About
read.cv/_brandon
BIO/CV
Brandon Alvendia is an artist, independent curator, and educator.
Brandon researches and regularly collaborates with artist-run initiatives around North America to develop site-specific community-driven exhibitions, events, and publications that create space for experimentation, discussion, and collaboration. He is the founder of Chicago alternative spaces artLedge (2004-2007 w/ Caleb Lyons), BEN RUSSELL (2009-2011 w/Ben Russell), The Storefront (2010-2014), and Silver Galleon Press (2008-present).
In 2020, Brandon was Saturday editor and livestream producer/host for The Quarantine Times (published by Public Media Institute), organized the Zoom happenings OFFICE PARTY 1&2 for the 6th edition of the Common Field Convening, and closed the year out with an internet performance series for public intimacies, curated by Abigail Satinsky at Tufts University Art Galleries, Boston titled The Love Bug (Fwd:LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU). Forthcoming collaborations are with Brooklyn-based print/web outfit Brief Histories and multimedia outlet Lumpen TV Worldwide.
Brandon has taught at the School of The Art Institute, University of Illinois, and Columbia College, all in Chicago, and Maine College of Art (MECA) in Portland, ME. He is an alum of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA ‘03), the University of Illinois at Chicago (MFA ‘07), Copycat Academy (Toronto, 2014), and Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive (New Orleans, 2015).
Brandon Warren Alvendia
b. 1977, Chicago
Education
Masters of Fine Arts, University of Illinois at Chicago. 2007
Bachelor of Fine Arts, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2003
Awards and recognition
Graham and Heartfield Foundation Research Fellowship, ICI, 2021
Travel Fellowship to Venice Biennale, Independent Curators International, 2015
Twice named Chicago’s Top 50 Artists’ Artists by NewCity, 2012 & 2014
Full sponsorship by The City of Toronto and L’Oreal for The Luminato Festival, 2014
Named Chicago’s “king of conceptual art writing”, Bad At Sports, 2014
Named “Best Artist” by the Chicago Reader, 2011
Propeller Fund, Warhol Foundation (Gallery 400 and threewalls, Chicago), 2010
pFac curatorial research grant, Columbia College Chicago, 2010
ASDF Makes Grant, 2009
UIC Larsen Fellow Recipient, 2005-2006
Selected projects
2022
MdW Fair (Curatorial Lead), Chicago and other venues central midwest.
2021
(solo) Jungle Boogie 2 : Portrait of the Artist as a Colossal Wreck, Coprosperity, Catskill, NY
2020
The Love Bug (Fwd : LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU), Live internet performance series for public intimacies, curated by Abigail Satinsky, Tufts University Art Galleries (SMFA at Tufts), Boston.
OFFICE PARTY 2: Post-Conference Online Mixer, Networking Event, and Zoom Happening (for the 6th COMMONFIELD Convening), Participatory livestream.
The Quarantine Times (w/Public Media Institute), Saturday editor, Online publication and participatory livestream.
2019
(solo) Nosebleed Section, Rainbo Club, Chicago, IL
2018
Daily Trumpet (organized by Jonathan Horowitz), Instagram project
No Chill, UIC Great Space, Chicago, IL
Forget about Fred Hampton, Co-Prosperity, Chicago, IL
Bail or No?, Nightingale Cinema, Chicago, IL
Up like the sun, down like a pancake (organized by Kelly Lloyd), ICA Baltimore, MD
Heaven is a Place, Heaven Gallery (Curated by Jesse Malmed), Chicago, IL
2017
IDLE HANDS, Pilot Projects, Philadelphia, PA
U do U at ACRE, Steuben, WI
168 Hours in Portland, Maine, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME
Dangerous Professors, Triumph, Chicago, IL
Standards Variance, Public Access, Chicago, IL
2016
Being There (curated by Von Zweck and Duguid), ADDS DONNA, Chicago, IL
A Rule by Nobody (curated by Third Object), Sector 2337, Chicago, IL
Housewarming, ADDS DONNA, Chicago, IL
Long View / Long Game, College of DuPage Gallery, Glen Ellyn, IL
Unlisted Art Fair (w/ Romero&Satinsky), Icebox at Crane Arts, Philadelphia, PA
PDF Objects (curated by Jason Lazarus and Sean Ward), Mana, Chicago, IL
David Artledge presents artLedge (w/ Caleb Lyons), Roots & Culture, Chicago, IL
2015
The Great Good Place, threewalls, Chicago, IL
