Jenie Gao Studio | Biography

Jenie Gao (they/she) is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. They run an anti-gentrification arts business, specializing in printmaking, public art, social practice, and community storytelling. They consult for cultural organizations and the public sector on equity and ethics.

Jenie pulls from personal and professional experiences as a second generation Taiwanese-Chinese American, queer woman of color, and descendant of working class immigrants. Prior to founding their business, Jenie worked in the museum industry, public education, and manufacturing sectors. Through their cross section of experiences, Jenie has become attuned to issues of artists’ labor, cultural power, and institutional accountability. They run a paid apprenticeship program and have thus far mentored 25 emerging artists.

Jenie has a BFA in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Jenie’s work has been exhibited, collected, and published in the US, Canada, UK, Argentina, Denmark, Germany, and more. Their work is in 30 public collections including Stanford University, Cornell University, and Bainbridge Island Museum of Art. Recent museum exhibits include Museum of Wisconsin Art, South Bend Museum of Art, Cedarburg Art Museum, and Trout Museum of Art. Recent publications include PBS, Fête Chinoise, and Shoutout LA. Art residencies include Proyecto’ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museo de Arte Moderno in Castro, Chile; Iowa Lakeside Laboratory; the Bubbler at Madison Public Library; Artist Campaign School with Fractured Atlas; Art in the Park with Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation: Decolonization, Arts, & Culture; and Empire of Dirt. Jenie is a TEDx Madison speaker and gave a talk entitled "The Power and Purpose of Creativity."

Jenie is currently living and working on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish peoples, in what is known as Vancouver, BC, and also Teejop (Madison, Wisconsin) on the lands of the Ho-Chunk peoples.

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