Pathways
Join us for a discussion with local curatorial experts as they explore their artistic practices and the strategies they employ to support the career development of emerging artists and arts professionals. This conversation will highlight how curators discover new talent and foster community relationships.
Pathways offers a valuable chance for emerging artists to ask questions, gain insights from seasoned curators, and find inspiration to advance their careers in the evolving art world. Participants will explore how curators navigate the evolving landscape of the art world, offering insights into their methodologies, inspiration, and the challenges they face.
The event aims to provide valuable takeaways for both artists and arts professionals looking to navigate their careers in this dynamic field. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, network with professionals, and gather practical advice on how to cultivate their artistic journeys in an ever-changing environment. This discussion seeks to inspire and empower the next generation of artists by sharing the wealth of knowledge and experience held by professionals in the field.
————————
Pathways is organized by Gina Cazden, an Events Coordinator and MA Candidate in Arts Leadership & Cultural Management at Colorado State University. With a history of nonprofit and visual arts work, Gina is looking forward to partnering with arts organizations in the Pittsburgh region to create meaningful arts and culture programming.
Meet the panelists:
Danny Bracken
Danny Bracken is an artist, musician, and creative producer, currently working as Director of Exhibitions at the Mattress Factory, an artist-founded and artist-centered museum, international residency program and renowned producer of art in Pittsburgh. He has performed extensively throughout the world, composed music for Sundance Film Festival projects, and exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe and the US. Recently, his work has shifted into the curatorial field, with a focus on site-specific installation, multidisciplinary practices, and artistic exchange.
Kimberly Jacobs
Kimberly Diana Jacobs is a curator and arts professional with over ten years of experience in art galleries and museums. Her academic background covers art history, museum studies, modern and contemporary art by artists of African descent.
She is currently curator and exhibition manager and at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Prior to joining the AWAACC team, Kimberly served as interim director of Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and most recently as director and curator of the William R. Harvey Museum of Art at Talladega College.
In addition to her leadership roles, Kimberly has contributed to panels, lectures, exhibitions, and performances at museums including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, Saint Louis Art Museum, and Mississippi Museum of Art. In 2016 Kimberly was awarded the Catherine Hannah Behrend Fellowship by ArtTable at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and in 2013-14 she was the Romare Bearden Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Her exhibition projects include A Lesson in Black Excellence: Historically Black Colleges and Universities from Their Founding to the Future, which focused on HBCU art collections and archives, Terry Adkins: Renditions I-III at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in 2018, and All Things Being Equal, a group exhibition for the opening of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa in 2017.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, she is a graduate of Jackson State University with a bachelor’s in fine art and master’s in history and continued her postgraduate studies in art history and museum studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Alyssa Kail
Alyssa Kail is a multidisciplinary visual artist currently based in Braddock, PA. Curiosity, color, and texture are the driving forces in her creative practice and in life in general.
Her work is primarily with fiber art techniques and materials, but is shifting into incorporating fused and stained glass. She earned a B.A from the University of Pittsburgh in Environmental Studies and an M.F.A. from Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) and Oregon College of Art & Craft (OCAC) in Portland, Oregon in Applied Craft + Design. Alyssa cofounded Camp Copeland Studio in 2015 with her husband Drew Kail. Together they are a small batch producer of handcrafted home goods and decor in wool and kilnformed glass. Alyssa also works in exhibitions, events, and the shop as the Artist Services and Shop Coordinator at Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media.