About

Drawn to the visual qualities of random found objects and drawing from a professional career in museum exhibition design, my work joins experimentation and happenstance with careful planning and design. I first began making mirrors out of old Monopoly and Parcheesi boards as gifts for family and friends. This quickly evolved into more unique, free-form wall reliefs and shadow boxes to eventually include free-standing sculptures and what I call “semi-functional furniture.” Most recently, I’ve dipped my toes in to making whimsical lighting fixtures.

A tinkerer by nature, I derive energy and inspiration from the iterative trial-and-error process of assemblage and from the joy of the hunt as I mine my collection of more than thirty years.  I want viewers to be drawn in to study details, discover materials, and ponder possible motives and narratives.

“The art of looking and placing is what Bryan’s work shows me. Each object has shape and design, but reaches away from its intended purpose as an object to interact with other objects of the like. I’m drawn to the creating and mixing, while providing an opportunity for a viewer to explore on a multitude of approachable levels— as well as delightful craftsmanship to guide instead of hinder.”

— Liz Brown, Athenaeum Gallery Associate, Curators’ Selects | Artomatic 2024 exhibition

EXHIBITIONS

SOLO:

Re|Context, The Art League Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, Virginia, August 11 — September 5, 2021

Transcomplementations, Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio, June 29 — August 15, 2019

GROUP:

Curator’s Selects | Artomatic 2024, The Athenaeum, Alexandria, Virginia, June 27 — August 4, 2024. Group show consisting of work by fifteen artists selected by Athenaeum curators from among the 800+ artists who participated in DC’s Artomatic 2024 earlier in the year.

Artomatic 2024, 2100 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, March 8 — April 28, 2024.

Our American Soul: National Juried Group Show, Gallery Underground, Arlington, Virginia, February 27 — March 29, 2024. 3rd prize recipient for “Self-Inflicted.”

Xylem: A Branch of the Permanent Collection, Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio, February, 2023 through Fall, 2023

Artists’ Choice: Regional Juried Group Show, Foundry Gallery, Washington, DC, August 4 — 27, 2023

Bits & Pieces, Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, Virginia, November 19, 2022 — January 8, 2023

Dada 2.0, Del Ray Artisans, Alexandria, Virginia, February 4 — 26, 2022

Line upon Line, Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, Virginia, November 6 — December 12, 2021

2021 Fall Salon, Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, Virginia, November 10 — December 12, 2021

Smithsonian staff art shows 1998, 2011

JUROR:

44th Annual Show, Anderson Arts Center, Anderson, South Carolina, 2019

NEWS

Artist Showcase, Early Fall 2021, ArtsyShark, October 1, 2021

Blog Interview, Ten Questions for Bryan Sieling, The Art League, Alexandria, Virginia, August 13, 2021

Video Interview, The Art League, Alexandria, Virginia, August 12, 2021

BIO

2020 — present / Recontextualizer and Tinkerer at bryansieling.com, Alexandria, Virginia

2009 – 2020 / Chief of Design, National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington, DC

2000 – 2008 / Chief of Design, Newseum, Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC

1991 – 2000 / Exhibition Designer & Design Manager, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC

1989 – 1991 / Exhibition Designer, Staples & Charles, Ltd., Washington, DC

1983 – 1987 / Curator of Education & Ancient Legacies Exhibition Project Manager, Southern Ohio Museum & Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio

1982 — 1983 / Volunteer docent and gallery assistant, Southern Ohio Museum & Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio

EDUCATION

1987 - 1989 / M.A. Museum Studies with concentrations in exhibition and set design, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

1977 – 1981 / B.S. Environmental Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

1973 — 1977 / Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, Ohio