Ruth Beer is a Vancouver-based artist/researcher whose artistic practice examines and envisions contested geographies and landscapes in transition. Her interdisciplinary artworks include sculpture, video, photography, and tapestry projects. She has exhibited widely including at such venues Rovaniemi Art Museum, Finland (2024); Burnaby Art Gallery (2024/25); and the Art Gallery at Evergreen, Coquitlam (2024/25). She has created large-scale public sculptures commissioned by municipalities that include the City of Surrey, Richmond and North Vancouver. She has participated in numerous residencies in Canada at the Banff Centre for the Arts and in Japan. Her art practice has been supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and BC Arts Council. Her writing has appeared in Imaginations: Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies and other publications. As principal investigator, her research creation projects supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Insight Grants include Land, Sea, Sky: Digital Infrastructure in Transition in Northern Landscapes and Communities (2025-2029), and Shifting Ground: Mapping Energy, Geographies and Communities in the North (2019-2025) and Trading Routes: Grease Trails, Oil Pipelines (2012-2019). Ruth is a Professor of Sculpture and Interdisciplinary Practices in the Faculty of Art/Graduate Studies at Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
About
Photo by Perrin Grauer
Contact
rbeer@ecuad.ca
Abbreviated CV
Exhibitions
Solo
Beer, R. (2024). Seep/Swell #1 (Curated by J. Cane). Burnaby Art Gallery, Burnaby, BC.
Beer, R. (2024). Seep/Swell #2 (Curated by K. Dennis). Art Gallery at Evergreen, Coquitlam, BC.
Beer, R. (2017). States of Matter #2 (Curated by L. Schneider). The Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, BC.
Beer, R. (2016). States of Matter #1 (Curated by G. Harris). Two Rivers Gallery, Prince George, BC
Beer, R. (2006). Scenes Unseen (Curated by C. Hopkins & J. Middleton). Western Front Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
Beer, R. (1976). Ruth Beer: Exhibition (Curated by D. Shadbolt). Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
Group
Beer, R. (2026). In the Shadow of the Pavilions: Expo86 and Contemporary Art (Curated by Jordan Strom). Surrey Art Gallery, Surrey, BC.
Beer, R. (2026). Mapping the Landscape (video) Energy Ethics: Infrastructures of Energy. St. Andrews University, Fife, Scotland.
Beer, R. (2026). Show and Tell (Curated by L. Lundstedt). Arctic Arts Summit, Umeå University, Sweden.
Beer, R. (2026). Threads of the Land (Curated by Maria Huhmarniemi). Piha, Oulu, Finland.
Beer, R. (2025). Lessons of the Land (Curated by Madeline Kennedy). Memorial University, St. John’s, NL.
Beer, R. (2024). Shifting Ground/Muuttuva maa (Co-curated by R. Beer & U. Viitanen). Rovaniemi Art Museum, Rovaniemi, Finland.
Beer, R. (2023). Speculative Energy Futures (Curated by N. Loveless & S. Wilson). The Square, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Beer, R. (2023). Extraction Photographs Yukon (Virtual Exhibition). In Relate North: Possible Futures. SOVA Gallery, Dawson City, YK.
Beer, R. (2023). Landscapes in Flex (Virtual Exhibition). In Beyond Borders. Umeå University, Sweden.
Beer, R. (2021). Oil + Water Arctic Spirit exhibition. Bi-annual Arctic Summit, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland.
Beer, R. (2021). Relate North: Everyday Extremes (Virtual Exhibition). Tomsk University, Russia.
Beer, R. (2021). Relate North: Distances (Virtual Exhibition). Curated by T. Jokela. Arctic Design.
Beer, R. (2021). Arctic Makes 11 (Virtual Exhibition). Curated by G. Coutts. ICASS X Congress, Arkhangelsk, Russia.
Beer, R. (2021, June 15). Arctic Makes II: Observations, Lessons, and Solutions from the Geographic Periphery (Virtual Exhibition). Curated by S. Usenyak. ICASS X, Arctic Generation: Looking Back and Looking Forwards, Arkhangelsk, Russia.
Beer, R. (2021). Arctic Makes: Observations, Lessons, and Solutions from the Geographic Periphery (Curated by S. Usenyak). Urals State University of Architecture and Art, Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Beer, R. (2019). Prototypes for Possible Worlds: Speculative Energy Futures (Curated by N. Loveless). FAB Gallery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB.
