About
Hi, I’m Kristen!
I’m an artist based in Cleveland, Ohio. I received my Master of Fine Arts in Painting at Wayne State University and I love exploring the world through painting and drawing. Investigating and observing my immediate surroundings leads me to illustrate personal items within my work.
Through traditional drawing and painting practices, I work to see, organize, and describe shape and color relationships that fit together to construct these objects.
My work is informed by my intimate surroundings. Memories, traditions, and treasures reveal themselves within a composition. Through depicting them, I reflect on the items, the places, and the people that shape who I am.
Bio
Kristen Canda received her BFA from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2017 and her MFA in Painting from Wayne State University in 2021. Canda’s work emphasizes the shape and color relationships of objects she observes in her daily life. By depicting her intimate surroundings, she reflects on the items, the places, and the people that have shaped her personal identity. Her work was selected by Michigan’s 2019 Arts in the Legislature and was also included in Emergence-19, a juried group exhibition highlighting the work of emerging MFA Candidates throughout the state of Michigan, curated by Eastern Michigan University. At Wayne State University, Canda was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship from 2018-2020 and the Graduate Professional Scholarship during the 2020-2021 academic year. She had her Thesis Exhibition at Collected Detroit in April 2021 and a collection of her Thesis work can be seen in her published exhibition catalog, Reflections: A Series of Paintings by Kristen Canda.
Resume
Education
2019 MFA Candidate Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
2017 BFA Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Major: Studio Art
Concentrations: Ceramics, Drawing, and Painting
Exhibitions
*Indicates solo exhibition
2020
Art Mile, Online Exhibition, participating artist with Scarab Club, Detroit,MI
Machined and Assembled, Art Department Gallery, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History, Wayne State University , Detroit, MI
DAM’s Art Placement: Aloft Hotel’s WXYZ Lounge,Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
Gilda Snowden Memorial Exhibition, curated by Meighen Jackson, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
All Media Exhibition, curated by Dr. Hubert Massey, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
Small Works, Center of Detroit Arts and Culture, Marygrove College, Detroit, MI
March Group Art Show, David Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2019
Emergence-19, Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University School of Art and Design, Ypsilanti, MI
Art in the Legislature, Michigan Association of State Universities, Lansing, MI
Annual Scholarship Exhibition, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
MFA/MA Exhibition, Art Department Gallery, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
106th Gold Medal Exhibition, curated by Mario Moore, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
DAM Gala 5, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
WILD, Scarab Club, curated by Scott Hocking, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
Reflectivity-Artists on Climate Change, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, Healdsburg, CA
All Media Exhibition, curated by Tylonn J. Sawyer, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
MFA/MA Exhibition, Art Department Gallery, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
2018
*Lancaster Festival Exhibition, Chamber of Commerce,Lancaster, OH
Wanderlust, artlessBastard, West DePere, WI
2017
*Perception, Werner Student Art Gallery, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Refraction, BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition, Ross Art Museum, Delaware, OH
Annual Juried Spring Show,Gallery 2001, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Portage Park District Art Show, Downtown Gallery, Kent, OH
2016
New York Arts Program Exhibition, NYAP Student Gallery, New York, NY
Annual Juried Spring Show, Gallery 2001, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Awards, Residencies, and Scholarships
2020
Graduate Professional Scholarship, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
2019
Art Activity Award, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University, Detroit MI
Third Place in the Annual Scholarship Exhibition, Detroit Artists Market, Detroit, MI
2018
Artist in Residency Fellowship, Lancaster Festival, Lancaster, OH
2017
Marty Kalb Purchase Award, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH The
Annie Rogers Rusk Prize in Art, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Merit Award, Annual Juried Spring Show, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH
Features and Publications
2020
In the Studio, Featured Artist, Scarab Club, Detroit, MI
2018
Hatcher, Cole, Artist-in-Residence, Ohio Wesleyan University News and Media, July 23
Remoquillo, Spencer, Lancaster Festival focuses on future, new musical performances, artwork,Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, July 16
Teaching
2018-2020
Graduate Teaching Assistant, The James Pearson Duffy Department of Art and Art History at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (Instructor of Record Drawing 1 and 2)
2019
Instructor, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester, MI