.

2010 - ​Curio: The Little Oddities​. Birdhouse Gallery, Austin, TX. Solo exhibit.

2010 - ​Still Things.​ Gallery 5619, Austin, TX. Solo exhibit.

2010 - ​fifth-business : Debra Broz & Mark Johnson​. Pump Project, Austin, TX.

2009 - ​New American Talent 24​. Curated by Hamza Walker. Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin TX.

Other Group Exhibits

2019 - Monte Vista Projects at QiPO 01 Art Fair, Mexico City

2018 - ​Outside the Box​, BG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2018 - ​The Plant Show​, Giant Robot, Los Angeles, CA

2018 - ​Second Glimpses & Alternate Forms​, The Golden Gate Parlor, Los Angeles, CA

2018 - ​Year of the Dog​, Giant Robot, Los Angeles, CA

2018 - ​Natural 20​, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Los Angeles, CA

2018 - ​Fresh Start​, LAVA Projects, Los Angeles, CA

2017 - ​Hot Fruit,​ ATM Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

2017 - ​Art As Protest​, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA.

2017 - ​Something Wild in My Garden: the Lives of Urban Animals.​ Cactus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

2017 - ​Outside the Box​. BG Gallery. Santa Monica, CA.

2016 - ​The Nasty Women Exhibition​. The Knockdown Center. Queens, NY.

2016 - ​Loved Ones​. Good Eye Gallery. Los Angeles, CA.

2016 - ​Invitation.​ Northern/Southern Gallery. Austin, TX.

2016 - ​Politics of the Plate.​ Avenue 50 Studio. Los Angeles, CA.

2016 - ​Here's the Thing​. Art Share, Los Angeles, CA.

2016 - ​Fresh Start.​ Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

2016 - ​Weirdos.​ Curated by Cassia Lupo. Giant Robot, Los Angeles, CA.

2015 - ​Good Bad Taste,​ Curated by the Department of Design, University of Darmstadt, Germany.

2015 - ​Bunnymania.​ Curated by Peter Frank & Delia Cabral. Chung King Studio & Wilding Cran Gallery, Los Angeles. 

2015 - ​This Into That.​ Curated by Caleb Cole. Nave Gallery, Sommerville, MA.

2014 - ​floraXfauna,​ invitational curated by Womanorial, online exhibit.

2014 - ​Tomfoolery: Humor in Art​. Curated by Nick Ramos. Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown, TX.

2013 - ​Field Projects Show #14​. Curated by Jacob Rhodes & Keri Oldham. Field Projects Gallery, New York, NY. 

2013 - ​Debra Broz: New Work​. Legion Arts, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Solo exhibit.

2012 - Four Artists: Austin. Cohn Drennan Contemporary, Dallas, TX.

2012 - ​Medium Small​. Big Medium Gallery, Austin, TX.

2011 - ​10x10x10 Tieton.​ Mighty Tieton Gallery, Tieton, WA. Juror’s Prize.

2011 - ​Wild Kingdom: Flora & Fauna Through A Contemporary Len​s. Gallery[1], Texas State University, San Marcos. 

2011 - ​New Dimensions.​ Bold Hype Gallery, New York, NY.

2011, 2012 - People’s Gallery Exhibition, Austin City Hall.

2010 - ​Subterrain​. Curated by Andrew Thompson. Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI.

2008 - ​Gender Agenda.​ Curated by Andrew Thompson. Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI. 

2008 - ​Mysterious Orbs,​ Austin Zen Center, Austin, TX. Solo exhibit.

2019 (Upcoming) - Site specific installation for Other Places Art Fair, San Pedro, CA

2014 - ​Gallery Tally: A Call for Gender Equity in the Arts.​ Created by Micol Hebron. Ongoing online and

physical exhibitions featuring artist-designed posters exhibited worldwide.

2012 - ​Manual Field Sample: Recovery & Archive Unit​. Five-artist collaborative installation. Pump Project, Austin. 

2011 - ​Banner Project​. Public art street banners, print catalog. Curated by Nick Ramos. Georgetown, TX.

2010 - ​Corridor​. Eight-artist collaborative installation. Dougherty Art Center. Austin, TX.

2010 - ​Re/Vision.​ 4-hour, 4-artist team installation project. Big Medium, Austin, TX.

2019 (Upcoming October) - ​Ceramics and Contemporary Art ​edited by ​Charlotte Vannier & Veronique Pettit Laforet​, Pyramyd Publications, Paris

2018 - Interview with Voyage LA, January 2, 2018

2018 - ​Comical Combinations of Ceramic Animals Form Surreal New Figurines, ​This Is Colossal feature, June 1, 2018 2017 - ​Splice and Dice​, Interview, Frankie Magazine, Issue 80 (Nov-Dec, 2017)

2016 - Interview with Debra Broz, by curator Hayley McSwain for Women’s History Month featured on The National

Museum of Women in the Arts' website.

2015 -​ A Really Slow Magician​: Interview on Art for Your Ear Podcast with the Jealous Curator. October. 

