Bio
Originally from the wooded landscapes of Western Michigan, Visser’s
journey to the urban environments of Detroit and Chicago sparked a profound
sense of disconnection from the natural world—an experience she recognizes
as increasingly common in contemporary culture. Since the early 1990s, she
has been creating sculptural works that explore the spiritual dimensions
of our relationship with Nature. Through her art, Visser invites viewers
to reflect on the importance of reconnecting with the natural world as a
pathway to inner peace and collective harmony.
Visser’s sculptures have been featured in prominent galleries across
Chicago and at the Paper Art Fair in New York. Her public commissions include
interpretive works for the Openlands Lakeshore Preserve, an environmental
installation at the Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival in Taiwan,
three tree sculptures for the Chicago Tree Project, and a site-specific
sculpture at Big Marsh Park in Chicago.
Solo Shows:
2026
Remnants, Union League Club, Chicago, IL
2025
Outta Here, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2020
353 North Clark Gallery Artist Spotlight, TurningArts, Chicago, IL
2017
Vivian Visser. Cultivate Urban Rainforest, Evanston, IL
Terrain Biennial. Cultivator, Bray Grove Farm, Morris, IL
2012
Vivian Visser. Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art, Pacific University, Forest
Grove, OR
2011
The Nature of Things. Cliff Dwellers Club, Chicago
2010
Refuge. Ryerson Woods Gallery, Chicago
Selected Exhibitions:
2025
Women Take the Walls, Garrett Museum of Art, Garrett, IN
Rooted in Rockford: Art and Tree Science, Klehm Arboretum & Botanic
Garden, Rockford, IL
2024
12th Annual Bridgeport Art Center’s Art Competition, Chicago, IL
A New language: Speaking with the Earth, XIAO SPACE, Evanston, IL
Be Mine, Greenleaf Art Center invitational, Chicago, IL
2023
26th Evanston and Vicinity Biennial, Evanston Art Center, Chicago, IL
6th Midwest Open, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Big Marsh Park, Ford Calumet Environmental Center, Permanent commission,
Chicago, IL
2022
Small Sculptures and Moquettes, Curators Gone Rogue, Dan Addington Gallery,
Chicago, IL
1st City Public Sculpture Exhibition 2022, Fox Ridge Nature Park, Vincennes
Indiana
E(art)H Chicago, Finalist, Chicago, IL
2021
Chicago Sculpture Exhibit 2021, Chicago, IL
2020
Bridgeport Sculpture Garden, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago
2019
Change Agents: Midwest Women Eco Artists, Hartmann Gallery, Midwest Women
Artists Symposium, Bradley University, IL
Sunshine Playscape. Lincoln Park Conservancy, Chicago, IL
Dear Earth... Women Made gallery, Chicago, IL
2018
Evanston Arts Council Sculpture Leasing Program, Quinlan Park, Evanston,
IL
Art on Paper Art Fair, Imlay Gallery, NYC
2017
Jens Jensen Formal Garden Project, Humboldt Park, Chicago, IL
Installation Nation, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
2016
Chicago Tree Project, Berger Park, Chicago, IL
Oak Park Sculpture Walk, Oak Park, IL
2015
Stone Quarry Sculpture Park, Cazenovia, NY
When Art & Nature Meet. Forest Preserve of DuPage County, Mayslake Peabody
Estate
Chicago Tree Project. Green Briar Park, Chicago, IL
Sculpture Invasion. Koehnline Museum of Art, Des Plaines, IL
Convergence: The Poetic Dialogue Project, Ukrainian Institute of Modern
Art, Chicago
2014
Chicago Tree Project, Armour Square Park, Chicago
Oak Park Sculpture Walk, two installations, Oak Park, IL
2013
Seed & Life. Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival, Guandu
Nature Park,
Taiwan
2012
Form In Flora III. Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago
Ragdale Artwalk and Openhouse. Ragdale, Lake Forest, IL
Chicago’s Twelve - 12 Artists Mobilizing for the Earth, Zhou B Art
Center and Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago
