Ken Iwamasa
Fly fishing
Former Orvis Fly Fishing School instructor and guide for Cherry Creek, , Anglers, 1978-81; Elk Trout Lodge, 1982-84, Casting for Recovery, 2011-12and Colorado Trout Unlimited, 2010-14.
. Author of the book Iwamasa Flies, ( 1987) the Introduction by Dave Whitlock; contributor to the book Stoneflies by Swisher and Richards, "Trout, Mayfly and the Angler" by Fred Arbona Jr. and “Fly Tyer's Almanac by Dave Whitlock. Ken is the originator of more than twenty-five fly patterns and has published many articles in Fly Fisherman magazine, Fly Tyer Magazine in the US and published articles in Tight Loops magazine (Japan )and Fly Fisherman Magazine Japan Edition, and La Fourmi, published in France.
He appears in many books written by authors such as John Gierach, Ted Rosenbauer, and John Randolph, Ted Leeson, Todd Hosman”s Colorado Fly Tyers , Eric Leiser and others.
Ken Iwamasa was co-curator of the Confluence: International trout fly exhibition, former executive director and writer for Fly Fisherman magazine Japan Edition, one of the original Orvis fly fishing school instructors and Orvis guide, and he has given numerous presentations to TU and FFF chapters throughout Colorado and the US since 1976. He has fly fished in many fresh and salt waters of the world. And he has worked to establish eco- tourism ( fly fishing tourism) in Mongolia and works with Peter Mullett, to promote fly fishing for taimen in the Darhat Valley, Mongolia since 1999, and author of “The Taimen of the Darhat Valley – Mongolia” in the Sept 2007 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine.
He is a life-time member of the Fly Fishing Federation and Trout Unlimited, project leader of Boulder Fly Casters “Mapping Boulder Creek map and DVD project in 2009, and a 2009-10 River Guide for Casting for Recovery.
Most recently in 2012, Ken appeared in Designed to Deceive program video taped and edited by Sam Ebersole . He appears with AK Best, Ed Engle, Larry Kingrey, and Charlie Craven. Project Healing Waters in Denver Volunteer of the Year in 2012.
He has moved from Boulder to Pancho Springs CO in 2014.
KEN IWAMASA
Art Biography
CURRENT POSITION
Retired Professor of Art
Department of Fine Arts
604 East Poncha Ave. (RESIDENCE)
Poncha Springs, CO 81242
303-440-0125
EMPLOYMENT
1973 - 2009 Associate Professor Fine Arts
University of Colorado at Boulder
1978-79 Chairperson Film Studies Department
1975- Interim Associate Dean College of Arts and Sciences
Boulder campus
1973-75 Faculty Associate Dean College of Arts and Sciences,
Boulder campus
1985-86 Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA
1975-76 Assistant Professor San Jose State University,
San Jose, CA
1971-72 Instructor Whittier College, CA
1971 Instructor Norwalk Community College, Norwalk, CA
1970-71 Instructor Cal- State University, Long Beach, CA
VA Contacts
Adeline Velasquez: Denver VA In Patient and Out patient
Jack Wilson: Denver VA. Director of Volunteer Services
Project Healing Waters
Volunteer of the 2012 award
PUBLIC ART, SPECIAL PROJECTS AND AWARDS
Retired Dec. 17th 2009
Sabttabtical Leave: 2007
Marinus Smith Award. Teaching award. University of Colorado 2005
Dean's Faculty Excellence Award, Grant 2003
South Park County: Selected photographer to document the intersection of commercial and private development of one of Colorado’s unique geographic areas. A one-year project working in collaboration the South Park Preservation Committee and County Commissioners. 2001 to 02
Guest Speaker: Western State College, Darhat Valley Conservation Project. Feb 2001
Appointed US Director of the Mongolia Fund’s Landlock Salmon Habitat and Conservation Project, 2000 to 2002
Summer Chair, Department of Fine Arts, 2000
"Women in Technology" Film Studies Program collaboration. Principal in procuring $30k of computers, software and related equipment to promote women in digital/technology fields. 2000.
