BECKY FREHSE
b. 1955, Harvard, IllinoisEDUCATION
M.F.A. Painting and Drawing, 1984. Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
B.F.A. Painting, 1980. Magna Cum Laude. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
ONE PERSON SHOWS
2024 Spacious Rambles, The Wagner House Gallery at Lakewold Gardens, Lakewood, Washington
2021 Tone Poems, Helen S. Smith Gallery at Green River College, Auburn, Washington
2012 Making Music, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
2010 Learning to Read Music, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington
2010 Adaptations, The Sandpiper Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
2008 Collected Stories, Pierce College Gallery, Steilacoom, Washington
2005 New Work; The Sandpiper Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
2001 Small Scrutinies, The Sandpiper Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
1999 Field Notes; The Sam and Nathalie Brown Center for the Visual Arts Gallery, Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma, Washington
1996 These Eight Became My Children, Charles Wright Academy’s Art Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
1994 Being Translated; Commencement Gallery-Tacoma Arts Commission Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
1987 My Tunisia; University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran, University, Tacoma, WA
1985 Collected Stories, Women's Cultural Center Gallery, University of Washington YWCA, Seattle, WA
1984 Recent Drawings; Art Gallery at Tarrant County Jr. College, Fort Worth, Texas
1984 Mortal Landscapes; MFA Thesis Exhibition, Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, Central Washington University,Ellensburg, Washington
SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS
2022 Col Legno and Soaring, site-specific installations for Tacoma Light Trail and Spaceworks,Tacoma, WA
2020 The 9th Street Reconciliation Orchestra, site-specific installation at Pantages Theater Windows, Tacoma, WA
2019-20 Fiddle Woods, site-specific installation at Art on Main Public Art, Auburn, WA
2018 Ensemble I and II, site-specific window installations at Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA-a Shunpike project
2014 Music Box, site-specific public window installation, Woolworth Windows, Tacoma, WA-a Spaceworks project
2013 ReConfigured, collaboration with Jane Kelsey-Mapel, Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona
GROUP AND TWO-PERSON SHOWS & COLLABORATIONS:
2025 Bound By Art, group exhibit by nine women artists, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, Washington
2025 2025 Southwest Washington Juried Exhibition, Olympia, WA. Janae Huber, Juror
2025 Creature Comforts, group exhibit at Childhood’s End Gallery, Olympia, Washington
2024 The Baggage We Carry,Spaceworks public site exhibit curated by Scott Nelson, Tacoma, Washington
2023 21st Annual Juried Exhibition, the Gallery at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, Washington; *Juror’s Award
2023 Juror’s Invitational, Leonor F. Fuller Gallery, S. Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, Washington
2022 2022 Southwest Washington Juried Exhibition, Leonor F. Fuller Gallery, South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, Washington
2022 Bloom, group exhibit at Childhood’s End Gallery, Olympia, Washington
2021 Tenth/Redux Annual Members Exhibition, Puget Sound Book Artists, Collins Library, Univ. of Puget Sound
2019 Foremothers, two-person collaboration with Jane Kelsey-Mapel, Practical Art Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona
2018 Transforming Knowledge, Puget Sound Book Artist Exhibit, Collins Library, Univ. of Puget Sount, Tacoma, WA
2017 Pursuit of Happiness, two-person collaboration with Jane Kelsey-Mapel, Practical Art Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona
2015 Mélange, two-person collaboration with Jane Kelsey-Mapel, Practical Art Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona
2014 2014 Foundation of Art Award Exhibit, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Tacoma, Washington
2013 Global Perspectives, juried exhibit at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, Washington
2012 ReConfigured, collaboration with Jane Kelsey-Mapel, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington
2011 Women With Passports, collaborative exhibit, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington
2010 Mighty Tacoma, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington
2010 Crossroads and Connections-Central Washington University Alumni Invitational, Gallery One, Ellensburg, Washington
2010 Food for the Soul, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington and Gallery 114, Portland, Oregon
2010 New Members-New Work, Gallery 110 collaborative gallery, Seattle, Washington
2010 Literary, Gallery 110 collaborative gallery, Seattle, Washington
2009 Feminist Art Exhibition, Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, Washington (Juried)
2007-2009-Grand Impromptu Co-operative Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
2007 Yangzhou Art Gallery, Yangzhou, China with the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Tacoma, WA
2006 Larson Gallery 34th Annual Juried Photo Exhibition, Yakima Valley College, Yakima, Washington
*Award-Honorable Mention Juried by Alan Berner, Seattle, WA
2004 Building Wise, Northwest Biennial Exhibition, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, Washington
2003 Collected Stories, collaboration with Louise Williams, Sandpiper Gallery, Tacoma, WA
2002 East-West Horizons, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2001 Larson Gallery 29th Annual Photo Exhibition, Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, Washington
Juried. Award of Excellence.
