EDUCATION
2000-2002 MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART, Boston, MFA
1989-1993 OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY, Stillwater, OK BFA (Honors)
1995 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, Hattiesburg, MS. Graduate Coursework
TEACHING
2016-Present 3/4 Time Faculty, Department of Art, Appalachian State University
2007-2016 Full Time Faculty (since 2010), Department of Art, Mitchell Community College
2003-2004 Adjunct Faculty, Studio for Interrelated Media, Massachusetts College of Art
2001-2002 Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Massachusetts College of Art
1995 Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Southern Mississippi
GRANTS, AWARDS
2010, 2011, 2012 Faculty Incentive Grant, Mitchell Community College
2004 Fulbright Grant, finalist
2001 Colleges of the Fenway, Lecture Series Grant
Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Mini Grant
1993 Best in Show, Student Art Show. Oklahoma State University.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Nicholas Sorlien, Louise Gilbert Gallery. Mitchell Community College, Statesville, NC.
2003 Inkspot Artists Residences’ temporary installation in parking garage, Somerville, MA.
2002 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Patricia Doran Graduate Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art
2002 You’re Not Hearing What I’m Saying, Site-specific sound installation of two people arguing politics inside wall inhallway. Massachusetts College of Art
Maintenance Men, Site-specific sound and video installation at top of stairwell in maintenance area. Massachusetts College of Art
1993 Jahn/Matter Arts. Minneapolis, MN Brickhouse Gallery. Tulsa, OK
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
2000 Surplus, collaboration with Jon Haynes, American Hoist Factory (abandoned warehouse), St. Paul, MN Installed Dec 20-23
INTERACTIONS: projects involving the use of untrained people and the projected image as a means of exploring contemporary social issues
2015 Large-scale collaborative drawing of collapsing ocean oil refinery. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2014 Large-scale collaborative drawing of a collapsed ship loading platform. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC. Large-scale collaborativedrawing of Rena Oil Spill. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2013 Large-scale collaborative drawing of Costa Concordia Cruise ship disaster. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2012 Large-scale collaborative drawing of Pakistan garment factory fire victims. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2011 Large-scale collaborative drawing of Walmart Black Friday Sale and Tahrir Square. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC. Large-scalecollaborative drawing of Bin Lauden Death celebration in front of White House. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2010 Large-scale collaborative drawing of text from Wikileaks vid of U.S. soldiers in Apache helicopter. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
Large-scale collaborative color pencil drawing of oil spill clean up on Malipo Beach Korea. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
Large-scale collaborative drawing of the metal box BP attempted to lower over leaking well. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
Large-scale collaborative drawing of BP platform exploding and collapsing into ocean. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
2009 Large-scale collaborative drawing ‘The Removal of Zelaya’. Mitchell CC, Statesville, NC.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 6x6x2016, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY.
Wings, New South Gallery. Statesville, NC.
Recycled, Repurposed, Recovered: Found Object Art, A.D. Gallery. University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC
2015 Celebration of the Arts Festival, The Hiddenite Arts and Heritage Center. Hiddenite, NC
Element, Brick Row Gallery, Cornelius, NC
Habitat for Humanity Annual Art Auction, The Crossing at Hollar Mill, Hickory, NC.
Art in the Park Festival, Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, NC.
Grand Re-Opening, Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, NC.
2012 Fall Invitational exhibition, Iredell Museums Court Street Gallery. Statesville, NC.
Faculty Show, Louise Gilbert Gallery, Mitchell Community College, Statesville, NC.
2001 Midway Show, Huntington Gallery, Massachussetts College of Art
1999 Art and Sense of Place Will Once Again Be Redefined, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1999 Mississippi Invitational, Mississippi Museum of Art. Jackson, MS (catalog)
1998 Peasant Shoes, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
Mr. Kelly and Friends, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
Figures, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
Student Loans, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1997 Nicholas Sorlien and Jon Haynes, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
Group show, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
Combustion Zone: Combustion, Ignition, Compression, Power, Exhaust, Riverside Arts Center. Ypsilanti, MI
Combustion Zone: Combustion, Ignition, Compression, Power, Exhaust, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1996 Opening Group show, BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1994 Benefit Art Auction to Support Arts Programming in Saint Paul, Saint Paul Union Depot Place. St. Paul, MN
1992 Sculpture temporarily placed on the grounds of Oklahoma State University. Stillwater, OK
COLLECTIONS
2013 Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, NC.
