Dan Snyder (1948–). A Promising Weed. Ceramic. Signed to base. American, 1989. 

H 72-1/2".

Condition: Minor surface imperfections may be present. Unknown if cracks the intention of the artist.

Link to hi-res images:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/91s6gt8t7df019sdq4c9x/6579260_1.jpg?rlkey=rixo9i2ljjqjgvmq8zik28md0&st=4e2t1s8t&dl=0

Artist website: https://www.dansnyderartist.com/

DAN SNYDER (Daniel Cotton Snyder) FAAR

AWARDS & HONORS 

1972 U.C. Davis Chancellor’s Patent Grant for experimental lightweight rice hull infused clay bodies.

1973-‘75 The Rome Prize for Visual Arts in Sculpture, Fellow of the American Academy in Rome as Daniel Cotton Snyder.

1973 National Endowment for the Arts, Special Projects, prehistoric art. Specifically to work with Iron Age engravings in Capo di Ponte, Italy and to study the imagery in the original Lascaux cave in France.

PUBLIC COMMISSIONS  

2011 (original installation 1983) San Francisco International Airport, City & Co. of San Francisco, CA, "Welcome North, Welcome South, Welcome East, Welcome West”. The redesign and reinstallation of “The Welcome Wall”, polyurethane on aluminum, 60’x20’x4’. Previous to the Loma Prieta earthquake, the "Welcome Wall" was a permanent installation commissioned to be a greeting for arriving passengers on international flights. The "Welcome Wall" currently resides on Level One in Terminal Two, nearby its original location.

2010 Stockton CA, "Flood Plain Reminders" The design was commissioned to physically and conceptually integrate separate and disconnected art-filled plazas of the 3-mile water's edge Joan Darrah Promenade. Sandblasted abstract waterlines and ripples, striated color-stained cement benches, and artwork pedestals hint at the historical fact, that previous to the construction of the Sierra's run off dams, the California Central Valley would always flood during heavy rain winters. 120x50’ and 80’ diameter plazas.

2009 Stockton, CA, “Promenade”, embedded stainless steel in concrete pedestrian environment. Fifteen integrated sites ring the 3-mile water's edge promenade with text and geometric designs, augmenting plazas and a wide pedestrian thoroughfare that defines the site as a historic and active waterway connected to the world. 

2008 Rockville, MD, Rockville Town Square, "Chicken Corn Soup & Homemade Ice Cream", brass and sandblasted images and text in a cement sidewalk paver design. A word puzzle in the classic "Burma Shave" tradition, which mixes an international welcome with historical, local lore and regional food favorites. 

2003 Stockton, CA “Listen to the Fish”, A pedestrian environment of imbedded brass images and glass in cement sidewalks. Flooding the streets of Stockton with the energy and vitality of it’s thriving port, this work consists of 450 brass & glass elements over 7 city blocks. 

2003 Kaiser Permanente, Pediatrics, Hayward CA, “Animali Sportivi”, polyurethane paint on wood, 

2002 Augustine Park, Milpitas CA, “Sun Dial”, cement sundial, stainless insets in cement walkway that spiraling off the Hetch Hetchy right of way, like an eddy. It speaks of the flow of time, energy and joy. The walkway is set with playful figures. Someone catches a ride on a flying goose, who sings and leads us on our journey. 14' diameter, 36’

1999 Max’s Restaurant, San Francisco CA, polyurethane on composite  20'x9'  

1998 Ballston VA, Oliver Carr Co., “Reluctant Victory”, Ceramic figurative sculpture, main entrance lobby, 7’x3’x3’

1997 Prego Restaurant, San Diego CA , ceramic, figurative sculpture, 4'x3'x3’

1993 Hacienda Center, Sunnyvale CA, "Catching the Moon for Dad", polyurethane aluminum fountain, 12x10x10’ 

1989 Bank of America Plaza, Bateman-Elchler Corporation, San Francisco CA, “Desktop Gargoyles”, 3 ceramic figurative sculptures 4'x2'x2’ 

1987 Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Scottsdale AZ, “Fly-By-Night Petroglyph” ceramic, figurative sculpture, 7'x2'x2' 

1986 Coca Cola Company, Atlanta GA, "The Secret Ingredient", polyurethane on aluminum, engraved granite 90’x12’ wall. Commissioned for new corporate headquarters, with a message that good things come from hard work. 