1997 SWCA-Seattle Women's Caucus for Art Exhibit at ARTSpace Gallery, Seattle
1996 Beijing and Beyond, Women's Caucus for Art Traveling National Exhibit
1996 Becky Frehse & Elizabeth C. Otto at Continuous Spectrum Gallery, Tacoma, WA
1995 Tacoma Now, Penelope Loucas Gallery, Tacoma, Washington
1995 Tell Me a Story, Women's Caucus for Art Exhibit at the NGO Forum on Women, Huairou, PRC
1993/94 Commencement/Commencement, Commencement Art Gallery, Tacoma, WA
1993 Going Far and Returning, Two- person show at Larson Gallery, Yakima Valley College, Yakima, WA
1993 Old Friends-New Voices, Tacoma Little Theater Gallery, Tacoma, WA
Curated by Penelope Loucas
1993 Chinese Perspectives, group exhibit at University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington
1993 Reconstructing Identity, Women’s Caucus for Art, The Seattle Center Pavilion, Seattle, Washington
1986-92 Annual Art Department Faculty Exhibits, University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran University,Tacoma, Washington
1990 Washington State Art Faculty Exhibition, the Esvelt Gallery at Columbia Basin College, Pasco, Washington
1990 Women Artists in Washington, Olympia School District, Olympia, WA
1987&86 Northwest Women in the Arts Invitational Exhibition, University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington
1987 Women in Art, Tacoma YWCA Juried Exhibition, Tacoma, WA
*Juried: People's Choice Award, 1987
1987 Pacific Gallery Artists Annual Juried Show, Tacoma Historical Society, Tacoma, Washington
* Juried: Second Prize for Drawing
1986 Peace Corps Artists, The American Cultural Center, Tunis, Tunisia
1985 29TH ANNUAL CENTRAL WASHINGTON ARTISTS EXHIBITION, The Larson Gallery, Yakima, Washington
*Juried: Pioneer Bank Award
1985 Pacific Northwest Figure Drawing Competition, The Visual Arts Center of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska
*Juror, Alfred Leslie
1984 Kansas Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Wichita Art Association, Wichita, Kansas
*Juror, Albert Handell
1984 First Alcoa Gallery '76 Exhibition, Gallery '76, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, Washington
*Juried. First Prize Award
1984 28th Annual Central Washington Artists’ Exhibition, Gallery One, Ellensburg, Washington
*Juried: Second Prize Award
1984 A New Order of Ten, Tenth Annual Woman Image Now Exhibition, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
1983 Community Art Gallery Annual Exhibition, Gallery One, Ellensburg, Washington
*Juried; First Prize Award and Honorable Mention
1983 27th Annual Central Washington Artists’ Exhibition, the Larson Gallery at Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, Washington
*Juried: People's Bank Award
1980 Collected Stories, Sixth Annual Woman Image Now Exhibit, Harry Wood Gallery, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
1977 Annual Student Juried Art Exhibit, University Art collection Gallery, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
*Second Prize
AWARDS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS
Juror’s Award, 21st Annual Juried Exhibition, the Gallery at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA, 2023
Nominee for Annual Foundation of Art Award, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, 2014
Tacoma Artists Initiative Project - Grant Recipient, 2009
Kathe Kollwitz Award from Seattle Women’s Caucus for Art, 2003
Award for Excellence in Photography, Larson Gallery 29th Annual Photo Exhibition. Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, WA. 2001
Juried by Drex Brooks & Herb Blissard
Artist Trust GAP Grant for "Personal Journals" project at the NGO Women's Forum in China. 1995
First Prize, First Alcoa/Gallery '76 Exhibition, Gallery '76, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, Washington, 1984
First Prize and Honorable Mention, Gallery One, Community Art Gallery Annual Exhibition, Ellensburg, WA, 1983
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Special Collections Artist Books Archive, Collins Library, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
Special Collections-Artist Books-James E. Brooks Library, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA
South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia,Washington
Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
City of Tacoma Washington Public Art Collection
Pierce County Washington Public Art Collection
TEACHING and ART PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Art Faculty, Dept. of Art and Art History, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, 2007-2019
Artist in Residence; Lecturer, Adjunct Art Professor, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, 1986-1993
Artist-In-Residence; Washington State Arts Commission, 2001-2010
Teaching Artist Mentor; Arts Impact in Education, Tacoma, WA, 2000-2005
Art Instructor; The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, 2001 and 2002
Guest Lecturer, Pacific Lutheran University, School of the Arts, 1994-1999
Art Instructor, Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma, WA, 1995 – 2000
Gallery Coordinator, the University Gallery, Pacific Lutheran University, 1990-91
Artist-in-Residence, Washington State Arts Commission, 1984-85
Teaching Assistant, Dept. of Art, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA 1982-1984
OTHER ART- RELATED EXPERIENCES
Member, Puget Sound Book Artists, Tacoma, Washington, 2012 to present
Kolaj Institute Collage Residency, Sanquhar, Scotland 2024
Collaborative Gallery Member, Gallery 110, Seattle, Washington 2011-2015
Member and co-organizer Grand Impromptu Collaborative Gallery, Tacoma, Washington 2006-2008
Co-Moderator, Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) Panel & Workshop Presenter
4th United Nations NGO Forum on Women in Huairou, P.R.C. 1995
Published Article; Modern Perspectives-the New Landscapes of Shan Jianfeng, Guangzhou Ribao, March 26, 1992
Translated by Wu Gaolin.
Guest Lecturer-Contemporary Painting (Western)- the Fine Arts Institute in Guangzhou, China, 1991
Guest Lecturer- Tacoma Art Museum; Brown Bag Lunch Series, 1987
Lecture and painting demonstrations- the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Tunis, Tunisia, 1986
Studio Artist Assistant to Katy Baucke, MFA, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1981-1982
ACADEMIC AWARDS AND HONORS
Munson Scholarship, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, 1982-1984
Magna Cum Laude, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, BFA 1980
Regents’ Scholarship, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979/80
Excellence In Painting, Awarded as B.F.A. candidate at Arizona State University, May, 1980
Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society, A.S.U. Chapter, 1979
Alpha Lambda Delta, National Honor Society, A.S.U. Chapter, 1976