Alexandra in the Madrid, NM community cemetery in 2021.
About
Aries Jo (they/them), formerly Alexandra, is a queer visual artist, poet, and death care worker. They received their MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2014. Aries has had noteworthy exhibitions at Mixed Greens Gallery (NYC), Marginal Utility (Philadelphia), & COOP Gallery (Nashville). Their artwork includes sculpture, installation, photography, and printmaking. Centering on relationships between memory, time, nature, and the body, her work involves a sensitivity to materials and includes experimental practices from growing crystals to sculpting with live plants, to body casting. Their writing practice explores relationships as well as deeper aspects of their own queer identity, and uses language and the elasticity of meaning to orbit the ineffable.
Aries is also a certified celebrant and first-generation death care professional. They are the Director of Outreach and Education at Parting Stone. They produce and host the Death Curious podcast, write forward-thinking content for Connecting Directors and other death care publications, and give continuing education lectures on innovation in the funeral profession at death conferences around the country.
Aries currently lives with their two cats on unceded Pueblo land, colonially known as Madrid, NM. They host The Ghost Town Radio hour on KMRD, Madrid's local low-power FM community radio station, and are a member and producer of the Quiver and Tempt Society, Santa Fe’s first all queer burlesqe and erotic arts troupe.
contact—
email: alexandrajoart (at) gmail.com
insta: @_the.yellow.house_
Click these links for more info on Quiver and Tempt Society, Parting Stone, and KMRD
Curriculum Vitae:
Education
MFA, Studio Art, 2014
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), Philadelphia, PA
BFA, Sculpture and Minor degree, Art History, 2011
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama
Graduated Summa Cum Laude, with University Honors
International Exhibition Record
2009 “Ephemera” Festa Design Gallery: (Harajuku) Tokyo, Japan.
National Exhibition Record
2019 abyss/a bliss Zephyr Community Art Space: Santa Fe, NM (solo exhibition)
2018 Sprung Gallery 121, Belmont University: Nashville, TN
Material Passage COOP Gallery: Nashville, TN
Complementary Voices Leu Art Gallery, Belmont University: Nashville, TN
2017 Biannual Adjunct Exhibition The New Gallery @ Austin Peay State University: Clarksville, TN
Nasty Women Nashville The Basement East: Nashville, TN
2016 Modular Art Pods Queen Ave: Nashville, TN
2015 Get It While It's Cheap Marginal Utility: Philadelphia, PA
Strange Paradise First Street Gallery: Chelsea, NYC
2014 On Being Solid Mixed Greens Gallery: Chelsea, NYC
The Annual Student Exhibition Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Philadelphia, PA
(Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition)
Fractured Yet Rising ARC Gallery: Chicago, IL
Annual Community Exhibition 3rd Street Gallery: Philadelphia, PA
2013 20/92 IceBox Projects at Crane Arts: Philadelphia, PA
Garbage World 7 Little Berlin: Philadelphia, PA
Masters of Art Gallery 128, PAFA: Philadelphia, PA
(Curated by Dan Miller, Chair of Graduate Programs: PAFA)
Art of the North East Silvermine Art Gallery: New Canaan, CT
(Juror: David Ross Chair of Graduate Studies, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY.)
The Self Portrait Gallery 659: Whiting, Indiana
Annual Local Call Show Highwire Gallery: Philadelphia, PA
2012 The Red Clay Survey Huntsville Museum of Art: Huntsville, AL
Hot Lullaby Presents: Art House Art House: Nashville, TN
Art On The Green Operation New Birmingham: Birmingham, AL
2011 The Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition UAB ArtLab: Birmingham, AL
The Annual Sculpture Society Exhibition David’s Gallery: Birmingham, AL
Fine Art Teaching Experience
Adjunct Faculty: Tennessee State University July 2018- September 2018
Ceramics I, Ceramics II
Adjunct Faculty: Belmont University August 2016- August 2018
Sculpture I, Surface &Form (Advanced 3D Media), 3D Design
Adjunct Faculty, Austin Peay State University August 2016-August 2018
2D Design, 3D Design, Sculpture, Art Appreciation
Adjunct Faculty, Nashville State Community College January 2016- January 2018
Art Appreciation
Continuing Education Instructor, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts June-August 2015
Mold Making/Sculpture
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art August 2013- May 2014
Plaster & Mold Making
Graduate Instructor, PAFA High School After School Program August -December 2013
Figure Drawing
Drawing Instructor, ARTfix! Community Education, Space One Eleven January-July 2012
Figure Drawing
Professional Fine Arts and Arts Administration Experience
Casa Na Ilha Artist Residency, Ilhabela Brazil June 2018
Coop Gallery, Member and Social Media Manager (Nashville, TN) April 2017-Present
· Curated “Unfolding Vantage,” Coop’s April 2018 exhibition
Assistant Director of Admissions, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts July 2014-Sept. 2015
Gallery Associate/Museum Shop Associate, The Fabric Workshop and Museum Jan- July 2014
Administrative Associate/Gallery Associate, Space One Eleven Sept. 2011- July 2012
Press Highlights
“EXCAVATING THE MATERIALS OF TIME: ALEXANDRA JO SUTTON RECONSTRUCTS MEMORY AND EARTH,” Nashville Arts Magazine, January 2018 Issue and online:
https://nashvillearts.com/2018/01/excavating-materials-time-alexandra-jo-sutton-reconstructs-memory-earth/
“On Being Solid” on Artsy and the Mixed Greens website (The exhibition was featured on the front page of Artsy July 2014): https://www.artsy.net/show/mixed-greens-pafa-mfa-exhibition-on-being-solid
http://mixedgreens.com/exhibitions/upcoming/Pennsylvania-Academy-of-the-Fine-Arts-MFA-Exhibition-182.html
“On Being Solid” was also one of Sharon Butler's recommended summer group show on her blog “Two Coats of Paint”: http://www.twocoatsofpaint.com/2014/07/links-and-images-summer-group-shows.html