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LAUREN IACOPONI

(708) 278-2002

lauren.iacoponi@gmail.com

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EDUCATION

 

2018 MFA, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Certificate in Art History

 

2014 BFA, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Minor in Art History

 

HONORS/AWARDS

 

2017 The Chicago Academy for the Arts Alumni Grant, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

John X. Koznarek Memorial Scholarship, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

 

2016 Recipient of Northern Illinois University Fellowship, School of Art & Design Division

One of six competitive University Fellowships given, includes stipend and tuition waiver

Jonathan Ryan Lee Studio Art Scholarship, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

 

2015 Graduate Tuition Waiver, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Graduate Research Assistantship, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

 

2014 Academic Scholarship, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Albert P. Weisman Scholarship, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Dean's List Student, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

 

2010 National Honor Society, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

 

INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

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2018 Nitty-Gritty, MFA Thesis Group Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

To The Highest Bidder, Back Space Gallery, DeKalb, IL 

 

2017 L'Exposition à Critiques, Gallery 215, DeKalb, IL

MFA Preview Exhibit, NIU Chicago Center, Chicago IL 

Chicago Unpacked, Group Exhibition, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, Chicago IL

Last Call, Curated Group Exhibition, Gallery 215, DeKalb, IL

Unpacked, Group Exhibition, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, DeKalb IL

 

2016 The Opposite of SATT, Gallery UNO Berlin, Berlin, Germany

(in collaboration with Barbara Hashimoto, Mallory Desalvo, Kristi Henrici, Jennifer Kaye, Binfu Qin, Elyse Sawka, Tania Silver, Christina Warzecha, Faith Wittrock)

Why Are You Here?, Curated Group Exhibition, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL

 

2015 Confluence, First Year MFA Show, Curated Group Exhibition, Gallery 215, DeKalb, IL

Junk Mail Experiment (Inclusions), Northern Illinois University Art Museum,

DeKalb, IL (in collaboration with Barbara Hashimoto, Mallory Desalvo, Kristi Henrici, Jennifer Kaye, Binfu Qin, Elyse Sawka, Tania Silver, Christina Warzecha, Faith Wittrock)

Modern Individuality, Curated Group Exhibition, High Cross Art Studio, Urbana, IL

Achromatic Vibrancy, Curated Group Exhibition, Elephant Room, Inc., Chicago, IL

 

2014 Who's Afraid of Red, Curated Group Exhibition, Studio Oh!, Chicago, IL

Portfolio Center Sponsored Industry Night, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Open Studios Critique, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

Manifest Urban Arts Festival, Hokin Gallery, Chicago, IL

BFA Show, Curated Group Exhibition, A+D Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

2013 Fine Art Thesis Exhibition Mini Show, C33 Gallery, Chicago, IL

Less Than a Foot Show, C33 Gallery, Chicago, IL

Street Team Curated Exhibition, Elephant Room Inc., Chicago, IL

 

2010 Studio Art Fall Show, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

Studio Art Spring Show, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

 

2009 Studio Art Fall Show, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

Studio Art Spring Show, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago, IL

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

2018 Everyone Wants a South Facing Window, Solo Thesis Exhibition, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, Jack Arends Art Building & Gallery 215, DeKalb, IL

Serial Time, University Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL 

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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

2019 Terrain Exhibitions, DeKalb, IL

10 Year Anniversary Show, Elephant Room Gallery,Chicago, IL 

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JURIED EXHIBITIONS

 

2014 38th Annual Art Exhibition, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL, Jurors: Edra Soto, Alberto Aquilar

 

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

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2018 "Art & Life Lauren Iacoponi" Voyage Chicago Thought Provokers Series

 

Mobile Museums and Galleries, PhD Thesis, San Francisco Art Institute, Bertha Rodriguez

 