EDC GTD CAD, MPSTN, Fox River Grove, IL
Inside/Within, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
Talk is Cheap (Romero/Rios/Alvendia) Live to Tape, Links Hall, Chicago, IL
PostScript curated by 7x8 (with Mel Holeng and Thomas Mader), artQ13, Rome, IT
vaportrails, Venice Biennale collateral project, Venice, Italy
Documentia (Curated by Erik Wenzel), SideCar, Hammond, IN
Title Variable (performance), Sector 2337, Chicago, IL
Visitation Rites (Organized by Chris Smith), The Franklin, Chicago, IL
2014
The Middle (with Abigail Satinsky), Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, MAAF, Chicago, IL
Copycat Academy Performance (with Hannah Hurtzig), Toronto, ON
A5, Lubimirov-Easton Uk, (for Athina Art Fair) Athens, Greece
No Brakes, TRUNK SHOW, Chicago, IL
Untitled multi-dimensional lecture (with Rios/Romero), Links Hall, Chicago, IL
2013
Theater of Revolt, Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry, University of Chicago
Chambres d’Amis, Institute for American Art, Portland, ME
A modest occupation (curated by Abigail Satinsky), Luminary Arts, St.Louis, MO
One and Three Balloons (with Ryan Weber), IIT Chicago-Kent, Chicago, IL
SOFA KING WHAT, Sofa King, Chicago, IL
2012
Big Bouquet (with Escape Group), ACRE at the NADA Fair, Miami, FL
America(n) (organized by Lucky Pierre), DEFIBRILLATOR, Chicago, IL
The Makeshift Reader (with threewalls), EXPO Chicago 2012, Chicago, IL
The Anarchist Cookbook Lite (with Jason Lazarus), VersionFest 12, Chicago, IL
The Impossibility of a Hangover in the Mind of Someone Drinking, The Hills Esthetic Center (Ewert/Kaplan/Kloss), Chicago, IL
It’s a Small World (organized by Hennesy Youngman), Family Business, NY
2011
Root Cellar CSA, threewalls, Chicago, IL
Thoughts Said Then Forgotten, Mess Hall, Chicago, IL
Friends Forever (The Return of Camp Gay), Monument 2, Chicago, IL
Hang in There (curated by Jason Lazarus), Co-Prosperity Sphere, Chicago, IL
Brief Histories (curated by Isak Berbic and Faws Kabra) Sharjah, UAE
The Storefront feat. Silver Galleon Press, MDW Fair, Chicago, IL
2010
FAIR USE, Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College, Chicago, IL
ALPHABETIZATION (curated by Ania Szremski), Noble & Superior, Chicago, IL
Nomadic Studios (with The Stockyard Institute), Depaul Art Museum, Chicago, IL
BASEMENT SHOW (with PARKING SPACE), Country Club Gallery, Chicago, IL
FUTURE SHOCK, Green Lantern Gallery, Chicago, IL
Ornament and Crime (and Crime), ADDS DONNA, Chicago, IL
2009
Harvest (with Harold Arts), Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
Entry Points, Subvision Festival (with i-cabin), Hamburg, Germany
Artist Run Chicago (as artLedge), Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
NEXT Fair (with Waymaker Gallery), Chicago, IL
DARK FAIR (with Track House), Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany
End of Analog (curated by Eric Fleischauer), R&C, Chicago, IL
2008
Lost in Your Eyes (with Paul Pfeiffer), Leroy Neiman Gallery, NY,NY
Ten years at Locust Projects (with JMOCA), Locust Projects, Miami, FL
Eros, c’est la vie, London Biennale (organized by David Medalla), London, UK
The Vanishing Point, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
Final Reduction Sale (with Old Gold), Milwaukee International, Milwaukee, WI
2007
vaportrails in Miami, South Beach 2007, (various locations) Miami, FL
End Times, Lasso gallery at the Butchershop, Chicago, IL
Not for Sale (with i-cabin), Zoo Art Fair, UK
Formfit 2007, The Great Space, Chicago, IL
Spring Break Chicago 2007, artLedge at Roots and Culture CAC, Chicago, IL
UIC Graduate Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
2006
Neo Dolce (curated by Michael Smoler), High Energy Constructs, LA, CA.
Vomitorium w/ Agitprop (organized by Philip von Zweck), 40000, Chicago, IL
Road Trip (with Tony Tasset), Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
artLedge at the Milwaukee International, Milwaukee, WI.
Satellites (with i-cabin), Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, NY, NY
To London, From Chicago, with Love artLedge, i-cabin, UK.
paintings (with Jason Starr and Caleb Lyons), JMOCA, Los Angeles, CA.
small paintings (curated by Katie Geha), Ulrich Museum, Wichita, KS.
