kelsey merreck wagner (b. 1990) is a textile artist, visual anthropologist, curator, and environmental activist. no, she does not sleep.
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 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 earlier projects focused on elephants, bats, oysters, and birds; which were made from large monoprints that she painted, embroidered and drew on before stuffing and sewing the pieces together into sculptures. her ongoing work with textiles are weavings made with plastic bags and recycled materials. the process of weaving abandoned mediums into a narrative of human/product/environment relationships points to the complex webs of ecology we live in, destroy, and seek to protect.
as a social-practice artist, she collaborates with artists, educators, and community members via research, workshops, and public art projects. she is a co-founding member of the ARTWORMS mekong artist collective; a board member for both the piedmont craftsmen institute and the associated artists of winston-salem; and a member of project vortex and the blue ridge fiber guild. additionally, she is a curator with a history of exhibits focused on socio-cultural-environmental issues.
she is available for commissions, collaborations, exhibitions, workshops, and more (the weirder the better). please use the contact form or email her at kelseymerreckwagner@gmail.com