EDUCATION.
2025. Master of Fine Arts Studio in Fiber & Material Studies | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2021. Bachelor of Fine Arts Studio in Fiber & Material Studies | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
EXHIBITIONS.
2025. WAYFINDING: Human Intervention – a group exhibition curated by Jordan Barrant | Roots & Culture Gallery | Chicago, IL
2025. THRESHOLDS – a group exhibition curated by Merryn Omotayo Alaka | SAIC Galleries | Chicago, IL
2024-2025. in passing – a group exhibition curated by Gemma Kim and Hailey Tomanicek | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2024. Beyond The Page an Advanced Artists Books Class Exhibition | Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection + Archives | Chicago, IL
2024. The Black Domestic | Living & Dining Roomscapes a collaborative exhibition curated by COBRA
2024. With Every Fiber of Our Being a group exhibition | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2023. Beneath the Visible – Program Coordinator | Center Program at Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL
2023. “What Time Is It?” A Cultural & Civic Archive Exhibition Muralist | Chicago Art Department | Chicago, IL
2022. The Happening Tattoo Demonstration | This Is My House a Bob Thompson Exhibition at Smart Museum of Art | Chicago, IL
2021. Aftermath – a group exhibition at Weinberg Newton Gallery | Chicago, IL
2019. Farm Sale –Papermaking Demonstration at Hook Pottery Paper Studio & Farm | LaPorte, IN
2019. Show Your Paper – a group exhibition at Woman Made Gallery | Chicago, IL
2019. Small Works – a group exhibition at School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2019. Arnold Grummer’s 3rd Annual Paper Fest Exhibition | Greenlake, WI
2019. Asian Enough – a group exhibition & Thai Kozo Papermaking Demonstration at University of Illinois at Chicago Montgomery Ward Gallery | Chicago, IL
2017. The Sesh – a group exhibition at Surreal Chicago | Chicago, IL
2016. Express Yoself – a group exhibition at Union Street Gallery | Chicago Heights, IL
PRojects &
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES.
2025. Beneath the Visible: a community dialogue curated by Emily Duong with panelists Steph Rue, Jerushia Graham, Aidan Anne Frierson, e. ainsley, and Cat Liu, hosted at Connections in Practice, the 2025 North American Hand Papermakers Conference | Minneapolis, Minnesota
2025. Papermaking Activation for WAYFINDING: Human Intervention – curated by Jordan Barrant in collaboration with La Huerta Roots & Rays Community Garden | Chicago, IL
2025. Teaching Artist & Residency Staff | ACRE Residency | Steuben, WI
2025. Submerging at the Site a Virtual Q&A Panel for WAYFINDING: Human Intervention – curated by Jordan Barrant | Roots & Culture Gallery | Chicago, IL
2025. Interim Creativity Camp Coordinator | Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL
2025. Teaching Assistant for Handmade Papermaking taught by Andrea Peterson | OxBow School of Arts & Artist’s Residency | Saugatuck, MI
2025. Advanced Papermaking Teaching Assistant | Fiber & Material Studies Dept. School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2024. Pulp Processing Specialist | Fiber & Material Studies Department School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2024. Teaching Assistant for Print for Alternative Fabric | Fiber & Material Studies Dept. School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2024. Teaching Artist for Pulp Please!!! Handmade Papermaking Workshop | Chicago, IL
2024. Studio Assistant for Papermaking in the Field taught by Andrea Peterson | Penland School of Craft | Penland, NC
2023. Papermaking Teaching Assistant | Fiber & Material Studies Dept. School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2023. Center Program Coordinator for the Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL
2023. Queering the Parks Steward | Chicago Park District & Chicago Public Schools Partnership | Chicago, IL
2023. Teaching Artist for Indelible Mark-Making: a Hand Poke Tattoo Workshop | Chicago, IL
2022–2023. Program Coordinator for Early College Arts | Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education | Chicago, IL
2022. Visiting Artist | BLK@SAIC Student Group | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2022. Teaching Artist for Pulp Please!!! Handmade Papermaking Workshop Marwen | Chicago, IL
2021. TAT Fine Arts Teacher at Fiske Elementary School | Chicago, IL
2020. Teaching Artist for Pulp Please!!! Handmade Papermaking Workshop | Chicago, IL
2020. META Teaching Cohort at Marwen | Chicago, IL
2020. Teaching Artist at Sitter Studio | New York City, NY
2020. Studio & Education Intern at Dieu Donné Papermill | Brooklyn, NY
2019. Farm & Studio Intern at Hook Pottery Paper | LaPorte, IN
2019. Research-Artist for the Seagrass Papermaking Project at Mystic by the Sea LLC | St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
2016–2020. Admissions Student Ambassador Coordinator at School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
SELECTED PRESS.
2025. “Wayfinding: Human Intervention: Curated by Jordan Barrant” - Roots & Culture Contemporary Art Center, Chicago, IL | July 8, 2025.
2025. “Paper, Place, and Presence: Aidan Anne Frierson Threads Memory into Material” by Mello Ige, Chicago, IL | June 21, 2025.
2024. How To Make Paper From Scratch by: Amy Rutledge, Tonya Francisco, WGN9, Chicago, IL | July 16, 2025.
RELEVANT APPOINTMENTS.
2025–Present. Executive Director of North American Hand Papermakers Organization
2025–Present. Center Program Coordinator | Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL
2024–Present. Manager of CHICAGO PULP: Papermill & Studio | Chicago, IL
AWARDS.
2025. World Less Traveled Student Travel Award | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2024. New Altitudes Scholarship Recipient | NAHP Conference | Denver, CO
2024. New Grellner Scholarship Recipient | OxBow School of Arts & Artist’s Residency | Saugatuck, MI
2023. Individual Artist Program Grant Recipient City of Chicago DCASE | Chicago, IL
2022. 3Arts Ignite Fund Grant Recipient for the Indelible Mark-Making Project | Chicago, IL
2019. 2nd Place Winner of Arnold Grummer's 3rd Annual Paper Fest | Greenlake, WI