CURRICULUM VITAE



Bronzeville Artist Lofts, 2015 Airbnb Host 

 I completed my undergraduate studies in art education, with a minor emphasis in studio art, at the California State University of Sacramento and the Teachers' Credential Program in 1990. I built my career in Sacramento as an artist and visual art director, co-founder of the Visual Arts Development Project, and hosted an African American Art Summit. I received an administrative fellowship from the California Arts Council, where I worked under the direction of Wayne Cook, an Arts Education Specialist, and Juan Carillo, Deputy Director of the CAC. After returning to Sacramento, I was contracted to design and implement an Arts Education program for the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission for the City and County, Arts in Schools, and Neighborhood Arts residencies. After a decade of shaping the arts in Sacramento, I moved to Chicago, Illinois, to complete my Masters of Art in Arts Administration at the School of the Art Institute in 2001.
 My formal training in art administration, art education, art gallery management, and studio art gives me the foundation to manage my curatorial practice. 
My curatorial practice is the Phantom Gallery Chicago, where I am the Chief Curator and administrator.
I am a researcher for Popup Research Station, a collaborative project between Phantom Galleries Los Angeles, Artist Design the Future, and the Near North West Arts Council. 
I co-founded the Visual Arts Development Project, an art service organization- that develops projects as living experiments for sustainable practices and an incubator for personal and collective transformation.
I am a painter and an environmental installation artist who synthesizes aspects of set design, film theatre, sculpture, and other two-dimensional forms. I create environmental art installations where objects and images are selected to "serve as cultural mirrors," The sites in which they are situated serve as part of a broader cultural commentary. 
Objects in the public sphere serve to communicate and reinforce certain cultural narratives, hierarchies, and social mythologies. Making artwork that demands the audience to confront art and activism issues also creates representational and provocative art. What inspires me most is the feeling that I have a social responsibility as an artist to record history and thrust awareness about life and the earth upon the viewer—to cast another perspective from which to view the world.  
 My curatorial practice is the Phantom Gallery Chicago Network. The Phantom Galleries are temporary exhibitions in nontraditional gallery settings. In addition, I am a co-author and researcher for Pop Up Research Station and Creative Conversation. This project is a portal where curators nationally share knowledge and resources of best practices and ongoing professional development and is a place for moral support to enhance our collective impact while staging popup exhibitions.
As a chief curator, I have challenged collaborating artists to present temporary installations that engage in public interaction by experimenting with every possible combination and playing around with a genuine approach to each investigation from the beginning to the end. These new installations are a window to the imaginary, a summons, and an overture to a dialogue.
In the last decade, I have traveled nationally and internationally to create art as an artist-in-resident, engaging the community in the art of placemaking. I have created temporary installations in City Lots, along the pedestrian walkway, National Forest Preserves, Land Trust to Conservatorships, empty storefronts as alternative spaces, and Museum settings. 
Collaborating with various art organizations in California: Visual Arts Development Project, Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum of Sacramento, African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the Central San Joaquin Valley, Zawadi Gallery, and Los Angeles Jovenes Art Park. Florida: Miami Art Week/Art Basel in Miami, Florida, Kroma Art Space, Coconut Grove. Clinton, Maryland, Artomatic in Crystal City, Virginia. Illinois: Chicago: Griffin Gallery, Experimental Station, William G. Hill Gallery, Murphy Hill Gallery, Tarble Art Center, and Common Grounds, Black Creativity", Museum of Science and Industry, "Anarchitectural Library 2019-
2020, Chicago Cultural Center Architecture Biennial, "Peace Tower" Mark di Suvero, Chicago Cultural Center, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Roger Brown Gallery. Tarble Art Center Eastern Illinois University.
International projects: Berlin, Pankow East Berlin, Hannover, and Ramstein, Germany. Member of the Global Art Space/Berlin Art Club, International Art Group. Art on Armitage, Chicago- Supermarket 2015 Stockholm Sweden Independent Art Fair, Encounters" Vancouver Canada, Sacramento California, and Mexico City, Mexico. 



Research Project 2012 - Current

"Imperative of Being," a Research Project NAACP Journal 1936-1943

"Popup Research Station," Archiving Artist Stories/Case Studies, 2012 - 2022

"Creative Conversation", BlogTalkRadio, 2014- 2022

 The following is a short list of exhibitions and installations: 2022

"The Beauty-of-Blackness-Fine-Art-Show," Guest Speaker, Ft. Collins CO., Sept 1-4, 22

"Gifted and Naturally Made, The Black Female Body," Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, Sacramento, CA,  July - September

 "Ye Shall Inherit the Earth & Faces of the Divine," Art Traveling Exhibition," Northwestern University/Harvard

"Sound and Appliqué," Castle of Our Skin, Boston Center for the Arts,  January 

Gallery Guichard  Online Catalog 2020 - 2021

"The  McRae 9th Annual Fine Art  Show" VEC  Vol #14

"Art As Activism" Introduction Video VEC #11

"This is Us" Virtual Exhibition Catalog VEC Vol. #10

 "Human Kind "Virtual Exhibition Catalog VEC Vol. #9

"Color Me In…" Introduction Video Vol. #4

"Guichard - Gallery ArtistsVirtual Exhibition Catalog VEC Vol. #2 

"Either Wrong or Right, Just Examine," Evanston Art Center, July  Sept 2021

"Art and Social Justice: Examining the State of Our Environment," Overton Hygenic Building October - December 2018.

