Born in 1951 in San Jose, California, Geoffrey grew up in Palo Alto, California and studied Ceramics at Palo Alto High School with Cramer Owen. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound with Honors and a BFA in Studio Art in 1973, then attended graduate school at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating in 1975 with a MFA in Ceramics.
Geoffrey Pagen was a recipient of a Fellowship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1982, and a Fellowship Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission in 1986.
His studio work spans a global context, having finished over 75 site specific commissioned ceramic projects throughout the United States and abroad, and has had over 30 solo exhibitions and 60 group shows since 1975.
Concurrent with the growth and execution of his studio work, Geoffrey has been the Head of the Ceramics Program at Reed College in Portland, Oregon since 1979.
M.F.A., 1975, Ceramics, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island.
B.F.A., 1973, Ceramics, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington.
1986 | Individual Fellowship Grant from the Oregon Arts Commission |
1982 | National Endowment for the Arts, Artist’s Fellowship Grant |
1978 | Residency Grant – one year award as Ceramicist-in-Residence at Contemporary Crafts Gallery in Portland, Oregon |
2015 Reynolds Gallery, New Haven, CT
2014 Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2012 Jeffrey Moose Gallery, Seattle, WA
2010 Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, OR
2009 Jeffrey Moose Gallery, Seattle, WA
2008 Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2007 The Brown Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky
2006 Vollum Gallery, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
2005 Calvin Charles Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
2004 Nancy Margolis Gallery, New York, New York
2004 Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2003 Margo Jacobsen Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2001 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1998 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1998 Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Wa.
1995 Brendan Walter Gallery, Santa Monica, California
1995 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1994 Foster/White Gallery, Kirkland, Washington
1994 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1993 Salishan Lodge Gallery, Gleneden Beach, Oregon
1992 Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1991 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1990 Jamison/Thomas Gallery, New York, New York
1989 Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1988 Vollum Gallery, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
1987 Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1985 Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1985 Smith Andersen Gallery, Palo Alto, California
1984 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1983 Lawrence Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1982 Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1982 By Design Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
1982 Reed College, Portland, Oregon
1981 Henry Korn Gallery, Maude Kern Art Center, Eugene, Oregon
1980 White Bird Gallery, Cannon Beach, Oregon
1979 Residency Exhibition, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon
1977 White Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
1976 Recent Works: At Anyart Contemporary Art Center, Warren, R.I.
2006 | NCECA Invitational Four person exhibition, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, Oregon. |
2005 | US Embassy, Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo. Art in Embassy Program, State Department. |
2005 | NCECA ceramics, Laura Russo Gallery, Portland, Oregon, March 2, April 1. |
2004 | "On the Wall," Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, March-May |
2003 | US Embassy, Nouakchott, Mauritania. Art in Embassy Program, State Department. |
2003 | "Contemporary Ceramics – An International Perspective," Susan Street Gallery, Solana Beach, California, February 20-March 31 |
2000 | "Abstraction-form to Field," June 1-July 29, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1999 | Confabulation of Clay Artists, October 4-29, Renshaw Art Gallery, Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon |
1998 | 30 Year Retrospective of Potters-in-Residence, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1998 | Susan Street Fine Art Gallery, Solana Beach, California |
1997 | "Artscape ’97," Susan Street Fine Art Gallery, Solana Beach, California |
1996-97 | "Magic Mud," Northwest Ceramic Art Exhibition, Curated by John Takehara, Traveling Exhibition until March 1997 |
1996 | "Fifteenth Anniversary Exhibition," Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1993 | Foster/White Gallery, Kirkland, Washington |
1993 | "Scale Shift Small Objects," Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1992-93 | Sea-Tac International Airport, Main Concourse, Foster/White Gallery Northwest Ceramics Exhibition, Seattle, Washington |
1992 | "Still Life," Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1991 | Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, Washington |
1990 | "Sum of the Parts," Jamison Thomas Gallery, New York, New York |
1989 | "Clay and Clay Plus," Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, Washington |
