Designer/Inventor of Mechanical Sculpture in Metals
Designer of Sculptural and Functional Jewelry in Gold and Precious Gems
Designer of Architectural Metalwork
Designer of Judaic Ritual Art in Metals
 
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Professional In-service, Workshops, internships, and apprenticeships 1990-2012
Bezalel Academy of Art, Jerusalem, Israel 88, 91, 01 - Lectures and Workshops
Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO 77-80
Arapaho Community College, Littleton, CO 75 - 89
Front Range Community College, Broomfield, CO - summer session workshop
School In-service Programs:
Colorado Art Teachers Association - Breckinridge - 95
Jefferson County public schools - in-services art dept. and student workshops
Denver Public Schools - Dennison School art workshops, 00-03
Adams County Public Schools - student workshops
Kent Denver School - student workshops 1998-2013
Rocky Mt. Academy - student workshop
Colorado College - Student workshops
Colorado State University - student workshops
Aurora Public Schools - student workshop
Red Rocks Community College - student workshop
Front Range Community College, 97
 
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES
Hebrew Educational Alliance Synagogue, Sherman Judaica Collection, 2015
Lannie's Cabaret Denver, 'Chastity Couture" October 2014
Denver Fashion Week, "Chastity Couture" August 2014
Makers Faire, San Mateo, California, May 2012. "Unveil The Chaperon"
"The Tiffany of Mechanized Undergarments" Fashion Show, Denver, CO Sept. 2011
Architects Collaborative Building 863 North Santa Fe Drive, 8:30 PM
Southern Illinois University Museum, One man exhibition "Impenetrable Devices" 10/0
CTA Architecture, Denver, CO "No Place to Hide" 08
Art Yard Denver, CO, one-man show 9/06 - 11/06
National Ornamental Metal Museum, "Impenetrable Devices" 1/06 - 3/06
Sangre De Cristo Arts Center, Pueblo, CO 6/02 - 8/02
Concordia College, Moorhead, MN 9/98 - 10/98
Unveil The Arbitrator, Denver District Court, 11/16/97
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, 9/93
McAllen International Museum, McAllen, TX 4/93 - 6/93
University of Denver, Denver, CO 1991
Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA, 89
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 88
 
SELECT EXHIBITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
"Green is the New Black Extravaganza: Future Romp” Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2024
"Green is the New Black Extravaganza: Mirror Mirror” Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2023
“No Show,” Bitfactory, Denver, CO 2022
“Hard Exterior/Soft Beneath” Intrigue Gallery, Santa Fe ,NM 2022
“No Show,” Bitfactory, Denver, CO 2021
“Blurring the Line: Form, Function & Design,” Arvada Center, CO 2019
"Green is the New Black Extravaganza” Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2018
"Uneasy Beauty" exhibition, Fuller Museum of Craft, 2018
"Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza" Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2017, 2018
"Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza" Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2016 AWARD,
"Green is the New Black Fashion Extravaganza" Aspen/Carbondale, CO 2015 AWARD,
'Hot Couture 2017" The Crusable, Oakland CA
2018 Lewton-Brain Foldform Competition INNOVATION AWARD
2015 Lewton-Brain Foldform Competition AWARD
Maker Fare Denver, Museum of Nature and Science, June 2015
"On Body and Soul": Contemporary Armor to Amulets,
National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis TN
"On Body and Soul" Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, 2014
Maker Faire 2012, San Mateo CA, May 2012, "Unveil the Chaperone" AWARD
Maker Faire 2011, San Mateo CA, May 2011 "Prosthetic Sculpture" AWARD
Aspen Idea Festival, Mini Maker Faire Aspen Co 2010
Denver Art Museum, Architecture and Design Department, "Denver After Dark," 08-09
AIA Denver, Lecture Series, 4/09 "Transcending Scale"
Colorado Art Open, Foothills Art Center, Spring 09
Revere Academy, March 08
Cabrillo College, February 07, March 08
KINETIC ARTS ORGANIZATION INTERNATIONAL 2006 AWARD
Best of Colorado at Denver International Airport, 8/06 - 1/07
"Metalisms" Center for Visual Arts, Denver, CO 1/06
Yuma Symposium 2005, February 24-26 Yuma AZ, Lecture: "Mechanization for Artists" Plus Gallery,
Denver, CO 11/27/04 - 1/7/05
Mizel Museum, Denver, Judaic Art Invitational
Kinetic Arts Organization International, 2004 AWARD
Spertus Museum, Chicago, Il “THE NER TAMID” The 2004 Philip and Sylvia Spertus Judaica Prize”
Toronto Academy of Art and Design, Toronto, CA "The Prosthetic Aesthetic"