"Digital Photography" ATLAS technology, GRANT AWARD 2000
Visiting Artist, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 1999
White Creek Rehabilitation and Maple Ridge development: Creek rehabilitation and river fishery development consultant. Park City, Utah 1998
Sabbatical Leave, spring 1997
Guest Speaker. Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Cleveland, OH 1997
Guest speaker. Pullman/Moscow TU chapter "Emergers" Pullman, WA. 1997
++Public Art Commission. Artist: Denver International Airport 1% for the Arts program. Atrium125x300 ft. terrazzo floor design. Jaune Quick to See Smith Co-partner. National Competition. 1990 to 1996 AWARD
++Buster Simpson/Ken Iwamasa collaboration. . Schoharie River Rehabilitation
project, Art Awareness. Lexington, NY. 1992
"Endangered Species" 1992 Council on Research and Creative Work grant, CU Boulder
++Public Art Consultant. City of Longmont Public Art Program. Longmont. CO. 1991
++Public Art Commission. Selected Artist: Artist Design/Consultant Team. Denver International Airport. Denver1% for the Arts program. National Competition. 1990 AWARD
Visiting Artist. Western Wyoming College. Rock Springs, WY 1990
Juror: Steamboat Springs Art Council Regional exhibition. 1990
Guest Speaker: Jim Smith radio talk show. KBX 710 AM, 6-7 a.m. Subject:
"Iwamasa Flies." Nov. 7th 1989
Juror: Art exhibition. Southern Colorado University. Pueblo, CO 1989
Guest Speaker: Peter Bowles TV Show. Channel 10. 4 to 5 pm. Subject of
"Two Forks Dam" April 26,1988
Curator: Sculpture Collaboration Exhibition. Boulder Center for the Visual
Arts. 1988
Juror: Denver Commission on the Arts. Individual Artists Grants, 1987
++Juror: Art in Public Places. Colorado Council. 1987
Board of Directors: Boulder Center for the Visual Arts. Boulder, CO 1983-87
Visiting Artist. Tyler School of Art. Philadelphia, PA. 1985
Juror: Institutional Grants. Colorado Council on Arts/Humanities, 1984
Juror: Colorado Regional Print Exhibition. Denver on the Arts, 1984
Art consultant: Spectrum Robotics. Denver, CO. 1984
Visiting Artist. Northwest Community College. Cody, WY 1983
Visiting Artist. Cranbrook Academy of Art. Bloomington, Michigan 1980
Visiting Artist. Rio Hondo College. Whittier, CA 1976
Denver Museum of Art. Lecture and workshop in conjunction with a Gemini
Exhibition. CO 1975
Summer Chair, Department of Fine Arts. University Colorado. 1975
Visiting Artist. University of Texas. Arlington, TX. 1975
Visiting Artist. Institute of Experimental Printmaking. Santa Cruz, CA. 1975
Guest Artist. Metropolitan State College. Denver, CO 1976
Guest Artist. State of the Arts" Radio KVOD. Talk show. Denver, CO. 1973
Art Director: Nancy Spinier Dance/Theatre Company, 1976-77
Director of Exhibitions: University of Colorado, 1973-74
Selected by Sam Richardson to photographically document the construction of his 36' sculpture piece on the roof of the Denver Art Museum. 1973 Freelance Photographer. Union and Bardot oil companies and New Directions. Los Angeles, 1969-71
Vice President and coordinator of the 8th annual and 2nd National Print Invitational. Los Angeles Printmaking Society. CA. 1971
Visiting Artist. California Institute of Technology. Pasadena, CA. 1970
"Studio One" JS Scott Foundation GRANT AWARD, 1969
US Army Information Specialist. writer, photographer and Editor. Asia. Commendation award 1967- 69
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Western Wyoming College, 2006
Edinboro University, Edinboro, PA 2006
Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder, CO 2005
Leedy/Voulkos Art Center, Kansas City, MO 2005
Western State College. Gunnison, Colorado 2001
Center for the Humanities. Autzen House
Oregon State University. Corvallis, OR. 1997
Western Wyoming College. Rock Springs, WY 1992
Emporia State University. Emporia, KA. 1992
Western Wyoming College. Rock Springs, WY 1992
Arvada Center for the Arts. Arvada, CO. 1990
Boulder Center for the Visual Arts. Boulder, CO. 1989
Lincoln Center. Fort Collins, CO. 1985
Robischon Gallery. Denver, CO. 1984.
Arvada Center for the Arts. Arvada, CO. 1984
Center for Idea Art. Denver CO. 1982
Old Dominion University. Norfork, VA. 1977
Rio Hondo College. Whittier, CA. 1976
Colorado Mt. College. Breckenridge, CO. 1976.
