Besides your Arts Major do you have any other Majors/Minors?

I think I am minoring in Lara Nielsen, and I have an unfinished, abandoned major in Environmental Studies.

What else are you involved in on campus?

Theatre and dance–I’m in the dance concert and a play this spring. I am a big fan of the DML. I’m more involved off-campus than on-campus, really; I try to stay connected to the Minneapolis art community during the school year. And I work at Youth Farm & Market Project on the West Side of St. Paul.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

William Kentridge, Adrian Piper, Ai Wei Wei, Laurie Anderson, Coco Fusco, Thu Tran, Pinar Yolocan, Nathalie Djurberg, Matthew Barney, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Nadia Beugre…

When did you first become interested in art?

In the womb, I bet. But really, as a toddler I used to use the content of my diapers to paint on the walls. My mama didn’t like that so much. I don’t think she’ll like my art these days either. Not so much has changed.

Why did you come to Macalester?

I had good feelings. I was especially wooed by Snowy, the Art Department bunny rabbit, and with friendly students who wanted to have tea with me at 3:00 a.m. I was intrigued by Minnesota, where I knew nothing and no one. Also, Macalester kinda pays for me to go here.

When did you decide to be an art major?

Hahaha. Last spring. It’s kind of a miracle that I was able to switch my major in the second semester of my JUNIOR year and still graduate on time. I had already taken a bunch of art classes so it worked. It was a crazy semester of upheaval, and I’m SO glad it happened. I had always secretly wanted to be an art major.

How do you view your role as an art student in relation to the Macalester campus? How does your art interact with the immediate surrounding communities?

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with making videos. I’ve filmed myself dancing in public. Some friends and I have an underground film club. In general I always think of Macalester, because I am here. I don’t know how to properly address this question, but it’s a good one.

Could you describe what you’ve been doing for your honors/what you will be doing for your seminar project?

So far, it concerns cockroaches and disrupting the invisibility of whiteness. It will likely involve installation and performance and maybe some puppetry. It will morph a lot in the next few months.

How do you see art taking a role in your life in the future?

I’ll be an artist forever! It’s my life’s work. Though I’ll probably have lots of shit jobs to pay the rent. I like shit jobs so it’s okay.
I’m going to move to Minneapolis, which is a lovely incubator for artists just getting on their feet and honestly a pretty thrilling place to be an artist. There are lively performance, puppetry, and contemporary dance communities. And it’s all so insanely accessible and welcoming. I want to work a lot more with places like In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre and the Soap Factory. Some friends and I want to start a queer puppetry troupe.
I’d love to go to more art school in the distant future, once I’m a more legitimate practicing artist, at somewhere like MICA in Baltimore, CalArts in LA, or SAIC in Chicago. I do think my heart’s in Minneapolis, though.

What mediums do you currently enjoy working in most and why?

Performance! Body art! Puppetry! Video! Installation! Poetry! Printmaking! Drag! Dance! That which defies boundaries and definition!

Anything else you want the world (i.e. those who read The Mac Weekly) to know?

LIVE FREE OR DIE! Or just, take it easy. Try singing on your bicycle. Just try it.