kelsey merreck wagner (b. 1990) is a textile artist, visual anthropologist, curator, and environmental activist.

she received her b.a. (studio arts; focus: printmaking) at western michigan university; her m.a. (appalachian studies; focus: community-engaged arts) at appalachian state university; and her ph.d. at michigan state university (anthropology; focus: environmental art and activism in thailand).

she has exhibited work internationally in canada, thailand, cambodia, malaysia, slovakia, and italy; as well as shows across the united states including california, illinois, new york, texas, colorado, north carolina, south carolina, michigan, virginia, and ohio. her work is held in private, public, and institutional collections around the world.

wagner's creative process addresses human-environment relationships, especially our connections to animals, the impacts of climate change, and the influx of trash in local ecosystems. her ongoing work with textiles are weavings made with plastic bags and recycled materials. the process of weaving abandoned mediums into a narrative of destruction and hope points to the complex webs of ecology we must protect.