Sarah Berkeley is a professional artist who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. She creates photography, video and performances that question cultural norms such as the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday, indoor living, gender stereotypes and the voluntary sharing of personal data. Her lecture at 5 p.m. Jan. 23 is part of the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts Curiosity Series.

Berkeley holds an MFA in art and design from the University of Michigan and a BFA in studio art from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is the recipient of the Nebraska Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award, the Lincoln Mayor’s Kimmel Award, numerous Nebraska Wesleyan Faculty Development Grants and the Ameritas Grant, among countless others.

Her artwork has been collected and exhibited internationally including at the Joslyn Museum of Art, Museum of Nebraska Art, Rapid Pulse International Performance Festival, Louisville Photo Biennial, Rutgers University, The Ann Arbor Film Festival, Defibrillator Gallery, New Capital, Roman Susan, Mana Contemporary, Chicago Artists’ Coalition, Work Gallery Detroit and Mercury 20. Her artwork has been published in Quarterly West, the Archways Magazine, and OVERVIEW by LAND and SEA. She has completed residencies at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, The Ragdale Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, ACRE, the Cedar Point Biological Station and 8550 OHIO.

“The Only Way Out is Through” is Berkeley’s exhibition that will run in WVU’s Paul Mesaros Gallery at the Creative Arts Center Jan. 23 - Feb. 28. Berkeley’s lecture will be held in Bloch Hall and is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Creative Arts Center lobby.