1986 TRW Corporation, Cleveland OH, “Wild Forces”, polyurethane on aluminum , 45’x10’  

1983 San Francisco International Airport, City & Co. of San Francisco, CA, "Welcome North, Welcome South, Welcome East, Welcome West”,  polyurethane on aluminum, 60’x20’x4’, and lighting design, ”Welcome Wall" is a permanent installation, originally commissioned to be a greeting for arriving passengers on international flights, re-installed in the same Terminal 2, Level 1 site as part of the extensive redesign of the Terminal 2 in 2011.

PUBLIC COMMISSIONS / COMMUNITY BASED PROBLEM SOLVING / collaboration with children  

2007 Stockton, CA, “My Time” Van Buskirk Community Center, interactive sundial circle, brass in cement "My Time" is a handicapped accessible artwork in which anyone in the center of the sundial will cast a shadow on the time of day represented in brass numerals in the cement. AIA, Sierra Valley: Honor Award for Excellence in Design, incorporating images drawn by children of the community, with the theme of “HOME”. The artwork also physically connects the playground to the community center, helping to afford the children safe passage across the driveway, Total environment 90'x 90’ 

1998 Sunnyvale, CA, Washington Park “Fantasy Island” Brass images in cement.  A collaboration with the children of the community, this work consists of three 20' sidewalk sections. 

1997 Fairbanks, Alaska, Ladd Elementary School, "Hey Buddy - Seen Any Moose?" Polyurethane on composite . A series of video workshops led by the artist for the children of the community generated themes of animals and airplanes for this work which consists of three 30' wide, 9' high walls. 

1989 City of Tacoma, WA, Stanley Elementary School, “Look What I Found" polyurethane on composite. A collaboration with the children of the community, video workshops yielded imagery for three 12' wide, 9' high walls. 

1994 Albany Public Library, Albany CA, "A Few of My Favorite Things", polyurethane on composite.  A "mobile-like" installation in the children's library atrium. This collaboration with the children of the community began with a series of drawing workshops generating images and ideas for finished pieces. 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 

2019  Studio Exhibition, Berkeley CA, “Studies in Chance. and Imperfection”, Recycled auto glass and porcelain tile work. 

2017 Studio Exhibition, Berkeley CA, “Roadside Saints, Angels and Muses for 2017”, figurative ceramic sculpture transformations, driven by the events and sorrows of that year.

1990 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, "Old Roses", figurative ceramic sculpture. 18 life size ceramic sculptures (catalog)

1985 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, "Best of Luck-Dad”, free standing painted wood cut outs 

1983 Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, Monterey CA, “The Four Breezes”, figurative ceramic sculpture  

1982 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, "The Restoration", figurative ceramic sculpture

1981 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle WA, "Science Fiction Endings", free standing painted wood cut outs. 

1981 The Allrich gallery, "Rediscoveries" free standing painted wood cut outs.

1979 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA “Rockets”, Life size coil constructed ceramic figures.

1977 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA “New Ancestors”, Life size mixed media figures.

1975 American Academy in Rome, Rome Italy, "Contrappasta" (catalogue) figurative ceramic sculpture, free standing cement, and polychrome mixed media.

1975  American Academy in Rome, Rome Italy, “Garden Transformation" (catalogue).  Free standing cement, mixed media and painted wood cut outs.

1973  Wenger Gallery, San Francisco CA, "In Totem" carved polychrome wood and mixed media.

1972 Wenger Gallery, San Francisco CA, “Ceramic Sculpture" fired clay and mixed media. MFA graduate show work.  

1972 UC Davis Nelson Gallery, MFA show, 23 figurative life size works, columns and 2 ceramic walls.

1971 Sacramento State University, "Wet Clay"  One ton of wet clay and found objects,

1971 UC Davis, basement gallery, “Wet Clay”, One ton of wet clay and wood.

1971 UC Davis, basement gallery, “Lots of 3D Art Without Clay” A mixed media Tsunami. 3 truck loads of wood, hay bales and found stuff.

1970,  Harrisburg, PA Museum courtyard. Transformation piece. A mixed media Tsunami, 3 truckloads of fencing, screen and wood  

1970 Penn State University art gallery, Transformations. A mixed media Tsunami, 3 truckloads of fencing, screen and wood.  