1989 | "Northwest Ceramics Today," Curated by John Takehara, Traveling Exhibition through March 1989 |
1987 | "Clay Works," Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, Washington |
1987 | OAC Fellowship Recipients Exhibition, A.N. Bush Gallery, Salem, Oregon |
1987 | "Functional Abandon: Clay as a Canvas," SAFECO Plaza, Seattle, Washington |
1986 | "Art in Clay, Part II," Cross Creek Gallery, Malibu, California |
1985 | Smith-Anderson Gallery, Palo Alto, California |
1985 | "Oregon Crafts ’85," Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, Oregon |
1985 | "Oregon Biennial ’85," Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon |
1985 | "Ceramic Invitational," Carr Gallery, Houston, Texas |
1984 | DBR Gallery, "Ceramic Invitational," Cleveland, Ohio |
1984 | "NEA Craft Fellowship Invitational," Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky |
1984 | "Clay 1984 – A National Survey Exhibition," Traver Sutton Gallery, Seattle, Washington |
1983 | "Ten Year Alumni Exhibition," Kittredge Gallery, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington |
1983 | "Oregon NEA Recipients Exhibition," Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1983 | "Oregon Biennial," Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon |
1983 | "RISD – Leadership in Crafts," The Craftsman Gallery, Scarsdale, New York |
1982 | "Northwest Craft Exhibition," Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, Washington |
1981 | Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire |
1980 | Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC |
1980 | "Alumni Exhibition II," Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island |
1980 | "Artquake ’80 Exhibition," US Bank Plaza Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1980 | "Oregon Crafts ’80," Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, Oregon |
1980 | White Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1980 | Artifact Galleries, Ltd., Bozeman, Montana |
1979 | Marui-Imai Gallery, Sapporo, Japan |
1979 | Potters-in-Residence, A 10-Year Retrospective Exhibition, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, Oregon |
1978 | 8th Annual Willamette Valley Exhibition, Corvallis, Oregon |
1978 | First Annual Alumni Exhibition, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island |
1977 | Northwest Craftsman Exhibit, Henry Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington |
1976 | Arizona National Crafts Show, Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Scottsdale, Arizona |
1976 | 18th Annual National Exhibition, Greater Fall River Art Association, Fall River, Massachusetts |
Ad Marketing, Century City, California
Aetna Insurance Co., Hartford, Connecticut
Arthur Anderson Consulting, Portland, Oregon
ATIS, Alliance of Telecommunications Industries, Washington, DC
Beaverton Physical Therapy, Beaverton, Oregon
Bethel School District, Graham, Washington
Boeing, Tukwila, Washington
Care Oregon, Portland, Oregon
Carpenters Union Building, United Brotherhood of Woodworkers, Washington, DC
City of Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego, Oregon
City of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Colling, Swift & Hynes, Washington, DC
Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Permanent Collection, Portland, Oregon
Cooper, Epstein & Hurewitz, Attorneys, Los Angeles, California
Crabbe & Huson Co., Portland, Oregon
C.Z. Sterling Co., Atlanta, Georgia
Czopek & Erdenberger, Architects, Portland, Oregon
Delta Airlines, Portland International Airport, Portland, Oregon
Delta Airlines, Sea-Tac Airport, Seattle, Washington
Department of General Services, State Collection, Salem, Oregon
Department of Transportation, Materials Lab., State of Oregon, Salem, Oregon
Eastern Oregon State College, La Grande, Oregon
Eastmoreland Golf Clubhouse, Portland, Oregon
Electro Scientific Industries, Portland, Oregon
ETEC Systems, Inc., Hillsboro, Oregon
Fabric Art, Portland, Oregon
Fedderly Companies, Palm Desert, California
General Growth Properties, Cleveland, Ohio
GI Joe’s Corporate Office, Wilsonville, Oregon
Health One Hospital, Denver, Colorado
Heathman Hotel, Portland, Oregon
Heathman Lodge, Vancouver, Washington
Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, Attorneys, Portland, Oregon
Hewlett-Packard, Atlanta, Georgia
Hewlett-Packard, Vancouver, Washington
Hihn Building, Santa Cruz, California
Howard Hughes Foundation, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Hyatt Hotel, Scottsdale, Arizona
Inter-Continental Hotel, Miami, Florida
Interiors, Miami Beach, Florida
Jeppessen Company, Denver, Colorado
J.H. Winkler and Company, Portland, Oregon
John Ross Condominiums, Portland, Oregon
Kaiser Glisan Dental Clinic, Portland, Oregon
Kaiser Lancaster Clinic, Salem, Oregon
Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Cascade Park Dental Center, Vancouver, Washington
KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, Portland, Oregon
Liberty Centre, Portland, Oregon
Mackenzie/Saito and Associates, Architects/Engineers, Portland, Oregon
Management Compensation Group, Portland, Oregon
McDonalds Corporate Offices, Lake Oswego, Oregon
Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, Oregon
Meriwether Towers, South Waterfront District, Portland, Oregon
Merix Corporation, Beaverton, Oregon
Metal Exchange Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri
Morton, Cole and Weber, Advertising and Public Relations Firm, Portland, Oregon
MPEG-LA, Chevy Chase, Maryland
