Gwen L Kelling
Gwen Lambert Kelling | Curriculum Vitae
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EDUCATION
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2024 MFA, Sculpture, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
2019 Post-baccalaureate study in Sculpture, University of Cincinnati – DAAP, Cincinnati,
OH
2016 BA in Studio Art and Botany, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
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EXHIBITIONS
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2024 MFA thesis exhibition, Surplus Gallery, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Solidarity, Mid South Sculpture Alliance Conference, Space One Eleven, Birmingham, AL
Sloss Metal Arts group exhibition, Visitors Center, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Birmingham, AL
2023 Bureau of Queer Art Volume II - Virtual Exhibition, Mexico City, Mexico
Outstanding Student Achievement Award Exhibit, October 2023-January 2024,
International Sculpture Center Annual Conference, Trenton, NJ
Juried Exhibition Inductee, National Conference on Contemporary Cast Iron Arts
& Practices, SLOSS Furnaces, Birmingham, AL
2022 “All Women Artist” Inductee, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, for “Doing My
Nails”
2021 Critical Forum Juried Exhibition, 2nd Place
Metal Detected Exhibition, Southern Illinois University
2018 “Fe for All” Inductee, exhibition of cast metalwork by current and former OWU
students, Edgar Hall, Ohio Wesleyan University
2016 Permanent Installation – Twenty-one inch diameter cast iron commemorative
Peace and Justice Bell and Bell Tower on Elliot Hall commencement lawn, Ohio Wesleyan University
Senior Show Inductee, Ross Museum, Ohio Wesleyan University
2015 Spring Show Merit Award, Spring Show Inductee (for cast iron), Beeghly Library,
Ohio Wesleyan University
2014 Spring Show Inductee (for etching), Beeghly Library, Ohio Wesleyan University
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AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, & GRANTS
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2023 Outstanding Student Achievement In Contemporary Sculpture Award,
International Sculpture Center, to be featured in the January 2024 issue of SCULPTURE magazine,
winning artwork Capacity 1 to be in exhibition at the 2023 ISC Conference, October 10-15, Trenton, New Jersey
Windgate Research Award, $1500 for materials to fulfill MFA thesis exhibition
2022 Windgate Research Award, $1000 for materials to fulfill MFA research in sculpture
2012-2016 Schubert Scholarship, Founders Scholarship, Ohio Wesleyan University
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CURATORIAL PROJECTS
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2021-2024 Treasurer, Critical Forum, Southern Illinois University - registered student
organization (RSO) dedicated to practices and professional exhibitions of
sculpture on SIU campus, open to graduate and undergraduate students.
2022 Directed the inaugural “Casting Call” one-day exhibition alongside the Sculpture
department’s fall iron pour, in purpose-made Shake-Out Gallery, SIU Art Foundry
Love at the Glove, Surplus Gallery, SIU School of Art & Design
Blood at the Glove, Surplus Gallery, SIU School of Art & Design
2021 Blood at the Glove, Surplus Gallery, SIU School of Art & Design
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
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2024-2027 Resident Artist, Sloss Metal Arts, Birmingham, AL
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Instructor, Summer Youth Apprenticeship - Resident Artists are responsible for teaching a shared 8 week curriculum of model- and mold-making and casting practices, metal fabrication, and blacksmithing to one dozen paid apprentices from Birmingham local high schools.
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Guest Artist, Art Venture, Birmingham Museum of Art - Demonstrated pewter casting with fellow Resident Artist for a "Meet and Artist". Attendees each received two commemorative SMA-BMA pewter coins cast and chased during the demonstration.
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2021-2024 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Southern Illinois University, School of Art and
Design, Fall 2021 through Spring 2024
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Instructor, Foundations AD100B - a broad, cross-disciplinary investigation of art, artists, and processes. Students learn to research, draft, prototype and finalize 3-dimensional projects in a variety of introductory materials. The TA follows an established curriculum and is responsible for all direct student instruction (excluding a weekly remote lecture by the course coordinator), critiques, and grading.
Instructor, Beginning Sculpture AD203 - this course places emphasis on experience in materials, techniques, processes, and concepts fundamental to the discipline of sculpture. Media include plaster, wood, cast and fabricated metal, fabric, mixed media and digital platforms. Students learn to expand their research, drafting and evaluation skills to develop engaging artworks and installations in a contemporary lens. TA is responsible for developing original curriculum, all student instruction, critiques and grading.
2019 Industrial Partner, Section 001, University of Cincinnati - Department of
Architecture, Art, and Planning, course instructed by John Dixon and Stephen
Slaughter. As industrial partner, instructed two Section 001 students over the
course of one semester in the foundry’s sand-molding processes to produce
finished bronze prototypes from their original 3D-printed patterns.
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WORK EXPERIENCE
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2024 - 2027 Resident Artist, Sloss Metal Arts, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Birmingham, AL
2022 - 2024 Art Foundry Technician, Southern Illinois University, School of Art and
Design, Fall 2022 – Spring 2024
2021 Head of Department, Bell Foundry, The Verdin Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
2016 – 2021 Sculptor/Fabricator, Bell Foundry, The Verdin Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
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The Bell Foundry Sculptor was responsible for rendering and applying the decorative embossed wax reliefs on all inscribed bell patterns, as well as the sand mold-making, casting, chasing and polishing of all bells, smooth and inscribed, in the Verdin bell foundry. Additional responsibilities included maintaining the foundry's bronze furnace, sand muller, conveyer, bell polisher and sandblaster. Sand molds for custom orders frequently required the fabrication of large steel flasks in an adjacent welding facility. The Bell Sculptor was also responsible for overseeing historic Seth Thomas and McClintock clock restorations, as a counterpart to the standard Verdin street clock production and personnel.
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PUBLICATIONS
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2024 Sculpture magazine, January/February 2024 issue, ISC Outstanding Student
Achievement Award 2023 recipients coverage
2023 Bureau of Queer Art Vol. II magazine, Art Gallery Studios, Mexico City, Mexico,
pp. 60-63
Bureau of Queer Art Vol. II podcast, Art Gallery Studios, Mexico City, Mexico
“School of Art and Design Student Wins Outstanding Sculpture Award”,
CAMtastic Newsletter - Fall 2023, College of Arts and Media, Southern Illinois
University
“2023 Student Award Recipients”, International Sculpture Center.
2016 “Art Project Now Rings on Historic Campus”, Fall 2016 OWU Magazine.
https://bit.ly/GLKelling-OWU-1
2015 “A Ringing Tribute” by Julia Stone, News & Media, Ohio Wesleyan University.