Beer, R. (2019). Made with the Arctic (Curated by T. Jokela). University of Oulu, Oulu, Sweden.
Beer, R., & Thorogood, M. (2018). Portrait of the Fraser River. In Relate North 2018: Collaborative Art, Design, Education (Curated by A. K. Klausen). Helgeland Museum, Helgeland, Norway.
Beer, R. (2018). Arctic Arts Summit Exhibition. Kopia Gallery, University of Lapland, Finland.
Beer, R. (2018). Stone and Sky (Curated by D. Martens). Audain Art Museum, Whistler, BC.
Beer, R. (2017). Ground Signals (Curated by J. Strom). Surrey Art Gallery.
Beer, R. (2017). This is it with it as it is (Curated by W. Aballe). AVHA Gallery, Audain Art Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Beer, R. (2016). Screening the Off Shore II: Petro Shorts. The Rooms Museum, St. John’s, NL.
Beer, R. (2016). Extract, Form and Print (Curated by J. Muir). Malaspina Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
Beer, R. (2015). A Foreign Encounter. Galerie Foe 156, Munich.
Beer, R. (2015). Trading Routes: River, Fish, Oil Exhibition (Curated by K. Lee). Gulf of Georgia Cannery Museum National Historic Site, Richmond, BC.
Beer, R. (2014). Mineral Matters (Curated by S. Lowry). Kimura Gallery, University of Alaska, Anchorage.
Beer, R. (2013). Strait Lines + Disrupting Currents: Ruth Beer and Kit Grauer (Curated by N. Macfarlane & J. Dysart). Haida Gwaii Museum and Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay, Skidegate, Haida Gwaii, BC.
Beer, R. (2010). Disrupting Currents (Curated by A. Kazymerchyk). Vivo Media Arts Centre, Vancouver, BC.
Exhibition Catalogues
Ruth Beer: Seep/Swell. (2025). Published by Art Gallery at Evergreen + The Burnaby Art Gallery.
Relate North 10 – Possible futures: Exhibition catalogue. (2024). Lapin yliopisto. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-357-0
Relate North / Beyond Borders: Exhibition catalogue 2023. (2024). Lapin yliopisto. http://www.urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-427-0
Relate North / Everyday Extremes: Exhibition catalogue 2021. (2021). https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L30W3ybjezfc3Yms91q25qtGr_dmfljs/view?pli=1
Relate North: Collaborative Art Design and Education: Exhibition catalogue. (2018). https://www.insea.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/393658945-relatenorth-2018-web-3-3.pdf
Ruth Beer: States of Matter Catalogue. (2016). Published by The Reach Gallery Museum and Two Rivers Gallery.
Art, Heritage, and Identity, exhibition catalogue. (2014). Rovaniemi, Finland: Lapland University Press. ISBN 978-952-484-784-1(pdf)
Relate North, exhibition catalogue. (2013). Rekyjavik, Iceland: Nordic House Gallery. ISBN 978-952-484-687-5 (pdf)
Cultural Encounters, exhibition catalogue. (2012). Rovaniemi, Finland: Arktikkum Gallery.
Public Art
Commissions
2019 · CURRENT. Sculpture commissioned by City of Burnaby.
2018 · YOU ARE HERE. Sculpture commissioned by City of North Vancouver.
2014 · Orbit. Sculpture commissioned by City of Richmond.
2014 · RIBBON. Sculpture commissioned by City of Surrey.