2014 Columbia College, BFA Show Catalog Essay 2014, Corey Postiglione

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 

2016 Instructor, 3D Design, (Foundations) School of Art and Design, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

2016 - Present 

  • Curriculum Writing

  • Lesson plans

  • Lecture presentations

  • Demonstrations

  • Lead group discussions

  • Statement writing

  • Lead critique

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

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2019 Chicago Representative, Boccara Fine Art, Chicago, IL 

  • Boccar is an International Art Dealing Agency with a global network of galleries and exhibition spaces

  • Boccara Fine Art specializes in Modern and Contemporary Art from the 20th and 21st Century

  • Boccara exhibits in over fifteen International Art Exhibitions a year, from New York and Miami to Hong Kong and Shanghai

  • Responsible for consulting on corporate, private, and public art collections

  • Responsible for signing and representing new artists 

  • Developing proposals and project briefs

  • International art sales 

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ACRE Artist in Residence Staff (Volunteer), C​hicago, IL and Stueben, WI

  • Duties include maintaining facilities for resident artists | Liaison to visiting/professional artists ​

 

 

Creator,​ Opening Night Chicago | @openingnightchi, Chicago, IL

  • Manage instagram and twitter for @openingnightchi

  • Promote art exhibitions in Chicago and outside the city limits

  • Post 3-5 images from the openings I attend each week

  • Post 5-10 openings each week in instagram stories and on twitter, listing: Exhibition title, exhibiting artists, curators,

      gallery location, and time of opening

  • Created in March 2019, the account has promoted over 70 exhibitions, with over 1,200 followers, acting as a resource to discover exhibitions happening in the Chicagoland area. The account is a visual tool to experience all of the art Chicago has to offer.

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2018 Featured Guest Speaker, Northern Illinois University's Second Annual Arts Convocation, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

  • Unpacked Mobile Gallery

  • A dynamic communication network directed at multiple audiences

 

2017 Exhibition Coordinator, Co-Curator, Rubberneck Gallery, Chicago, IL

2017 - Present

  • Curate exhibitions

  • Hang Shows

  • Responsible for creating and managing website

  • Creating and curating sharable content

  • Building and managing social media profiles and presence

  • Writing and distributing Rubberneck newsletter

  • https://www.rubberneckgallery.com/

     

 

Director, Co-Founder, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, DeKalb & Chicago, IL

2017 - Present

  • Curate exhibitions

  • Install shows

  • Responsible for funding and grant writing

  • Collaborate with Chicago galleries and public spaces

  • Responsible for creating and managing “Unpacked: Mobile Gallery” website

  • Website promotes the collaborative work, Unpacked and it's moving location

  • Responsible for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram

  • Creating and curating sharable content

  • Building and managing social media profiles and presence

  • Writing and distributing Unpacked: Mobile Gallery newsletter

  • https://www.unpacked-mobile-gallery.com/

 

Art Consultant Intern, DeGroot Fine Art, Chicago, IL

  • Manage and write Aesthetics blog

  • Responsible for managing web analytics

  • Assist with exhibition design and management

  • Handle promotions, marketing and social media

  • Creating and curating sharable content

  • Conduct research

  • In-studio design work

  • Studio visits

 

Content Creator, Odyssey, Chicago, IL

2017 - Present

  • Freelance writer for Chicago's Art and Culture, Activism and Health and Wellness

  • Responsible for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

  • Creating and curating sharable content

  • https://www.theodysseyonline.com/

 

 

 

2016 Contributing Writer, Third Coast Review, Chicago, IL

  • Freelance writer for Visual Arts in Chicago

 

Volunteer Work, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL

  • Assist in building Sabina Ott's who cares for the sky?

  • 8,000-cubic-foot mountain made out of polystyrene, canvas, cardboard, wood.

