Laken Bridges is a West Coast native with Southern heritage who considers South-Central Appalachia home. She received her MFA in printmaking from Clemson University and holds a BA in French and a BFA in studio art from East Tennessee State University. Though she is trained as a printmaker, Bridges engages in a cross-disciplinary studio practice involving print, drawing, sculpture, books, and writing. Presently she divides her time between northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina where she teaches at Appalachian State University. Prior to teaching at Appalachian State, She participated in a visiting artist teaching residency at the University of Rio Grande in Rio Grande, OH. There she developed work informed by her research on stigmatized labor and power dynamics in the working class sector as well as taught courses in printmaking and digital photography. Laken's work has been exhibited in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Oregon, and China.
Portfolio: Bridges print work and student work
| bridges_portfolio_images.pdf |
CV (last updated 10/2016)
EDUCATION
M.F.A. Visual Arts. Clemson University 2014
B.F.A. Studio Art. East Tennessee State University 2011
B.A. French / French literature. East Tennessee State University 2011
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2016-17 Adjunct Instructor, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
2015-17 Visiting Instructor, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
2015 Resident Artist / Instructor, University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, OH.
2014 Instructor of Record, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
2012-13 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
2009-10 Undergraduate Studio Assistant, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN.
AWARDS and GRANTS:
2015 Cecilia Voelker Award in Art History
2014 Clemson Center for Visual Arts Funding: Frogman’s Print Workshop scholarship
2014 Clemson Center for Visual Arts Funding: MAPC conference travel grant
2013 Clemson Center for Visual Arts Funding: Penland Partners scholarship
2013 Clemson Center for Visual Arts Funding: SGCI travel grant
2012 George R. McDonald Fellowship
2011 East Tennessee State University Art Faculty Choice Award
2010 East Tennessee State University Honors College Student-Faculty Collaborative Grant
2007 Jane Dove Cox Undergraduate Portfolio Scholarship
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 Books, books, books! Turchin Center for Visual Arts. Boone, NC. (Curated by Mary Ann Redding) (forthcoming)
Liminal Spaces. Sikes Hall Gallery. Clemson, SC.
Ink Travels. Center for Visual Arts. Greenville, SC.
Ink Travels. Greenville Technical College. Taylors, SC.
Little River Print Project. Birke Art Gallery. Huntington, WV. (Curated by Megan Schultz of Marshall University and Benjy Davies of University of Rio Grande)
2015 From These Hills. William King Museum. Abingdon, VA. (Juried by Stephen Wicks, Knoxville Museum of Art)
Clemson Art: Then and Now. Center for Visual Arts. Clemson, SC. (Curated by Denise Detrich, Lee Gallery curator, Clemson
University. Clemson SC)
Corporeal Complexities. Lee Gallery. Clemson University. Clemson, SC. (Juried by Virginia Sweeney, Coordinator of Museum Interpretation at the High Museum of Art)
Ink Travels. Center for Visual Arts. Clemson, SC. (invitational)
2014 Object | Subject | Abject. Lee Gallery. Clemson University. Clemson, SC. (Masters of Fine Arts thesis exhibition)
DEVELOP: International alternative process photography, Art Museum of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. (Curated by Zheng
Wen, Nanjing University of the Arts)
Paper in Particular, Columbia College, Columbia, MO. (Juried by Craig Barber, photographer)
Print Center 88th International Competition, semi-finalist, Portland, OR. (juried by Julia Dolan, Bruce Guenther, curators for
Portland Art Museum)
Transposed, Patrick Square, Clemson, SC. (Juried by Dr. Andrea Feeser and Dr. Beth Lauritus, Clemson University)
Process this, Center for Visual Arts, Greenville, SC. (juried by Adam Glick, associate director, Galerie LeLong, Manhattan)
Nashville Print Revival: A Printmaking Symposium, Nashville, TN. (co-curated by Meghan O’Connor and Allison Ford)
2013 Liminal Spaces, group show. Lee Gallery, Clemson, SC.
Devising Compositions, Patrick Square. Clemson SC (juried by Kathleen Thum, Syd Cross, Denise Detrich, Clemson University)
2012 From These Hills, William King Museum, Abingdon, VA (juried by Amy Moorefield, Curator, Hollins University)
2010 Transverse Orientation, Nelson Fine Art, Johnson City, TN (curated Mira Gerard, East Tennessee State University)
Rome Coterie 8th National Juried Exhibition, Rome, GA (juried by Sandra Washburn, University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill)
2009 Impressions, Tipton Gallery, Johnson City, TN (juried by David Mazure, East Stroudsburg University)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2017 Rigor and Pride. WIU Gallery, Western Illinois University. Macomb, Il (forthcoming)
Dirty Little Stigmas. NECC Gallery, Northeast State Community College. Blountville, TN. (forthcoming)
2015 Explorations. Greer Museum. University of Rio Grande. Rio Grande, OH
2011 Manifestation, Slocumb Galleries, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
PRINT EXCHANGES
2016 CATTYWAMPUS!: Endeared Regional Terms, organizer (forthcoming)
Adjunked: The Part-Timer’s Print Exchange, organizer (forthcoming)
2015 Ink Travels: Lessons Learned from Syd Cross, co-organizer with Adrienne Lichliter of Pic Nic Press, Dallas, TX)
PUBLICATIONS
2014 Bridges, Laken. “Economy Model: User Friendly”. The Chronicle. Clemson University Press. Clemson, SC. 2014.
2010 Bridges, Laken. Odilon Redon: Symbolist. Ralph Slatton Art Impressions and Conceptual Processes. Ralph Slatton, Professor,
East Tennessee State University. 12 Dec. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. ralphslatton.org
2011 Bridges, Laken. "Displaced” cover art. The Mockingbird. East Tennessee State University Press. Johnson City, TN. 2011.
PUBLIC LECTURE and PRESENTATIONS
2015 “From These Hills”. Radio interview. Art Speaks. William King Museum of Art. WEHC. 31 December 2015.
“Explorations in labor” Artist lecture. University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College. Rio Grande, OH.
2014 “Invisible Labor and the Preservation of Dignity” Artist lecture. Lee Gallery. Clemson University. Clemson, SC.
2011 “The Animal in Art: A Symbol of the Psyche,” Posters at the Capitol: Undergraduate Research. Nashville, TN.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
2014-present Member, Mid America Print Council (MAPC)
2013-present Member, Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI)
COMMITTEE WORK
2013-14 Sentator, Graduate Student Government, Art Dept., Clemson University
2013 Representative, Lee Hall Building Committee Art Department, Clemson University
VOLUNTEER / SERVICE WORK
2015 Workshop Instructor. River Valley High School, Bidwell, OH
2014 Silent Auction Art Monitor. Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
2013 Auction display. Penland School of Crafts. Penland, NC
2009 Tutor / monitor. Girls Incorporated, Johnson City, TN
2008 Office and warehouse worker. Good Samaritan Ministries, Johnson City, TN