Val Bertoia

Val Bertoia was born in Santa Monica, California in 1949. When Hans Knoll invited Val's father, Harry Bertoia, to work in PA, Val's mother Brigitta, accepted; and the Bertoia's moved to PA in the early 1950's. Harry began working on the wire-grid chair design in 1952, and eventually, through his sculptural work and print work, the Knoll workshop in Bally, PA, became Bertoia Studio. In the 1970's, Val worked with his father, Harry, in making and installing large-scale sculptures for architects worldwide.

Val studied mechanical engineering and combined his own intuition, starting his own line of products; first, making kinetic sculptures moved by the wind. He selected one model of several to scale up as a functional wind-driven generator for house use of which he patented the design. By 1979, Val owned the business of making his own sculptures, repairing his father's works, and sometimes working with students in designing and fabricating unusual sculptural projects. Some examples include the 'DragonHammock' at Spring Ford High School (via Robyn Burckhardt), Eyer Junior High School's 'Mack-Un-Jeep' bronze weldment, and the copper 'Bear-toia' in Boyertown (via Jane Stahl).

Currently, Val's own works include the S.E.A.T., Solar Electric Art Trucks, so also check out www.BertoiaSEAT.com. Be sure to ask Val about his philosophy based on the growing spiral using the 12-year animal cycle. He will offer you a fun way to learn!

1949 Born in Santa Monica, California.

1967-71 Indiana Institute of Technology, Mechanical-Engineering.

1969 Awarded Speaker of the Year.

1971 Conscientious-objector - released from the U.S. Army (Fort Dix, NJ).

1971 Farm-hand in rural Pennsylvania.

1972 Started working with his father, Harry Bertoia, in Bertoia Studio, Bally, PA.

1972-1978 Fabricated parts and assembled Sound-Sculptures under Harry Bertoia's supervision.

Worked on kinetic sculptures of his own which moved or rotated with wind.
Recognized Wind's great energy and designed and built 100 ft. wind-driven electric systems for his homeland - Granted U.S. Patent #4,316,698 - and began to fabricate and sell many Windmill Systems.

Harry Bertoia and son, Val Bertoia constructed and accumulated, or sold thousands of Sound-Sculptures throughout the world.

1978 With the help of Harry Bertoia's wife, Brigitta Valentiner Bertoia, began to manage the sculpture business in Bertoia Studio.

Continued with energy-systems endeavors.

1979 First Commission: Suspended Rod-Sculpture at Northwestern University Stein Gallery, Evanston, Illinois.
Commission: Thomas Zung Architects.
Cleveland Library, Joan Mondale enjoyed playing the Sound-Sculpture installed here.
Commission: Reading Area Community College, Gong-Tree designed and installed.

1979-1986 Continuation of fabricating and installing sculptures: for example:
Chronical Newspaper (PA), R. Greenberg Associates (NY), Alpo Petfoods (PA), Lenox (NJ),
Unitarian Universalists (PA), Sound-Gateway for S. Devon ((MI), Special fabrication works include: Playground-Assembly at Palm Church (PA), Nora Johnson's mobile at Captial Center Building, (NJ).

1984 Awards in Sculpture, Cornerstone, 1st place at St. James Church, Hackettstown (NJ).

1986 Elizabethtown College, completed a licensed study-course in Healing Arts.

1987 Bertoia Studio actively displayed outdoor sculptures at Penn State Berks Campus (PA) and Mayfair.
Reading Museum (PA) - Three generations of Bertoia's show.

1987-88 Taught Jewelry Designing and Stone-Sculpting, Wyomissing Institute of Fine Art (PA).

1990-91 Freyberger Gallery (PA).

1991 Hazelton Art League (PA) - Moravian College (PA).

1992-93 Solo-show, The Hill School (PA).

1993 President, Pottstown Area Artists Guild - Excellence P.A.A.G. Award.

1994 Juror, Boyertown High School (PA), Greater Norristown Art League (PA).
Perkiomen Valley Women's Club (PA) - Solo-show, Calvary Church.
Awards: 2nd place, St. James Church, Hackettstown (NJ) - 2nd place, Perkiomen Valley Art Center.

1995 Model of Limerick Power Company -2nd place, Berks Art Alliance Award.

1998 Allentown Art Museum, "Metallic Aquatic Sonambient" - Performance/Sound-Sculptures by Harry Bertoia, Val Bertoia - Visuals by Melissa Strawser.

1999 Vitra Design Museum - Sound-Bodies Workshop, Boisbuchet, France.
Designed and fabricated Sound-Rocker in France with Melissa Strawser.

2000 The Year of the Dragon - High School - designed and fabricated a Dragon Hammock with children.

2001 The Year of the Snake - Mayfair (PA) - designed and fabricated a 90 foot Snake in 9 sections -

PLEASE NOTE:

Val Bertoia's sculptures are distributed throughout the world, including USA, Canada, Italy, France, Sweden, Germany, Japan, China, Hispaniola, Virgin Islands and Peru - each sculpture is serial numbered.

Val Bertoia's Ecological Sculptural Pathway is an on-going project and endeavor.

All Consultancy, Repair Work and AUTHENTICATION of titles for HARRY BERTOIA WORKS are handled directly through Val Bertoia at Bertoia Studio. Contact Information