Rochester Art Center curator and artist Scott Stulen has joined the Walker Art Center staff as Project Director for mnartists.org, an online database of Minnesota artists launched in 2001 by the Walker and the McKnight Foundation. Stulen will lead efforts to create programs and strategies to expand participation and maintain the project’s reputation as a groundbreaking resource for Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines. mnartists.org is a hub for arts writing and criticism, cultural event information, and resources for arts news and opportunities from around the state.
“We are thrilled that Scott is coming on board as the new Project Director for mnartists.org.,” says Sarah Schultz, the Walker’s director of Education and Community Programs. “In addition to Scott’s significant involvement in the Minnesota arts community as an artist, curator, and educator, he has been a long-time contributor to mnartists.org. His talent, vision, and energy will be tremendously valuable in continuing to develop this innovative resource for Minnesota artists.”
“It is a privilege and honor to lead mnartists.org, a program deeply committed to serving artists throughout the state of Minnesota and to join the talented staff at the Walker Art Center,” said Stulen. “I intend to build upon the tremendous success of the mnartists.org program, while continuing to develop informative, challenging, and interactive programming, helping to create a supportive community, both on and off line.”
Stulen was born in Willmar, Minnesota, in 1974. He received a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and an MFA in Painting and Drawing, with a minor in Art History, from the University of Minnesota. During his four-year tenure at the Rochester Art Center, he curated exhibitions for the Emerging Artist Series and initiated festivals showcasing video and sound art. He has taught at the University of Minnesota, Rochester Community and Technical College, College of Visual Arts, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and is the founder and moderator of Yoo-mart, an online art collective for the upper Midwest region. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his artwork, including the 2004 Katherine E. Nash Purchase Prize and a 2005 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. His work is included in public and private collections, including the Weisman Art Museum and the University of Minnesota. His work has been exhibited throughout the country and twice has been included in the juried national publication New American Paintings (2004, 2007). In addition, he performs as a DJ and sound artist.
The mission of mnartists.org is to improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with the state’s arts culture. This resource of and for Minnesota artists from all disciplines—visual arts, performing arts, media arts, literary arts, and design and architecture—provides a central gathering place on the Web. Artists interested in promoting their creative work to a broader audience may register to get a free Web page to display images, text, sound, and/or video clips and to provide information about themselves and their art. mnartists.org was developed as the result of a survey of Minnesota artists, conducted by the McKnight Foundation, which revealed the survival struggles of individual artists. The McKnight Foundation partnered with the Walker Art Center’s New Media Initiatives group to develop mnartists.org. Nearly 13,000 artists have registered on the site since it launched in July 2001.