Serena Aurora Day Himmelfarb, visiting assistant professor, holds an M.F.A from the California Institute of the Arts, Post-Bacc Certificate from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago, and a B.A from Hampshire College.
Originally from Chicago, Serena is currently based out of Los Angeles. Their studio practice blends traditional methods of direct observation and more idiosyncratic processes based in post-studio methodologies. They are rooted in queer, feminist, and reproductive justice frameworks, whether geo-political, interpersonal, or internal.
Serena has recently shown at JOAN gallery, The Annenberg Beach House and Western Exhibitions. They have been included in Printed Matter's L.A Book Fair, and Other Places Art Fair. In 2018, they received a Research & Practice fellowship to study pedagogy in the arts.
Recent and Upcoming Courses
- The Generative Drift: Introduction to Alternative Studio
The generative drift is an exploration of alternative studio practices. In this introductory course, we will be surveying and responding to a range of new mediums, (im)material sources, and transcultural artists. Inspired by our semester-long collectively directed ramble, students will gain experience with new studio processes and create multiple small projects culminating in one final project. We will use projected image, sound, performance, found materials, and traditional mediums. Discussion of weekly readings and lectures will be paired with experiential labs.
- Mark / Make / Work: Blurring Art & Politics
Mark / Make / Work is a communal exercise in exploring social engagement through art practices. This class examines the mechanisms of cultural interventions by contemporary and historical art movements. We will examine transgressions of literal and metaphorical barriers - political, societal, geological, ecological, internal. The central question of the class is, in other words, how does art shape our lives on an individual and societal level? How does art inform our individual and cultural identities? Class will take the form of discussions, screenings and field trips, with two stagings of interventions - collaborative or individual - on a topic of the student's choice.
