Biographical Information for Cynthia Toops:

Residence: Washington

EDUCATION

B.A. Biology, Drake University, Des Moines, IA., Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1979
The Factory of Visual Arts, Seattle WA., 1980-1981
BFA. Printmaking, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. 1983
Pratt Fine Arts, Seattle WA., 1989-1990


MUSEUM SHOWS

- Telling Stories: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA., 2007-8
- Rings, Gallery of Art & Design, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., 2004
- Convergence/Divergence: Split Rock Design Artists at The Goldstein, Goldstein Museum of Design, St. Paul, MN. 2004
- An Exploration of Polymer Clay, Kentucky Museum of Arts & Design, Louisville, KY. 2004
- Building Traditions: Gifts in Honor of the Northwest Collection, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA. 2003
- The Ring, Wustum Museum, Racine, WI.; Fox Fine Arts Center, University of Texas, El Paso; Ruthin Craft Centre, Wales, 2001-2004
- Incredible Clay: Feats of Polymer, Bead Museum, Glendale, AZ. 2000-1
- Under The Influence, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA 2000
- The Beaded Universe: Strands of Culture, American Craft Museum, New York, NY. 2000
- In Praise of Plastic, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH. 1999
- The Beaded Universe, Mingei International Museum of Folk Art, San Diego, CA. 1997
- Sampler Art, The American Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose, CA.; The Charles A. Wustum Museum, Racine, WI. 1996
- The Ubiquitous Bead II, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA. 1996


GALLERY SHOWS

- Signs of Life, Facere, Seattle, WA., 2008
- Pins For Men, Facere, Seattle, WA., 2007
- Gallery Artists Review, Pacini Lubel, Seattle, WA., 2007
- 100 Brooches, Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco, CA.; Bellagio Gallery, Ashville, NC.; East Carolina University School of Art and Design, Greenville, NC.; Pacini Lubel, Seattle, WA., 2005-6
- 200 Rings, Velvet Da Vinci, San Francisco, CA.; Obsidian Gallery, Tucson, AZ.; Gallery M, Cleveland, OH.; Shaw Gallery, Northeast Harbor ME.; Facere, Seattle, WA., 2004-6
- Blue, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA. 2004
- Connections, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA. 2004
- Not For The Faint of Heart, Facere, Seattle, WA. 2004
- Faculty Show, Arrowmont, Gatlinburg, TN. 2003
- All Mixed Up, Facere, Seattle, WA. 2003
- Cynthia Toops, Dan Adams, Chuck Domitrovich: Off The Cuff, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 2002
- Seeing Spots: New Work in Polymer Clay, Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL.; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX. 2002
- Jewelry From Painting, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 2002
- Passion Afire, Facere, Seattle, WA. 2001
- Millenial Metal: The Art of PMC, Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT. 2001
- Quinta Essentia, Facere, Seattle, WA. 2001
- The Ring, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 2001
- Illuminating A Medium: A Retrospective On Polymer Clay, National Polymer Clay Guild Conference, Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia, PA. 2001
- Attitude and Action: North American Figurative Jewelry, Atrium Gallery, University of Central England, Birmingham, England, 2000; Design Yard, Dublin, Ireland 2000
- Millenium Material: The Fine Art of Polymer, Suburban Fine Arts Center, Highland Park, IL. 2000
- Beadwork in America 2000, Haydon Gallery, Lincoln, NE. 2000
- Triptych, Facere, Seattle, WA. 2000
- New Century Exhibition, Vespermann, Atlanta, GA. 2000
- 50 Years of Studio Jewelry, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1999-2000
- Sculptural Jewelry, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1999
- The Teapot Redefined, SOFA, Chicago, IL. 1999
- Icons of the 20th Century, Nancy Sachs, St. Louis, MO. 1999
- Book Art, SOFA, New York, NY. 1999
- 8 x 10 in Polymer Clay 99, Elise Winters' Studio Show, Haworth, NJ. 1999
- Dan Adams/Cynthia Toops: New Work, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1999
- Polymer Clay Update, Sandusky Cultural Center, Sandusky, OH. 1999
- New Traditions, Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA. 1999
- Faculty Exhibit, Arrowmont Gallery, Gatlinburg, TN. 1999
- Holiday Show, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1998
- Joyce Scott and Friends, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA. 1998
- Triptych, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1998
- New Material/New Forms: Artists Working in Polymer Clay, The Lynn Tendler Bignell Gallery, Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, CT. 1998
- Jewelry Without Jewels: Alternatives Materials in Contemporary Jewelry, Elsa Mott Ives Gallery, New York, NY. 1998
- Color, Nancy Sachs Gallery, St. Louis. MO. 1998
- Combined Visions, Obsidian Gallery, Tucson, AZ. 1998
- Light Hearted II, A Valentine Show, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1998
- 8 x 10 in Polymer Clay, Elise Winters' Studio Show, Haworth, NJ. 1998
- Polymorphes, Montreal Visual Arts Center, Montreal, Canada 1997
- Tokyo Polymer Clay Art 97, Tokyo, Japan 1997
- Essentially Beads, Tempe Arts Center, Tempe, AZ. 1997
- Making History - Pushing the Craft of Polymer Clay, Arrowmont School of Art, Gatlinburg, TN. 1997
- Faculty Exhibit, Bellevue Community College, Bellevue, WA. 1997
- The Teapot Redefined, SOFA, Chicago, IL. 1997
- Artifacts, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1997
- The Big Bead Show, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1997
- Alternative Materials, Nancy Sachs, St. Louis, MO. 1997
- Masters in Polymer Clay Exhibirion, Old Church Cultural Center, Demarest, NJ. 1997
- Beads 97, Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA. 1997
- Light Hearted: A Valentine Show, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1997
- Northwest Polymer Clay Guild Exhibition, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA. 1997
- Jaha, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1996
- Tokyo Polymer Clay Art, Kamiji Kakimoto Paper Store, Tokyo, Japan 1996
- Color Show, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1996
- Tested Compatible, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1996
- Talking Beads, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1996
- Farenheit 96, Anderson Glover Gallery, Kirkland, WA. 1996
- Polymer Beads, The Shepherdess, San Diego, CA. 1996
- Vespermann Annual Jewelry Invitational, Vespermann Gallery, Atlanta, GA. 1996
- Journey of the Heart, The Art Store Gallery, San Diego, CA. 1995
- Beads 95, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1995
- Glass and Polymer Clay Jewelry, Mobilia, Cambridge, MA. 1995
- National Jewelry Art Competition, Facere, Seattle, WA. 1994
- Washington Beadmakers Exhibition, Seattle, WA. 1994
- Absolutely Beads, Beads and Beyond, Bellevue, WA. 1994


