During this workshop, educators will:
- Engage in a guided tour of Shimmer: Dreaming the Posthuman.
- Learn how contemporary artists Ian Cheng, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Marguerite Humeau, Josèfa Ntjam, and others are using analog and emergent technologies, such as digital animation, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence, to visualize the relationship between humanity, other species, and the Earth.
- Participate in conversations and cross-curricular dialogue.
- Review the Educator Guide and other resources created for the exhibition.
- Participate in an informative lecture followed by an art-making activity inspired by the exhibition; together, we will focus on refining the language we use to describe the world around us, even when it is moving at an accelerated pace.
About the lecturer
Jennifer Gagliardi is an art historian and curator based in Nashville. Originally from New York, she holds a BA from St. Joseph’s University and an MA from SUNY Stony Brook University. In her thesis project for her MA, Gagliardi used new-media theory and cultural studies to think about how the still and moving image can be manipulated for conspiracy theories. She teaches at Middle Tennessee State University, where she focuses on contemporary art and new media. Her research interests include early video, post-Soviet media, and machine learning being used in art. She has previously worked at Pratt Institute and the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
About the artist facilitator
Courtney Gatewood is a lifelong Tennessean, devoted mother of three, wife, and passionate artist. She began her artistic journey as a nontraditional college student, rapidly gaining awareness of the life of a working artist. Gatewood’s artistic practice often draws on memories of her younger self and the way she was discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts. Her creations embody her history, dreams, and spiritual ties. Gatewood’s works, although visually varied, are all interconnected reflections of her life and, much like Shimmer, bring out the connections between seemingly independent spheres.
Gatewood’s workshop for Shimmer will focus on found poetry and reverse ekphrasis. Attendees will develop skills to craft found poetry and acquire essential language for performing a visual analysis on some of the works of art in the exhibition using the reverse ekphrasis process. Participants will also produce artworks using various media, such as painting, drawing, and collage. Furthermore, the workshop will aim to enhance understanding of visual literacy in relation to visual works, designed for academic standards for K–12 students.
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