Michelle Nugent
michelledurianugent@gmail.comb. 1987 Upper Darby, PA
Education
2011-2013
Masters of Fine Arts in Community Arts
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
2005- 2009
Bachelors of Fine Art
The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Ewing, NJ
Teaching Experience
August 2013- June 2015
Adjunct Faculty
The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ
Visual Thinking (Spring 2013, Fall 2014, Spring 2015)
Instructor of foundation visual art course for freshman art students and non-art majors that initiates investigation into current forms of artistic production. At the heart of Visual Thinking lies the question “What is Art?” Visual Thinking challenges the traditional status of the art object as product and refocuses artistic creativity in the process of art making, the ideas invoked and the meaning of cultural production. Among the approaches to art making that are researched and put into practice in this course are concepts of the readymade, public intervention, performance and ephemeral works, language and the use of signifiers.
Drawing I (Fall 2013)
Instructor of foundation drawing course for freshman and non-art majors. The course is structured to cultivate students' ability to express ideas visually and to develop confidence in drawing a variety of subjects with diverse materials. Projects and in-class exercises help develop skill in determining composition, rendering geometric shapes, depicting perspective and three dimensional illusion, fashioning light, shade, proportion, scale, surface and textures, as well as arranging still life composition.
Long-Term Teaching Artist-in-Residence, Open Studio Coordinator & Site Assistant
Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia, PA
A partner in coordinating, programming, developing curriculum, and facilitating Youth Arts Workshop and providing general direct program assistance to Asian Arts Initiative's Youth Programs Coordinator. Working with volunteer and guest teaching artists to determine the issues to be featured in Open Studio in order to provide a space for youth to create meaningful artwork reflecting the goals and themes of Youth Arts Workshop and Asian Arts Initiative's mission.
Director of Fine Art & Community Engaged Programming
Trenton Works Gallery, Trenton, NJ
Responsible for structuring educational programs and gallery exhibitions for community and Trenton-area student engagement. This position also serves as a faculty liaison involving the TCNJ BFA students, to work on course integration alongside the Bonner Institute’s Community Engaged Learning (CEL) efforts and help build exhibition programming
Fall 2012
Graduate Teaching Intern
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD
Elements of Visual Thinking*
Led group critiques, prepared and presented slide lectures/artist exemplars, and implemented assignments and interactive workshops for freshmen students.
Fall 2012
Graduate Teaching Intern
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore,MD
Art Matters*
Facilitated class discussions in this seminar-based introduction to art, art history, and the role of ‘the artist’. Collaborated with instructor on lesson planning, and assisted in the grading and assessment of student work.
*A required foundation course for all freshmen students
2011-2012
Teaching Artist / Americorps Member
Guilford Elementary Middle School, Baltimore, MD
Created, organized, and facilitated after-school art programming for students (K-8) through MICA’s Community Art Collaborative partnership (funded by AmeriCorps) with Greater Homewood Community Corporation.
Summer 2011
Arts Facilitator
Remington’s Church of the Guardian Angel, Baltimore, MD
Co-facilitated art workshops with an emphasis in collaborative installation and youth skill-sharing for Remington youth (ages 10-14 years old).
2009-2010
Teaching Artist / Site Coordinator
The Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia, PA
Managed art programming and led visual art projects in a multi-disciplinary after-school art workshop with South Philadelphia High School students and within Asian Arts Initiative’s arts facility.
2009
Assistant Muralist
Philadelphia Mural Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Co-taught community members of all ages painting techniques and processes during community painting events.
2008
Teaching Artist
The National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR),Trenton, NJ
Collaborated with The College of New Jersey’s Art Gallery Director in developing community-engaged public art projects to cultivate ties between the College and the city of Trenton, NJ.*
Facilitated a large-scale mural painting workshop for children (ages 6-16 years old) and mosaic project for an inner-city neighborhood park.
*First student from The College of New Jersey’s School of Art & Communications to participate in the NCUR program.
Studio Expertise
Community Arts, Drawing, Painting, Murals, Installation, Interdisciplinary Sculpture
Exhibitions
2011
30 under 30: Emerging Artists Under 30
Juried by Stephanie Walker, contemporary art dealer and owner of Boston's Walker Contemporary, Gallery 263 (Cambridge, MA)
Housewarming...We’re New Here!
MA/MFA in Community Arts Summer Reflection Exhibition, MICA PLACE Rouse Company Foundation Gallery (Baltimore, MD)
2010
The College of New Jersey Juried Alumni Exhibition
Juried by Dan Cameron, founder and artistic director of U.S. Biennial, Inc., Prospect New Orleans, The College of New Jersey, (Ewing, NJ)
Muralist Training Program Exhibition, Lincoln Financial Mural Arts Center at the Thomas Eakins House (Philadelphia, PA)
2009
Gallimaufry: The Ten-headed Monster BFA Thesis Exhibition, The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
The College of New Jersey Annual Art Student Exhibition, Juried by José Ruiz, Queens Museum of Art, The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS, Metro Pictures (New York, NY)
2008
Art All Night, ArtWorks, (Trenton, NJ)
White Trash, BFA solo exhibition, The College of New Jersey, (Ewing, NJ)
TCNJ Annual Art Student Exhibition, Juried by Amy Adams, Vox Populi (Philadelphia, PA)
2007
Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS, James Cohen Gallery (New York, NY)
TCNJ Annual Art Student Exhibition, Juried by Eric Heist of Momenta Art, The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
2006
Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS, Sikhema Jenkins & Co (New York, NY)
TCNJ Annual Art Student Exhibition, The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
Awards & Recognition
2012
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
2012
Office of Community Engagement grantee from the Maryland Institute College of Art
2011
Community Arts Scholarship for MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art
2009
Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Thomas George Artist Fund Grant Award, Lawrenceville, NJ
2009
TCNJ Annual Art Student Exhibition Faculty Merit Award
2008
The Pamela Joseph Art Scholarship, Henry Schein Inc., Melville, NY
2008
The National Conference of Undergraduate Research & The Lancy Foundation Student Research Grant
2008
Art on loan to The College of New Jersey’s President (2008-present)
2008
The College of New Jersey President’s Purchase Award
2007
The College of New Jersey Dean’s Purchase Award
Bibliography
2008
Andrew Kitchenman. “Artist Finds Inspiration from City”, Trenton Times, July 26.
Sarah Oldfield, “Nugent paints a Trenton skyline of dazzling color”, The Signal, September 3.
Additional Professional Experiences
2010
Gallery Assistant
Wexler Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Assisted with the planning and preparationof exhibitions, packed and handled artwork, and updated collections databaseand gallery website.
2006-2009
Gallery Assistant
The College of New Jersey Art Gallery, Ewing, NJ
Assisted with installations: unpacking, framing, registering works, installing, anddismantling. Managed gallery duringvisiting hours and exhibition openings.
2006, 2007
Museum Intern
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Assisted within Modern & Contemporary, Volunteer Services, Development, and European Decorative Arts departments in cataloging and exhibition research.