Collections
Vancouver Art Gallery
Vancouver General Hospital
Press
Grauer, P. (2025, January 7). Major Solo Shows + Publication Spotlight Ruth Beer’s artistic exploration of relationship between humankind and industry. Emily Carr University of Art + Design. https://www.ecuad.ca/news/2025/solo-shows-ruth-beer-artistic-exploration?utm_source=ECU+%7C+Newsletter&utm_campaign=51219c4223-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_01_16_06_00&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6bf2506664-51219c4223-65466747&mc_cid=51219c4223&mc_eid=1f41c21b78
Lyth, E. (2024, December 13). Across two galleries, Ruth Beer: Seep | Swell highlights opposing environmental forces. Creative Stir. https://www.createastir.ca/articles/art-gallery-at-evergreen-burnaby-art-gallery-ruth-beer-seep-swell
Räsänen, H.-M. (2024, January 31). Rovaniemen taidemuseon uudessa näyttelyssä arktinen alue muuttuu peruuttamattomasti, mutta toivoakin on (Finnish newspaper article). Lapin Kansa. https://www.lapinkansa.fi/rovaniemen-taidemuseon-uudessa-nayttelyssa-arktine/6204461
ULapland. (2024). Shifting Ground – Muuttuva maa at the Rovaniemi Art Museum. Uni of Lapland. https://www.ulapland.fi/news/Shifting-Ground-%E2%80%93-Muuttuva-maa-at-the-Rovaniemi-Art-Museum/g3q2yegv/42d32cf4-6588-4b40-9e70-e06a8b95383e
Beer, R. (2019, May). Gas Station. In The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, Issue 4: Shoring in The Work of Wind: Air, Land, Sea, 16-17. Published by Blackwood Gallery and University of Toronto Press. http://archive.blackwoodgallery.ca/publications/SDUK_04-Shoring.pdf
Grauer, P. (2019, December 2). “Shifting Ground” brings nuance to climate change conversation. Emily Carr University of Art + Design. https://www.ecuad.ca/news/2019/shifting-ground-brings-nuance-to-climate-change-conversation
Hanna, M. (2019, June 25). Visceral Science: A Conversation with Ruth Beer. Sculpture Magazine. https://sculpturemagazine.art/visceral-science-a-conversation-with-ruth-beer/
Hanna, M. (2017, April 27). Ruth Beer. Sculpture Magazine. https://sculpturemagazine.art/ruth-beer/
Priegert, P. (2016). Ruth Beer: States of Matter Exhibition. Galleries West, Summer 2016 issue, 27. https://www.gallerieswest.ca/topics/summer-2016-issue/
(2016, April 28). Ruth Beer interview with Camille MacDonald [TV interview]. On CKPG TV, Prince George, BC.
Siebert, A. (2016, March 4). Gallery Surf: Edzy Edzed, Ruth Beer, Jamie Evrard, and more art for your weekend. The Georgia Straight. https://www.straight.com/arts/651856/gallery-surf-edzy-edzed-ruth-beer-jamie-evrard-and-more-art-your-weekend#
Ruth Beer: Extract, form, and print. (2016, February 26). Galleries West. https://www.gallerieswest.ca/events/ruth-beer-extract-form-and-print/
Chaisson, C. (2015). Black Gold: the Esoteric and the Ecological. Espace Art Actuel, 110 (spring/summer 2015 issue), 22–28. https://espaceartactuel.com/en/black-gold-esoteric-and-ecological/
Young, R. (2015, December 26). Gulf of Georgia Cannery: Remembering When Canneries Were King. HARBORS Magazine, 6(5), 48–56. https://issuu.com/harbors/docs/harbors_septoct2015-websinglesl
Pablo, C. (2015, July 13). Trading Routes: Rivers, Fish and Oil explores resource extraction in B.C. The Georgia Straight. https://www.straight.com/news/488186/trading-routes-rivers-fish-and-oil-explores-resource-extraction-bc
Riaz, F. (2015, August 12). Cannery exhibition captures pipeline impacts. Richmond News. https://www.richmond-news.com/local-arts/cannery-exhibition-captures-pipeline-impacts-3016425
Chaisson, C. (2015). Rivers, Fish and Oil: Soundscapes and the Lapping Tides of Carbon Colonialism. Breach Magazine.
Pablo, C. (2015, July 15). Gulf of Georgia Cannery recalls historical racism in B.C. The Georgia Straight. https://www.straight.com/blogra/490556/gulf-georgia-cannery-recalls-historical-racism-bc
The Georgia Straight Staff (2015, June, 12). The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors Trading Routes: Rivers, Fish and Oil at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. The Georgia Straight.