Natural Connections, Christopher Art Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL
Ways of Making: Sculpture. Governors State University, University Park,
IL
6 to the Third, Expo Chicago, Chicago
2011
Form in Flora II, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago. Curator
Openlands Lakeshore Preserve Interpretive Public Art, Permanent art commission.Highland
Park, IL
6 to the Third, Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Sculpture International Invitational, Hostetler Gallery, Elmhurst Art Museum,
Elmhurst, IL
2010
Form in Flora, Garfield Park Conservatory. Chicago. Curator
Artprize, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
Counter Currents, Art Chicago, Chicago. American Survey Award
Sculpture Invasion, Koehnline Museum of Art,Des Plaines, IL
Fertile Ground - Honoring Nature in Art, Imlay Fine Art, Montclair, NJ
2009
Summer Sculpture, Niemi Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Kenosha, WI
2008
Feminist Ecology - Women and the Earth, Koehnline Museum of Art, Des Plaines,
IL
Let Us Examine the State of Our Environment, Phantom Gallery Installation
Show, Garfield park Conservatory, Chicago
Sculpted Green, Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition, Bellevue, WA
2007
Sublime Climate I/III Addressing Global Warming, Thompson Family Gallery,
Garthwaite Center for Science and Art,Weston, MA
2007 -Current.
Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet, Traveled to Houston, Los Angeles,
San Fransisco, and the Climate Conference in Copenhagen and Geneva. Book
2006
Niemi Sculpture Gallery, Niemi Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Kenosha, WI
2005
About-For-From Nature, Yatoo-I, the Korean Nature Art Association Permanent
collection of the Nature Museum, Gongju, Korea
Niemi Sculpture Gallery - Sculpture 2005. Uihlein Peters Gallery, Milwaukee
Awards and Honors:
2022
“The Arts - Curating Fragile Nature”, Invited panelist, Lead The World,
Horasis USA Meeting.
2019
"Art and Place," Panelist, Midwest Women Artists Symposium, Bradley University,
IL
2015
Stone Quarry Sculpture Park Residency, Cazenovia, NY
Sculpture Residency. Ragdale, Lake Forest, IL
2014
DCASE Grant, Chicago
2013
Guandu International Sculpture Festival, Taipei Taiwan
2011
Chicago Artist Month, Featured Artist, Chicago
I-Park Residency, East Haddam, CT
2010
American Survey Award, Art Chicago
2009
The Puffin Foundation Grant, Teaneck, NJ
2006
Will's Creek Survey 2006 Exhibition Allegany Arts Council,
Cumberland, MD. Juried by John W. Smith, Director of Archives of Art of
the
Smithsonian Institution. Jurors Award.
2006, 2009, 2010
Chicago Artist Assistance Grant, Chicago
Print:
2018 A 10 year Look Back: Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival.
2017
National Basketry Organization, “The Makings: Gathering, Storing &
Processing
Natural Materials”, Quarterly Review, Winter 2017
Louise Burton, Chicago Tribune, "See It Now - Art of the natural world and
urban jungle populate a pair of gallery shows". Jan '17
2012
Danijela Krucun and Charles McFadden, "Contemporary Sculptors -84 International
Artists", Atglen, PA, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
2010
Joseph Bechere, Grand Rapids Press. Review. "Expert tour of Grand Valley
State University Pew Campus exhibition center: Urban sculpture park should
be 'applauded'" Sept.'10
2009
The London Times, Cover photo. Cool Globe - Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet
show in Copenhagen during the Climate Summit. London England
2007
Imagination Publishing, "Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet", Cool Globes coffee
table book.
Don Parker, "Vivian Visser - Sculpted by Nature", Chicago Wilderness Magazine,
Fall
Education:
1992
Center for Creative Studies - College of Art and Design. Bachelor of Fine
Arts, Degree in Sculpture.
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