29 Aug OCA 2025 Artist-in-Residence
Ogden Contemporary Arts Announces Fourth Artist in Resident
New Mexico-Based Artist Suzanne Sbarge Named OCA’s Fall 2025 AIR
Ogden Contemporary Arts (OCA) is proud to announce its fourth annual Artist-in Residence: New Mexico-based artist Suzanne Sbarge. This milestone marks four years of OCA’s continued commitment to supporting innovative artistic exploration and creative exchange in the Ogden community. Sbarge arrived on September 1, 2025, for her two-month residency, which culminated in a solo exhibition at OCA in Winter 2025/26.
Suzanne Sbarge Interview
Residency Details
During her time in Ogden, Suzanne Sbarge expanded upon her established artistic practice by producing a new body of large-scale paintings, an immersive installation, and a collage animation. Her work for the residency incorporated video projection and digital experimentation, representing a significant evolution in her studio process. Drawing inspiration from Ogden’s natural environment, the exhibition wove together surreal narratives and abstract visual language to explore the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world. The project provoked reflection on consciousness, ecology, and our place within the living landscape. “We were absolutely thrilled to welcome Suzanne Sbarge as our Artist in Residence.” said Venessa Castagnoli, Executive Director of OCA. “Suzanne has dedicated her career to uplifting artists through her work as both an educator and arts administrator. Her decades of support and advocacy have left a lasting impact on the creative community; and now, it’s her turn. We’re honored to have provided the space and support for Suzanne to fully invest in her own artistic practice and continue evolving as an artist.”
About the Artist
Suzanne Sbarge was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1965 and has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1989. She received a B.A. in Art History and Studio Arts from Barnard College in New York (1987) and an M.A. in Art Education from the University of New Mexico (1991). She has also studied studio arts at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Toulouse, France; Syracuse University in Florence, Italy; The Art Students’ League in New York City; University of Connecticut; University of Massachusetts; as well as Anderson Ranch in Colorado, and Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She has done multiple residencies at Vermont Studio Center and Obracadobra Artist Residency in Oaxaca, Mexico. Her work has been exhibited in over 80 group exhibitions and 16 solo shows since the late 1980s. It is in the collections of over 150 local, national and international collectors, and has been represented at galleries across the United States.
Contribution to the Arts Community
OCA’s mission for the Artist-in-Residence program is to bring national and international artists to Ogden, UT to ignite, inspire and influence our local community, while also providing these promising artists time and resources to develop their personal studio practice. Residents are expected to engage with the Northern Utah community through programming such as artist talks, studio visits, and/or workshops. In addition to 24-hour studio space in OCA Center’s Studio Lofts, the selected resident is awarded a production budget, living stipend, housing, an artist honorarium, and childcare assistance if needed. The program embraces artists with families, collaborating with community partners to ensure it is a positive experience for the artist’s spouse and/or children. OCA also offers professional photography and videography to capture the process and exhibition that the artist can utilize for their portfolio.
ABOUT OGDEN CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND OCA CENTER
Ogden Contemporary Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that creates and shares globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advanced arts programing in Ogden, Utah. OCA’s vision is to inspire local and regional artists through active involvement with the international contemporary art community. OCA strives to be viewed as a credible and internationally respected arts organization while empowering artists with the facilities, environment and experience to excel in their medium and enrich their lives.
OCA Center is Ogden Contemporary Arts’ flagship exhibition space located in the historic Monarch building at 455 25th Street in Ogden. The multi-use space opened in November 2020 after a significant gift from the Dr. Ezekiel R. & Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation. The Center’s main gallery is titled the “Arts Garage,” named after the building’s historic origin as a 1920s industrial parking garage for the neighboring Bigelow Hotel. OCA Center also includes a digital art room, second floor gallery space, and two artist lofts that can be utilized as additional exhibition space or as studios for visiting artists.
CREDITS
OCA would like to thank the following donors for supporting the organization’s general operation and programing, making this exhibit possible: Weber County R.A.M.P., Utah Office of Tourism, George S and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Ogden City Arts.
CONTACTS
Kasey Lindley
Program & Communications Manager, Ogden Contemporary Arts
kasey@ogdencontemporaryarts.org
Venessa Castagnoli
Executive Director, Ogden Contemporary Arts
venessa@ogdencontemporaryarts.org