Removing Barriers in a Studio Practice
Panel chaired by Chelsea Clarke
Description
How can we work together to generate positive and sustainable change? How do we manifest Resistance and Revolution? This panel will address these questions from the perspective of a group of printmakers working with disabilities. Many print shops are set up with able bodied people in mind, and for someone who has to modify their practice to accommodate physical limitations, these spaces can be difficult to navigate. A frank discussion about how to remove these barriers, both at a personal and an institutional level, will be a positive step towards broadening the concept of inclusivity within print.
The discussion will be loosely framed around a series of questions for each participant such as: what does access look like for you? What’s working in your space? What isn’t working? What could be done about it? These prompts can be addressed from different directions, including physical barriers (stairs, high countertops, lack of equipment), as well as emotional barriers, like certain insidious (yet pervasive) attitudes about people with disabilities. They could also be answered as an artist talk, through a body of work that addresses your experience, though that is just a suggestion! Do not worry about constraining your answers to this formats - the scope of disability is broad and the way we talk about it can be just as diverse.
About the chair
Chelsea Clarke recently completed her MFA at University of Kentucky in Lexington, where she investigated the intersection of print and fiber. Her work centers around themes of perceived contradiction, seeking comfort, and living in a state of recovery. She received her undergraduate degree in Painting & Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University, along with a Post-Baccalaureate in Nonprofit Management with the goal of one day founding a radically accessible artist residency. She currently lives in Houston, Texas and works at the Lawndale Art Center as their Artist in Residence.
Panelists
Heather Huston is an Associate Professor of Print Media at the Alberta University of the Arts in Canada. Her work uses her own chronic illness experiences to reflect on socio-medical issues, and she is part of the health humanities community at the University of Calgary. She has exhibited her printmaking work throughout North America and internationally with artworks held in the collections of over fifteen public institutions.
Meg Pohlod is a print artist based in the Bay Area. She is a Printmaking Faculty at Laney College in Oakland, California. Prior to teaching she was the Artist Residency Manager at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California. She received her MFA in printmaking from the University of Alberta in 2017. Pohlod has exhibited work, and been a visiting artist nationally and internationally.
Zoe Steinberg is a non-binary, queer artist with disabilities currently living and studying in Philadelphia, PA. Zoe is in their last semester working towards a BFA in printmaking at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. They use printmaking and mixed media installation as a way to express and navigate life with disabilities as a young adult.
Time
2-3:30pm Saturday
Location
Kent State University School of Art
Center for Visual Arts (CVA)
Room 251
Wearing face coverings and being up-to-date on Covid-19 vaccinations are strongly recommended at this location.