STEVEN VALERA

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Born 1994, Abington, Pennsylvania
Lives and works in Philadelphia

EDUCATION

2022
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass and Printmaking; Tyler School of Art and Architecture of Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

2019
Associate of Fine Arts with Concentration in Printmaking; Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

EXHIBITIONS

2024

Cellar Door, The Betsy Gallery, Saugatuck, MI

Light as Companion, curated by Stephanie Sara Lifshutz and Jessica Jane Julius, Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Alumni Invitational, Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA

2023

States of Dwelling, Fob Holder Exhibition, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

Devotion to:, Fob Holder Exhibition, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

2022

Memory of Material, curated by Kaitlin Santoro. The V Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Temple of Joy, Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA

Revelations, Solo Thesis Exhibition, Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2021

Here, and Now: Print Works in Progress, curated by Kakyoung Lee and Amze Emmons. Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Moving Forward When the World Stopped: Queer Life 2020-2021, William Way LGBT Community Center Art Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

2020

Light It Up, STELLA Online, Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

CURATION

2025
Installation Support, Look At This Thing, Urban Cartographies of Attention, UrbanGlass, Brooklyn, NY

2024
Curator, Live Wire, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

Co-curator, Expanding Methodologies in Print: Second State Press Member Exhibition, West Chester University, West Chester, PA

2023
Exhibition Support, Exquisite Resilience, Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA

Co-curator + Juror; Interchange Juried Open Call, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

Organizer, Superbloom. Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

 Installation Support, Resonance, Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA

Installation Support, THIS SPACE MAY BE MONITORED FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE, Temple Contemporary, Philadelphia, PA

RESIDENCIES, WORKSHOPS, AND AWARDS

2023
Student, Pilchuck Glass School, Helen Lee's Alpha-Murrine. Stanwood, WA

Fob Holder Resident, Summer Session, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

Fob Holder Resident, Spring Session, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

2022
Student, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Partial Scholarship, Aya Oki's Emphasis and Accent. Pittsburgh, PA

Awardee, CARAS Grant, Creative Arts, Research, And Scholarship Project Grant, Spring Award, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2023 - Present Exhibitions Coordinator, Second State Press, Philadelphia, PA

2021 - Present Freelance Glassblowing Assistant, Philadelphia, PA

2020 - Present Fabrication and Installation Artist Assistant, Philadelphia, PA

2024 Glass Studio Technician, Ox-bow School of Art and Artists' Residency, Saugatuck, MI

2022 Live Performer in Gathering Heat by Madeline Rile-Smith, Philadelphia, PA

2020 - 2022 Hot Shop Monitor, Glass Program, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

2020 - 2021 Cold Shop Monitor, Glass Program, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2025

Instructor, Hot Glass and Warm Glass, Goggleworks Center for the Arts, Reading, PA

Teaching Assistant, Faculty Davis Thal, Intro to Glass for Non-majors. Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

Teaching Assistant, Faculty Amy Ritter, Intro to Glass for Non-majors. Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

2024

Teaching Assistant, Ox-bow School of Art and Artists' Residency, Saugatuck, MI

• Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, Glassblowing
• Christen Baker + Priscilla Kar Yee Lo, Glass Multiples
• Corey Pemberton, The Dinner Party
• Yashodhar Reddy + Will Hutchinson, Glassblowing
• Hoseok Yoon, Multi-Level Glassblowing
• Carmen Lozar, Flameworking: Finding Form in Translation
• Ekin Aytac + Joshua Davids, Glassblowing

Teaching + Studio Assistant, Faculty Stephanie Sara Lifshutz, Special Topic: Neon, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

2023

Teaching Assistant, Faculty Brynn Hurlstone, Intro to Glass "Hybrid: Merging Materials, Concepts, and Practice". Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

Teaching Assistant, Faculty Victoria Ahmadizadeh Melendez, Imagery in Glass. Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA

2021

Teaching Assistant, Madeline Rile-Smith, Intro to Glass for Non-BFA Majors. Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Philadelphia, PA