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
2025. Mutuality – Program Coordinator | Center Program Exhibition curated by Teresa Silva at Hyde Park Art Center | 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 Exhibition curated by Silvia Inés Gonzalez 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
Teaching, Projects &
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES.
2026. Teaching Artist for the 2026 NewberryFest: All About Maps! at Newberry Library | Chicago, Illinois
2026. Teaching Artist for Pulp Please!!! Papermaking Class at Chicago Pulp Papermill & Studio | Chicago, IL
2026. Teaching Assistant for Sculptural Workshop taught by Dave King at Chicago Pulp Papermill & Studio | Chicago, IL
2025. Teaching Artist for Pulp Please!!! Papermaking Class at Chicago Pulp Papermill & Studio | Chicago, IL
2025. Teaching Artist for Papel Amate Workshop for the Mapping from Mexico, the 22nd Kenneth Nebenzahl Jr. Lectures in the History of Cartography at Newberry Library | Chicago, Illinois
2025. Teaching Artist for Paper Pop-Up Papermaking Workshop at Chicago Pulp Papermill & Studio | Chicago, IL
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. Substitute Teaching Artist for Creativity Camp | Hyde Park Art Center | 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
2025. Center Program Coordinator | Hyde Park Art Center | 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 RE:ALIZE Early College Arts Program | Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education | 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
Speaking engagements.
2025. Cotton Research Presentation with Talia Kimberly Wright | Contextualizing Textiles Class taught by Jerry Bleem | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
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. Submerging at the Site a Virtual Q&A Panel for WAYFINDING: Human Intervention – curated by Jordan Barrant | Roots & Culture Gallery | Chicago, IL
2025. Pigment & Pulp Research Presentation | Pulp Fictions: Narrative Through Papermaking taught by Krista Franklin | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2025. WHY WE ARE HERE | Fiber & Material Studies Lunch Lecture | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2025. Two-Dyke Minimum: a Community Dialogue and Q&A Panel hosted by Adrienne Renée Weiss, Jordan Barrant, Rex Delafkaran and Aidan Anne Frierson | Chicago, IL
2024. THESE STORiES ARE ALL TRUE | Fiber & Material Studies Lunch Lecture | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
2022. Visiting Artist | BLK@SAIC Student Group | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL
SELECTED PRESS.
2026. “Inside Chicago Pulp, A New Bridgeport Studio Where Making Paper Takes Time” by: Patrick Filbin, Block Club Chicago, Chicago, IL | January 14, 2026.
2025. “Chicago Pulp Brings Paper to Life” by: Reema Saleh, Chicago Reader, Chicago, IL | December 11, 2025.
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
2024–Present. Co-Founder and 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