PUBLICATIONS

Art Jewelry, "A Rarefied Medium," September 2006
Beadwork, "Polymer Unlimited", June/July 2006
Teapots: Makers & Collectors by Dona Meilach, 2005
500 Brooches by Lark Books, 2004
1000 Rings by Lark Books, 2004
Artisan Northwest, "The Tin Forest", Vol. 1, No. 2, Summer 2004
400 Polymer Clay Objects by Lark Books, 2004
Art Jewelry Today by Dona Meilach, 2003
American Style, "Rounded to Perfection", Summer 2000
AJM, "Beads and Beyond", April 2000
Beadwork in America 2000 Catalogue, Haydon Gallery, University of Nebraska, 2000
Foundations in Polymer Clay Design, by Barbara McGuire, 1999
Ocean Realm, "Inspired by the Sea", Autumn 1999
Lapidary Journal, "A Blend of Influences", October 1999
American Style, "Cutting Edge Polymer Clay", No.17, 1999
Glass, Portfolio: "Beads Across America", No.73 Winter 1998
Lapidary Journal, "Echos of the Past, Visions of the Future", October 1998
JCK, "Jewelry Without Jewels", September 1998
Bead And Button, "What Are They Doing Now", No.28, 1998
Ornament, "Dan Adams and Cynthia Toops: A Marriage of Media", Winter 1997
Polymer Clay by Pierette Ashcroft and Lindly Haunani, 1997
Bead And Button, "One-of-a-Kind Polymer Clay", No.16, 1996
Creating With Polymer Clay by Leslie Dierks and Steven Ford, 1996
Ornament, "Museum News - Bellevue Art Museum", Spring 1996
Collectible Beads by Robert Liu, 1995
Ornament, The Collectors Sourcebook, Special Issue, 1995
The Bead Directory by Linda Benmour, 1995
Bead And Button, "People Beads", No.6, 1994
Ornament, "Master Class: Photographing Your Work", Summer 1994
Washington Beadmakers Exhibition Catalogue, 1994
Color Trends by Michelle Wipplinger, 1992