Kevin Vanek

Education

Biography

Kevin Vanek is the Foundry Director and Academic Professional: Associate Professor in Sculpture at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Vanek works hard to ensure the foundry space at UNCG stay a safe, and equitable environment for students of all backgrounds to learn, to grow, and to create art. Through their teaching, Vanek’s students gain the confidence and self-trust necessary to follow their ideas without doubt and to value their unique personal narratives. To assist their students to realize their unique sculptures Vanek places strong emphasis on mastery of technique and process. By combining their artistic vision with strong technical skill, Vanek’s students exceed their own expectations by becoming well rounded artists.  

Kevin Vanek is a highly active sculptor whose work explores issues of acceptance, placement, and honor for the lesser viewed. Vanek’s work begins through self-reflection of the struggles they personally navigate in life such as; being queer in a world of gender stereotypes, mental health struggles with depression, anxiety/panic disorder,& ADHD, as well as the limitations of the modern corporate world they live in.. Through the deep contemplation of these identifiers of self and viewing the difficulties they bring on a personal level, Vanek is able to apply a greater empathetic understanding of their work and its context in the contemporary world. 

Kevin Vanek’s sculptures are exhibited in museums, galleries, and art competions across the country including such exhibitions as; 40 Under 40: Next Generation of American Metal Artists & We Are Here: LGBTQIA+ Voices in the Contemporary Metals Community at the National Ornamental Metals Museum, Memphis, TN 

Vanek was in the top 10% of artists in Artfields 2019 in Lake City, SC and Artprize 2024 in Grand Rapids, MI.

They have had recent solo exhibitions with the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and the Appalachian Center for Craft.

Vanek has been a Resident Artist at Franconia Sculpture Park, Salem Art Works, WNC Sculpture Center, and Sculpture Trails.  

Vanek is a 2020 recipient of a Visual Artist Fellowship from the Mississippi Artist Commission and a 2023 recipient of a North Carolina Artist Support Grant Through the ArtsGreensboro organization. 

Courses Taught

• Metal Sculpture 

Scholarly Creative/Research Activity

Selected Solo Exhibitons 

Selected Group Exhibitions

Personal Website

https://kevinvanek.com

Instagram: @kevin_n_stuff