Steven and William Ladd

born 1977 and 1978, American.

New York-based artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd have been making art together since 2000. Steven makes all of his own clothing and loves textiles— especially those passed down with embedded memories. He loves drawing, making books and proposals, anything that can help to communicate his wild imagination. William is the builder and the head of production who sets his mind to a project through completion. In a day, he can spend a few hours beading beautiful intricate objects, then move to constructing life-size spaces for immersive exhibitions. He is a dedicated husband and father. Together, Steven and William have forged the foundation for a rich and productive creative practice from their common memories, experiences and close familial bond.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, the brothers have developed an expanded practice consisting of text, drawing, sculpture, installation, performance, and design. They have combined a range of techniques, forms, and practices, forging a unique aesthetic vocabulary. Steven and William have had major solo museum shows at The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, Mingei International Museum, San Diego, Parrish Art Museum, Watermill, NY, Saint Louis Art Museum and their works are included in private and museum collections internationally, including Musée des Arts Décoratifs, LACMA, the Kennedy Center, Agnes Gund Collection, Beth Rudin DeWoody and Shelly and Philip Aarons. They have received awards from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Barbara and Donald Tober Foundation.

Reflecting on the lack of exposure to the arts in their childhoods, in 2006 Steven and William began Scrollathon, engaging communities to bring the arts directly to those who might otherwise never have a chance to engage with professional artists. To date, Scrollathon has served over 10,000 people internationally, expanding from schools to hospitals, women’s shelters, youth missions, and jails. Through partnerships, the program has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Knight Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Exhibitions

2021 A Mark Extended, Wasserman Projects, Detroit, MI

2020 The Other Side, The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn, NY

2019 speechless: different by design, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX

2019 Impressions, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York, NY

2019 Encounters I, Curated by Stephanie Ingrassia, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York, NY

2018 Welcome to Santo Poco!, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York, NY

2017 Exhibitionists Group Show, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York

2017 The Times, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY

2016 Chapel: Spirit and Flesh, Ahmanson Collection Gallery, Irvine, CA

2016 Spring Group Show, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York

2016 Blood Bound, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA

2016 40 for 40: Anniversary Highlights From The Rockwell Collection, The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY

2016 Summer School: Contemporary Art, Contemporary Kids, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY

2016 Rise and Shine, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York

2016 Chapel, Ahmanson Collection Gallery, Irvine, California

2016 Blood Bound, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia

2015 Childhood Games, Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York

2015 Mary Queen of the Universe, MDC Museum of Art + Design, Miami

2015 Scouts or Sports?, Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis

2015 Chapel, The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn, New York

2014 Mary Queen of the Universe, Parrish Art Museum

2014 Steven and William Ladd, Belger Crane Yard Studios, Kansas City

2014 Function and Fantasy, Mingei International Museum, San Diego

2014 NYC Makers, The MAD Biennial, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY

2014 Supercool Glass, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, VT

2014 Something About a Tree, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY

2014 New. New York, Essl Museum Contemporary Art, Klosterneuburg, Austria

2014 Loominosity, Outlet Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY

2012 Shaboygen, The Invisible Dog Art Center, New York

2011 9769 Radio Drive, The Contemporary Museum, Hawaii

2007 Shadow Tower, Greenlease Gallery, Rockhurst University, Kansas City

Public Art Commissions

2020 Fantasia, culturally specific permanent installation inspired by the country of Paraguay (5 x 5 ft,), Archival board, fiber, trinkets, pins, shredded paper, wheat starch, glue, dye, MDF frame, US Department of State Art in Embassies Program, United States Embassy in Asunción, Paraguay

2019 New Beginnings, mural made with 400 people in metro Detroit (9 x 9 ft.), Papier-mâché, paint, varnish, metal, wood, Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center, Palace Sports & Entertainment, LLC, Detroit, MI

2019 Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, mural made with 700 people in metro D.C. as part of the opening festival for the REACH expansion (4 x 20 ft.), Textiles, wood, ink, paper, rubberbands, pins, glue, wood frame, River Pavilion at the REACH, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, District of Columbia

2019 Scroll Space, interactive installation made with over 1,700 people in Dallas and Atlanta as part of the speechless: different by design exhibitions in those cities (10 x 10 x 10 ft.), Textiles, wood, ink, paper, rubberbands, pins, glue, Dallas Museum of Art and High Museum of Art, Atlanta

2019 Growth & Strength, mural made with over 900 people in the Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida communities as part of The Power of Art: Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence (5 x 7 ft.), Fiber, rubber bands, paint, MDF, Parkland Recreation and Enrichment Center, Parkland, FL

2016 Lesson of Encouragement, mural made with nearly 1,000 people in metro Atlanta (8 x 32 ft.), Papiermâché paint, varnish, metal, wood, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Falcons Stadium Company, Atlanta, GA

2015 Fabulous Phil , mural made with 1,100 people in the Downtown Brooklyn (40 x 40 ft.), Papiermâché, paint, varnish, glass, metal, wood, City Point, Washington Sq. Partners & Acadia Realty, Brooklyn, NY

Press

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