 

2015-2016 Graduate Research Assistant, Fiber Program, School of Art and

Design, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

  • Graduate Assist Fiber Installation, Paper Making and Surface classes

  • Supplement lesson plans through readings, demonstrations and presentations

  • Manage and write blog for Recycled / Re-seen special topics fiber course

  • Conduct Research

  • Lead group discussions

  • Train on Hollander Beater

  • Classroom preps

 

Wabash Arts Corridor Operations Manager, Darryll Schiff Fine Art

  • Initiated successful Kickstater Campaign funding a 24' x 56' photo mural for the Wabash Arts Corridor located at 710 S. Wabash Chicago, IL

 

Web Developer, Recycled, Re-Seen Class, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

  • Responsible for creating and managing “Recycled, Re-Seen” interactive blog for Northern Illinois University's collaboration with visiting artist Barbara Hashimoto

  • Blog promoted the collaborative work, “Inclusions”, which was shown at NIU Art Museum in the exhibition “Embarrassment of Riches”

  • http://recycledreseen.blogspot.com/

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2014 Assistant Director, En Foco Gallery, Chicago IL 

August 2014 - Present

  • Coordinate communications for the gallery

  • Handle promotions, marketing and social media

  • Exhibition planning

  • International art sales

  • Coordinate international art fairs 

  • Co-curate exhibitions 

  • Manage gallery Artsy

 

Studio Director, Darryll Schiff Fine Art, Chicago, IL

October 2014 – Present

  • Operate and manage the studio

  • Coordinate communications for the studio

  • Handle promotions, marketing and social media

  • Write press releases

  • Conduct research

  • In-studio design work

  • Project planning

  • Developing project briefs

  • Exhibition planning

  • Studio sales

Co-Author of DEFINEART blog, Darryll Schiff Fine Art, Chicago, IL

October 2014 – Present

Gallery Sales Associate, Hoypoloi Gallery, Chicago, IL

Gallery Assistant, Art Alliance: The Provocateurs curated show by

Shepard Fairey

 

 

2013-2014 Co-Curator, Elephant Room Inc., Chicago, IL

Aided in decision making for Exhibiting Artists 2013:

  • Ojero: A Character of Culture,Sam Kirk, January 2013

  • Urban Penumbra, Ray Ferrer, February 2013

  • Memories, Missy Dahl, April 2013

  • Breaking the Line, Keelan McMorrow, April 2013

  • Alter Egos, Joseph "Sentrock" Perez May 2013

  • Coltan, Rahmaan Statik, June 2013

  • Just a Moment, Lewis Taylor, August 2013

  • Multicultural America, Sam Kirk, September 2013

 

 

Administrative Gallery Programing

  • Organized public workshops, artist talks, pop-up shows etc.

Gallery Intern, Elephant Room Inc., Chicago, IL

Artist Assistant to Chicago Artists Tatjana Jovancevic, Sam Kirk and Rahmaan Statik

  • Manage file organization and online documentation

  • Handle promotions, marketing and social media

  • Write press releases

  • Conduct research

  • In-studio prep work

  • Exhibition planning

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EXHIBITIONS CURATED

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2018 Impromptu, Rubberneck Gallery, Chicago, IL 

Milk Spilt, Rubberneck Gallery, Chicago, IL

Come As You Are, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, DeKalb, IL

 

2017 Unpacked, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, DeKalb, IL

Unpacked, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, Chicago, IL

Discontent, Unpacked: Mobile Gallery, Comfort Station, Chicago, IL

Putt Putt in the City, Rubberneck Gallery, Chicago, IL

Do You Love Me Now?, Rubberneck Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

COMMISSIONS/COLLECTIONS

 

2015 Linda McEneany, Chicago, IL

 

2014 McArthur Binion, Chicago, IL

 

2012 Jessica Kapustiak, Boston, MA

 

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

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Unpacked Collective

College Art Association (CAA)

Wabash Arts Corridor Committee

Graduate Arts Association, Northern Illinois University

 

CONFERENCES

 

CAA 102nd Annual Conference Chicago February 12-16, 2014

 

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