 Curatorial Practice Short List of Exhibition:

"Color Me In," Gallery Guichard, July 2020

"Soulworks," Evanston Art Center, June 2020

"Black Creativity," Museum of Science and Industry, 2020

"Anarchitectural Library (against the erasure of Chicago's common spaces)," 2019- 2020, Chicago Cultural Center Architecture Biennial-Art and Social 2019 -Justice: Examining the State of Our Environment, Overton Hygenic 

"Cotton Comes to Harlem," Mural Installation, Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum, Sacramento, CA. 2019

"Abstract Expression, "Do You See What I See, Gallery Guichard, 2019

"Whose Art is it Anyway," Overton Elementary, Borderless Studio, 2017-2020

"Art and Social Justice, Examining the State of Our Environment," A Public Conversation and Activations, 

"Individualism," Gallery Guichard, Chicago May - July 2018

"Beauty of Diversity," Gallery Guichard, Chicago March-May 2017

"Culture Bridge 2017", International Art Group/Scharpenburg Gallery, 



"Echoes of Our Journey," Gallery Guichard, Chicago, 2016
"Louis Armstrong Festival," Gallery Guichard, Chicago,  2016
"Bombay Sapphire Artesian Series," 2014, 2015 
"Hanging Glass to the Light so it Can Sing," Art on Armitage, 2015
"Matriarch', Griffin Gallery, Chicago IL, June 2015 
"Spring Art Exhibition," Valdosta, GA   April – June 2015
"Art Africa Miami Basel," Overtown Miami, Florida,  2014, 2015
"Berlin Art Club" Ist International Call, Berlin Germany,  2012
"Creative Currency Words to Live By," 2012
"Berlin Chicago Kaleidoscope: Berlin  Germany, July –Oct 2011
"Elastic Arts "Intersections," Chicago IL, April 2 – May 2011
"50 Aldermen/50 Artists", Johalla Project, Chicago IL,  2010
"AMP-CHI," Elastic Gallery, Chicago, IL, Oct 2010
"Friendship," Sapphire and Crystal, Chicago IL, Oct 2010
"Gutter Bunny Show" Art and Bikes, Chicago, IL October 24, 2010
"Experimental Sound Narratives," Create Fest, Chicago IL, 2010
"In Black and White," Creative Arts Alliance, Chicago IL, 2008
"Living Sculpture," Interfaith Peace Concert, Chicago Temple, 
"Peace Tower" Mark di Suvero, Chicago Cultural Center,  2007
"Living Art Reborn," Artscape, Chicago Cultural Center,  2006
"Halleluiah," Union Street Gallery, Chicago, Dec 2003
"Different Strokes for Different Folks," Newark, NJ, Sept 2001
"Bone Deep in Chicago: Counter Memorials," SAIC, May 2000
"Elements of a Community" Jovenes, Inc., LA CA, 1997
"Encounters" Traveling Exhibition, Canada, Calif, Mexico, 1995

Artist in Residency Projects:
·  2014    Get To Know, Prince George County, Maryland, May 
   2013 Grandmother's Circle: Tarble Art Center, Charleston, IL
·  2013    Land Trust VADP, Auburn, CA, May 
·  2012    Wanderlust: Syke, Hannover, Berlin, Germany, July October 
·  2011     The Writer's Well, Sharpsburg, GA, Jan –March 
·  2009     Ramstein Germany, July - August 2009-2012
·  2002 "Road to Recovery," Oak Forest Hospital, Cook County

Publications:
2021:    Curatorial Fellowship an investigation, 
2012:     Berlin Chicago Kaleidoscope, 'Curatorial Catalogue,'
2002:     "Problems and Considerations for Women in the Arts, Administering Public                            Art Programs, SAIC
1994:     African American Arts Summit, 'There's Some Thing in the Air" Critic and                           Presentations
1993:     Celebration Arts Visual Artist Present, "African American Art Summit,                                    Resolve Document, and Conference Documentation.

Blogs:
http://alphabrutonartprojects.blogspot.com/
http://www.PhantomGalleryChicago.blogspot.com
http://www.Vartsdevelopmentproject.blogspot.com

References:

Los Rios Community College District, Dr. Talver Germany-Miller, Professor, germanytalver@gmail.com.

Education leadership Consultant, Toni Collie Perry, Tonicollieperry@gmail.com

Popup Research Station, Phantom Galleries Los Angeles, Liza Simone, popupresearchstation@gmail.com

Caryl Henry Alexander, An Artist with a Purpose, Clinton Maryland, carylhenryalexander@gmail.com