Today we bid a fond (but only temporary) farewell to Praxis Makes Perfect writers and column founders Jacquelyn Gleisner and Jeffrey Songco, both of whom are taking some time off from writing for the Art21 Blog to pursue other opportunities. However, both Jacquelyn and Jeffrey will be back in the not-too-distant future — we’ll keep you posted on when each will appear here next! In the meantime, we have a fantastic lineup of new writers to continue this column’s focus on life after graduate school, in all its triumphs, disappointments, joys and perplexities. Two of these contributors are already familiar to you: Antonius Wiriadjaja and Kelsey Elisabeth Nelson are both Open Enrollment alums; we’re so excited that they can continue sharing their experiences with us by segueing into Praxis Makes Perfect. In addition, we’re happy to introduce Erin Sweeny, an artist from Los Angeles who recently graduated from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Erin’s Praxis Makes Perfect post this morning marks the column’s relaunch; after that, the column will post on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.
Want to get to know our new contributors better? Check out their pics and short bios below, and please join Art21 in welcoming our newest columnists to the blog team!
Kelsey Elisabeth Nelson
Kelsey Elisabeth Nelson recently completed her Master of Arts in Art Education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She holds a BA in Art History and French, and divides her time equally between reveling in Chicago’s cultural scene, dreaming of sipping espresso in Parisian cafés, and missing the mountains of her native West Virginia and adopted home of Vermont. While pursuing a passion for art museums and informal learning environments, Kelsey keeps her fascination with the intersections between visual art, language, and cultural empathy close at hand.
Antonius Wiriadjaja
Antonius Wiriadjaja combines techniques from cognitive science and guerrilla theatre to share traditional folk tales in new media. He is a graduate of NYU Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) and performs regularly with Gamelan Kusuma Laras, New York’s premier classical Javanese Gamelan orchestra.
Erin Sweeny
Erin Sweeny is a visual artist living and working in Los Angeles. Born in Spokane, Washington and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she holds a BA from Seattle University and an MFA in Photography from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has also pursued studies at the San Francisco Art Institute and studied abroad at La Universidad Iberoamericana in Puebla, Mexico. Her work has been featured in exhibitions across the country, as well as installations and public offerings in alternative settings.