2012 The Department of Art at Mitchell Community College. Outdoor sculpture project funded and placed on campus at MitchellCommunity College, Statesville, NC.
1994 Sculpture placed on grounds at Banfil-Locke Center for the Arts. Fridley, MN
FILM, VIDEO, PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVISATION
2015 Production Designer, ‘The Life of an Average Housefly’ film by Sally Vacca. $10,000 budget. Statesville, NC
2013 Supporting Actor, ‘Rancho Mysterioso’ film by Mark Flake. Statesville, NC
2001 VideoFront, Two videos. Massachusetts College of Art. Boston, MA
2000 Twin Cities Artist Forum, One video. St. Paul, MN
1999 Supporting Actor, Twenty-minute film by Paula Gonzales. Hattiesburg, MS Public Spoken Word, ‘Art, Architecture and Sense ofPlace.’ BluHous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1997 BluHous Improvisation Ensemble, Improvisation performance at Zeitgeist Theater. New Orleans, LA
BluHous Improvisation Ensemble, Improvisation performance at Bluhous Workspace. Hattiesburg, MS
1995 Collaborative performance with Jon Haynes, Southern Theater. Minneapolis, MN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2002 MFA Graduate Thesis Show, Massachusetts College of Art. Boston, MA
1999 Mississippi Invitational, Mississippi Museum of Art. Jackson, MS
RESIDENCY
2006 Artist in Residence, Taliesin East, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Spring Green, WI
ONLINE PUBLICATION
2015 Gwen Tennille, “Image Credits,” Only in Your State, April 5, 2015, http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/south-carolina/16-abandoned-places-in-sc/.
PRINT PUBLICATIONS
1996 “Image Credits,” Doggerel. Hattiesburg, MS
1992 “Image Credits,” Cimarron Review Literary Journal. Stillwater, OK
PUBLICATIONS AS AUTHOR
2006 “World Between Cities,” Blip Magazine, http://newworldwriting.net/backissues/2006/Vol12No2-May06/1202-050106-Sorlien.html.
1996 “Here is the Story,” Doggerel. Hattiesburg, MS
RADIO
2002 Stephen Proviser, interview, Allston Free Radio, Allston, Ma, October, 2002
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
2015 Alliance of Visual Arts Programs Member. The AVAP is comprised of the department heads from all the public 4 year and 2 yearcollege and university art programs in North Carolina. Of its many stated goals, we are in the process of creating an articulationagreement between all the four year and two year art programs statewide.
2014, 2016 AFA in Visual Arts Advisory Panel Member. Mitchell Community College, Statesville, NC
2011 Board Member. Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, NC
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
1998 - 1999 BLUHOUS WORKSPACE / Founder and Director
The BluHous was a cooperative artist workspace focusing on experimentation and improvisation in installation, music, sound, sculpture, writing, performance, photography, videography, painting, and dance. Responsibilities and activities included: Curating shows, organization of local and visiting artists, public relations, budgeting, group critiques, lighting and construction.
Events at the BluHous included:
• Downtown Gallery Walk. We designed shows at the BluHous for these gallery walks which were organized by the Hattiesburg Arts Council and held approximately six times each year.
• Kafe Night. We also held monthly readings at the BluHous featuring poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Graduate students from The Center for Writers, University of Southern Mississippi gave readings. Intermission periodically included live music.
• La Boheme. This was a biannual dinner party held for the community of creative people in varied disciplines: Bluhous artists, representatives from Free Foundation Press, University of Southern Mississippi professors and graduate students, social workers, architects, alternative book and info shop representatives, etc.
• Benefits for various organizations
• Hosted shows and Readings
• Regular nights of improvisational music
EVENTS ORGANIZED
2001 THE ARTIST’S ROLE IN EFFECTING SOCIAL CHANGE / Producer and Project Director
This project was a public lecture series that took place at Massachusetts College of Art in the Fall semester 2001. Four separate lecturers were scheduled; one every Wednesday for the month of October.
The lecturers were as follows:
• S.A. Bachman, Photographer and Co-Founder of the artist-activist organization THINK AGAIN
• Howard Zinn, Historian, playwright, activist, and author of A People’s History of the United States
• Mark Singer, Producer and Director of the documentary film, Dark Days
• Shannon Flattery, Founder and Director of the artist run non-profit Touchable Stories
Responsibilities included: Locating funding and distribution of funds from grants, organization of times and dates of guest lecturers, organizing complete documentation of events, producing posters and general public relations, securing speaker locations, and introducing speakers.
