As her three-month post-grad residency comes to a close, Nava Levenson talks with moderator Leslie Mounaime, Curator of Exhibitions at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, about her experiences during her time at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Hear her speak about how her residency inspired her work and process, what she’s done during her time, and what she will be doing next.
Join us in the main hall of the Art Center for her talk at 7:00pm and then a mingle and jar opening in the Post-Grad studio #319 after the talk is over.
About the Artist
Nava Levenson is a multidisciplinary artist, instigator, and collaborator based in Richmond, Virginia. She completed her bachelor’s of fine arts in 2017 from James Madison University. Her work investigates anthropological concepts such as hospitality, labor, consumption, and space making. Nava incorporates re-purposed materials in much of her art in an effort to chip away at the surplus of objects that crowd the planet.
During her residency, she plans to invite artists from the Art Center to participate in her ongoing project, Practice Preserves: Studio Dirt. In the same way thrift stores reveal things about American culture, she seeks to archive artists’ practices. She invites people to add studio scraps and discarded material in quart-sized canning jars, which she then opens, catalogs, and photographs for an anthology she hopes to publish. She already received a starter grant from Specto Artspace and this residency will allow her to advance the project.
About the Residency
This competitive juried residency provides meaningful support to emerging artists who have recently completed formal academic training in the visual arts. It is an opportunity to address the critical post-graduation juncture in an emerging artist’s career.
Residents have three months of exclusive access to a studio in the Art Center. Therein, they can create and sell work, interact with the public, and connect with other arts professionals. It’s an opportunity for professional development, networking, and a chance to define a practice outside of the academic context.
Applications are open to recently graduated students who earned a bachelor’s or master’s art degree from an accredited university. Submissions are accepted through Sunday, September 22.