Contemporary Works of Faith, Liturgical Art Guild of Ohio, 03, 1991
Spertus Museum, Chicago, IL “MEZUZAH, The 2002 Philip and Sylvia Spertus Judaica Prize” October
13, 2002 - February 28, 03 Finalist AWARD
Ron Judish Fine Arts Gallery, "Impenetrable Devices" June - August, 02
Art Institute of Chicago, lecture "Prosthetic Aesthetic" October 15, 02
Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art and Design, Lecture March 2001
University of Central England in Birmingham, ENGLAND Lecture March 2001
"Blade Slice Silk: Contemporary Artistic Visions," 10/19/01 Humbolt State University,
BezalelL Academy of the Arts, Lecture March 2001
Arvada Center for the Arts, "XXV: 25 YEARS OF COLORADO MASTER CRAFTS" 12/00
Skirball Museum, "Living the Moment," 9/00 - 6/01 Cincinnati, OH
Hebrew Union College, "Living the Moment," 9/00 - 6/01 New York, NY
SNAG Conference 2000," Exhibition in Motion" 3/8/00 Cambridge, MA
Jewish Museum, "Making Change" San Francisco, CA 11/99
"Metalmorphosis" Business of Art Center, Manitou Springs, CO 6/99
"Celebrate Colorado Artists," 5/99
Ron Judish Fine Arts - "Three" 2/99
Takayama. Japan, "Colorado Metalsmiths Exhibit" 12/98
"Colorado Jewelry in Japan" Show of Hands Gallery, Denver, CO 3/99
17th International Sculpture Conference, Chicago, IL Presentation, 5/98
Royal College of Art -London, England, Lecture/workshop, 10/97
Loughborough College of Art and Design-Loughborough, ENGLAND, Lecture/workshop,10/97
Central. St. Martins College of Art and Design - London, ENGLAND, Lecture/workshop, 11/97
Surrey Institute of Art and Design - Farnham, ENGLAND, Lecture/workshop, 11/97
London Crafts Council, London ENGLAND, "New Times New Thinking," 9/96 - 6/97
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES, 1/1/97 - 3/1/97 “New Times New Thinking”
The University of Colorado, "Invisible Dimensions: Art and Technology," 6/96 - 8/96
North American Sculpture Expo. 1996, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO 4/96 AWARD
DENVER ART MUSEUM, B[u]Y Design, June 96
Colorado METALSMITHING Association, Workshop, Salida Conference, 1996
MUSEUM OF OUTDOOR ART, Englewood CO, "The Arbitrator," 12/95
JEWISH MUSEUM SAN FRANCISCO, "Light Interpretations Invitational," 11/95 - 12/95
Rocky Mt. Smiths 1995 National Conference, Carbondale CO 1995
North American Sculpture Expo.95, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO 4/95 AWARD
SPERTUS MUSEUM, Chicago, IL Spertus Judaica Prize, October - 94
Colorado Federation of the Arts, 93 Visual Arts Innovation AWARD
Center for the Visual Arts, Denver, CO, July-August 93
National Ornamental Metal Museum, Metals Expressions II, March 91
Society of North American Goldsmiths, National Convention Presentation, March 90
Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow SCOTLAND, May, 91
Edinburgh School of Art, Edinburgh SCOTLAND May 91
Art Zone, JCC Denver, CO 88 AWARD
Omonite Art School, Tel Aviv, ISRAEL November, 88
Queensland College of the Arts, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA February, 85
Denver Art Museum, The Art of Craft, 1985 AWARD
Denver Art Museum, Festival of the Arts, 1985
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO Another Great Love Affair, 84
Byer Museum of the Arts, Evanston, IL 84
International Gold Corporation "83", NYC, July 1983 AWARD
Smithsonian Institution, "Contemporary Crafts of the Americas, 1975 AWARD
SELECT WORKSHOPS/LECTURE
Rocky Mountian Smiths, Steel Fold Forming, Aug. 2013
Casper College, Casper, WY, Jewelry Fold Forming and Forging Technique, Nov. 2013
Wyoming Blacksmithing Association, Casper, WY, Steel Fold Forming" Nov. 2013
Colorado Metalsmithing Association "Fold Form Steel," Denver, Colorado, June 2012
Bonneville Forge Council, "Fold For Steel" 2010
Colorado Metalsmithing Association "Demo Days" April 10, 2011, Denver Colorado
Penn State University, Anderson Lecture Series, Lecture, "Vinettes of Design," 2010
Mendocino Art Center, CA- Workshop-Lecture, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018
Cabrillo College, CA - Workshop-Lecture, 08, 09
Evergreen College, San Jose - Lecture. 09
Clear Creek Academy, CO - Workshop - Lecture 08, 09
Southern Illinois University - Guest Presenter, "Mechanization for Metalsmiths" 06
Metropolitan State College, Denver, Colorado, 3/04 "Mechanization for Metalsmiths"
Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Alberta 10/2003 "Mechanization for Metalsmiths"
"Digifest 2003" Toronto, CA 3/03 "Mechanized Art"
Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Vancouver, Canada, 9/24/02 Lecture: "The Prosthetic Aesthetic."