Peace Tower, Whitney Museum, NY, NY
High School Style (organized by Yutake Sone), VONZWECK, Chicago, IL
2005
Collective Instillation, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE
vaportrails at the 51st Venice Biennale, (various locations) Venice, Italy
BYO-resource, i-cabin, London, UK
Spring Break Chicago 2005, artLedge at the Butcher Shop, Chicago, IL
2004
Find Rest, Iron Gate Studios, Austin, TX.
Stray Show (with General Store), Chicago, IL.
Drunk vs. Stoned, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, NY, NY
Video HQ, Gallery HQ, Kansas City, KS
2003
Shoebox (organized by Bridge Magazine), 1R gallery, Chicago, IL
Illinois Arts Week Public Video Art, Western Blue Line CTA platform, Chicago, IL
Recreation Ground, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
Sunday Morning (with Justin Hansch), BFA thesis, SAIC Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
2002
the most political show ever!!!, LG Space, SAIC, Chicago,IL.
Ongoing projects:
ATLAS DRIFT, 2015-present
ATLAS DRIFT is a nomadic research platform initiated through the Independent Curators International Curatorial Intensive that took place in New Orleans in conjunction with The Prospect 3 Biennial. The platform examines and promotes alternative artist-run networks and DIY production operating at the periphery of contemporary art market centers and maintains a special focus on regional North American cities and beyond.
Silver Galleon Press, 2008-present
Silver Galleon Press is an art-publishing house focused on producing and distributing artist books and critical texts. Started as an on-demand press reprinting inexpensive pirated and open source texts, the project has branched out to produce collaborative artists’ books and installations. In addition, the press has worked in a nomadic format creating platforms for generative onsite publishing and gallery installation pieces.
Selected Publication History
Filipino-American Artist Directory, Winter 2018
Standards Variance (self-published w/ Greg Ruffing), Spring 2017
Long View/Long Game (Catalog editor), Fall 2016
PHONEBOOK 4 (published by threewalls), Fall 2015
ISSUE 28, Toronto, Fall 2014
The Grand Hotel Abyss, The Economy Magazine, Chicago 2014
Printing Always Printing, CAW & Locust Projects, 2014
Firmament (catalog essay for CARDINAL CROSS, CHICAGO), 2014
The Day I Met Raivo Puusemp, Northwestern University Block Museum, 2014
PETTY THEFT, What’s the T/Bad at Sports, 2013
Wobbly Misconduct (with Josh Reames), CAW and LVL3, 2012
FAIR USE (curatorial statement), Glass Curtain Gallery, 2010
FLAT 4 (with Ben Russell), edited by E.C. Brown, 2010
Hot Mess, Hoffman and Lyons at the Green Lantern (catalog essay), 2009
The Only Place is Now, UIC 2006-2008, edited by Dana Carter and Matt Jinks, 2008
Lectures/Visiting Artist Invitations
ICI Curator’s Forum Invitational EXPO Chicago, Fall 2018
Loyola University BFA Senior Thesis Seminar, Spring 2018
SAIC Junior Photography Seminar & Contemporary Practices, Spring 2018
SAIC Junior Special Topics Course: Power in the Studio, Fall 2017
Why Make Art Now?, Launch Invitational Residency, Chicago, IL, Summer 2017
Office Hours, Chicago Artist Coalition, Chicago, IL - Winter 2016
Making It (panel), Gallery 400 @ UIC, Chicago, IL - Fall 2016
College of DuPage Visiting Artist Lecture Series – Spring 2016
I Like Your Work hosted by VIA, LA and Inside/Within, Chicago - 2015
Prospect 3, Independent Curators International symposium - 2015
SAIC Curatorial Practices dept. – Fall 2013 & Fall 2014 (produced exhibition)
SAIC Contemporary Practices - 2013 & 2014 (produced exhibition & publications)
SAIC Interlink Visiting Artist Program – 2013 (lecture and MFA studio visits)
SAIC Art History dept., History of Artists’ Books, 2012 (produced publication)
Museum of the Art Institute of Chicago ‘Artist Connect’ series, 2011 (lecture)
SAIC Photo dept. (visiting critic) – 2010 & 2013
Retired projects
The Storefront at 2606 N. California, 2010- 2014
The Storefront was a multi-purpose non-commercial/non-non-profit institution-as-art project that operates according to the logic of a gift economy. Its mission was to support temporary and/or long-term projects by local cultural producers. Emphasis was given to process-oriented public participatory projects.