1970 Penn State University art gallery, ceramic sculpture.

PUBLIC and CORPORATE COLLECTIONS 

Manetti Shrem Museum, University of California, Davis, Margrit Mondavi Art Garden

San Francisco International Airport

City & County of San Francisco, CA,

Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA

The Lannan Foundation, Santa Fe NM

Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, Monterey CA

The American Academy in Rome, Italy

E.B. Crocker Museum, Sacramento, CA

Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey CA

Pennsylvania State University, PA

University of California at Davis, CA

Coca Cola Company, Atlanta GA

Hacienda Center, Sunnyvale CA

TRW Corporation, Cleveland OH

Bateman-Elchler Corporation, San Francisco CA

Hyatt, Scottsdale AZ

City of Rockville, MD

City of Stockton, CA

Kaiser Permanente, Hayward CA

Oliver Carr Co.,Washington DC

City of Milpitas CA

City of Sunnyvale CA

City of Tacoma WA

City of Albany CA

City of Fairbanks, AZ

RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017- 2021 “30 Ceramic Sculptors” in conjunction with California Conference for Advancement of Ceramic Arts (CCACA) John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis CA.

2016 “The Great California Art Movement UC Davis Fine Art Alumni Exhibition: 1960-1990” John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis CA. in conjunction with the Manetti Shrem Museum, UC Davis grand opening

2015 Pence Gallery, Davis CA, CCACA ceramic sculpture show

MISCELLANEOUS / FILM CREDIT

1992 Sculptures used on location for “Basic Instinct”, Paramount Pictures

PRESS

Maria Porges,“Dan Snyder”, American Ceramics, Volume 8, #4, solo exhibition , Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA,  ISSN 0002-7820

Thomas Albright, “A Dramatic Coup in Classical Sculpture”, San Francisco Chronicle, November 11th 1977, ”New Ancestors”, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA, ISSN 1932-8672

Arthur Bloomfield,“Out of the piazzas with extra pizzazz”, S. F. Examiner, November, 22,1977, “New Ancestors”, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, ISSN 2574-593X

Thomas Albright, “Hall of comic-heroes” Artnews, volume #1, January, 1977, “New Ancestors”, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, ISSN: 0004-3273

Al Morch,“A delightful return to childhood art”, S. F. Examiner, March 30, 1981, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA, ISSN 2574-593X

Andree Marechal-Workman, “Rediscoveries”, Artweek, April 11th, 1981, Volume 12, #14, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA, ISSN 0004-4121 

Thomas Albright, “New Relics”, San Francisco Chronicle, December 5th 1972, solo exhibition, Wenger Gallery, San Francisco, CA, ISSN 2574-593X

CNM, “Fragments of Antiquity", Artweek, December 16th, 1972, solo exhibition, Wenger Gallery, San Francisco, CA, ISSN 0004-4121 

Thomas Albright,“Snyder’s Austere Columns” - Telephone Poles to Totems”, San Francisco Chronicle, July 11, 1973, “In Totem” solo exhibition, Wenger Gallery, San Francisco CA, ISSN 2574-593X

Ceramic Monthly, “Dan Snyder”, January, 1991, solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, ISSN 0002-7820

Sylvie Roder,“Crossing traditional boundaries”, Artweek, , January, 10th, 1987, The Palo Alto Cultural Center, group exhibition, “Between Painting and Sculpture”, ISSN 0004-4121 

Al Morch, “Art-hearts on fire”, S. F. Examiner, September, 23th, 1985, “Best of Luck Dad” solo exhibition, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco CA, ISSN 2574-593X

Melinda Levine, “Ascending Man”, Artweek, September 15th, 1979, Volume 10, #29, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, ISSN 0004-4121 

HAC, “Dan Snyder”  The Sunday Peninsula Herald, September 25th, 1983, solo exhibition, Monterey Museum of Art, ISSN Number 0889-3101

John Davis Hart, “Artists and Galleries”, The Rome daily American June 1, 1975, Library of Congress Control Number sn96058074

Charles Shere,“Old Roses”, solo exhibition brochure essay, January, 1991, Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA, https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c86h4p7g/

EDUCATION 

1970 Pennsylvania State University BFA  

1972 University of California at Davis MFA 

TEACHING

1975-1976 Pennsylvania State University, design, sculpture, iron casting 

1987-1993 University of California at Santa Cruz, figure modeling, advanced sculpture,
sculpture seminar, performance / conceptual art, three dimensional design, public art seminar, beginning ceramics, advanced ceramics

1994 San Francisco State University, guest artist, ceramics

1995 Palo Alto Cultural Center, ceramics workshops

1995 Sunnyvale Community Center, figure modeling

1996 Ohlone College, Fremont CA, sculpture, figure modeling, foundry

1997-2001  Zuzu’s Playhouse, Berkeley CA, art instruction for young children