The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
"Animation Techniques for the Metalsmith" 10/3/01
Appalachian Center for the Crafts, "Animation Techniques for the Metalsmith," July 01
Bezalel Academy of the Arts, Lecture/ Workshop March 2000
SNAG Conference 2000, "The Prosthetic Aesthetic" Boston, MA 3/11/00
SELECT WORKSHOPS/LECTURES cont.
Jewelry Gem Setting Techniques - Kent Denver School - 2/28/99
Takayama Japan - "How American/Colorado Artists Define Themselves" 12/98
North Dakota Museum of Art - Lecture the Mechanical Aesthetic, Oct. 98
University of North Dakota - Fold Forming Techniques
Royal College of Art -London, England, Lecture/workshop, 10/97
Loughborough College of Art and Design -Loughborough, England, Lecture/workshop, 10/97
Central. St. Martins College of Art and Design - London, England, Lecture/workshop, 11/97
Surrey Institute of Art and Design - Farnham, England, Lecture/workshop, 11/97
Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art and Design, Lecture/workshop, 11/97
Fold Forming and Hot Forges Brass, Colo. METALSMITHING Association 3/97
Fold form techniques, 1/16/97, Kent Denver School, Denver
Channel and bearing setting techniques, 11/6/94 11/13/94 Colo. Metals Consortium
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
Westward Magazine – Denver’s Best Kinetic Sculptor 2022
“Master Jeweler, Metalsmith, Sculptor: Mechanical Savant Ira Sherman ” Art Publika Magazine, by Meredith Kurz, Aug.19 2021
“Devices and Desires” Metalsmith Magazine, by Andrea DiNoto, p35 2020
“Ira Sherman, Couture Sculptor” NUE Magazine, by Brenda Labier, May 1, 2019
“The Man Behind the Curtain,” by Mark Burrows, Sopris Sun, Carbondale, CO Mar.21, 2019
“Blurring the Line,” Westword, Denver, Jun 2019
“Function as Fashion,” Aspen Daily News, by Christine Benedetti, Mar 2018
“Crucible Hot Couture Runway Show,” San Francisco Chronical Style, by George McCalman, Mar 5, 2017
“Chastity Couture Combines Art with Conversation,” Aspen Daily News, by Christine Benedetti, Mar 11, 2016
Academy of Art University, SF, “Lyrical Line Mechanized Design” 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0-uxKiSfoY
Huffington Post, Feb. 2017 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/artists-metal-chastity-designs-shine-fashion-show_b_58a57578e4b0fa149f9ac1ee
WESTWORD, Denver - June 2015
"On Body and Soul," Contemporary Armor to Amulets, Suzanne Ramljak, 2014
Westword Denver 2013 RTD Art Ira Sherman's Stang Machine
The Atlantic, "The Ideas Report" July 10, 08
Popular Mechanics Russia, Feature Article, April, 08
Metalsmith Magazine - Feature Article Spring 07
Associated Press - report on "Impenetrable Devices Exhibition" at the National Ornamental Museum.
