SHARON ARNOLD
Hey all. I'm going to break from convention and write an honest introduction, as if we're sitting together over coffee and you've asked me to tell you about myself. So here goes.
Since closing Bridge Productions in April, my role in the arts has shifted from curator and producer to documenter. I won't say historian, because I'm not that objective, but I feel I'm treading on similar ground or something like it. And of course I'm still an educator and an advocate in those less public, less flashy spaces. This has been unfolding over many years, but as I step back into writing and research I'm confident now that I have no desire to write reviews. Imposing arbitrary and subjective determinations of "quality" doesn't interest me. What excites me is revealing lesser-known or obscured histories of people, events, entities, and legacies that motivate an entire spectrum of cultural communities, not just visual arts. These various corners and intersections of our creative worlds are rarely explored, but have always been intensely fascinating to me, because they are the catalysts that shape our most compelling stories.
I find myself in the exciting position of applying all I've learned as a writer, curator, gallery owner, independent scholar, and educator to an expanded set of inquiries. This convergence—Dimensions Variable—is where arts, activism, politics, storytelling, and cultural histories meet my other areas of interest: philosophy, divination, journeying, ritual, and spiritual connection to land and ancestors. I'm excited to share this newfound freedom of expression that I haven't ever let myself explore, but find myself ready to do now.
Since closing Bridge Productions in April, my role in the arts has shifted from curator and producer to documenter. I won't say historian, because I'm not that objective, but I feel I'm treading on similar ground or something like it. And of course I'm still an educator and an advocate in those less public, less flashy spaces. This has been unfolding over many years, but as I step back into writing and research I'm confident now that I have no desire to write reviews. Imposing arbitrary and subjective determinations of "quality" doesn't interest me. What excites me is revealing lesser-known or obscured histories of people, events, entities, and legacies that motivate an entire spectrum of cultural communities, not just visual arts. These various corners and intersections of our creative worlds are rarely explored, but have always been intensely fascinating to me, because they are the catalysts that shape our most compelling stories.
I find myself in the exciting position of applying all I've learned as a writer, curator, gallery owner, independent scholar, and educator to an expanded set of inquiries. This convergence—Dimensions Variable—is where arts, activism, politics, storytelling, and cultural histories meet my other areas of interest: philosophy, divination, journeying, ritual, and spiritual connection to land and ancestors. I'm excited to share this newfound freedom of expression that I haven't ever let myself explore, but find myself ready to do now.
Here's the formal business:
Sharon (she/they) is a queer independent scholar, writer, and educator working in arts, activism, politics, and cultural histories. They approach this work through the examination of capitalist systems, unsettling settler colonialism, community ecosystems, and solidarity networks to support new paths forward. Descended from multiple Northern European-American lineages, they identify themselves as a person working within syncretic folk traditions, primarily rooted in the study of Irish and American traditions and folklore. While they’ve had a lifelong personal spiritual practice, their work has recently shifted towards more public-facing service with a committed devotion to community, land, and spirit.
Sharon has a BFA in studio arts from Cornish College of the Arts with a focus on critical theory and cultural criticism. They co-teach a monthly Plant Medicine Lab and the year-long Earth Medicine Practitioner Training Program with Madrona House founder Vanessa Ainslee. In the past year, they've completed Lora O’Brien’s Ogham Journeys course, as well as O'Brien's year-long Cóir Mentorship Program through the Irish Pagan School, a program designed to assist mentees through extensive and rigorous course programs centered around Irish traditional practices, folklore, and history. They continue to learn from mentors and colleagues across their various communities, as well as an ever growing library of books, academic papers, blogs, and websites. In addition to teaching at Madrona House, they are currently in their third year as an adjunct instructor in the art department at Cornish College of the Arts, with an emphasis on the ethics and practicum of curatorial and exhibition practices; as well as production of the annual Cornish BFA exhibition. They are currently working on a long term project examining the Pacific Northwest’s regional arts ecosystems over the last twenty years, small pieces of which are regularly published on Dimensions Variable.
My overly extensive art world bio and CV can be found here.
Sharon (she/they) is a queer independent scholar, writer, and educator working in arts, activism, politics, and cultural histories. They approach this work through the examination of capitalist systems, unsettling settler colonialism, community ecosystems, and solidarity networks to support new paths forward. Descended from multiple Northern European-American lineages, they identify themselves as a person working within syncretic folk traditions, primarily rooted in the study of Irish and American traditions and folklore. While they’ve had a lifelong personal spiritual practice, their work has recently shifted towards more public-facing service with a committed devotion to community, land, and spirit.
Sharon has a BFA in studio arts from Cornish College of the Arts with a focus on critical theory and cultural criticism. They co-teach a monthly Plant Medicine Lab and the year-long Earth Medicine Practitioner Training Program with Madrona House founder Vanessa Ainslee. In the past year, they've completed Lora O’Brien’s Ogham Journeys course, as well as O'Brien's year-long Cóir Mentorship Program through the Irish Pagan School, a program designed to assist mentees through extensive and rigorous course programs centered around Irish traditional practices, folklore, and history. They continue to learn from mentors and colleagues across their various communities, as well as an ever growing library of books, academic papers, blogs, and websites. In addition to teaching at Madrona House, they are currently in their third year as an adjunct instructor in the art department at Cornish College of the Arts, with an emphasis on the ethics and practicum of curatorial and exhibition practices; as well as production of the annual Cornish BFA exhibition. They are currently working on a long term project examining the Pacific Northwest’s regional arts ecosystems over the last twenty years, small pieces of which are regularly published on Dimensions Variable.
My overly extensive art world bio and CV can be found here.