In my work, I use bits and parts of material no longer used for their original purpose. Through an act of unmaking, by my own hand or otherwise, the material I use is no longer a castoff, but speaks of potentiality and a remaking of the self. My works formally connect through repetition and the element of the line. My use of everyday material, such as bedding, clothing, and magazines, references domesticity and relationship. Using constraints of space, material or a predetermined rule, each work, built of multiple pieces, comes together to create a unified whole.

Leah Virsik is an Oakland-based visual artist whose work is primarily driven by materials and includes collage, sculptural fiber, and book arts. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from California State University, East Bay, and a Master of Fine Arts in Art from San Francisco State University. Her work has been exhibited at Mercury 20 Gallery in Oakland, SOMArts, and the City College of San Francisco Art Gallery in San Francisco, and galleryFritz in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among others. She is a recipient of an SF State/Kala Art Institute MFA Fellowship (2014), Leo D. Stillwell Jr. Scholarship (2015), Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Fellowship (2015), and a Sher-Right Scholarship (2016). Virsik gave her work away for free as an Artist-in-Residence at Free Oakland UP (2017). Leah teaches art to middle school and high school students and book arts at Feather River Art Camp. She also does freelance book design.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022	Common Thread, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2020	Above and Below, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2019	You are Supported More Than You Know, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2018	Pipe Dreams, City College Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014	Remnants of Paris, Albany Community Center Foyer Art Gallery, Albany, CA
2011	Hungry: The Book Art of Leah Virsik, Pacific Pinball Museum, Alameda, CA
2010	Dichotomy, Kensington Library, Kensington, CA

SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023	Frayed Stories of Life (January 14–February 18) Arc Gallery & Studios, San Francisco, CA
2022	In Tension (February 5–March 12) Incline Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019–2020	Truth/Dare/2020, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
2019	Holiday Boutique featuring Feather River Art Camp Teachers and Students, Creative Framing & Gallery, Oakland, CA
2016	Resonance, PhotoCentral, Hayward, CA
	Fiber as Metaphor, Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) with galleryFritz, Santa Fe, NM
	10th Annual Altered Book Exhibit and Fundraiser, Marin MOCA, Novato, CA
2018	Self-Portraits in the Age of Selfies, Mercury 20 Gallery, Oakland, CA
	20/20 Vision Mercury 20 Gallery Oakland, CA
2017	Kintsugi: Healing Cracked Spaces PhotoCentral Gallery, Hayward, CA
2016	SCRAP, Reclaimed: Elevating the Art of Reuse SF Arts Education Project Gallery at Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
	Meaning in Making MFA Exhibition, Fine Arts Gallery at San Francisco State, San Francisco, CA
2015	The Annual Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition, SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
2014	SF State Stillwell Student Showcase Fine Arts Gallery at San Francisco State, San Francisco, CA
	Kala Artists’ Annual Kala Gallery, Berkeley, CA
	In Other Words PopUp Gallery at Autobody Fine Art, Alameda, CA
	Unique Surfaces–A Collage Gary Francis Fine Art, Alameda, CA
2013	20th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda Museum, Alameda, CA
	The Art of Giving Art Gary Francis Fine Art, Alameda, CA
	Inspiration: Richmond Art Center Faculty Exhibition Richmond, CA
	20th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda, CA
	RISK Berkeley Art Center Berkeley, CA, jurors: Apsara DiQuinzio & Kimberly Johansson
	Narrative Threads Abecedarian Gallery Denver, CO
	Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
	4th Annual Altered Book and Book Arts Show Marin MOCA, Novato, CA
	All Types: Text & Type-Based Art Redux Studios & Gallery Alameda, CA
2012	PlentyThe Gallery at Fibre Arts Design Palo Alto, CA
	Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
	Convergence & Divergence: Two Artists Look at Memories with Deborah Griffin, Ken Cook Gallery at the Sun Gallery Hayward, CA
	The Elephant in the Room CK Gallery Oakland, CA
	Bay Area Women Artists O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, juror: Donna Seager
	A Thread Runs Through It Sun Gallery Hayward, CA
	Discardia CK Gallery Oakland, CA
	Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios
	A Sense of Place, CK Gallery Oakland, CA
	Influence: Art Can Change the World, CK Gallery Oakland, CA
2011	Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction, Pro Arts Oakland, CA
	34th Area Artists’ Annual Juried Exhibit Adobe Art Gallery Castro Valley, CA, juror: Jacqueline Cooper, Merit Award for Snack
	Bibliophoria II Sebastopol Center for the Arts
	Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project
	Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios Oakland, CA
2010	17th Annual Alameda Women Artists Group Exhibit Alameda, CA
	Artists Engaged LIFE: Expressions of Living Past & Present Castro Valley, CA
	Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
	Bay Area Book Arts Jam Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
	Bay Area Women Artists O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA, juror: Donna Seager
	Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios Oakland, CA
	BLAGE Collage and Assemblage O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA
2009	Pro Arts Box Art Benefit Auction Pro Arts Oakland, CA
	Alameda Women Artists Group Show, Alameda Museum, Alameda, CA
	Bay Area Book Arts Jam Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
	Cross Currents IAA, Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
	The Canvas Project Vol. 2 Art House Co-op, Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA
	Pro Arts East Bay Open Studios Oakland, CA
	Alameda on Camera Frank Bette Center for the Arts Alameda, CA
	Renew Alameda Women Artists Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
2008	A Visual Word Alameda Women Artists Alameda Free Library, Alameda, CA
	Alameda on Camera Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
	Vision & Revision Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
2007	Alameda Literati Book Fair, Alameda, CA
	Reading Between the Lines Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA
	Patterns, Portions and Pieces Frank Bette Center for the Arts, Alameda, CA

