Paul Herwig has been creating projection art for events, public art projects, and performing arts productions for the past six years, although he has been working for over 40 years as a professional visual and performing artist. Along with working in events, Paul is also the founding Co-Artistic Director/Manager of Off-Leash Area, a dance and theater company creating original interdisciplinary performance work, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, winner of the local Ivey Awards and Sage Award, and is now in its 25th year. Paul is a graduate of the Ecole Jacques Lecoq (1981-1983), a famous professional theater conservatory in Paris, France. He has performed lead and ensemble roles in original productions, and has designed and built sets for over 40 local productions.
Paul has received many awards, including a McKnight Theater Fellowship, 7 MN State Arts Board individual artist grants, a Jerome Travel grant, and many others. His set designs an performances have been listed in the Minneapolis press’ Best of the Year lists eighteen times since 2002. In 2019, Paul was chosen among a group of US designers to exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance and Design.
Recently, Paul presented Rising from the Ruins, a projection performance within the stunning architecture and walls of the Mill City Museum Ruin Courtyard, in the open air and under the stars. Rising from the Ruins is an epic and imaginative story-journey, told through visuals and live music. Rising from the Ruins is an allegory that sets off from the banks of the Owamniyomni (St Anthony Falls), and travels down the rivers of time, history, and space to trace the resilience, recovery, and renewal of all who are affected by its power and fragility.
SELECTED AWARDS, COMMISSIONS, RECOGNITIONS
2025 MN State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals grantee ($10,000) 2024 MN State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals grantee ($10,000) 2024 MRAC Arts Impact grantee ($5,000) 2023 MN State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals grantee ($10,000) 2021 MRAC Arts Impact grantee ($5,000) 2021 MN State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals grantee ($6,000) 2020 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative grantee ($10,000) 2019 Chosen to represent the US at the 2019 Prague Quadrennial 2018 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative grantee ($10,000) 2016 Sage Award Nomination: Outstanding Design In Dance Sage Award Nomination: Special Citation, Producer of The Right Here Showcase 2015 Best Theater of the Year, MN Playlist: “SAMO, Like a Fiery Comet Jean Michel Basquiat…” 2013 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative grantee ($10,000) 2013 Jerome Travel/Study Grant grantee ($5,000) 2013 Commission – Northern Spark: Installation-Performance “Working From Home” 2013 Commission – MN State Fair, created the Minnesota Performing Arts Booth 2012 MRAC/McKnight Next Step grantee ($5000) 2010 Sage Award for Scenic Design in Dance 2009 McKnight Theatre Artist Fellowship awardee ($25,000) 2009 Best Actor, Best Set, Best Production (non musical) – Lavender Magazine 2008 Best Set Designs – City Pages 2007 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative grantee ($10,000) 2007 Commission - Walker Art Center: Momentum New Dance Works series 2007 Best Set Designs – City Pages 2006 Best Set Designs – City Pages 2006 Ivey Award Outstanding Choreography to Gerry Girouard in OLA’s “Crimes & Whispers” 2005 Artists of the Year – City Pages (with Jennifer Ilse) 2005 Ivey Award for Outstanding Production to Off-Leash Area for “Psst!” 2005 Best Set Designs – City Pages 2002 Best Theatre Productions of the Year - City Pages 2000 Best Theatre Productions of the Year - City Pages
SELECTED SCENIC DESIGN EXPERIENCE
Selected Animation/Projection Designs 2018-2022 Over a dozen projection designs for numerous dance & theater companies, Minneapolis 2022 Projection Design for James Sewell Ballet “Earth Tomes”, and tour 2019 Projection Design for Black Label Movement “Morituri te Salutent”, and tour 2018 Projection Design for Jennifer Ilse’s “The Time Is”, and remount
Selected Physical Set Designs 1999-2022 Off-Leash Area 28 Productions, Minneapolis 2018 Combustible Company’s “Imaginary Invalid”, Minneapolis 2016 Carl Flink “4 Saints”, Cowles Center, Minneapolis 2011 Dominic Orlando’s “A Short Play about 911”, Playwrights’ Ctr, Minneapolis
SELECTED PERFORMING EXPERIENCE
1999-2022 Lead and ensemble roles in 28 Original Productions Off-Leash Area 1991-1998 Lead and ensemble roles with many regional and summer-stock theatres Toronto, Ontario 1985-1991 Lead and ensemble roles in six productions with Theatre Grottesco, Across the US, Hungary
GALLERY EXPERIENCE
2025 Weisman Art Museum, SEEN project, Carl Flink, Minneapolis, MN 2002 Solo Exhibition at Stella’s Café, Minneapolis 1998-01 Member of the AZ Gallery Artists’ Collective in St Paul, MN; several group exhibit 1994-95 Member of the Gallery 306 Artists’ Collective, Toronto, Ontario; solo exhibition 1985-91 Many exhibitions in cafes and restaurants in Detroit, Michigan
FORMAL EDUCATION
1981-83 Trained & graduated from the international theatre school, Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Diplome 1979-1980 U of MN, Minneapolis, studio arts major