About

Sara Vanderbeek is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and advocate for sustainability and affordability in arts spaces and infrastructure, based in Austin, TX. Her art explores themes of place, motherhood, mental health, and trauma, and has shown in exhibitions at The Contemporary Austin, Bentonville Film Festival, Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles, and Co-Lab Projects.

Vanderbeek is the Founding Executive Director & Curator of DORF, an experimental contemporary art gallery dedicated to supporting regional artists, amplifying marginalized voices, and fostering meaningful dialogues. Recently, DORF relocated to a new space in the Zilker Point building, thanks to a partnership between municipal and private entities, enabling the gallery to operate at just $1 per year.

As a consultant, Vanderbeek has shaped prominent public art collections, including for Texas Municipal Retirement System and University Health, with a focus on investing in Texas-based artists to strengthen local and regional economic development. She was a founding member and board president of ICOSA Collective, and is an active facilitator for Mid-America Arts Alliance professional development programming.

Her artwork is held in numerous collections internationally. She has received grants from the City of Austin, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Christie’s Auction House, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and was a finalist for the 2022 Artpace International Artist-In-Residence Program. She received her BFA in printmaking from Rhode Island School of Design.