Tameka Norris’ work is about finding self-identity, not only in herself but in others as well, by using painting, video, photography, music, performance, installation, project-based art, the Internet and institutional critique. She navigates the treacherous terrain surrounding women of color in today’s world. Her practice critiques the invisibility of blackness in cultural forms built upon appropriation of popular and sacred black expressions and idioms. As an artist, Norris pulled from her own experiences and being a woman of color in order to address the larger legal and ethical ramifications of maintaining ownership of one’s own self in the face of extermination.
Tameka Norris received an undergraduate degree from the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in Los Angeles before graduating in 2012 with an MFA from Yale University School of Art, New Haven, CT. Norris has had solo exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, LA; Ronchini Gallery, London, UK; David Shelton Gallery, Houston, TX; and the 1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA. Her work has been included in several group exhibitions including Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC; The Articulated Void in New York, NY; and Museum of Contemporary Diasporian Arts, New York, NY. She is Teaching Assistant of Painting and Drawing at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.
b. 1979 in Hagåtña, Guam
lives and works in New Orleans, LA and Iowa City, IA
EDUCATION
2012 MFA, Painting and Printmaking; Yale University; New Haven, CT
2010 BA, minor African American Studies; University of California, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA
SOLO AND TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2016
Cut From The Same Cloth; Rochini Gallery, London, UK
2015
Meka Jean: Not Acquiescing; 1708 Gallery; Richmond, VA
Meka Jean: Sole Rights; David Shelton Gallery; Houston, TX
Bloodlines and Flood Lines; Savannah College School of Art and Design; Atlanta, GA
Meka Jean: Recovery; Emerson Dorsch Gallery; Miami, FL
2014
Introducing Meka Jean (Too Good For You); Lombard Freid; New York, NY
Almost Acquaintances; Ronchini Gallery; London, UK
2013
Family Values; Contemporary Arts Center; New Orleans, LA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
The Embedded Mesaage: Quilting in Contemporary Art; Visual Arts Center of Richmond; Richmond, VA
2017
I Hear it Everywhere I go, curated by Terri C. Smith; Franklin Street Works, Stamford, CT
Count/Recount: Feminist Film and Video; curator Carmen Hermo, screening at the Hirshhorn Musesum of Art; Washington, D.C.
On Repeat, curated by Raphael Rubinstein; Clarke & Associates; Houston, TX
2016
Face to Face: A Survey of Portraiture by Louisiana Artists; Hillard Art Museum, Lafayette, LA
Expo Chicago; Rena Bransten Projects, Chicago, IL
Perfect Day; Robert & Tilton Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Dark Revival: After Terry Adkins; Arthur Ross Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Southern Accent. Seeking the American South in Contemporary Art; Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University, Durham, NC
The Beat Goes On; SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
2015
Warm Kitty; Hyde Park Arts Center; Chicago, IL
Expo Chicago; Rena Bransten Projects; Chicago, IL
The Articulated Void; The PostContemporary; New York, NY
Texas Contemporary; David Shelton Gallery; Houston, TX
Then and Now: Artist as Witness; College of the Holy Cross, MA
Auto Body; Faena Art Center; Buenos Aires, AR
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath, Force of Nature; Wave Hill Museum; New York, NY
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, curator Valerie Cassel Oliver; Yerba Buena Museum, San Francisco, CA
The Influence of Painting; Frank Street Works; Stamford, CT
2014
Meka Jean: How She Got Good; Prospect 3 New Orleans Biennial; New Orleans, LA
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, curator Valerie Cassel Oliver; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
a/wake in the water: Mediations on Disaster; curated by Erin Christovale; Museum of Contemporary Diasporian Arts; New York, NY
2013
Performa 13; Studio Museum in Harlem; New York, NY
Facets, Terry Adkins Recital, Northwestern University, Regenstein Hall of Music, IL
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, curator Valerie Cassel Oliver; Studio Museum of Harlem, Harlem, NY
Unsupervised; Lombard Freid; New York, NY
2012
Art Basel Miami Beach; Lombard Freid; Miami, FL
Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art; curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX
Eyes Off the Flag; Motus Fort; Tokyo, JP
Gifted and Talented; Third Streaming Gallery; curated by Clifford Owens; New York, NY
MFA Painting Thesis Show; Yale University School of Art; New Haven, CT
2011
Prospect 2 New Orleans Biennial; curated by Dan Cameron; New Orleans, LA
Queer Sexing; Human Resources; Los Angeles, CA
Prospect New Orleans Benefit Auction; Susanne Vielmetter; Los Angeles, CA
3x6x3 #2; LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions); Los Angeles, CA
Pulp; Beta Pictoris; Birmingham, AL
2010
Prospect 1.5 New Orleans Biennial; Good Children Gallery; curated by Dan Cameron; New Orleans, LA
“not just a shelter”; Oxnard College, McNish Gallery; Oxnard, CA
For Your Pleasure; CB1 Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
To the Window to the Wall; UCLA Undergraduate Senior Exhibition; New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Lube; Jaus Gallery; curated by Martin Durazo; Los Angeles, CA
2009
Party at Chris’s House; Janet Kurnatowski Gallery; curated by Phong Bui; Brooklyn, NY
UCLA Undergraduate Scholarship Award Exhibition; New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
WWWD (What Would Wayne Do?); The Best Rapper Alive Art Exhibition; Bushwick Star; Brooklyn, NY
UCLA Undergraduate Juried Exhibition; curated by Mark Allen (Machine Project); New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Entitled; UCLA Undergraduate Senior Show; New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Open Projector Night; Hammer Museum; Los Angeles, CA
