Resume

Awards/Honors

  • Award of Merit– Utah Arts Festival 2011
  • Award Winner – Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival 2010
  • First Place – Wood, Sausalito Art Festival 2010
  • Second Place – Wood, Sausalito Art Festival 2009
  • First Place- Wood, Sausalito Art Festival 2008
  • Award of Excellence, American Craft Council, St. Paul, 2007
  • Award of Achievement, American Craft Council, St. Paul, 2003
  • First Place, Wood, Portland Arts Festival, 2003 Juror – American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Ill.,
  • 1999 Juror’s Award, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, 1998
  • Best of Show, A.C.C. Craft Fair, St. Paul, 1998
  • First Place, Wood, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, 1997
  • First Place, Wood, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, 1996
  • Juror’s Award, St. Louis Art Fair, 1996 Juror, A.C.C. Craft Shows, 1993, 1990, 1986
  • Excellence in Wood – purchase award, A.C.C. Craft Fair, Minneapolis, 1992
  • Best of Show – Governor’s Award, A.C.C. Craft Fair, Minneapolis, 1991
  • Purchase Award and Cash Award, Utah Designer Craftsman Invitational, Salt Lake City, 1986
  • Award of Merit, Metal Art Guild Exhibition, Richmond, Calif., 1985
  • Design Award, Art of Crafts, Denver Art Museum, 1984

Selected Exhibitions

(asterisk denotes one-person exhibitions)

  • Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, 2007*
  • American Craft Council shows, 2011-79
  • Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC, 2005, 2004, 1998, 1996, 1995
  • SOFA, Chicago, 2007-05, 2001-2000
  • American Craft Exposition, Evanston, Ill., 2011-1994
  • Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, Calif., 2010-2006
  • Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, 2010,2006-2004, 2001, 1999-94
  • The Furniture Society, The Right Stuff, traveling exhibit, 2003-02
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, 2002, 1996
  • Southern Highland Craft Guild, The Chair Show 4, Asheville, N.C. and Wausau, Wis., 2002-01
  • Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, 2002
  • Craft Boston, Circa Now, 2002
  • California Contemporary Craft Association, California Design 2002, San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art, San Francisco, 2001
  • Gerald Peters Gallery, The Art of Seating: The Furniture of Robert Erickson, Santa Fe, 2000*
  • California Contemporary Craft Association, California Design 2000, San Francisco
  • Yale University Art Gallery, Please Be Seated, 1999
  • Gerald Peters Gallery, Contemporary Inaugural Show, Santa Fe, 1998
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Common Forms, High Art: Three Centuries of American Furniture, 1995
  • Southern Highland Craft Guild, The Chair Show II, 1997
  • Chicago International New Art Forms Exposition, 1993
  • Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 1992*
  • A.C.C., American Craft at the Armory, New York, 1991
  • Galleri 1 – Galleri NK, Bergen, Norway, 1989*
  • Kurland/Summers Gallery, Los Angeles, 1988*
  • William Zimmer Gallery, Mendocino, Calif., 1988*
  • Snyderman Gallery, Summer Invitational, Philadelphia, 1989, 1985
  • William Zimmer Gallery, Contemporary Furniture Masterpieces, Mendocino, Calif., annual exhibits, 1987-82
  • Architectural League of New York, The Chair Fair, 1986
  • Society of Arts and Crafts, Furniture Today, Boston, 1986
  • Ree Schonlau Gallery, Omaha, Neb., 1983*
  • Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, Lincoln, Neb., 1980*
  • Burton Gallery, Sacramento, Calif., 1978
  • Anton Leth Home, Porsmyr, Norway, 1977*

Public Collections

  • Yale University Art Gallery
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Minnesota Museum of Art–Cray Research Collection Renwick Gallery
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum

Selected Feature Articles About Robert Erickson

  • San Francisco Chronicle, Wizard of Wood: A classy place at the table, April 24, 2007
  • Woodshop News, In the Comfort Zone: Robert Erickson isn’t just known for making great chairs, he’s known for making comfortable chairs, cover story, March, 2007
  • The Atlantic Monthly, The Ergonomic Rocking Chair, (profiles of four contemporary rocking chairs), April, 2001
  • Woodwork, Sun-dried wood: Building a solar kiln, October, 1998
  • Sacramento Bee, California Life Magazine, Take a Seat: When you’re in a Robert Erickson chair, you’re sitting in a work of art, cover story, July 8, 1995
  • American Craft, Portfolio: Robert Erickson, April-May, 1993
  • Woodwork, Robert Erickson: A Sierra Chairmaker, cover story, May/June 1993
  • San Francisco Chronicle, Sitting Pretty: Robert Erickson’s museum-quality chairs, Aug. 5, 1992
  • Berlingske Tidende, Copenhagen, Med Wegner som forbillede (Title translation: “Inspired by Wegner: Robert Erickson is one of many Americans who have found success as furniture craftsmen,” Aug. 30, 1989
  • Sacramento Bee, Seat of Perfection: Robert Erickson makes sure customers measure up to his product, Sept. 14, 1985
  • NebraskaLand, From Prairie Roots: Under the skilled hands of this craftsman, wood from Nebraska trees – much of it sawn by local mills – is transformed into rich, glowing, contemporary furniture, November, 1984
  • Lincoln Journal and Star, Sunday Focus Magazine, Lincoln, Neb, Tractor seat’s comfort sculpted into a chair, cover story, Oct. 10, 1976

Articles Written by Robert Erickson

  • Woodwork Magazine, Hand-shaping wood for furniture: A chairmaker discusses his tools and techniques for creating curves, February, 2006
  • Fine Woodworking: Sandpaper: A wide variety of gritty choices, March/April, 1989
  • The Chain-sawn seat, May/June, 1986

Other

  • 2008 Artist in Residence , Anderson Ranch Arts Center, CO
  • Co-founder (1990) and board president since 1995: Yuba Watershed Institute. The institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the biological diversity of the Yuba River watershed. It works with federal and state agencies to manage 2,000 acres of forestland for old-growth habitat and high-quality timber products.
  • 2003 Nevada County Conservationist of the Year. Awarded by Nevada County Resource Conservation District.
  • Master Member, Baulines Craft Guild Member, Furniture Society, 1997 – present