Wong, R. (2010). Disrupting Currents: Catch + Release. Fuse Magazine, (33), 47–48. https://e-artexte.ca/id/eprint/35898/1/fuse_vol33_no4.pdf
Research Projects
Principal Investigator
2025 – 2029 · Land, Sea, Sky: Digital Infrastructure and Transition in Northern Landscapes and Communities
2019 – 2024 · Shifting Ground: Mapping Energy, Community and Geography in the North
2013 – 2018 · Trading Routes: Grease Trails, Oil Pipelines
2011 – 2013 · Catch and Release: Mapping Stories of Cultural and Geographic Transition
Co Investigator
2018 – 2025 · Hidden Cost of Supply Chains
2017 – 2022 · Feminist Energy Futures: Power Shift and Environmental Social Justice
2017 – 2023 · Speculative Energy Futures
2016 – 2023 · Impacts: Collaborations to Address Sexual Assault on Campus
2005 – 2009 The “City of Richgate:” Research and Creation into Community-Engaged Arts Practices
Invited Artist/Researcher
2015 · After Oil: Transitioning to a New World of Energy
Journal Articles
Borsa, T., & Beer, R. (2022). Oil Topography: Weaving the World of oil. Imaginations Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies, 13(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.17742/image.pm.13.1.3
Beer, R., & Chaisson, C. (2019). A different pitch: listening to water through contemporary art in a time of extraction. Imaginations Journal of Cross-Cultural Image Studies, 10(2), 153-173. https://doi.org/10.17742/image.oi.10.2.6
Beer, R., & Chaisson, C. (2019). A Canadian Selvage: Weaving Artistic Research into Resource Politics. Art/Research International a Transdisciplinary Journal, 4(1), 180–199. https://doi.org/10.18432/ari29400
Beer, R., & Baker, K. (2016). Trading Routes: Rivers, Fish, and Oil Creative Placemaking through Aesthetic Engagement. The Journal of Art and Life, 8(7). https://journals.flvc.org/jafl/article/view/87273
Bickel, B., Xiong, G., Irwin, R. L., Grauer, K., & Beer, R. (2015). Resistance and intervention through a radical ethical aesthetic: The art of Gu Xiong. Visual Inquiry, 4(2), 97–109. https://doi.org/10.1386/vi.4.2.97_1
Beer, R., Grauer, K., & Huijnen, P. (2013). Catch + Release: Experiential Learning through Contemporary Art in a Heritage Museum Context. The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum, 5(3), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.18848/1835-2014/cgp/v05i03/44402
Beer, R., & Grauer, K. (2012). Catch and release: Artworks inspiring insight into environmental issues. International Journal of Education Through Art, 8(3), 349–360. https://doi.org/10.1386/eta.8.3.349_7
Bickel, B., Springgay, S., Beer, R., Irwin, R. L., Grauer, K., & Xiong, G. (2011). A/r/tographic Collaboration as Radical Relatedness. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(1), 86–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691101000107
Beer, R., Irwin, R. L., Grauer, K., & Xiong, G. (2010). Research and creation: Socially-engaged art in The City of Richgate Project. International Journal of Education Through Art, 6(2), 213–227. https://doi.org/10.1386/eta.6.2.213_1
Sameshima, P., Irwin, R. L., Beer, R., Grauer, K., Xiong, G., Bickel, B., & Ricketts, K. (2009). Rendering embodied heteroglossic spaces. Journal of Arts & Communities, 1(2), 129–146. https://doi.org/10.1386/jaac.1.2.129/1
Irwin, R. L., Bickel, B., Triggs, V., Springgay, S., Beer, R., Grauer, K., Xiong, G., & Sameshima, P. (2009). The City of Richgate: A/r/tographic Cartography as Public Pedagogy. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 28(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2009.01593.x
Triggs, V. & Irwin, R., with Beer, R., Grauer, K., Xiong, G., Springgay, S., & Bickel, B. (2008). Educational Arts Research as Aesthetic Politics. Working Papers in Art & Design, 5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260991688_Educational_arts_research_as_aesthetic_politics
Irwin, R. L., Beer, R., Springgay, S., Grauer, K., Xiong, G., & Bickel, B. (2006). The Rhizomatic Relations of A/r/tography. Studies in Art Education, 48(1), 70–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393541.2006.11650500
Books + Book Chapters
Triggs, V., Irwin, R., Beer, R., Grauer, K., Springgay, S., & Xiong, G (2010). The City of Richgate: Decentred Public Pedagogy. In J. Sandlin, B. Schultz, & J. Burdick (Eds.), Handbook of Public Pedagogy (pp. 299–312). Routledge. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260991767_The_City_of_Richgate_Decentred_Public_Pedagogy
Triggs, V., Irwin, R., Beer, R., Springgay, S., Grauer, K., & Xiong, G. (2011). Multiplicity of Movement in Nature, Culture and Public Pedagogy. In McLean, C., & Kelly, R. (Eds.), Creative Arts in Research for Community and Cultural Change (pp. 211-236). Calgary, Alberta: Detselig/Temeron Press.
