Welcome Art Writer, Bean Gilsdorf

Bean Gilsdorf (Portland, OR) is SPACES' fourth Art Writer in Residence, scheduled to be in Cleveland over a 4-week intensive period of research, writing, and critical dialogue, during the initial weeks of the FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art. During her SPACES Art Writer residency, Gilsdorf will cover the triennial, while interacting with the artistic community based in Northeast Ohio through interviews; critique sessions, including the 4th annual SPACES 8x8x8 speed studio visit sessions; and public events developed in collaboration with SPACES and other arts organizations. Her residency will culminate in written material based on her observations. Gilsdorf describes:

My preliminary research on Cleveland has revealed a city whose history and culture have been shaped in no small measure by women. From the first land grant to a woman in 1798 to the formation of the International Women's Congress of 1975, women have claimed territory, participated in cooperative enterprises, and actively created and defined space for themselves as creative agents. I want to explore the notion of boundaries-who owns a domain, or who claims it-and examine the methodologies women have used to manifest and inhabit space within the cultural and economic fabric of the city. With this history in mind, I hope to meet with contemporary artists, activists, curators, and other cultural producers who delineate their own literal and symbolic territories. My writing (both traditional and experimental) will document my findings.

BIOGRAPHY

Bean Gilsdorf is an artist and writer. Her visual practice explores the iconography of history and political power, and her projects have been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, and the American Textile History Museum; as well as exhibition spaces in the United States, Poland, England, Italy, China, and South Africa. Gilsdorf holds a BA in literature from Simon's Rock at Bard College and an MFA from California College of the Arts. She is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including 2015 and 2016 Fulbright Fellowships to Poland. From 2015 to 2017 she served as the editor in chief of Daily Serving, and her critical writing and interviews have been included in publications such as Artforum, BOMB, and Frieze. She was recently a columnist in residence for SFMOMA's Open Space.

ABOUT THE ART WRITER PROGRAM
SPACES supports international, U.S. and local cultural producers in the development of new ideas, while facilitating opportunities to collaborate with audiences in Northeast Ohio through various artist in residence initiatives. Since 2002, SPACES has hosted 68 artists from around the world. In 2015, SPACES expanded to include a dedicated residency for art writers, to increase critical dialogue focused on Cleveland's vibrant art scene. This opportunity is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.