Mickalene Thomas
Mickalene Thomas was born and raised in New Jersey and lives and works in New York. One of the most influential artists today, her innovative practice has yielded instantly recognizable and widely celebrated aesthetic languages within contemporary visual culture. She is known for her elaborate paintings composed of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel. Not only do her masterful mixed-media paintings, photographs, films and installations command space, they occupy eloquently while dissecting the intersecting complexities of black and female identity within the Western canon. Outside of her core practice, Thomas is a Tony Awards nominated co-producer, curator, educator and mentor to many emerging artists. While embarking on her own monumental solo shows, she simultaneously curates exhibitions at galleries and museums. Thomas’s work has become an undeniable force within the contemporary art world and an indispensable inspiration to younger generations of artists. She has been awarded multiple prizes and grants, including the Pratt Institute Legends Award (2022); Rema Hort Mann Foundation 25th Anniversary Honoree (2022); Artistic Impact Award, Newark Museum (2022); Glass House 15th Anniversary Artist of the Year (2022); Yale School of Art Presidential Visiting Fellow in Fine Arts (2020); Legend in Residence Award, Bronx Museum (2020); Pauli Murray College Associate Fellow at Yale University (2020); Meyerhoff-Becker Biennial Commission at Baltimore Museum of Art (2019); Visionary Award, Pioneer Works (2019); She is the cofounder of the Pratt>FORWARD ‘Artist in the Market’ incubator for post-graduate students, and serves on the Board of the Trustees for the Brooklyn Museum and MoMA PS1.
Image:
Mickalene Thomas Photographed by Malike Sidibe At Yale Gallery for The New York Times Magazine.
Mickalene's Links:
Mickalene's Upcoming Workshops
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IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skill and knowledge of painting and drawing. Students are highly motivated and self-directed, have a minimum of five years experience in their field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Portfolio review is required for admittance to some Level IV classes.
Jun 24 - 28, 2024
9AM - 5PM
Master Class: The Business of Art Making
Mickalene Thomas, Jasmine Wahi
Tuition $1,500
Code D0408-24
Although many programs exist to refine the technical skills of emerging artists, few aim to enrich their practice with the professional guidance essential to the success of their careers. From navigating relationships with potential gallerists to fostering the acumen to dissect legal jargon, this workshop aims to provide a fundamental basis for an artist’s longevity. Although the course takes place in the painting building, artists of all disciplines are invited to apply. Portfolios will be accepted on a rolling basis. Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are as follows: Submit digital images of your work in one single PDF (as opposed to individual JPG attachments) via email directly to Lindsey Yeager, Studio Coordinator of Painting, Drawing & Printmaking, at lyeager@andersonranch.org The single PDF must be less than 10 MB to be considered. Include 5-10 images of your work with image identification that lists the title, media, dimensions and year of each image. While not required, it is helpful to see an artist statement addressing the images you send. Include “Advanced Portfolio Review” in the subject line of your email, as well as the title of the workshop for which you are applying. Please provide a phone number where you can be reached and a link to your website. Submissions that do not follow the requested directions will not be reviewed. If you are accepted, a deposit of $650 will be required within one week of notification of acceptance to hold your place. Housing will be assigned on a space-available basis upon enrollment.