Beer, R. and Grauer, K. (2013). Catch and Release: Arts-based research and interdisciplinary pedagogical encounters with interactive new media artwork within social history museums as informal learning sites. [Raw story data incorporated into Rolling, J. H., Jr. (Ed.), Arts-Based Research Primer. New York, New York: Peter Lang.]
Beer, R., & Olauson, I. (2014). Trading Routes: The Intersection of Art Practices and Place. In Jokela, T. and Coutts, G. (Eds.) Relate North 2014: Engagement, Art and Representation (pp. 14-33). Rouveniemi, Finland: University of Lapland Press. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-310-968-1
Szeman, I., Beer, R., Wilson, S., et al. (2016) After Oil. Petrocultures Research Group. https://imreszeman.ca/content/After%20Oil.pdf
Szeman, I., Beer, R., Wilson, S., Cariou, W., & Simpson, M. (2016). On energy humanities: Contributions from the humanities, social sciences and arts to understanding energy transition and energy impasse. In S. Wilson, A. Carlson, & I. Szeman (Eds.) Petrocultures: Oil, Politics, Cultures. Montreal: McGill–Queen’s Press.
Szeman, I., & Beer, R. (2016). On the Energy Humanities: Contributions from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Arts to Understanding Energy Transition and Energy Impasse. SSHRC Imagining Canada’s Future Initiative, Knowledge Synthesis Grants: Energy and Natural Resources. https://www.academia.edu/40247058/On_the_Energy_Humanities_Contributions_from_the_Humanities_Social_Sciences_and_Arts_to_Understanding_Energy_Transition_and_Energy_Impasse
Beer, R., & Chaisson, C. (2018). Dam nation: Disrupting the currents of energy and extraction in Northern Canada. In T. Jokela & G. Coutts (Eds.), Relate North: Practising Place: Heritage, art & design for creative communities (pp. 36–55). Lapland University Press. ISBN 978-952-310-949-0
Beer, R., Irwin, R. L., Grauer, K., & Xiong, G. (2020). Kenkyu to Souzou: Richgate Art Project ni okeru Socially-Engaged Art [Research and Creation: Socially-engaged Art in The City of Richgate Project]. (K. Kasahara, Trans.). In Kasahara, K., & Irwin, R. L. (Eds.), A/r/tography: Geijutsuka/Kenkyusha/Kyouikusha to Shite Ikiru Tankyu no Houhou [A/r/tography: A Methodology of Living Inquiry as Artist/Researcher/Teachers] (pp. 157–176). Himeji: Book Way.
Jokela, T., Huhmarniemi, M., Beer, R., & Soloviova, A. (2021). Mapping New Genre Arctic Art. Arctic Yearbook 2021, Section VI: Art & Culture in Identity (pp. 497 – 530). https://arcticyearbook.com/arctic-yearbook/2021
Beer, R., & Saur, G. (2021). Re-mapping Distances. In Jokela, T. & Coutts, G. (Eds.), Relate North: Distances (pp. 50–68). InSEA Press. https://www.insea.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/RN_Distances_WEB-1.pdf
Jokela, T., Coutts, G., Beer, R., Usenyuk-Kravchuc, S., Din, H., & Huhmarniemi, M. (2021). The potential of art and design for renewable economies in the Arctic. In Renewable Economies in the Arctic (pp. 62–80). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003172406-4
Beer, R. (2023). Far From Home: Experiences of Northern Canadian Students in an Urban Art/Design University. In Coutts, G., Jokela, T., & O’Grady, A. (Eds.), Relate North: Possible Futures (pp. 14–36). InSEA Press. https://www.insea.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RelateNorth-PossibleFutures_WEB.pdf
Poyntz, S., Beer, R., & Hoholuk, J. (2023). Making Space for Missing Words: The P*&n Project Youth Voice and Pornography Education. In Shariff, S. & Dietzel, C. (Eds.), Interrupting Sexual Violence: The Power of Law, Education, and Media (pp.179-207). Peter Lang Inc. https://utpdistribution.com/9781636670072/interrupting-sexual-violence/
Beer, R., & Huhmarniemi, M. (2024). Shifting Ground: Art Exhibition as Informal Pedagogy on Changing Arctic. In Relate North: New Genre Arctic Art Education Beyond Borders (pp.38-60). InSEA Publications. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385624261_Shifting_Ground_Art_Exhibition_as_Informal_Pedagogy_on_the_Changing_Arctic