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Michael Oliveri

Artist | Fabricator | Educator | AI Research Fellow
moliveri101@gmail.com | 706-542-1511

Executive Summary

A creative leader and master fabricator with over 30 years of experience bringing "unusual innovation" into the physical world. Expert at the intersection of high-concept art, industrial prototyping, and emerging technologies. Proven track record ranging from fabricating advanced vehicle prototypes for the automotive and film industries to founding the ArtX department at the University of Georgia (UGA). Currently exploring the "Human-AI Interface" as a GAITS Fellow, manifesting intelligent systems through physical media.

Professional Experience

Michael Oliveri Studio LLC | Athens, GA Owner / Designer | 2006 – Present

  • Leads a multi-disciplinary studio focusing on design/build projects for high-profile clients and personal ventures.

  • Houses specialized businesses "Box for the Birds" (modular birdhouses) and "MOS Shaping Tools" (custom surfboard shaping tools).

Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) | New York, NY / Athens, GA Consultant / Project Manager / Fabricator | 2006 – Present

  • Manages production, design, and fabrication for complex fine art and multi-media projects.

  • Collaborated on projects with Maison Martin Margiela.

Mocama Brewing Company LLC | Amelia Island, FL Creative Director / Founder | 2017 – 2019

  • Defined brand identity, interior design, and business model for a regional landmark.

Wirebreak.com | Venice, CA Creative Director | 1999 – 2000

  • Led a creative team in the pioneering development of short-format digital video at an early web start-up.


Trans FX | Oxnard / Moorpark, CA Designer / Fabricator / Project Manager | 1996 – 1998

  • Engineered and fabricated advanced vehicle prototypes for global leaders including BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and GM, as well as the film industry.

Disney Entertainment Art and Marketing | Anaheim, CA Sculpture & Design Team (Art Department) | 1987 – 1989

  • Contributed to the design and execution of large-scale events, parades, and immersive brand experiences.

Film Industry | Los Angeles, CA Art Director / Props / Scenic Design | 1985 – 1997

  • Managed visual narrative and physical assets for freelance film and commercial sets.

Academic Leadership

University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art | Athens, GA Associate Professor (Tenured) | 2006 – Present ArtX: Expanded Forms, Founder & Chair | 2001 – 2009; 2017 – 2020

  • Founded and scaled the ArtX department, a premiere conceptual laboratory exploring the collision of physical media and contemporary technology.

  • Developed and implemented interdisciplinary study abroad programs in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Bali combining art with anthropology, ecology, and geology.

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Florida State University, School of Art | Tallahassee, FL Assistant Professor | 1999 – 2001

AI & Interdisciplinary Research

  • Generative AI & Teaching Faculty Fellow (GAITS): Researching AI-driven art/science experimentation and the human-tech interface (2025–2026).

  • Center for Ultrastructural Research (UGA): Utilized Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to create large-scale "Nanoscapes" from gold-plated insect assemblages.

  • Scripps Institute Artist in Residence (2011): Resident documentarian and tool designer aboard the research vessel Melville during scientific exploration off Brazil.

  • Nanotechnology Collaboration: Partnered with the UGA Nanotechnology department on "Innerspace," translating proprietary nanostructures into widely published large-scale photography.
     

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Education

  • M.F.A. New Genre | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | 1995

  • B.F.A. Sculpture | San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) | 1992

  • A.A. Electrical and Electronics Engineering | Orange Coast College | 1984

Selected Exhibitions & Honors

Awards

  • Generative AI & Teaching Faculty Fellow, UGA (2025-2026).

  • Gold Award, World Art Expo, Seoul, Korea (2024).

  • The M. G. Michael Award, UGA Dean's Office (2012).

  • Virginia Mary Macagnoni Prize, Willson Center (2012).

Solo Exhibitions

  • UFO Roadshow, Dashboard Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA (2017).

  • Under the Sun, Gallery Protocol, Gainesville, FL (2015).

  • Still Life Images of the Dead, Micrographs, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA (2015).

  • Innerspace the BIO works, Twin Kittens, Atlanta, GA (2010).

  • Innerspace, Permaculture and UFO’s, Cheekwood Museum, Nashville, TN (2008).

  • Ultraviolet Acquiescence, Wood Street Galleries, Pittsburgh, PA (2006).

Significant Group Exhibitions

  • Photo Paris Art Fair, Grand Palais, Paris, France (2013).

  • Art Basel, Miami Beach, FL (2002).

  • Havana Biennale, Havana, Cuba (2000).

  • Armory Show, Pier 90, NYC (2002).

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