The Sculpture Reference by Arthur Williams, 04
Exhibition in Print, Society of North American Goldsmiths, SNAG, 99
Denver Post, Feature Article, 2/16/99
Popular Mechanics Magazine, 12/98
The Art of Making Jewelry, by Alan Revere, November, 99
Jewelry in Europe and America: New Times, New Thinking by Ralph Turner 9/96
FORUM, Moorhead/Fargo Feature Article September, 98
MESH Experimental Media Arts Autumn/Winter 96
Denver Post Jan. 21,96
Wired Magazine, March 95
Metropolis Magazine, January - February, 94
Feature Article, Visions, Concepts, Communication, Metalwork Survey 91,
David LaPlantz Jewelry/Metalwork 91 Survey, David LaPlantz 91
Denver Post, February, 91, July 22, 1977, May 1975
Rocky Mountain News, July 22, 85, July 30, 81, August 11, 83
Rocky Mountain News, March 24, 77
Ornament Magazine, Spring, 90, pp.25
Metalsmith Magazine, Fall 90, pp.48, 49
Where Magazine, 84
The Goldsmith Magazine, August, 83
JCK Magazine, July, 89, January, 84, September 1983, March, 83, Oct., 77
City Edition, December 23, 1983, March 7, 84
Jewelry Contemporary Design and Technique, Chuck Evans, Davis Publications
Contemporary Crafts of the Americas, Nelda Getty, Henry Regnery Co. 75
TELEVISED INTERVIEW AND RADIO SEGMENTS
TENET Podcast, Episode 065 Ira Sherman, 2021, https://www.tenetpodcast.com/episodes/496sjykf2cnpdy9-yjaky-s7tc7
Crucible Hot Couture,” Pod-o-matic Party Foul Radio, Feb 2017, Ep. 53, 2017
PBS Arts District, Feb 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jqwL9zbwGE
ASPEN TIMES, March 8, 2018 https://www.aspendailynews.com/arts_and_entertainment/the-sometimes-questionable-function-of-fashion/article_41435d8a-2278-11e8-bffb-5ffc4bddcb89.html
KDNK Radio - http://www.kdnk.org/post/chastity-couture-ira-sherman
HUFFINGTON POST, February 2017 - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/artists-metal-chastity-designs-shine-fashion-show_b_58a57578e4b0fa149f9ac1ee
Observed, The San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/style/article/Observed-The-Crucible-s-Hot-Couture-Fog-10973493.php
9 NEWS Denver, June 2015, Furby Artist Makers Faire
DISCOVERY Channel Canada, Daily Planet, Sept. 2014
FOX 13 Memphis, 06, National Ornamental Metals Museum
FOX 31 Denver, 06 - RTD Stang Machine
KCNC Denver - 2004 Unveil the Furby Series
KXJB TV Moorhead/Fargo, MN September, 98
KUSA 9, Demonstration the Arbitrator, 11/96
KCNC 4, Denver, Unveil the Arbitrator, 11/96
WSAV 3, Savannah, GA, TV interview with students, 9/93
McAllen TX, Local TV interview on "Panaceas" exhibition, 4/93
KCNC, "Panaceas to Persistent Problems," an exhibition, February, 91
News Segment, Channel 4 Denver, Steve Lusk interview "PavlovIan Trainer" 89
News Segment, Channel 4 Denver, Jim Hanchet interview, CSU Exhibition, 88
The Art Scene, Denver, Donna Cell interview, Cable TV, August, 88
KCNC Denver, Steve Lusk interview, June, 88
Learning for Living, Channel 4 Denver, 77
Contemporary Crafts of the Americas, Channel 7 Denver, April, 75
COLLECTIONS
Hebrew Educational Alliance, Denver, CO, 1987,1991, 2015
Lawrence Aronson Collection, Chicago, IL 2011
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Denver, CO, 2011
Regional Transportation District, RTD Denver, CO, 06
National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, TN, 06
Garriott Automita Collection 05, Austin, TX
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Renwick Gallery, 02
Spertus Museum of Judaica, Spertus Institute, Chicago, IL 02
BMH Synagogue, Denver, Colorado, 02
Jewish Council for The Elderly, Chicago IL 98, 04
Temple Sinai, Denver, CO, 97
TRI Synagogue, Denver, CO, 97
Byer Museum of the Arts, Evanston, IL, 83
Anthony Saliba, Chicago, IL 84
Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO 90
Linda Goldstein, Denver, CO 89
Seth Gersch, San Francisco, CA 96
Joan Sapiro, Denver, CO 96
CIVIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Board of Directors, Colorado Metalsmithing Association, 10-13
Past Chairman of the Board of Directors, Colorado METALSMITHING Association. (CoMA) 94 - 97
Board of Directors, Mizel Family Art Center, Denver, CO - 97 - 01
Founding Member, Colorado METALSMITHING Association 94 -
Society of North American Goldsmiths, Distinguished Member 79 - 09
Mayors Citizen Committee Against Gang Violence, 94
Rocky Mountain Smiths, 94-
Board of Directors, West University Park Community Association (WUCA) 93 - 96
Board of Directors, Hebrew Educational Alliance Synagogue (HEA) 94 - 95
Rabbinic Search Committee - 93-94
New Building Committee - 94 - 96
Interiors Committee - 95 - 96
Advisory Board Member, Denver Safe City Summit committee member, 93 - 94