Individual Artist Project Grant (INDIVIDUALS ONLY)

I have had great feedback from the community with my work. I think they are interested in seeing new ideas, being challenged both to think and be playful. My work encourages interaction and reflection. I would also like to offer a class or workshop beyond the exhibit and artist talk. I am currently co-manager of the DAI's Printmaking Club as well as the facilitator/instructor for the Youth Film Photography Club. Using both of these platforms as ways to reach the community at multiple age levels, I can share learned ideas of paper sculpture, collage and installations with these communities. The Photo Club takes place in the depot so we can easily visit the Morrison Gallery to discuss the exhibit. The printmaking club could potentially expand into a paper club and allow for both printmaking as well as paper techniques to be explored by interested community members. I will be teaching a 3D Collage class on February 1, 2020 as part of my MSAB grant and this can be an initial venue to propose ideas to the community. As part of the exhibit, I will include an area of the gallery that has small paper sculptures which the audience can stack and re-stack to create their own mini-sculptures from paper. The hands on experience will promote creativity and play amongst the viewers. I will set up a Facebook and Instagram platforms for viewers to document, upload and share their creations.From 2017 to early 2019, I was fortunate to have a string of exhibitions of the artwork that evolved from my degree experience at UMD. For the last year I've explored new techniques and new directions which have come with their failures and successes. This exhibit will be a tangible opportunity to bring resolution to these trials as well as be a showcase of the actual art. A new venue means a new installation within a space and I want to create an interesting and engaging experience for the viewers. As always, I am curious how the community responds to a show, especially when new work is on display. While still inspired by nature, the new paper pieces are less concrete or literal. The measurable outcome of completing the work and installing it at DAI gives me a chance to discover how the audience will react to the new direction. A bonus will be connecting with the community through an artist talk, potential media coverage and additional events through DAI or on my own. In the fall of 2017 I received a Studio Art degree from UMD and soon after was asked to do a solo show at the Kruk Gallery at UWS. A Career Development grant helped me execute this exhibition. Titled "Reconfigure" the show was on view from November 2018 to January 2019 and went on to the MacRostie Art Center in February of 2019. Both venues included an opening and artist talks. In 2019, I received an Artist Initiative grant from the State Arts Board, due to be completed in February of 2020. In spring of 2019, I was asked to create a new sculptural piece for the group exhibit, "Strata" at the Duluth Art Institute with only a 2-month turnaround time to design, create and install the finished work. I have experience working with deadlines and managing my time to successfully prepare for exhibitions. Thanks to the Artist Initiative grant I have worked through much of the exploration and experimentation phase for this new body of work and have a plan for final execution of the DAI show.In many ways, the project is already a success as it has created challenges for me through the execution of a new body of work. I am also pleased with how these challenges reflect the seriousness of my growing studio practice.Throughout production, I have and will continue to document my process and progress through writing, sketching and photographs which I archive and sometimes share with the community on social media. An artist talk at the exhibit will be another chance to share my ideas and process with the community as well as allow for dialogue with the attending audience. An onsite guestbook will let additiona