Spend your lunch hour hearing from the Student Independent Exhibition 80 jurors Alex Heard, Thao Nguyen, and Shawn Powell as they introduce their practices.
This talk will take place during Lunch on Fridays from 12:15 to 1:30pm Friday, February 20 in CIA's Peter B. Lewis Theater.
Speaker Bios:
Alex Heard ’20 is a soft sculptor and transdisciplinary artist currently working in New England. Their colorful, plush costumes explore a variety of topics both absurd and sincere. They are a production artist with the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Parade the Circle. They have participated in residencies at the Cleveland Heights Public Library, and Akron Soul Train. They were a recipient of the Urgent Art Fund administered by SPACES. They have exhibited locally, nationally, and Interdimensionally. Alex received their BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2020, and is a current MFA candidate at the University of Connecticut.
Thao Nguyen ’21 is an illustrator, designer, and visual artist. She has a range of creative pursuits such as illustrating and designing logos, magazine covers, greeting cards, and packaging. She combines her passion for hand-drawn art and design with digital techniques. Her work consists of vibrant colors and incorporates wildlife inspired by her love of the outdoors. Her impact can be seen throughout Northeast Ohio, with public art installations and murals across Cleveland, Lakewood, and Larchmere.
Shawn Powell has presented solo exhibitions in Tennis Elbow at The Journal Gallery, New York, NY; 106 Green, Brooklyn, NY; Chapter, New York, NY; Marrow Gallery, San Francisco, CA; and at Abattoir Gallery, Cleveland, OH. He has been included in group exhibitions at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA; the Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; Wassaic Projects, Wassaic, NY; NADA New York, NY; and NADA Miami, Miami, FL. His work has been featured in Newcity Art, The Midwest Art Quarterly, ArtMaze Magazine, and New American Paintings. Powell has been invited to participate in the Living in the Play: nido residency in Monte Castello di Vibio, Italy as well as the Alfred/Düsseldorf Residency in Düsseldorf, Germany. His work has been acquired by the Fidelity Art Collection, Cleveland Clinic Art Collection, Akron Art Museum, Bridgehampton Museum, and the Putnam Art Collection at Case Western Reserve University. Powell received his BFA in Painting and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA in Painting from Hunter College. He was the recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award Grant in 2021, 2023, and 2025. He is currently an Associate Professor and the co-chair of Painting at Kent State University.
Parking: Lunch on Fridays attendees may park in CIA's Lot 73 and Annex Lot, both of which surround our campus. Please note that signs posted around those lots correctly state that parking typically requires a CIA permit or visitor pass and that violators will be ticketed. However, to accommodate our valued Lunch on Fridays attendees, that policy won't be enforced during the program. Have questions? Please contact Reinberger Gallery at reinbergergallery@cia.edu or 216.421.7407.
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