Rick L. Silas, Artist and Inventor - Resumé

When I started experimenting with contemporary mediums in the late seventies, I had no idea of the scope of what I was developing. My intentions were to create my own art form, and at that I have been very successful, having sold many hundreds of pieces over the last twenty years. The techniques I developed for painting on glass have become a whole new way to create inexpensive, textured glass and my patented formula for bending glass without heat is finding all kinds of new applications that are far too numerous to list here. These days I find myself spending all my time in the studio producing tables, walls, and a plethora of functional items that would lend themselves well to mass production as opposed to the artist’s studio. I myself would rather use the medium to make the art that I developed it for.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SILASTIAL® GLASS INC May 2000 - present
Founder & Owner , Victoria, B.C.

THE POINT STUDIOS LTD. 1995 – 2004
Founder & Owner, Calgary, Alberta

ART IS VITAL 1993 – 1995
Founder & Vice President , Calgary, Alberta

STUDIO THINK INC . 1991 – 1995
Founder & President , Calgary, Alberta

COMMISSION PROJECTS

PRIVATE RESIDENCES 2005 - 2006
Created and designed many site specific pieces

LEWIS & WILLIAMS December 2005
Napa Valley , California
Designed and created 30’ x 16’ oval bartop

PROVINCIAL / FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA - August 2005
Designed and created 2 awards for Yechooche Band

MUNICIPAL FINANCE AUTHORITY June 2005
Victoria , B.C. Designed and created painting

VALLEY VINES TO WINES November 2005
Mill Bay , B.C.
Designed and created several glass panels with wine imagery

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP OF NANAIMO October 2004 - 05
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Designed and created 6 glass “EDG” Awards using cold bent reclaimed glass

DENTAL OFFICE April 2004
Malahat, British Columbia
5 Paintings of Glass for reception area

PRIVATE PENTHOUSE June 2002
New York, New York
Cold bent glass staircase

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL April 2002
Ottawa, Ontario
Designed and created 13 glass sculptures for annual “Innovation Awards ”

NATIONAL ADULT LITERACY DATABASE February 2002
Fredricton, New Brunswick
Designed, created, and donated 1 of 2 “Book” sculptures (1 sculpture to act as a lectern)

PRIVATE RESIDENCE October 2002
Calgary, Alberta
Designed and created “shattered” glass panels for outdoor sundeck

MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGE August 2001
Calgary, Alberta
Designed and created 100 pieces of “Ice Glass” for signage in library.

ALBERTA HOTEL July 2001
Calgary, Alberta
Designed and created “shattered” glass on mirror in lobby & elevator.

4 TH STREET CALGARY OFFICE TOWER May 2001
4 th Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta
Designed and created outdoor “shattered” glass awning – 16’ x 6’

JAWS TECHNOLOGY LTD June 2000
Calgary, AB & Toronto, Ontario |
Designed and created 3 “shattered” glass tables for lobbies and “ice” glass wall behind reception area.

SOUTHERN MUSIC April 2000
Calgary International Airport
Designed and created glass panels for video arcade

FIRST SEVENTEEN PLACE February 1999
Calgary, Alberta
Designed, created and installed six major pieces for lobby.

THE VENTURE GROUP April 1998
Calgary, Alberta
Designed, created and installed glass panels, boardroom doors and table, 2 sculptures, unique custom office window, and a ribbon of cold bent glass through the stair railings.

MOUNT ROYAL VILLAGE March 1998
Calgary, Alberta
12’ x 18’ cold bent glass waterfall: designed, created and installed.

LE CHAT NOIR COCKTAIL BAR February 1998
Calgary, Alberta
Designed, created and installed 15 pieces of art glass.

NATIONAL SNOW CARVING COMPETITION February 1998 & 2000
Ottawa, Ontario
Alberta Representative
16’ x 12’ x 12’ “Year of the Cowboy” sculpture, 1998
16’ x 12’ x 12’ “Joseph Tyrell discovering Albertasaurous” sculpture, 2000

WINSPEAR COMPETITION – FINALIST January 1997
Edmonton, Alberta
Designed 6 story high glass sculpture for symphony concert hall.

FOURTH STREET B.R.Z. COMPETITION Spring 1997
Calgary, Alberta
Designed, created and installed 12’ high village sculpture (“Tree houses”) made from single giant poplar tree.

