C H E L L A L E I G H C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E

Positions:

Co-founding Director and faculty, Transart Institute for Creative Research, 2004- 
Mobile, borderless platform for cross-pollination between creative researchers in all genres internationally. Offering online monthly intensive sessions, and local micro and full residencies in NY, Berlin, London/Liverpool Nairobi and Mexico City. Awarding MFA Creative Practice and PhD Creative Research degrees. Accreditation in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, UK. site 

Founding Editor, ELSE Journal, 2014-  
Occasional culture jourzine. Event-spawned seedbed for themed inquiries and nexus for creative research. Peer-reviewed. ISSN: 2334-2757. e-ISSN: 2334-2765. site

Director, School of Multimedia Arts, University of Applied Sciences & Technologies, Salzburg, Austria, 2000-2002.
Responsible for designing curriculum and programming with transition from an engineering to a masters level art degree. Established annual symposia, new music and short film festival.

Principal, Creative Director, Toast, Boston, Massachusetts, 1998-2000
Co-founded trans-design studio consisting of graphic, package and furniture design, public arts projects and media productions. Projects ranged from collaborative public art identity package for the Canadian Ministry of Culture to snowboards to package design for Nicholas Negroponte at MIT.

Creative Director, Encoded Music, N2K Entertainment, New York, 1997-1998
Established and directed art department for interactive, on-line music label (pop, jazz, & classical) producing music videos and interactive CDs.

Publications:

2018: “On limits, borders, edges and boundaries” Symposium, Mexico City, co-curator site

2017: ELSE Journal “The Imperceptible Self” Editor site + issue

2016: Goethe Institut, "Utopia Tomorrow", Barcelona, curated by Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio site review

2016: Transart Triennale, "The Imperceptible Self" Curator, Berlin and New York site

2016: ELSE Journal Issue 2: “On Contemplation, Editor site + issue

2016: Berlin Foto Biennale, 4th edition Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography, Palazzo Italia, Julio Hardy, Chief Curator, site catalog

2015: Third Ruhr Biennale, Heimat & Heim, Ruhr, Berlin, curated by Herbert Schero

2014: Santorini 2nd Biennale of Modern Art, Greece, Peace Mechanisms, curated by Papadoulos Frangos site

2014: Morpho Gallery, Chicago, 9th Annual Photo Exhibition, Juror J. Morrison

2014: ELSE JOURNAL ISSUE 00: “Trans-what?” site + issue

2014: LandEscape Art Review Special Issue January 2014 interview

2013: Back to Square Juan, curated by Claro Ramirez Jr., Manila site

2013: Closer, Closer, Lisbon Architecture Triennale, curated by Beatrice Galilee, program + “Another Place” catalog + “Closer, Closer” catalog

2013: Inaugural Biennial, Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, Juror A.B. Miner, Curator, Museum of Fine Art, Boston site

2013: Foto Biennale, Ballarat International, Melbourne, Australia site

2013: 3rd International Photo Exhibition: Viridian, New York, Juror Nat Trotman, Curator, Guggenheim site *

2013: Fotofilmic ’13 Contemporary Film Photography Juried International Exhibition, Vancouver

2013: Nominee, Julia Margaret Cameron Award 2013, Fine Art Photography

2013: 4th Biennale Juried Pinhole Exhibition, Rayko Photo Center Gallery, San Francisco

2013: “Überbleibsel” [Leftover], Konnektor Art Forum, Hannover, Germany site *

2012: International Biennial of Miniature Art, Cstochowa, Poland

2012: “Seen-Unseen”, Wiseman Gallery, Grants Pass, Oregon

2012: “Home”, Center For Fine Art Photography, Juror’s Honorable Mention Krzysztof Candrowicz site *

2012: Natural Setting, Davis Horton Gallery, Hudson, New York

2012: Reflection/Peilikuva, Hesa Inprint Issue 17, Helsinki, Finland site

2012: Not Festival 2012: “An atypical point of view, Copenhagen, curator L. Malvacias site *

2011: “For Love Not Money”, 15th Tallinn Print Triennial, Kumu Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia, jurors, Simon Rees, Eha Komissarov, Eve Kask
site (note)

2011: “Nothing to Declare”, Manila, Philippines, curator, Flaudette May V. Datuin site + catalog

2011: “Remains of the Day”, OCCA Photography Gallery at Orange Coast College, curator, Richard Kraft (solo) (note)