EDUCATION

2013–2016	MFA in Fine Arts, SF State, San Francisco, CA
2002–2013	Workshops with a variety of instructors including: Donna Watson, Taun Relihan, Lisa Kokin, Mari Andrews, Marsha Shaw, Nina Bagley, DJ Pettitt, Jody Alexander, Michael Burke,Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, Nick Bantock, Lisa Rappoport, Claudia Laub, and Takeshi Nakayoshi
2010–2011	Victoria May, private mentoring, Santa Cruz, CA
2010–2013	Lisa Kokin, critique group and private mentoring, El Sobrante, CA
1996–2000	University of California, Berkeley Extension, San Francisco, CA, Graphic Design Certificate
1990–1994	California State University, Hayward, CA, Bachelor of Science degree, Major: Marketing Management, Minor: Art Studio

FELLOWSHIPS/AWARDS

2017	Artist-in-Residence, Free Oakland UP, Oakland, CA
2016	Graduate Fellowship Alternate, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA, jurors: Nicole J. Caruth, Jamil Hellu & Lisa Martin
	Sher-Right Scholarship, administered by SF State
2015	Jack K. and Gertrude Murphy Fellowship, administered by The San Francisco Foundation
	Leo D. Stillwell Jr. Scholarship, administered by SF State
2014	SF State/Kala Art Institute MFA Fellowship: Artist-in-Residence, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA
	SF State Fine Arts & Creative Arts, Printmaking Project Award, in collaboration with Sarah Heady, administered by SF State
2011	Merit Award for Snack, 34th Area Artists’ Annual Juried Exhibit, Adobe Art Gallery, Castro Valley, CA, juried by Jacqueline Cooper

COLLECTIONS

	Andrew Ong and George Robertson, New York, NY
	J. Paul Leonard Library, Book Arts & Special Collections, San Francisco, CA
	San Francisco Public Library, Book Arts & Special Collections, San Francisco, CA
	University at Buffalo, Special Collections, Buffalo, NY