Exhibitions » Traveling

Viola Frey: Foundations

National Tour: Late 2027 – 2030

  • Bedford Gallery
    Walnut Creek, CA
    Jan. 10 – Apr. 5, 2026

 Pink Man Apologue_by M

 Pitcher of Mother_Image by John Wilson White_Hi-Res

 Untitled (Green Goblet with Suspended Pink Woman)_Image by M Lee Fatherree_Hi-Res

About

Viola Frey: Foundations explores the formative years of pioneering Bay Area artist Viola Frey, tracing her evolution from two-dimensional works to the monumental ceramic sculptures that would define her legacy. Featuring rarely exhibited paintings, drawings, photographs, and ceramics, the exhibition reveals the development of Frey's visual language and the cyclical reinvention of ideas that shaped her practice.

Bringing together works created between 1965 and 1985, Viola Frey: Foundations is the first major exhibition dedicated to this pivotal period of the artist's career. Through paintings, works on paper, ceramic sculptures, and archival photographs, visitors encounter the experimentation, recurring imagery, and conceptual investigations that laid the groundwork for Frey's celebrated large-scale figurative sculptures and enduring influence on contemporary American art.

Organized by BG Exhibitions (Bedford Gallery) in collaboration with the Artists' Legacy Foundation, the exhibition offers an unprecedented look at the origins of one of the most influential artists in contemporary American ceramics. Curated by Emilee Enders.

Exhibition Details

  • Curated by Emilee Enders, Curator of Exhibitions and Programs, Bedford Gallery
  • Objects: Approximately 42 works, including 10 paintings, 16 ceramic sculptures, and 16 works on paper and archival photographs.
  • Space Requirement: Approximately 3,000 square feet; scalable for smaller venues.
  • Provided materials: Digital files of all wall label text. Provided electronically: installation information, condition reports, press materials with images, and an educational guide.
  • Publication: An accompanying scholarly Viola Frey monograph is available for purchase through the Artists' Legacy Foundation.
  • Shipping: One-way (incoming) shipping required.

Artwork Credits

  1. Top: Pink Man Apologue, 1976, acrylic on unstretched canvas, 23 x 31 ¼ in. © Artists’ Legacy Foundation, Oakland / ARS, New York. Photograph by M. Lee Fatherree.

  2. Bottom Left: Pitcher of Mother, 1978, ceramic and glazes, 23 ½ x 10 ½ x 12 in. © Artists’ Legacy Foundation, Oakland / ARS, New York. Photograph by John Wilson White.

  3. Bottom Right: Untitled (Green Goblet with Suspended Pink Woman), 1970, ceramic, glazes, and gold luster, 9 ½ x 7 ½ x 6 ½ in. © Artists’ Legacy Foundation, Oakland / ARS, New York. Photograph by M. Lee Fatherree.

For More Information

Christine Koppes
Traveling Exhibitions Manager
koppes@bedfordgallery.org
Tel. 925-295-1435

Additional information, checklist, and rental quote available upon request.

specifications

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