Cris Bruch earned a BFA in ceramics/sculpture at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Following completion of an MFA and MA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Bruch moved to Seattle in 1986.

In 1989, he received the Northwest Major Works Award from the Seattle Arts Commission. In 1990, Bruch received the Betty Bowen Memorial Award, created a permanent entry sculpture for the Port Angeles Fine Art Center and was selected for residencies at the Ateliers Hoherweg, Dusseldorf, Germany; Djerassi Foundation, Woodside, CA; and Centrum Foundation, Port Townsend, WA. In 2001, he received a Neddy Fellowship from the Behnke Foundation in Seattle. A comprehensive survey of his work was presented by the Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT in 2003, portions of which then traveled to the Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID in 2004. Bruch’s career has included several public commissions. He has created iconic large-scale sculptures for the University of Washington, Seattle; the Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse in Eugene, OR; 5th Avenue Transit Corridor, Portland, OR; and Brightwater Environmental Education and Community Center, Woodenville, WA, among others. Bruch has received an Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Artist Fellowship (2006), a Pollock-Krasner Foundation award (2007), an Artist Trust GAP grant (2006 and 2012), 4Culture Individual Artist Project Grant (2011) and a Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs CityArtist Project Grant (2012). In 2016, Bruch had a solo exhibition, Others Who Were Here, at Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA.

The artist lives and works on Vashon Island.

EDUCATION
1986 M.F.A. Sculpture University of Wisconsin, Madison
1985 M.A. Video University of Wisconsin, Madison
1980 B.F.A. Ceramics/Sculpture University of Kansas, Lawrence

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016
Dispatch, Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA
Others Who Were Here, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA

2014-2015
If That Were Me, Portland Art Museum APEX Gallery, Portland, OR

2012
Great Plains, Flottmann Hallen, Herne, Germany

2011
Blind, Freshets and Black Fens, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA

2010
Gather and Wait, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR

2007
How Did I Get Here? - A 20-Year Survey, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA

2006
Remains to be Seen, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

2004
Duty Cycle, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
Structure/Skin, Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, IL

2003
Dreaming, Doing, Craving, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT

2000
Recent Works, Galerie Ute Parduhn, Dusseldorf, Germany
Duty Cycle, Suyama Space, Seattle, WA (catalog)
Time Signature, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR

1999
Small Comfort, Ateliers Hoherweg, Dusseldorf, Germany
Paper Wealth, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA

1997
Some Recent Work, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
Prior Works, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles, WA

1995
I Never Thought, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

1993
Don’t Feed It, FUEL Gallery, Seattle, WA

1992
Gland of Plenty, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR

1991
New Works, Fuller/Elwood Gallery, Seattle, WA

1989
Objects, Images, Actions, Oregon Art Institute, Portland, OR (catalog)

1988
Cart’s Desire, Fuller/Elwood Gallery, Seattle, WA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019
The Power of Place, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

2017
Out of Sight 2017, vital 5 productions, Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA

2016 Seeing|Saying: Images and Words, The Van Every/Smith Galleries, Davidson College, Davidson, NC

2013-2014
Classless Society, Tang Museum, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

2013
Portraits of 20 Northwest Artists, Museum of Northwest Art, La Conner, WA

2012
Mw (Moment Magnitude), Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA

2011
TOPO/GRAPHY, Edward Cella Art+Architecture, Los Angeles, CA

2010
Honoring 15 Years of Neddy Artist Fellows, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

2010
Intellectual Property, Hedreen Gallery, Seattle University, Seattle, WA

2009-10
A Concise History of Northwest Art, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

2008
The Terrible Twos: A Lawrimore Project Biennial, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA
Century 21: Dealer’s Choice, The Wright Exhibition Space, Seattle, WA
Dialogue: Flat/Form, Archer Gallery, Clark College, Vancouver, WA

2007
8th Northwest Biennial, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

2006
This is Gallery, Lawrimore Project, Seattle, WA

2005
A Decade of Excellence, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

2003
Crossroads, New Art From the Northwest: CoCA, Seattle, WA

2001
Kunstpfade, Peter Bruning Centrum, Ratingen, Germany
Layering, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
Neddy Award Exhibition, Bank of America Gallery, Seattle, WA

2000
Do Not Touch, Consolidated Works, Seattle, WA
The Extended Print, Jacob Lawrence Gallery, University of Washington, WA

1998
Metalcraft, Western Gallery, Bellingham WA; Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID (catalog)
Simple Form, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
The Objects in Hangar Two, Sandpoint Naval Station, Seattle, WA
Drawings in Space, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA
Betty Bowen Award 20th Anniversary, WSCTC, Seattle, WA (catalog)
Works on Paper, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
New Faculty New Work, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA

