Wendy DesChene

Education

MFA, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia

BFA, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

About Me

Canadian Métis Nation artist Wendy DesChene graduated with an MFA in painting from Tyler School of Art and immediately began integrating socially engaged and dialogical approaches into her work. Interested in expanding art beyond the confines of traditional institutions, she invited audiences into her installations to foster community dialogue. This approach led to the touring exhibition WYSIWYG, which traveled to 11 communities, including the Art League of Houston, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and the Henry Street Settlement in New York. Building on these ideas, DesChene presented painting and drawing projects at The Drawing Center (New York), The Soap Factory (Minnesota), and the Tomio Koyama Gallery (Japan). Her projects have earned support from State Arts Fellowships, the Andy Warhol-funded Verdant Fund, the Canada Council, and the Pulitzer Foundation.

The Boston Globe described DesChene as a "conceptual prankster," much like her cultural hero Nanabush (Ojibwe trickster figure), in a review of her collaborative projects at the 2017 HubWeek, sponsored by Harvard and MIT. Through her collaboration with her husband, Georgia Southern University Professor Jeff Schmuki, under PlantBot Genetics, she has developed an ongoing body of work addressing environmental awareness through humor and participation. PlantBot Genetics has been presented at the Carnegie Museum of Art (Pittsburgh), Marfa Dialogues (St. Louis), the Goethe Institute (Egypt), the Fuller Craft Museum (Boston), and the Contemporary Craft Museum (Pittsburgh). Supported by Sustainability Grants from GSU, the team transformed an 18' cargo trailer into a portable, off-grid art space for environmental education. This initiative later grew through an NEA ArtWorks grant with St. Norbert College (Wisconsin) and a residency at the McColl Center. Solo exhibitions of PlantBot Genetics have taken place at Wayne State University (Detroit), Austin Peay University (Tennessee), C.R.E.T.A. (Rome), and the Lakkos Project (Crete, Greece).

Because of restrictive and outdated Canadian laws, DesChene's family was only recently able to reclaim their Indigenous status as part of the Métis Nation of Canada. Reconnecting with this heritage has shaped her practice, which increasingly centers on reclamation, belonging, and reinvestigating Indigenous identity. These themes are explored through both artworks and lectures. She has spoken at Long Island University (New York), MediaMatic (Amsterdam), the University of West Florida, the Figge Museum, Virginia Wesleyan University, the Brigham Young Museum (Utah), and the Environmental Art Biennale II (Finland), among other venues. Residencies at the Hafnarborg Art Center and Museum (Iceland) led to invitations to the Landscape Laboratory at Buitenwerkplaats (Netherlands), the KulttuuriKauppila Art Center (Finland), and the Mauser Eco House (Costa Rica). Other residencies include the American Academy in Rome, Jentel (Wyoming), I-Park (Connecticut), Pouch Cove (Canada), the Atlantic Center for the Arts (Florida), the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center (Nebraska), and the Studios of Key West.

DesChene's research continues to examine cultural systems, institutional protocols, and the potential of art as a tool for dialogue and connection. Her Unauthorized Series—in which works were placed both within institutions and in public spaces—has been exhibited internationally at the Sanlun Yishu Project (Beijing, China), CICA Museum (Gimpo, South Korea), Governors Island (New York), the Ice Box Project Space (Philadelphia), and the International Center for Art and Design (New Mexico).

From 2014 to 2020, DesChene was elected by Alabama to the non-profit arts organization SECAC board and is currently a reviewer for MIT's Leonardo International Graduate Journal. In 2018, she received the SECAC National Award for Teaching Excellence and the Auburn University College of Liberal Arts Outreach Award for her service-learning projects. These honors reflect her commitment to collaboration, education, and the belief that art can cultivate meaningful conversations across communities.

Her portfolios can be found at www.wendydeschene.ca

Areas of Expertise

Painting, Murals, Installation, Socially Engaged Art