2015 - ​The Art of Ceramics​ edited by Caroline Amell. Book. Monsa Press, Barcelona.

2015 - ‘​8 Artists Working In the Delightfully Bizarre World of Contemporary Ceramic​s’ by Priscilla Frank.

Huffington Post Arts.

2014 - ‘​Ceramic Animals Grafted Into Frankenfurries’​ by L.R. Gjording. Beautiful/Decay Arts & Culture Site. 

2014 - ​Interview with Debra Broz​ by Oli Manning. Jungle Arts & Culture Magazine, London. July/August. 

2014 & 2011 - The Jealous Curator. Featured Post.

2014 - Field Projects Gallery Online Artist Feature. August.

2013 - ‘​DIY Delight in the Heart of Texas​ ’ by J.C. van Ryzin. American Craft Magazine. Feb/Mar issue.

2013 - Craftworks Dialogue, Episode 7. Interview produced by Brian Johnson.

2012 - ​The Monstrously Quaint Oddities of Debra Broz​ by Jackie Stone, the Austin Post. 2012.

2012 - Artist Spotlight, Tribeza Arts & Culture Magazine. February Issue.

2011 - ​Hummel Gone Wild​ by Wayne Allen Brenner. Austin Chronicle, November 11 Print Issue.

2011 - ​New Art in Austin: 15 to Watch​ Exhibition Catalog. Essay on Broz by curator Kate Bonansinga.

2011 - I​n Context- New Art in Austin: 15 to Watch​, KLRU-PBS Austin Television Program, Spring.

2011 - ​New Superstars of Southern Art.​ Oxford American Magazine Online, March.

2011. Artist Spotlight by Carolyn Harrold. Tribeza Magazine. Spring.

2011 - ​Is It Really a Problem? Portraits of Artists as Art: Debra Broz​. Short film by Arden Durham.

2010 - ​Print Lives, Fifth-Business: Mark Johnson & Debra Broz​ by WA Brenner, Austin Chronicle, March 4 

2010 - KLRU Collective: Debra Broz on East Austin Studio Tour. Studio Interview, November.

2008 - ​East Austin Studio Tour Highlights​ by Andrea Mellard, might be good...online art journal, November. 

2008 - Gender Agenda review by Norene Cashen, with focus on Broz's work. Detroit Metro-Times. August.

2018 - Artist talk, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA

2016 - Artist talk, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX.

2015 - Blending In: Modification & Restoration of Ceramics. Artist Talk, Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA. 

2013 - Selection Advisor for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Spirit of Austin Public Art Project.

2013 - Portfolio Review Adjudicator, grades 9-12. Independent Schools Assoc of the Southwest, Austin.

2012 - Juror. Wimberley Valley Art League Annual Show, Wimberley, TX.

2012 - Juror. Cherrywood Art Fair, Austin.

2012 - Guest Artist - Transfer printmaking demo. Advanced Art, Khabele High School Austin.

2011 & 2012 - Juror. Austin Art Connections Open Call Exhibitions.

2011 - Guest Artist - New Art in Austin art-making workshop, grades 3-5. Austin Museum of Art.

2011 - Juror. The National Arts Program Exhibition, Austin.

2011 - Presenter. Starting a Nonprofit Studio Community. Next Level Workshops. City of Austin.

2010 - Artist-Mentor during ‘Project Week’ for 3rd-year student. Khabele High School, Austin.

2010 - Guest Artist - Transfer printmaking demo. Khabele School, Austin.

2010 - Juror. Constitution Day Exhibit. Austin Community College.

2003 - Instructor, Drawing & Painting, Advanced Art Summer Sessions (age 9-14). Center of Creative Arts, St. Louis. 

2002 - Instructor, Drawing & Painting, Summer Session (age 5-8). Columbia Art League, Columbia, MO

2015 - Multiple artworks collected by DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, Austin 

2012 - Multiple artworks collected by actress Drew Barrymore

2011 - Juror’s Prize, 10x10x10 Tieton, Tieton, WA

2009 - Spike Gillespie Award for Service to the Arts, Austin, TX

2004 - Artica Art Festival Installation Grant, St. Louis, MO

2003 - Byron Lee Fine Arts Award, Maryville University, St. Louis, MO

2002- Helen Rex Fine Arts Award, Maryville University, St. Louis, MO

2000 - Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Maryville University, St. Louis, MO 

1999-2003 - Maryville University Dean’s List, All Semesters, St. Louis, MO

1999-2003 - Fine Arts Scholarship - Maryville University, St. Louis, MO

1999-2003 - Presidential Scholarship (Full Academic Scholarship) Maryville University 

1999-2003 - Missouri State Academic Bright Flight Scholarship

2003 – BFA, Studio Art. Maryville University, St. Louis. Magna cum Laude. Full tuition scholarship. 

2000 – Summer study, University of Missouri: art history & painting, Florence, Rome and Venice, Italy