Madison Metro Public Art Finalist, a milestone and thank you

Post author:Jenie
Post published:October 11, 2022
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I'm a finalist for a public art commission with Madison Metro Transit System. Watch my presentation and learn more about my proposal.

Read my graduate research on ethics

Post author:Jenie
Post published:October 1, 2022
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Read more about my MFA research on ethics in the arts.

Preview: Jenie Gao Studio is now located in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Səlil̓wətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam).

Farewell for now, Wisconsin, our next adventure begins

Post author:Jenie
Post published:August 25, 2021
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A letter to my fellow Midwest people, on art, gentrification, and our hopes and visions for the future of our cities and communities.

Healing after intergenerational trauma and abuse

Post author:Jenie
Post published:April 1, 2021
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March 31, 2021, marks the 12 year anniversary of my dad's passing. In the Chinese Zodiac, 12 years represents one complete cycle. CW: abuse, violence.

Jenie Gao Studio BEFORE, fully furnished production studio.

Moving to Vancouver BC in fall 2021

Post author:Jenie
Post published:March 26, 2021
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Hey, friends, I am moving to Vancouver, BC, this September, to expand my research on art and gentrification. Jenie Gao Studio will remain open and continue accepting clients.

“Not hating” Asians is not enough to achieve true justice.

Post author:Jenie
Post published:March 18, 2021
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Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have consistently been excluded from and undermined in race conversations. This exclusion has fueled a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, including murder. What are Americans prepared to do to change this and achieve justice?

Juncture, ink drawing.

Small Magic: on self-compassion and resolution following 2020

Post author:Jenie
Post published:December 31, 2020
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There are many things I could write in a 2020 recap post. I could write about challenges, accomplishments, and life milestones. I could write about what it's like for my business to enter its sixth year during a pandemic. I could write about activism and advocacy and all the heavy lifting we must do in the face of injustice. I could show my best bravado and shake all my glittering, roaring resilience in the face of 2021. But honestly? What I want to offer, as we end this year, is self-compassion, and a chance for closure and resolution with ourselves.

Is Madison ready to prioritize people over property?

Post author:Jenie
Post published:August 29, 2020
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Community activists pushed back on the city for prioritizing the use of public funds to repair private property while taking no meaningful steps towards racial justice. An adapted version of this essay also appeared in the Isthmus.

How resolutions 60995 and 61060 are rooted in institutional racism

Post author:Jenie
Post published:July 27, 2020
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The following are my public comments for two resolutions that would have redirected money from public infrastructure and given it to private commercial property owners. I was one of several…

Destructive force: when we justify it, and when we don’t

Post author:Jenie
Post published:July 26, 2020
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The US has a long history of looting and property destruction in other countries. Yet recent debates surrounding BLM protests have centered on the tension between those who condemn the destruction of property during protests and those who want lives to take priority over property.