Raised in Jerusalem, Israel
Based in Jersey City, NJ
EDUCATION
2013 MFA, Visual Art, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University
2011 Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Studio Art, Brandeis University
PERFORMANCES
2019 Netwalk: a collective garment, Rubin Museum of Art, NY
2017 Invitation To Play: Open Close Open, Fourth AIM Biennial, Bronx Museum of The Arts, NY
2016 Mis-Readings/ Drafting a Strand, collaboration with Amanda Thackray, for Precarious Constructs,
Venus Knitting Art Space, Brooklyn, NY
Mis-Readings/ Drafting a Strand, collaboration with Amanda Thackray, for Raw Forms Forum,
Newark Museum, NJ
2015 Seminar, for Rituals, No Holds Barred, LES, NY
Father Tongue, Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, Kniznick Gallery, Brandeis University, MA
2013 Divider Revisited (after Lygia Pape), for Interstice, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Divider Revisited (after Lygia Pape), for Rutgers Performs, White Box, New York, NY
2012 Touching a Wall, for Two-Sided Act, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
SOLO/TWO/THREE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2023 Interspacing | “Sulamot V’Sipurim” (ladders and stories), Sipur Pashut Independent Bookstore, Tel Aviv, Israel
2016-17 The Body Lexicon Series | Refrain 1, The Gateway Concourse, Newark, NJ *public mural
2015 Father Tongue, Kniznick Gallery, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA *solo
“A-Tarim” (non-sites), Hanina gallery for contemporary art, Tel Aviv, Israel *3 person
Close Encounters, William Patterson University, Wayne, NJ *3 person
2014 Space That Dreams Itself, Solos Project House, Newark, NJ *solo
2013 Com.part.men.tal, MFA Thesis Show, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, NJ *solo
Potentialities, Roxaboxen Exhibitions, Chicago, IL *2 person
2009 The Offering, Dear Noga Gallery, Jaffa, Israel *solo
COLLABORATIVE + CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2022 Riverbound, a community Papermaking event, in collaboration with artist Amanda Thackray and the people of Newark, NJ
2020 The 6ft Zine: Zoonotic Masquerade, a pandemic era collaborative project & digital publication, Vegetarian Tiger Productions
Zoonotic Masquerade, Vegetarian Tiger Productions & Friends, virtual event co-curated with Patricia Brace
2015- Co-founder, Vegetarian Tiger Productions; a friendship-based experimental platform
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 The Brodsky Center at Rutgers: Three Decades 1986-2017, Zimmerli Art Museum, NJ
Sustainability in Chaos, SPROUT CoWorking Gallery, Providence, RI
2022 NJ State Council on The Arts Fellowship Exhibition, Artworks, Trenton, NJ
2021 Going to the Meadow, curated by BioLunar, ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ
Flat Rate, Terrain Biennial, Chicago, IL
2020 At A Distance 4, Alastria Press, online (catalog)
We Are All Contagious, curated by Nato Thompson, UMass Dartmouth, online
Broadcasts: Art in the Age of Social Distancing, Space Gallery, online
Glimpse, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
2019 New Book Art: Workspace Residents, Center for Book Arts, NY
Legends and Legacy: Revolutions in Hand Papermaking, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Bring Samples, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
2018 The In Between : Book and Body, IS Projects, FT Lauderdale, FL
Introspective Collective, The Clemente Gallery, LES, NY
10th Annual Benefit, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
2017 Bronx Calling : The Fourth AIM Biennial, Bronx Museum of The Arts, NY (catalog)
Made Here | New Work by Winter '17 Artists in Residence, Guttenberg Arts Gallery, Guttenberg, NJ
A Dark Wood, Noyes Museum of Art, Stockton University, Atlantic City, NJ (catalog)
Monothon2017, Annual Benefit Auction, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, CT
9th Annual Benefit, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
Time/Gaze, The Culture Club, Brooklyn, NY *screening
2016 Creation Stories, Johnson & Johnson World Headquarters, New Brunswick, NJ
A Dark Wood, Art House Gallery & Curious Matter, Jersey City, NJ (catalog)
Selfie: Us and Them, LIPS, Newark, NJ
Where is Eleven O'Clock?, Newark Open Doors Art Festival, NJ
Accumulating Experience, Newark Open Doors Art Festival, NJ
Monothon 2016, annual benefit auction, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, CT
Waves, 68 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY
8th Annual Benefit, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
2015 Big Paper, 85 Market Street with Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
“--------“, No Holds Barred, LES, NY
Crossing Your Own Line, R. Jampol Projects, LES, NY
Convey, XLSpace, NY and Budapest
7th Annual Benefit, Aferro Gallery, Newark, NJ
Brodsky Center Benefit, Zimmerli Art Museum, NJ
