Jessica Teckemeyer, nice art grant shortlist

This year, we offered our second annual Nice Art Grant, a no-strings-attached $500 stipend to go toward selected artists’ creative practices. With over 300 applicants, it was difficult to narrow it down to only two artists, so we needed to create a shortlist to highlight a few more practices! this year’s jurors were epiphany and tim (MNA cofounders) and last year’s grant winners, emma mckay ryan and josh johnson. from our shortlist, today we're sharing work from Jessica Lambert

Jessica Teckemeyer creates mixed-media animal sculptures to explore the multiplicity in human nature. Her highly finished artworks feature dramatic, glossy human eyes to clue viewers to the introspective nature of her ideation. Some sculptures utilize hidden technology to create unexpected encounters. Her research interests include psychology, mythology, and contemporary monster theory, which result in concepts that reveal the collective unconscious. She is fascinated by the complexities of human experience. According to Curator Laura Burkhalter of the Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, "Touching on broad themes of primal emotion and ancient mythology to specific current issues such as gun violence, Teckemeyer's art engages and unsettles on multiple levels." Teckemeyer fabricated sculptures for internationally known artist Siah Armajani from 2009 until 2013. Prior to graduate school, Teckemeyer worked in the sculpting, mold making, and painting departments at "Tivoli Too," a 3D design and production studio located near Minneapolis, MN. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2004.

congrats, Jessica!