2011: Art Stays 9th International Contemporary Art Exhibition, Slovenia, curator Lynn Book site *

2011: New York Photo Festival 11, Rabbithole Studio, New York, juried exhibition

2011: Artists of Hawaii, Honolulu Academy of Art Museum, juror Michael Rooks, Atlanta Modern Art Museum site *

2010: Best in Show 47th Juried Exhibition, Masur Museum of Art, D. Houston, chief curator, Ogden Museum, site*

2010: Nominees for Prix Pictet global award in photography, Paris, France, Francis Hodgson

2010: “Creating Worlds”, Fest der Kuenste, Internationales Forum, Berlin, Germany, curator I. G. Niang

2010: “Focal Resolution”, Climate Gallery, Long Island City, New York, Best in Show, curator Bonni Benrubi

2010: “Shelter”, Projektwerkstatt SOHO, Vienna, Austria, curator, Victoria Hindley video

2010: “Delicacy” Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, Hawaii, curator Sanit Khewhok (solo) *

2010: A Sense of Place, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Augusta, GA, juror, Betsy Cain site *

2010: “In Progress”, Desotorow Gallery, Savannah, Georgia, curator Ai-ling Chang

2009: “The Extended Moment”, Desotorow Gallery, Savannah, Georgia, juror Craig Stevens

2009: CoCA Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA “Annual”, finalist Best in Show, curator Jess Van Nostrand, David Francis catalog catalog

2009: “Artists of Hawaii” Honolulu Academy of Arts Museum, juror L. Hoptman, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York

2009: On Oahu, Logsdon 1909 Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, juror Doug Stapleton, curator Illinois State Museum

2009: Black White, Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Collins, Co, juror Jim Casper, Lens Culture

2009: “From The Collection”, Salzburg City Museum, Salzburg, Austria, curator Dr. Dietgard Grimmer

2009: “Visions of Death”, FIDM, Queens Museum of Art, New York, Miguel Vaylon, Directeur Artistique du FIDM

2009: 2me Concours International de Photographie, juried, Paris, France

2009: Visiones sobre la Muerta, Festival Internacional de Cortometraje, Mexico

2009: Inside Out, The Hole World, Rueff Gallery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, curator Stephanie Paine

2009: “Where I’m From”, RFD Gallery, Swainsboro, Georgia, curator Ger Ger

2009: “Small Works”, Climate Gallery, Long Island City, New York

2009: “Existing Things”, annual show, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, curator Lisa Yoshihara

2008: Lingnan University, Hong Kong, “Two Views” (solo) “Floating Worlds” catalog

2008: “Liminal Light”, Stimulus in Edinburgh, The Forest Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom catalog

2008: Inside/Out, National Photo Festival, Parliament House, Canberra, Australia, juror David Paterson

2008:  Inside Out, Pinhole, PhotoSpace, curator, Veronica Hodgkinson, Collingwood, Australia

2007: "Documentation: Photography as Witness", Lord Hall Gallery, University of Maine,  review

2007: Liminal Light, After Dark, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado

2007: Stimulus-Respond Nr. 18: Travel London, September 2007 issue

2007: Stimulus-Respond Nr. 16: Metropolis London, May 2007

2004: Liminal Light, “Architekturfotografie”, Galerie Marenzi, Leibnitz, Austria site (note)

2003: The Art Complex Museum, Boston Tokaido Road” (solo) catalog

2003: Museum der Moderne, Rupertinum, Salzburg “[under] construction, Contemporary Architectural Photography in Austria

1998: “As the World Turns” and “Field Poems” at The Kitchen, “Wildcats” Videofest, New York City.

Collections:

Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, Austria
Art Complex Museum, Boston
Nicholas Nixon

Education:

Master of Fine Arts, 1995-1998
Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, Vermont
Practice-based research degree. 

Psychoanalytic Training, Washington Square Institute, New York, New York, 1998-1999
Freud-based clinical and analytical studies program. One year.

Bachelor of Arts, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
Major art, minor philosophy. Four years.

Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Massachusetts
Photography with Nicholas Nixon by guest invitation. Two years.

Certificate in Studio Arts,
L'École des Beaux-Arts, Angers, France

Certificate Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne, Paris, France
Cultural studies: French, literature, and history. One year.

Advisors:

Robert Frank
Nick Nixon
Claire Pentacost
Renee Green
Krzysztof Wodiczko
Miwon Kwon
Charles Rechter