Peter Richards
Installations & Commissions
2020Cultural Corridor – Urban Flow, East Bay Bus Rapid Transit Line connecting downtown Oakland to San Leandro. Artists created a flow of imagery and poetry connecting transit stops with neighborhoods. Mildred Howard and Johanna Poethig, Project Leads, Joyce Hsu and Peter Richards, project artists.
2019Light, Time & Rainbows, interwoven visual components celebrate the cultural life of Rainbow Community Center in Oakland, CA. Collaboration with Byrens Kim Design Works, and Pete Stephens
2015La Viajera, A 19’x6’ viewing platform in the shape of a boat installed on a truncated redwood tree. Private commission, Oakland, CA with Henry Vargas
2015Data, Everett Community College, Everett, WA. A 210’X 1’-2” mural displaying a 52 year, day by day tidal data of the region, in juxtaposition with a human EKG trace and sea level rise. Collaboration with Sue Richards
2014Water Shed, San Jose, CA. A rain harvesting system which irrigates 8 mature transplanted olive trees – in juxtaposition with a household hazardous waste facility.
2013Camera Obscura, Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA. Located on Pier 15, designed to capture panoramic views using 19th C. technology. With Cris Benton and Leger Wanaselja Architecture.
2012Philosopher’s Way, McLaren Park, SF, CA. A 2.7-mile city park trail defined by markers and musing stations. Collaboration with Susan Schwartzenberg
2010Commons, Port Angeles, WA: Installation of GIS rendered cast aluminum facsimiles of seven highest peaks in Olympic National Park. Collaboration with Sue Richards
2010Blanche, Seattle, WA: Floating acoustic sculpture on South Lake Union. Collaboration with Sue Richards
2008La Sombra Danza, Phoenix, AZ: kinetic shade structure for Valley Metro Rail System
2006Wave Wall, LIGO, Livingston, LA: 85′ x 25′ wind driven kinetic façade of education center run by MIT and Caltech. With Shawn Lani, Charles Sowers, HPD
2004Sky Sweeps, Aberdeen, WA: Installation of three 85′ kinetic oars (with Sue Richards)
2002Wind Riders, Washington State University, Richland, WA: bicycle wind vanes (with Sue Richards)
1999Arbor Vitae, Colorado School of Mines: branching patterns as metaphor for learning (with Ted Prescott)
1998Wind Ride, Austria: bicycle wind vanes (with Sue Richards)
1997Crapper Obscura, Telluride, CO: converted privy into camera obscura
1995Clapotis (Lake Music), Switzerland: floating acoustic sculpture on Lake Geneva (with Sue Richards)
1994A Companion Place, San Francisco General Hospital: permanent garden for staff and AIDS patients
1994Le Pont Romain, France: temporary installation on Roman bridge with Aix-En-Provence students
1991Byxbee Park, Palo Alto: landfill park master plan and development
1989Percival Creek Bridge, Olympia, WA: covered bridge collaboration
1989The Spring, Lewiston, NY: spring restoration
1988Ice House, PA: temporary installation
1987Reflections on Light, Miami, FL: temporary installation
1986Wave Organ, San Francisco Bay: permanent acoustic sculpture
1984Cascade Flume, Mill Valley, CA: reconnection of historic sawmill
1984Land Lights, NY: luminescent sculptures
1981Sky Art, NYC / Baltimore / SF: floating luminescent sculptures
1978Sky Art, SF Bay at Ft. Point
1977Floating Light Sculpture, San Francisco Art Institute
Exhibitions
2022Silicon Valley Sculpture, Menlo College, CA
2020What Goes Around Comes Around, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2011Seattle As Collector, Seattle Art Museum
2007herbert bayer earthworks
2007Homage to a Mentor, Maryland Institute College of Art
2006Breeching Boundaries, Messiah College
2004Art Seattle Urban Parks Art
2003Water In A New Way, San Francisco
2001RE-TIRE, Charlotte, NC
2000Trouble Shooting Gun Violence, Charlotte, NC
1999Drip, Blow, Burn, Yonkers, NY
1996Wind Works, Davis, CA
1995Facing Eden, San Francisco
1994Old Glory, New Story, San Francisco
1994Color in the Shadows, Oakland, CA
1987Twenty Summers Past, Colorado Springs
1985Valentines Group Show, San Francisco
1984All Ears, Walnut Creek, CA
1983Audio Eyes, Australia
Performance
1986Marking Time, Goa, India
1984Time X Candlelight, Portland, OR
1980Time X Candlelight, San Francisco
Experience
2014Lecture, San Jose State University
2011–Senior Artist Emeritus, Exploratorium
2010Research Fellow, Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Research
2007–08Principal Investigator, NSF Outdoor Exploratorium Project
2007Adjunct Professor, Stanford University
2006Visiting Artist, Messiah College
2002–11Senior Artist, Exploratorium
2001Co-organizer, The Future of Creativity conference
1998–01Creative Director, McColl Center for Visual Art
1998Visiting Artist, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
1997–04Board of Trustees, Alliance of Artists Communities
1988–98Board of Trustees, Public Art Works
Awards
2015Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Award
2007Penny Stamps Lecture Series
1993Honor Award, ASLA
1994US Conference of Mayors Award
1988Artist Fellowship, California Arts Council
1988Eureka Fellowship, Fleishhacker Foundation
1980NEA Art in Public Places Grant
1970Purchase Award, Santa Clara University
1969Rinehart Prize
1967Full Fellowship, Rinehart School
Patents
1975Backpack and Frame #3,860,157
Education
1969MFA, Rinehart School of Sculpture
1966BA, Colorado College