National Builder Hardware, Portland, Oregon
NEC America, Inc., Hillsboro, Oregon
NERVE, Ad Agency, Portland, Oregon
Nissho Iwai American Corp., Portland, Oregon
Nissin Foods, Inc., Los Angeles, California
Noell Associates, Portland, Oregon
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corp., Raritan, New Jersey
PacifiCorp, Portland, Oregon
Paine Webber, Blyth Office, Portland, Oregon
People’s Bank, Providence, Rhode Island
Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac International Airport, Seattle, Washington
Portland State University, Millar Library, Portland, Oregon
Potomac Community Center, Potomac, Maryland
Precision CastParts, Clackamas, Oregon
Providence St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, Oregon
Radisson Hotel, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Ragen, Roberts, Tremaine, Kreiger, Attorneys, Portland, Oregon
Redmond Jr. High School, Redmond, Washington
Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Graham, Washington
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Oslo, Norway
Russell Development Corp., Portland, Oregon
SAFECO Insurance Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
SAFECO Insurance Company, Seattle, Washington
Serratto Restaurant, Portland, Oregon
Sheraton Hotel, Tacoma, Washington
Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Washington
South Whidbey School District, Langley, Washington
Sport Mall, Inc., Lake Oswego, Oregon
Stanford Hospital, Stanford, California
State of Oregon, Department of Revenue Building, Salem, Oregon
Stoll and Stoll, Attorneys, Portland, Oregon
St. Vincent Hospital, Portland, Oregon
Techmatics Corporation, McClean, Virginia
The Boulders Hotel, Caretree, Arizona
13th St. Lofts, Portland, Oregon
Thompson & Mitchell, Attorneys, St. Louis, Missouri
Thompson, Adam & DeBast Law Office, Beaverton, Oregon
Timet Corporation, Denver, Colorado
Tokyo Forum. Tokyo, Japan
Tonkon Torp LLC, Portland, OR
US Bank, Trust Division, Portland, Oregon
University of Oregon, College of Education, Eugene, Oregon
University of Oregon, Sciences Complex, Eugene, Oregon
US Embassy, Bujumbura, Burundi
Wacker Siltronic, Portland, Oregon
Washington County Offices, Hillsboro, Oregon
Washington Mutual Bank, Alderbrook Lodge, SeaTac, Washington
Wasserberger Benson Partnership, Architects, Portland, Oregon
Westwood Corporation, Developers and Contractors, Portland, Oregon
Wildwood Restaurant, Portland, Oregon
Williamson McCarter & Associates, Portland, Oregon
Wy’East Color Lab, Portland, Oregon
Xerox Corporation, New York, New York
Artweek, Vol. 34, Issue 3, April 2003, review by Lois Allan
Ceramics, Art and Perception, Issue #38, 1999, by Kate Bonansinga
Willamette Week, October 21, 1998, review by Kate Bonansinga
RISD Views, Feature Article, Fall 1994, Vol. 7, No. 1, review by Liisa Silander
American Ceramics Magazine, Vol. 10, #2, 1992, review by Suzanne Carmichael
Artweek, Vol. 23, #18, 1992, review by Greg Schneider
"Raku – a Practical Approach," book by Steve Branfman, 1991 by Chilton Book Co.
"RISD AT WORK," publication by Rhode Island School of Design on past RISD graduates, published October 1985
Ceramics Monthly, feature article of current ceramic work, October 1985
American Craft Magazine, "Portfolio" section, June/July issue, 1984
American Ceramics Magazine, review by Louise Klemperer, Fall issue 1984
New Art Examiner, review by Diane Hellekson, June 1982
Art Week, Vol. 10, No. 34, review by Leonard D. Kimbrell, October 20, 1979
The Oregon Artist Workshop Directory, published by Visual Arts Resources, Eugene, Oregon
State of the Crafts, published by Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, Oregon
1979-2014 | Director of Ceramics Program, Reed College, Portland, Oregon |
Summer 1979 | Visiting Artist, Craftsman in the School Program – Workshops in Portland Public Schools, Portland, Oregon |
Summer 1978 | Ceramic Workshop on Primitive Pottery, Haystack Program, Cannon Beach, Oregon |
Summer 1977 | Instructor of Kiln Building Class and Studio Course, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon |
1976-77 | Assistant Professor of Ceramics, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon |
Summer 1976 | Instructor of Summer Ceramics Program, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon |
Summer 1975 | Instructor of Summer Ceramics Program, Southeastern Massachusetts University, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts |
1975-76 | Acting Ceramics Department Head, Southeastern Massachusetts University, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts |
1979 | Travel to El Salvador and Guatemala, visiting ceramic pueblos and Mayan ruins |
1979 | Travel to Japan, visiting museums, private ceramic studios and kiln sites throughout Japan |
1971 | Travel to England and Europe, visiting museums, galleries, private studios and archaeological sites in the Mediterranean area |
Geoffrey Pagen's wall reliefs and works on paper synthesize his fascination with the physical properties of glazed, fired clay, and his interest in the formal properties of the two dimensional surface. Created with many types of glazes, on large slabs of clay, Pagen's reliefs evoke archeological ruins and the natural forces which wear them down. Art historically, his moody, layered textures and serial geometric compositions fuse Abstract Expressionism and Minimalist concerns. Yet always Pagen's work possesses a direct, unapologetic sensuousness which transcends all references.
- John Weber
Portland, Oregon