SOUTHERN MUSIC 1996
Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta
Designed and installed Cyberspace effect for exterior walls from glass.
30’ x 3’

CANADIAN WESTERN BODYBUILDERS ASSOCIATION 1994
Designed & created modular glass sculpture that looked like one huge glacier but wasmade up of individual awards.

SHELTER FROM THE STORM 1993 – 1995
Sunlife Plaza Atrium, Calgary, Alberta
14’ high glacier made from “shattered glass”

THE OUTWEST PARK 1989 – 1993
Inglewood, (Calgary) Alberta
In the only privately built park in Alberta, this sculpture is a 180’ long silhouette of the Rocky Mountains. The sculpture is surrounded by indigenous gardens, pathways, and benches.

THE MAYTAG MAN 1989 Calgary Home Appliance Store
Calgary, Alberta
14’ high by 4’ wide carving of Jessie White, carved on site from one spruce log.

CALGARY WINTER FESTIVAL 1989
Calgary, Alberta
First Prize Winner “The Western Village Float” – 50’ long, carved and built out of snow.

TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK 1989
Calgary, Alberta
“The Books” Designed, created and installed two wood sculptures in the city park.

To date, there are many more commissions too numerous to mention

E X H I B I T I O N S

FINER THINGS GALLERY February 2006
Shawnigan Lake , B.C.

STORE STREET GALLERY December 2003 - Present
Victoria , B.C.

SILASTIAL ART GALLERY November 2003 – November 2004
Chemainus, BC.

COWICHAN VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL October 2004
Duncan, B.C.

VISIONS ART TOUR July 2003
Chemainus, B.C.

THE POINT STUDIOS September 1996 – 2004
Calgary, Alberta
Permanent Gallery

WARD-NASSE GALLERY May – August 1997
Soho District, New York, New York
International Salon

ROWLES & PARNHAM GALLERY 1996
Edmonton, Alberta
The Canadian Glass Show

ART IS VITAL GALLERY July 1993 & 1994
Calgary, Alberta
Opening Show & Solo Show

STUDIO THINK INC. GALLERY 1991 & 1992
Calgary, Alberta

SINCLAIR CENTRE June 1990
Vancouver, B.C. July 1991
Solo Show

THE HARRINGTON GALLERY August 1991
Vancouver, B.C.

ART CHANNEL & CO . 1989
Calgary, Alberta
Solo Show

NETWORK CANADA SHOW 1989
Calgary, Alberta

TRAILS WEST GALLERY 1987
Calgary, Alberta

INTERMISSION GALLERY 1987
Calgary, Alberta

SECOND STORY GALLERY 1982
Calgary, Alberta
Opening Show

SAIT CAMPUS CENTRE 1981
Calgary, Alberta
Four man show

PLAYGROUND 1976
Montreal, Quebec
Three man show

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Developed own artistic medium
• Hold U.S. patent for bending and laminating glass at room temperature (pending in Canada)
• Personally recycled 100,000 lbs each of wood and glass in past twenty years
• Canadian and U.S. registered trademark for “Silastial”
• Various television appearances, radio interviews, and numerous articles in local, national and international publications
• Hold Alberta Provincial title for Snow Carving

E D U C A T I O N

ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART 1979 – 1982
Calgary, Alberta
Sculpture

JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE 1974 – 1977
Montreal, Quebec
Painting

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

THE VIGSC ART & CULTURAL HIGHWAY ACCORD FOUNDATION 2003 – 2005
Chemainus, B.C. - Vice President
VISIONS ART TOUR 2003
Cowichan Valley, B.C. - Director
MISCELLANOUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 1998 – 2001 - Calgary, Alberta
Donated expertise, materials, and time to create natural gardens in several playgrounds.
RAMSAY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION 1996 – 1999
CALGARY POINT OF ART SOCIETY 1997 – 2002
Calgary, Alberta - Founder/Director
CALGARY PARKS FOUNDATION 1989 – 1994
Calgary, Alberta - Officer
OLD TOWN CALGARY SOCIETY 1989 – 1993
Calgary, Alberta- Founder/Director
NORTHERN LIGHTS SOCIETY 1989 – 1992
Calgary, Alberta - Director
ATLANTIC AVENUE BUSINESS REVILIATION ZONE 1988 – 1992
Inglewood, Calgary, Alberta - Director