Washington State College. Pullman, WA. 1976
University of Colorado. Boulder, CO. 1975
Comara Gallery. Los Angeles, CA. 1975
Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA. 1974
Rio Hondo College, Whittier, CA. 1973.
Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO. 1974
Loyola University. Los Angeles, CA. 1972.
Comara Gallery. Los Angeles, CA. 1971
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. Cultural Evolution and Diffusion: “Japanese-American printmakers”
St. Joseph, Mo 2007
"Art from Pedagogy “group exhibition National School of Fine Arts at the National Autonomous
University of Mexico, Mexico City 2004
"Common Causalities “ group show. The International Center of Bethlehem, Bethlehem, Israel.
"Day of the Day: Mexican and American Perspectives” Merida, Mexico, group show 2001
"Border Lands" Khabarovsk, Russia Exhibition, group exhibition. 2001.
Sichuan Fine Arts Academy and Southwest University, Sichuan, P.R. China. 1992
Dushanbe Russia Exchange Exhibition, 1988
"Fantastic Art" Castel. San Giorgio, Italy 1981,83
"Centre De Documentacio D' Art Barcelona, Spain, 1980
"World Print Competition " San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 1977
"American Artists Series" US Embassy. Ankara, Turkey, 1975
"Young American Artists Series ì. Ankara, Turkey. Arranged by Loyola University, Los Angeles, CA. 1973
INVITATIONAL AND REGIONAL EXHIBITIONS
“Japanese/American Printmakers” Ft. Hayes State University. Hays Kansas, 07
City of Breckenridge Gallery, group show, Breckenridge, CO 2004.
"Borderlands" traveling group show, Center for the Visual Arts, Denver. CO. 2003
"Borderlands" traveling group show, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art 2003
"Dichotomies" group show, Robison Gallery, Denver CO 2003
"Art and Ecology" Colorado Mt College, Travelling show Glenwood Springs, Co. 2001
Abstractionists". Invitational group exhibition. Arvada Center for the Arts. 1999
Boulder Arts Commission permanent collection. Boulder Public Library 1998
"Healing Arts" from the Kaiser Permeante collection 1998
University Galleries, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 1998.
"Transforming Images: A cross-cultural look at Santos and Saintmakers, University of Colorado Natural History Museum Boulder, CO. July 1997 May 18, 1998
"Visions" University of Colorado Denver. Emmanuel Gallery, Denver. 1997
Group Show. Robischon Gallery. Denver, CO 1995-96
"Twenty Twenty Vision: An Anniversary Exhibition. Arvada Center for the Arts 1996
"Coding and Decoding: Images and Text. " UMC Gallery,
University of Colorado. Boulder campus 1995
"Art AIDS" Exhibition and fundraising. Donation of art work. University of Colorado Galleries, 1995
"A Gathering of Galleries and a Gathering of Artists." Avarda Center for the Arts. Arvada, CO. 1995
"Gone Fishing" Richard Thompson/Ken Iwamasa. Two-person show. Robischon Gallery, May 1994.
"You Call This Art' Exhibition. One West Art Gallery. Ft. Colllins, CO. 1994
"Fish Out Of Water" Group exhibition. Mesa Southwest Museum. Wickenburg, AZ. 1994
"Boulder Artists" Group show. University of Colorado Fine Arts Galleries, 1993
.UCAR Intergenerational Symposium on the Environment" Group
Exhibition. Boulder Public Library, and National Center for Air Research. Boulder, CO1993
Fourth International Symposium of Electronic Art (FISEA 93) Exquisite FAC Invitational: 64 artists shown at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. MN 1993
"Boulder Flow". Exhibition of Boulder County Artists University of Colorado Gallery. 1993
"Intergenerational Symposium on the Environment" Group show, National Center for Air Research, Boulder Public Library. Sponsored by the Walter Orr Roberts Institute 1993
Foothills Art Center 25th Anniversary Exhibition. Group exhibition. Golden, CO. 1993
"Fish" Loveland Museum of Art. Loveland, CO 1992
"The Temporary Contemporary" Group exhibition. University of Southern Colorado. Pueblo, CO 1992
"Universities of Colorado" Ken Iwamasa and Toni Rosato representing the CU Boulder campus. University of Southern Colorado. Pueblo, CO 1992
"Exquisite FAX" 15'x22' FAX grid. Contemporary Art Center Regional
Artists Grant collaboration. New Orleans, LA. 1990
"Post Historicism" Group Exhibition, Denver, CO. 1990
"Colorado 1990" Denver Art Museum. 1990
"Fish: An Exhibition:" selected for traveling exhibition.
