Masha Vlasova - 2019 Summer Resident
Masha Vlasova is an interdisciplinary artist and educator. She holds an MFA from Yale School of Art and a BFA from the Cooper Union. She’s a recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship in Filmmaking, Alice Kimball Fellowship, and the JUNCTURE Art and Human Rights Fellowship at Yale Law School. Her photographs, sculptures, and films have been exhibited and screened nationally and internationally at Leeds College of Art and at Braziers Mini Indi Film Festival in the UK, Aspekte Galerie in Germany, Smack Mellon, Anthology Archives, Abrons Arts Center, and the Border Project Gallery in New York City, Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University among others. She has presented on her work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Cooper Union, Davison College, and Ludwig-Maximilians Unversitat Munchen (University of Munich). Her curatorial project “Women Filmmakers at the Intersection of Documentary, Video Art, and Avant Garde,” premiered at Indiana University Cinema at Indiana University at Bloomington the Fall of 2018. This Fall she will start as an Assistant Professor of Lens-based and Digital Art practices at Wofford College.
During her residency at PlySpace, Vlasova began work on an experimental documentary short that explores the liminal space between public and private by focusing on sculptural representations of animals in American front yards. Muncie has many colorful and fantastic yard sculptures and folk art statues, some of which have been the focus of media attention and vandalism. Vlasova engaged with Muncie citizens throughout the filmmaking process and conducted 16 on camera interviews with residents who share her love of yard art.
Vlasova also brought her expertise in public art to the community through a two-part public art series. First, she guided viewers through a screening of art films about the process or philosophy behind public art. Then she participated in a Public Art Panel Discussion at Minnetrista, with panelists Lauren Pacheco (founder of the Chicago Urban Art Society and the Chicago Lowrider Festival), and Richard McCoy (founding director of the Landmark Columbus Foundation), and moderator Les Smith, Board President for Community Enhancement Projects.
