Wren Gardiner
education
2023, MFA - Visual Arts; University of California San Diego
2016, BFA - Photography, Video and Imaging; University of Arizona
exhibitions, screenings, and events
solo and two-person
2023
By the Sweat of My Browser, UCSD Visual Arts Main Gallery; San Diego, CA (solo)
2022
💫extra extra💫, UCSD Studio Space 265; San Diego, CA (solo)
2021
*sensitive content* (death, life, self-reflection, white women, fascism, eating disorders, 24-28 year olds, earthquakes, etc.), UCSD Commons Gallery; San Diego, CA (solo)
2016
473🔥, Lionel Rombach Gallery; Tucson, AZ (two person)
Play, Todd Walker Gallery; Tucson, AZ (solo)
group
2023
Sites of Blood and Water, Vielmetter; Los Angeles, CA
Find Me in the White Room, UCSD Visual Arts Main Gallery; San Diego, CA
Reality... What a Concept, UCSD Performance Space; San Diego, CA (in person and online screening)
2022
NextGen2022: You took my impression without ever touching me by beck haberstroh, Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego (North); San Diego, CA (performer)
EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT / NO. 4 LAST STRAW, Tin Flats; Los Angles, CA
Cabaret: Cyberbully, Head Empty, UCSD Red Tables; San Diego, CA (performance)
Frieze San Diego, UCSD Visual Arts Main Gallery; San Diego, CA
UCSD Open Studios Video Screening 2022, UCSD Performance Space; San Diego, CA (in person and online screening)
2021
UCSD Open Studios Video Screening, University of California San Diego; San Diego, CA (online screening)
2020
Dramas de Otro Mundo Video Screening, UV Estudios por Colección de Fortabat; Buenos Aires, Argentina (online screening)
Happy New Year, University of California San Diego; San Diego, CA (online screening)
2019
DOC LA Film Festival, Raleigh Studios; Los Angeles, CA (juried, award recipient)
St. Louis International Film Festival, Plaza Frontenac Theater; St. Louis, MO (juried, Academy Award qualifying)
2017
What Keeps You Up At Night?, The Arts at CIIS, California Institute of Integral Studies; San Francisco, CA (juried, traveling exhibition)
Define Femme, Open Mind Art Space; Los Angeles, CA
Videohouse I, Deslave Gallery; Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
By Now We Are There, MOCA Tucson; Tucson, AZ; Visual Arts Research Lab, Tucson, AZ (symposium and live performance)
My Big Boat Show, Boathouse Gallery; Tucson, AZ
Mining Memory, La Cocina; Tucson, AZ (artist talk)
Resist, Conrad Wilde Gallery; Tucson, AZ
2016
Articulate, Boathouse Gallery; Tucson, AZ
Sweet Spot, Court Tree Collective; New York City, NY (juried)
Poser: and Other Suggestions, Studio Space on Third; Tucson, AZ
Vicissitude, Boathouse Gallery; Tucson, AZ
University of Arizona BFA Show, Union Gallery; Tucson, AZ
Subtext, Pretext, Context, Lionel Rombach Gallery; Tucson, AZ (juried)
2015
In/Imperfect Balance, Todd Walker Gallery; Tucson, AZ
Likeness, Todd Walker Gallery; Tucson, AZ
Mixed Media Art Installation Exhibition, Steinfeld Warehouse; Tucson, AZ
The Man From Angel Valley Short Film Screening, Center For Creative Photography; Tucson, AZ
curatorial
2022
Frieze San Diego, UCSD Visual Arts Main Gallery and Commons Gallery; San Diego, CA (curated with Cat Gunn)
EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT / NO. 4 LAST STRAW, Tin Flats; Los Angles, CA (curated with Hazel Katz and Heige Kim)
publications
2023
Wren Gardiner with HereIn, HereIn Journal, by Elizabeth Rooklidge; San Diego, CA
2021
Pet of the Month, University Heights Community Association Newspaper; San Diego, CA
teaching
Teaching Assistant - University of California San Diego; San Diego, CA 2020-present
VIS3 Intro to Art Making: Three-Dimensional Practices, Winter Quarter 2023
VIS1 Intro to Art Making: Two-Dimensional Practices, Fall Quarter 2022
VIS60 Intro to Digital Photography, Summer Session I 2022
VIS84 Film History, Spring Quarter 2022
VIS41 Design Communications, Winter Quarter 2022
VIS41 Design Communications, Fall Quarter 2021
VIS60 Intro to Digital Photography, Winter Quarter 2021
VIS70N Intro to Media, Fall Quarter 2020
Photography Teacher - Performance Arts Workshops; Los Angeles, CA 2017
related professional experience
2022
Production Designer - Sydney & Kim (2023), Directed by Hazel Katz; Borrego Springs, CA
Media Assistant - Anya Gallaccio; San Diego, CA
2017-2022
Photographic Retoucher, Web Designer, & Assistant to the Creative Director - Raya Labs; Los Angeles, CA
2017-2020
On Set Photographer - Mild West Productions; Tucson, AZ
2017
Gallery Intern - Boathouse Gallery; Tucson, AZ
2016
Retouching Intern - Chroma NY; New York City, New York
Photographer's Assistant - Sama Alshaibi, Between Two Rivers; Tucson, AZ
Darkroom Internship - University of Arizona School of Fine Art; Tucson, AZ
awards and recognition
2023
Antin Prize Awardee - University of California San Diego; juried by Nicole Miller, Alexandro Segade, and Rubén Ortiz Torres
Russell Grant Recipient - University of California San Diego; juried by Michael Trigilio, Dean Erdman, and Elizabeth Newsom
2022
Dean of Arts and Humanities Travel Grant Fund Recipient - University of California San Diego
2021
Flaherty Graduate Fellow - Flaherty Film Seminar
MFA First Year Review Fellowship Recipient - University of California San Diego
2019
DOC LA Rising Star Award - Parajanov-Vartanov Institute
2016
Creative Achievement Award - University of Arizona School of Art
Cum Laude Academic Achievement Award - University of Arizona School of Art