BEN RUSSELL (with Ben Russell), 2009-2011
Co-curated by artists Brandon Alvendia and Ben Russell. Participating artists were invited to produce and exhibit work that is in accordance with the title/theme of each show. Participating artists included: Paul Chan, Melanie Schiff, Deborah Stratman, Tom Marioni, Michael Snow, Semiconductor among other local and international artists.
vaportrails, 2005-2015
A grouping of artworks is transported by airplane in carry-on bag, wallet or similar container. The work is displayed and documented across various international art tourist venues. Objects are created by the curator through instructions or obtained from the artists’ studios and then displayed online for archival purposes.
artLedge (with Caleb Lyons), 2004-2007
artLedge was an experimental platform committed to presenting projects created specifically for the unique parameters of the architecture. artLedge has also been hosted by different venues in the United States and Great Britain.
Residencies
Guest Program, tag-team studios, Bergen, Norway, Spring 2016
Independent Curators International, Curatorial Intensive, Winter 2015
Copycat Academy (organized by Hannah Hurtzig), Toronto, ON, Summer 2014
Summer Studio Residency, Sullivan Studios, SAIC, Summer 2010
ACRE, Steuben, Wisconsin, Summer 2010
Harold Arts Residency, Chesterhill, Ohio, Summer 2009
InCUBATE CITY resident (as Silver Galleon Press), Chicago, Illinois, Fall 2008
ATC Fall Artist-in-Residence (with Caleb Lyons), Chicago, Illinois, Fall 2006
Press
Tinari, Anastasia, Documentia/Side Car, Newcity, March 27, 2015
Foumberg, J., " Most Anticipated Art Exhibitions," Chicago Magazine, Sept., 2015
Staff Selection #27, “Top 50 Artists’ Artists” NewCity, Chicago, Sept. 18, 2014
Named Chicago’s “king of conceptual art writing”, Bad At Sports, 2014
Staff Selection #46, “Top 50 Artists’ Artists” Newcity Chicago, Sept 19, 2012
Stabler, Bert, “Beach Party IV”, Newcity Chicago, Sept. 12, 2011
Stabler, Bert, “Best Artist in Chicago 2011” Chicago Reader, July 2011
Picard, Caroline, “At the Center: Brandon Alvendia, art:21 blog, January 11, 2011
Foumberg, Jason, “Portrait of the Artist as Curator”, NewCity Chicago, Mar 2010
Weinberg, Lauren, “All rights deserved?”, TimeOut Chicago, February 25, 2010
Kirsch, Corinna, “RUSE at BEN RUSSELL gallery”, Chicago Now, July 9, 2009
Waxman, Lori, “Artist-run, laid bare at HPAC”, Chicago Tribune, June 2009
Artner, Alan, “End of Analog” Chicago Tribune, March 2009
MacQuaide, Carrie, “In Living Color” The Daily Northwestern, 2/9/06
Nusser, Madeline, “Spring Break 2005″ Time Out Chicago, April 21, 2005
Hannum, Terence, “Exit Strategies for the Here and Now” http://panel-house.com
Wenzel, Erik, “Groin-Grabbingly Transcendent” Regulator, September 2003
Collection
Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago Artist Book Collection, Chicago, IL
Northwestern University Artist Book Collection, Evanston, IL
Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection, SAIC, Chicago, IL
College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL
Tag-Team Studios, Bergen, Norway
Professional Experience
Juror, Bemis Art Center Residency Program, 2020
Advisory Board, Visiting Artist Programmer, Juror -
ACRE Residency, Chicago, Il & Steuben Wisconsin, 2012-present
Juror, Chicago Artist Book Fair, 2017
Juror - Propeller Fund Grant, Gallery 400 and threewalls, 2012-2013 award cycle
Advisory Board - threewalls, Chicago 2012-2013
Teaching experience
Lecturer, Messy, Complex, Layered, SAIC, Chicago, 2019-2020
LAUNCH Residency Artist Mentor, Chicago Artist Coalition, Summer 2018
Visiting Artist Faculty, Maine College of Art MFA program, 2017-2019
Part-Time Faculty – Foundations, New Genres, & Senior Thesis Seminars
Columbia College Chicago, Illinois , 2007 – present
Woodworking For Teens Instructor, Evanston Art Center, Spring 2017
Co-Instructor , Street-Level Youth Media, Chicago, Illinois , Summer 2007
Part-Time Faculty - Sculpture I, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2006/07 and 2011/12
Art Instructor - Grades 6-12 , Josephinum Academy, Chicago, Illinois, 2003 - 2005