Making Identity
January 2025
Curated and Planned by Marisa Lawrence
Photography Credit: Gavin Strawnado
This project was a gallery exhibition open to the public used as the presentation element of my Master’s Thesis. This gallery included my own artwork, and I also took this opportunity to curate other work from my community of diverse artists to create a space where identities could be celebrated. The gallery description from the program is as follows: “Making Identity is an exhibition of art and artistry that seeks to understand the ways in which art can impact our perception of ourselves and our relationships with others. The goal of this exhibition is also to consider art beyond the finished product. In what way does making heal, inspire, inquire, or dismantle?”
Each piece was chosen as an example of artists using their process to express an aspect of their identity. Other works on display include a cyanotype nightgown made from HRT waste, a collection of runaway slave portraits, and a portrait of a lover in oil on canvas. The full list of each artist featured are: Katie Concannon, Hahnji Jang, Lillian Young, Francisco “Radio Sofrito” Castro, Michelle Habeck, Jordan Lewis, Jarrod Glasser, Meagan Geer, and Alik Clay.
ArtVend 2.0
April 2025
Curated and Planned by Marisa Lawrence & Jason Buchannan
ArtVend 2.0 is a project produced in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin’s Cohen New Works Festival. The purpose of this vending machine was to create small instances of interaction between UT’s College of Fine Arts community members. With hundreds of students and faculty accross multiple dapartments, it was a small way to celebrate the diverse artistic voices we may encounter every day.
Art submissions were taken from anyone willing and able to create 2D work. The size and medium limitations were determined by the vending machinge we had access to. The machine itself holds 450 pieces. Each piece sold for $1.00 each, and all proceeds from the machine went toward future Cohen New Works projects. Each day of the festival, the machine appeared in a new locations throughout campus.