Hockaday Center for the Arts Kalispell, MT. 1989-90
"State of the Arts" Colorado traveling show. Arvada Center for the
Arts. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the Aspen Art Center, 1989
"Exhibits USA" National traveling drawing show. Curated by the
Mid-America Art Alliance. 1989-1990
"National Invitational Drawing Show". Emporia State University. Emporia, KA. 1989
"Sacred Objects" Group show. Boulder Center for the Arts. 1989
Robischon Gallery. New Gallery Exhibition. Denver, CO. 1989
Robischon Gallery. Group Show. Denver, CO 1989
State of the Arts" Traveling Show. Juried. Colorado Springs, Arvada
Center and Aspen Museum of Art. 1989
"Iwamasa/Sollod/Kunkel" PowerPlant. Ft, Collins. CO. 1988
Robischon Gallery. Group Show. Denver, CO. 1988
"American Drawing Exhibition" SITE exhibition. Smithsonian Institute
Traveling Show. 1986
"Trout Flies" International Fly Fishing Center West Yellowstone, MT. 1987
"Permanent Collection Invitational Exhibition. Canon City, CO. 1987
"Fish Art" Schneider Museum of Art. Ashland, OR. 1986
"Sticks and Stones" Colorado Graphic Arts Center. Denver, CO. 1986
"Marishol/Dulin/Iwamasa" Santa Monica College. Santa Monica, CA. 1986
"Boulder/Denver Artists" Claremont Colleges. Pomona. CA. 1984
"National Invitational" Luke Wing Museum. Seattle, WA 1984
"Collections" Tyler School of Art. Philadelphia, PA 1981
"Fudge/Iwamasa" Acorn Gallery. Boulder, CO. 1981
"Detroit National Print Symposium" Cranbrook Academy of Art. 1980
" Santa Fe Festival of the Arts" Santa Fe, NM. 1977
"Spree '76" Denver Museum of Natural History. 1976
"Prints of the '70's" Sacramento State University. 1974
"Rocky Mt. Painting and Drawing Show" Aspen Center for the Visual Arts. 1977
"All Colorado Show" Denver Art Museum. Juried Show. 1972, 73 and 1978
"Kunkel/Iwamasa' University of Colorado. 1980
"Wilson/Iwamasa" University of Southern Colorado. Pueblo, CO. 1980
"Boulder Center for the Visual Arts" Annual juried show. 1980, 81, 83 and 1984
"East goes West" Sebastian Moore Gallery. Denver, CO 1978.
"Fantasies in the Arts" Colorado Women's College. Denver, CO. 1978
"Impressions" Boulder Center for the Arts. 1977
"Boulder Artists" Boulder Center for the Arts. 1977
"Awards Exhibitions" Boulder Center for the Arts. 1976
"Emery/Barattucci/Iwamasa" University of Colorado. 1975
"Gray/Iwamasa" Graphic Arts Forum. Denver, CO. 1974
Group Show, Doham Gallery. Group Show. Los Angeles. 1969
Group Show. Comsky Gallery Group Show. Los Angeles, 1969
Group Show. Los Angeles Printmaking Society. Cal State University San Fernando Valley. 1969
"New Artists" City of Los Angeles, Two Person Show. San Pedro Municipal Art Gallery. 1970
NATIONAL JURIED SHOWS
"Art and the Environment" Maude Kerns Art Center. Eugene,
OR. Accepted. 1994
"Salina 13th Annual". Salina Fine Arts Center. Salina, KA 1992. $500.award
"Fish an Exhibit" Hockaday Center for the Arts. Kalispell, MT. 1989
"Color Print Show" Texas Tech. Lubbock, TX. 1981
"4th Spokane National Drawing Show" Cheney-Cowles Museum.
Spokane, WA 1981
"Potsdam National Print Exhibition" Potsdam, NY.1980
"National Print Exhibition" San Diego State University. CA1980
"Vermilion 80" University of South Dakota. 1980
"Spokane National" Cheny-Cowles Museum. Spokane, WA 1979
"Potsdam National Print Exhibition" Potsdam, NY. 1978.
"Society of American Graphic Artists" New York City. NY 1969
"6th Annual Drawing Competition" Cal State University Long Beach, CA 1964
CURATORIAL AND EXHIBITION RECORD
"Collide" curator and exhibitor, group show of Colorado contemporary Asian/American artists work at the Emmanuel Gallery, UC Denver campus, 1999.