2014 Ready or Not, New Jersey Arts Annual, Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
Emerald City, The Gateway Project, Newark, NJ
The Good The Bad The Beautiful, Local Project Gallery, Long Island City, NY
(IM)Possibilities, Solos Project House, Newark, NJ
2013 Etiquette For Lucid Dreaming, The Gateway Project, Newark, NJ
Rutgers in NY MFA Exhibition, White Box, New York, NY
Women Redrawing the World Stage, Soho20 Gallery, New York, NY
2012 Welcome Back Show, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Memory of Here, Memory of There, West Windsor Arts Council, NJ
The Fertile Crescent: Gender, Art and Society: Multi-site Exhibition, NJ
Capital City College and University Show, TAWA, Trenton, NJ
Brodsky Center Annual Exhibition, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, NJ
2011 99% Wizards of Change, Mason Gross Galleries, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Gross Artwerk, LAB Project Space, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Baggage, Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
Israeli Art Auction, Sensi6 Benefit for Leket Israel, 23 Wall Street, NY
Floors & Ceilings, Kniznick Gallery, Women’s Studies Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Prospect II; Post Baccalaureate Thesis Show, Dreitzer Gallery, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
2010 Envisioning Justice, The New Israel Fund, Lazzoni Gallery, New York, NY
2009 Mikarov, Manofim 2009, Curator: Irena Gordon, Musach Davidov, Jerusalem, Israel
ART FAIRS + BOOK FAIRS
2019 IN PRINT Art Book Fair, Hansen House, Jerusalem, Israel
2016 Zine Machine Printed Matter Festival, The Dirty Dirty, Durham, NC
2015 UNTITLED art fair, Brodsky Center, Miami, FL
PULSE contemporary art fair, Brodsky Center, NY
2014 Editions/Artist Book (EAB) fair, Brodsky Center, NY
Select fair, Brodsky Center, Miami, FL
AWARDS + RESIDENCIES
2023
Open Studio Residency, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME
2021
Newark Artist Accelerator Project-Based Grant
Going To The Meadow residency, ArtYard, Frenchtown, NJ
2020
Asylum Arts Small Grant
Part-Time Lecturer Professional Development Fund Award, Rutgers University
2019
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowship Award in the category of Works on Paper
Part-Time Lecturer Professional Development Fund Award, Rutgers University
2018
Center For Book Arts, Artist-In-Residence Workspace Grant for Emerging Artists, NY
Asylum Arts, International Artist Retreat, Garrison, NY
2017
Bronx Museum AIM Program, NY
Smack Mellon "Hot Picks"
Guttenberg Arts, Space and Time Residency, Guttenberg, NJ
Center for Contemporary Printmaking, MONOTHON2017 Guest Artist, Norwalk, CT
2016
Creative Capital Professional Development Program in partnership with Aferro Gallery, NJ
Center for Contemporary Printmaking, MONOTHON2016 Guest Artist, Norwalk, CT
Wonder Women Artist Residency, Gaia Studio, Jersey City, NJ
2015
Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Artist-in-Residence, Brandeis University, MA
2014
Brodsky Center, residency and NEA Grant, New Brunswick, NJ
Solos Project House Artist-in-Residence, Newark, NJ
2013-2014
(IM)Possibilities Mentorship/Fellowship, Solos Project House & P.G. Chambers School, NJ
2012
ACRE Summer Residency, Steuben, WI
2011-2012
Robert Watts Graduate Memorial Scholarship in Art
Mason Gross School of the Arts State funded Scholarship, Rutgers University
Merit Scholars Award, Visual Arts Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts
2010
Fine Arts Merit Scholarship, Brandeis University
SELECTED PRESS + PUBLICATIONS
2021
Made In Contact: Collaboration in Times of Social Distancing, digital book curated by Bonny Nahmias and Gabriella Willenz, http://madeincontact.asylum-arts.org/#Milcah_Bassel, 2021
Emergency Index Vol. 9; An Annual Document of Performance Practice, Ugly Duckling Presse, 2020, Zoe Gutenplan, Yelena Gluzman, Matvei Yankelevich, p. 346-7
The 6Ft Zine: Zoonotic Masquerade, Vegetarian Tiger Productions, https://the6ftzine.com/, 2020
At A Distance #4, Alastria Press, exhibition catalog in print and online, https://archive.org/details/at-a-distance-4-digital-catalog/, 2020
2019
Yaniv, Etty, “Milcah Bassel- Poetic Documents”, Art Spiel, https://artspiel.org/milcah-bassel-poetic-documents/, December 23, 2019
2018
Olin, Ferris, “ In Conversation about the Brodsky Center: Institutional Activism and Feminism Shaping the Cultural Landscape,” Hand Papermaking vol. 33 no. 2 (Winter 2018): p. 25
Emergency Index Vol. 7; An Annual Document of Performance Practice, Ugly Duckling Presse, 2018, Sophia Cleary, Katie Gaydos, Yelena Gluzman, p. 282-3
2017
Bronx Calling: The Fourth AIM Biennial, exhibition catalog (Bronx Museum, 2017), Essays by Brian Boucher, Christine Licata, Aylet Ojeda Jequin, Heather Reyes, p. 44
