Hometown: Pittsburgh
Current City: Pittsburgh
Considers self: an artist
and: a community artist
Is also seen as: a political artist
Artist Statement:
As a multi-disciplinary artist, Dawn Weleski activates and broadcasts the stories of individuals and groups in experimental public performances, where conversation is her process and people her medium. Weleski’s public artwork has earned her international attention, most notably for Conflict Kitchen with Jon Rubin (2010-ongoing), a restaurant that only serves cuisines from countries with which the United States is in conflict and her multi-city operatic productions on public transit, Bus Stop Opera (2008-ongoing). Upcoming public projects concentrate on political and cultural conflict and include commissions with a group of second and third generation Turkish migrants in Berlin for Ballhaus Naunynstrasse and Schlesische27, as well as collaborations with Jon Rubin for Belluard Bollwerk International Festival in Fribourg, Switzerland in June and the Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre, Brazil in September. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Weleski earned a BFA in Contextual Practice from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009 and will relocated to San Francisco, CA this fall as an MFA candidate in Art Practice at Stanford University.
Current City: Pittsburgh
Considers self: an artist
and: a community artist
Is also seen as: a political artist
Artist Statement:
As a multi-disciplinary artist, Dawn Weleski activates and broadcasts the stories of individuals and groups in experimental public performances, where conversation is her process and people her medium. Weleski’s public artwork has earned her international attention, most notably for Conflict Kitchen with Jon Rubin (2010-ongoing), a restaurant that only serves cuisines from countries with which the United States is in conflict and her multi-city operatic productions on public transit, Bus Stop Opera (2008-ongoing). Upcoming public projects concentrate on political and cultural conflict and include commissions with a group of second and third generation Turkish migrants in Berlin for Ballhaus Naunynstrasse and Schlesische27, as well as collaborations with Jon Rubin for Belluard Bollwerk International Festival in Fribourg, Switzerland in June and the Mercosul Biennial in Porto Alegre, Brazil in September. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Weleski earned a BFA in Contextual Practice from Carnegie Mellon University in 2009 and will relocated to San Francisco, CA this fall as an MFA candidate in Art Practice at Stanford University.