"CONFLUENCE: Art of the Trout Fly" Principal curator of this traveling exhibition of trout flies, related visual and literary art forms, and seminars on various conservation issues. Opening at the University of Idaho, Moscow Idaho and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO. simultaneously. June 1998 through September 1999. Traveling to the Lewis and Clark College, Lewiston, Idaho, Sept through Nov 1999 and the Cheney - Cowles College and three venues in Montana during 2000, and Western State College, Gunnison Colorado in 2001.
PUBLISHED BOOKS:
“Trout Flies of Colorado, book, by Todd Hosman, contributor, ppggs
2008
"Iwamasa Flies" Book. Author and photographer: An analysis of the life cycle of aquatic invertebrates and the rationale for the creation of trout fly patterns. Pruett Publications, Boulder, CO. 1987
PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Trout Magazine, Mongolia Adventure by Robert J.Behnek, Ph.d. Contributor: Pages 56,57 Winter 2006 edition.
“Ingre/Abandoned Swimming Pool, Lexington New York” Contributor: ppgs. 242. 244, 245, published in Ingre/regards croises by Dimitri Salmon and Jean Pierre Cuzin published by Reunion des Musees Nationaux
Contributor: Transforming Images by Claire Farago and Donna Pierce,
Front cover photo and ppgs 200, 204 and 257 University of Pennsylvania, 2006
“Taimen of Mongolia” article and photography, published by Fly Fiherman magazine, summer issue, 2006. (under contract)
5 published photographs, book Transforming Images by Claire Farago,
published by Pennsylvania State Univrsity Press . Under contract.
2003
"Mongolia" article and photographs published by Fly Fisher magazine.
Tokyo, Japan. Feb 2001, ppgs, 30-35.
"Confluence" Tight Loop Magazine, Vol 126, ppgs 6 ñ 30
vol 6, text and photographs, Tokyo, Japan 2000
"Iwamasa Midge Emerger", Tight Loop magazine, Vol 114,
1999, vol .4 page 43. Tokyo, Japan
"Nymph Patterns" Fly Fisherman Magazine/Japan Edition. Summer 1996 issue,. Ppgs 32, 81, 82, 104, to 107.Author and Illustrations. Denver, CO
Executive Director and Assistant Editor Fly Fisherman
Magazine/Japan Edition. Volume #1 through #6.1009 Grant St. Denver, CO. 80203. 1991 to 1997
"Colorado Classic Cane" book cover photograph, by Dick Spurr and Michael Sinclair, Centennial Publications.1989
"The View from Rat Lake" book cover illustration, by John Geriach, published by Pruett Publishing.1987
"Hen-Back Sculpin" Text and Photographs. Fly Fisherman magazine Sept. Vol 18, #6, ppg 59-61
"La Fourmi" Text and photographs, Premiere Categorie, France. Biestrial Vol. #1 ppg 23-25, 1986
"The Tracher Pattern" Text and Photographs, Fly Fisherman magazine, p 71. 1978
"The Foam Ant", Text and Photographs, American Fly Tyer
magazine, p 41, summer issue 1983
"Metallic Streamers", Text and photographs, Fly Tyer magazine, ppg 47-49 March issue1981
"Iwamasa Flies" Ken Iwamasa/Fred Arbona, Fly Fisherman magazine, ppg 82-85, June 1980
"Stoneflies", book by Richards, Swisher and Arbona. Winchester Press, contributor of text and photographs, 1985
"Tracher Patterns" Book. Text and photographs, 2nd Fly Tyers Almanac, anthology compiled by Dave Whitlock. 1978
"Tracher Fly Patterns", Text and photographs, Fly Fisherman magazine,
March issue, 1979
COLLECTIONS
Mark Addison Collection, Denver Art Museum, City of Los Angeles, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, El Camino College, Rio Hondo College, Allan Ducomum, Jane Dulin, Storage Technology, Anaconda Corp. Kasier Permenante, JS Scott, Canon City, Dave Grusin, the American Fly Fishing Museum and many private collections.
COMMUNITY
I have served on several committees for the establishment of ethnic minorities in the City of Denver's Public Art program. Also I have been actively involved in many fund raising campaigns and guest speaker presentations for the Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited in California, Idaho, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Wyoming and throughout Colorado, 1979 to present
EDUCATION
MA Cal State University at Long Beach, 1972
BA Cal State University at Long Beach, 1966
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