1997
Printworks, Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA

1996
Environs, Key Tower, Seattle, WA

1994
Print X Eight, FUEL Gallery, Seattle, WA
Eyes on Public Art, Newmark Center, Seattle, WA
3D X Four, FUEL Gallery, Seattle, WA

1992
Betty Bowen Legacy, Security Pacific Gallery, Seattle, WA (catalog)
Spirit of the West, West One Bank, Boise, ID
Seeds of Creativity, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles, WA
Group Show, FUEL Gallery, Seattle, WA

1991
In Public 1991, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle, WA (catalog)
Come To Your Senses, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
Night Gallery, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
In Public, Security Pacific Gallery, Seattle, WA
10th Anniversary Show, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR

1990
Drawing Power, Western Gallery, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Contemporary West Coast Sculpture, Jamison/Thomas Gallery, OR

1989
43rd Visual Arts Exhibition, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA
Studies for Works in Progress, Fuller/Elwood Gallery, Seattle, WA

1988
In/Transit, Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, WA
Three Person Show, C.A.G.E., Cincinnati, OH

1987
Painting/Sculpture ’87, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
Home Ala Cart, 911 Contemporary Arts Center, Seattle, WA

1986
6th Northwest International Art Competition, Whatcom Museum, WA

1985
Technology in Art, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
63rd Exhibition of Wisconsin Art, H. P. Reuss Federal Plaza, Milwaukee, WI

COMMISSIONS
2013-21 Public sculpture, Sound Transit Northgate Link Light Rail Station, Seattle, WA
2008-11 Public sculpture, Brightwater Environmental Education and Community Center, King County, WA
2005-11 Public sculpture, Vulcan Inc. Development Project, Seattle, WA
2008-09 Public sculpture, Tri-Met Fifth Avenue Transit Corridor, Portland, OR
2006-08 Mt. Si Bridge Replacement Project, North Bend, WA
2003-06 Public sculpture, GSA, Wayne Lyman Morse U.S. Courthouse, Eugene, OR
2002-04 Public sculpture, School of Law Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1996 Public sculpture, Port Angeles Fine Art Center, Port Angeles, WA
1991 Temporary Installation, In Public: 1991, Seattle Arts Commission / Seattle Art Museum
1989 Public sculpture, Northgate Transit Center Design Team, METRO, Seattle, WA

AWARDS, GRANTS and RESIDENCIES
2014 James W. Ray Venture Project Award, funded by the Raynier Institute & Foundation through the Frye Art Museum Artist Trust Consortium
2012 Award: Public Art Network 2012 Year in Review, a program of Americans for the Arts
Artist Trust GAP Grant, Seattle, WA
2012 CityArtist Projects Grant, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs
2011 4Culture Individual Artist Project Grant
2009 Award: GSA Design Award for Excellence in Art and Architecture, 2008
2009 Award: National Steel Bridge Alliance 2009 National Award, Mt. Si Bridge Replacement
2008 Award: ArtsFund Poster Artist, Seattle, WA
2007 Award: Pollock-Krasner Foundation
2007 Award: People's Choice Award, 8th Northwest Biennial, Tacoma Art Museum, WA
2006 Award: Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship, Seattle, WA
Artist Trust GAP Grant, Seattle, WA
2005 Award: Alumni Achievement Award, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
2005 Honors Award: King County Art Collection, Seattle, WA
2001 Residency: Djerassi Foundation, Woodside, CA
2001 Award: Neddy Artist Fellowship, Behnke Foundation, Seattle, WA
1999 Residency: Atelier Hoherweg, Dusseldorf, Germany
1995 Residency: Centrum Foundation, Port Townsend, WA
1990 Award: Betty Bowen Memorial Award, Seattle, WA
1989 Award: Northwest Major Works, Seattle Arts Commission, Seattle, WA
1987 Award: Painting/Sculpture '87, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
4Culture King County Art Collection, Seattle
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
New York Public Library Print Collection, New York, NY
Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles, WA
Seattle Art Museum, WA
Seattle Portable Works, WA
Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Stadtsparkasse, Dusseldorf, Germany
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
United States General Services Administration, Wayne Lyman Morse US Courthouse, Eugene, OR
Vulcan Northwest, Seattle, WA
Washington State University Museum of Art, Pullman, WA
Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT

Vanguard Seattle

Requiem for the Heartland: Cris Bruch's Others Who Were Here
by T.S. Flock
March 25, 2016

The Seattle Times

Eerie and elegiac ghost town: Cris Bruch's brooding sculpture about Dust Bowl disappointment
by Michael Upchurch
February 23, 2016