Emergency Index Vol. 6; An Annual Document of Performance Practice, Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017, Sophia Cleary, Katie Gaydos, Yelena Gluzman, p. 452-3
2016
Romanell, Christine, "Notes From the Other Side of the Cultural Cliff", Not What It Is,
https://notwhatitis.com/2016/10/26/notes-from-the-other-side-of-the-cultural-cliff/, 26 October 2016
A Dark Wood, exhibition catalog (Curious Matter 2016), Essay by Raymond E. Mingst and Arthur Bruso
Bassel, Milcah, “Next Epoch Seed Library: An Interview with Anne Percoco and Ellie Irons by Milcah Bassel”, Dime and Honey, http://www.dimeandhoney.com/art/next_epoch_seed_library/, May 4, 2016
2015
Groper, Jaime. “Exhibit draws on artist’s childhood to highlight artistry in the Hebrew Alphabet”,
The Justice, http://www.thejustice.org/article/2015/04/exhibit-draws-on-artists-childhood-to-highlight-artistry-in-the-hebrew-alphabet, 21 April, 2015
Bassel, Milcah. “Aleph, Bet, Gimel”, Brandeis University State of The Arts, winter/spring 2015
2014
Emergency Index Vol.3; An Annual Document of Performance Practice, Ugly Duckling Presse, 2014,
Sophia Cleary and Yelena Gluzman, p. 156-7
Ready Or Not: 2014 New Jersey Arts Annual, exhibition catalog (Newark Museum, 2014), Essays by Steven Kern, Shlomit Dror, Rocio Aranda-Alvarado
Weidmann, Kelsey. “’Pop up Talk’ features prominent artist at Rutgers “, The Daily Targum, 28 October 2014
Wei, Lilly. “Ready or Not: 2014 New Jersey Arts Annual: Fine Art”, Studio International, http://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/ready-or-not-2014-new-jersey-arts-annual-fine-art, 5 September 2014
Wiener, Robert."Unexpected Israeli art at Newark exhibit", NJJN, 6 August 2014
2013
Garfinkle, Alexandra."Space Jam", Chicago Weekly, 25 Jan 2013
2012
Fabbri Butera, Virginia. "Politics, Society and Sexuality in Middle Eastern Feminist Art",
Ragazine.cc, Volume 9, November 2012
Brodsky, Judith. Olin, Ferris. The Fertile Crescent: Gender, Art, and Society, The Rutgers University Institute
for Women and Art, Distributed Art Publishers, New York, p.183
Miranda, Lynnette. "Milcah Bassel", Make-Space, make-space.net, 28 August 2012
Stetler, Carrie. " 'Fertile Crescent' Exhibit Offers Insight into Paradoxes of Contemporary Middle East",
Rutgers Today, August 2012
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Brodsky Center at PAFA, PA
Newark Public Library Special Collections, NJ
Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University, MA
TEACHING - HIGHER EDUCATION
Full-Time Visiting Professor, Paper and Papermaking, School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, Boston, MA, Fall 2021-
Part-Time Lecturer, Papermaking, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, Spring 2012, Spring+Fall 2019, Fall 2020
Part-Time Lecturer, Paper Sculpture, Purchase College, SUNY, Spring 2019, Fall 2020
Instructor, various workshops, Center for Book Arts, NY, 2020-2021
Part-Time Lecturer, various courses for Arts Online, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, 2013 - 2021
Part-Time Lecturer, Drawing Fundamentals, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, 2012 - 2013
Teaching Assistant, 3D Design, Brandeis University, 2010 - 2011
Teaching Assistant, Drawing Fundamentals, Brandeis University, 2010 – 2011
TEACHING - KIDS
Language through Art Specialist, Park Avenue Synagogue Congregational School, NY, 2016-2021
Instructor, Visual Arts for kids from underserved communities, ProjectArt, NY, 2015
Instructor, Papermaking workshops, Union County Teen Arts, Union County of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, NJ, 2014
Artist Mentor, (IM)Possibilities Mentorship Program, Solos Project House & P.G. Chambers School, NJ, 2013-2014
Instructor, Drawing for kids, Mason Gross School of the Arts Extension Division, Rutgers University, NJ, 2012-2013
VISITING ARTIST + LECTURES
visiting artist + online workshop, Colgate University, 2022
UC Davis MFA seminar studio visit, 2022
Asylum Arts, Made In Contact artist panel, online, 2022
SMFA at Tufts University, artist lecture for first year BFA Program, Boston, MA, 2021
Artist Talk, Center for Book Arts, NY, 2019
Artist Talk, B’nai Jeshurun Art Salon, NY, 2019
Artist Talk, Newark Museum, curated by Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ, 2017
Visiting Artist, Professional Development Workshop for BFA Thesis Class, Rutgers University, 2016
Visiting Artist, SUNY Purchase, 2015
Visiting Artist, AICAD New York Studio Residency Program, Brooklyn, NY, 2015
Artist-in-Residence and Guest Lecturer, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Waltham, MA, 2015
Guest Lecturer, Art History Department Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, 2015
Artist-in-Residence and Guest Lecturer, Brodsky Center, New Brunswick, NJ, 2014
Artist Talk, Princeton Public Library, Princeton, NJ, 2012
Artist Talk, Women’s Studies Research Center, Brandeis University, 2011