she/her/hers
carolynjs@comcast.net
http://www.carolynswiszcz.com
Painting, Printmaking
In-person, Online

BIO 

Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, Carolyn Swiszcz followed an older brother to the midwest after high school. She earned a BFA in printmaking at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1994. Carolyn is renowned for her uncanny, yet affectionate landscapes and building exteriors, employing a wide range of painting and printmaking techniques, vibrant colors, and distinctive patterns. Carolyn’s proclivity for experimentation and bliss-following has also led her to create songs, music videos, and animations. She currently publishes a mail-order zine, Zebra Cat Zebra. Carolyn’s work has been exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery in New York, Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis, and Steven Zevitas Gallery in Boston. Her prints have been published by Highpoint Editions in Minneapolis. She is a recipient of the Jerome, McKnight, Bush, and Minnesota State Arts Board artist fellowships. She lives in West Saint Paul, MN with her husband (photographer Wilson Webb) and their daughter.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY & MENTORSHIP

I make paintings, mostly of everyday buildings and places, that incorporate collage and printmaking techniques. I also make zines with drawings and writing about observations and memories. I am guided by my heart and my desire to play with different ways of making textures and marks. In the interest of full disclosure, I am less interested in art theory than in personal stories. I make work and look at work intuitively. I really love creative problem solving. I love brainstorming ideas about where work could go, both in terms of suggesting different approaches to studio practice, and ideas for visual possibilities.

Carolyn Swiszcz, Inventory, Of Us and Art: The 100 Videos Project, Episode 04 from Minneapolis Institute of Art on Vimeo.