True Diva Biennale; Skowhegan, ME
2008
UCLA Undergraduate Scholarship Award Exhibition; New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
UCLA Undergraduate Juried Exhibition; curated by Ali Subotnick (Hammer Museum); New Wight Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
Dissent! 1968 to Now; Laband Gallery; Loyola Marymount University; Los Angeles, CA
2007
Theories, Moralities and Goals Dripping from Teeth and Nails in Grand Moonlight; UCLA Undergraduate Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
2006
Women of Color Explore Homeland; Lucy Florence Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
FILM FESTIVALS
2017
Meka Jean: Cover Me, Sundance Film Festival, Salt Lake City, UT
2015
Meka Jean: Cover Me, Hammer Museum, UCLA; Los Angeles, CA
2015
Meka Jean: Cover Me, New Orleans Film Festival, New Orleans, LA
2014
Meka Jean: Cover Me, Rotterdam Film Festival, Rotterdam, NE
ACADEMIC AWARDS AND HONORS
2016
National Endowment for the Arts, $25,000, Somewhere is Here: A Town Called York, Coleman Center for the Arts, York, AL
2014
Kickstarter Campaign, $25,000, Meka Jean: How She Got Good, Prospect.3 Biennial
2013
25 Emerging Artists List; Modern Painter Magazine; Dec 2012/ Jan 2013 (nominated by Byron Kim)
2012
Blair Dickinson Scholarship, Yale University School of Art
Schlosberg Prize, Yale University School of Art
Modern Painter Magazine; 100 Emerging Artists List; Dec 2011/ Jan 2012 (nominated by Wangechi Mutu)
2009
School of Arts and Architecture Dean’s Scholarship (merit based), UCLA
Robert and Marion Wilson Award (financial based), UCLA
Emma B. Keller Award (faculty nomination), UCLA
Jo Downing Scholarship, (academic merit and moral character), UCLA
Women’s Faculty Scholarship (merit and need based), UCLA
Lillian Levinson Scholarship (“In recognition of artistic and academic promise,” for “demonstrating superior achievement"), UCLA
2008
Aubrey Penny Award (faculty nomination), UCLA
John Densmore Award (rock band, The Door’s drummer award for African American music and art majors), UCLA
Robert and Marion Wilson (financial based), UCLA
Art Council Undergraduate Project Award (travel grant), UCLA
Emma B. Keller Award (faculty nomination), UCLA
Jo Downing Scholarship (academic merit and moral character), UCLA
2007
UCLA Scholarship Recognition Award (stellar academic achievement)
RESIDENCIES
2017
OxBow School of Art, Saugatuck, MI
2016
Grant Wood Fellowship, Iowa City, IA
MacDowell Colony; Peterborough, NH
2014
Visiting Artist, Purchase College; Purchase, NY
2013
Hermitage Artist Retreat; Sarasota, FL
2013
Fountainhead Artist Residency; Miami, FL
LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
2018
“Ivy League Ratchet,” performance and lecture, University of North Texas, Denton, TX. Upcoming
“Ivy League Ratchet,” performance, CAA Conference, Women’s Caucus on Art, Los Angeles, CA. February 23.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” performance and lecture, St. Ambrose University, Catich Gallery, Davenport, IA. February 16.
“The Embedded Message: Quilting in Contemporary Art,” discussion, Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA. February 8.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” Raw Identities collective exhibition, Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg. January 29.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” lecture, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. January 17. (2017) “The Art of Journalism,” panel discussion, Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, LA. September 21.
2017
“What Can Art Do?” panel discussion and performance, Berlin Literatur Festival, Berlin. October 9.
“Somewhere is Here: Sumter County, Alabama,” presentation and performance, Witching Hour festival, Iowa City, IA. October 20.
“Propositions on Revolution,” panel discussion with Kristin Romberg, curator, Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, IL (September 21).
“Ivy League Ratchet,” performance, Black Artist Retreat, Chicago, IL. September 17.
Lecture, Visiting Arts Faculty, Ox-Bow School of Art, Saugatuck, MI. June 9.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” visiting artist lecture in Sculpture, Rhode Island School of Art and Design, Providence, RI. April 18.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” lecture, Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT. March 3.
“Ivy League Ratchet,” lecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, March 20.
2016
“Ivy League Ratchet,” lecture and performance, Critical Dialogues Lecture, Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. April 13.
2015
Ned Behnke Annual Lecture, Distinguished Keynote Speaker, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA April 10.
“Notes on Failure.” Lecture, photography department, UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. February 24.
“Notes on Failure.” Santa Monica College. Santa Monica, CA. February 26.
2014
“The Past is Present: Black Artists and the Issue of Abstration,” Black Art Conference Panel. Panel Leader: Dawoud Bey. Black Artist Retreat. Chicago, IL. August 23.
“Meka Jean: Getting Good. Discussion about the film.” Cornell University. Ithaca, NY. November 6.
“Meka Jean: Getting Good. Discussion about the film.” Purchase College, SUNY. Purchase, NY. December 17.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Currently
Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing; University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA
2016 – 2017
Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, Grant Wood Fellow, Iowa City, IA
2016
Adjunct Professor of Art and Art History, Santa Monica College, CA
2012-2015
Adjunct Professor of Art; Dillard University; New Orleans, LA
2012-2014
Visiting Artist Lecturer; Xavier University; New Orleans, LA
2014
Professor of Art, Bard Early College; McDonogh 35 High School; New Orleans, LA
2012
Teaching Assistant, Animation; Yale School of Art; New Haven, CT
2011
Teaching Assistant, Digital Video; Yale School of Art; New Haven, CT
2010
Teaching Assistant, Drawing; UCLA Summer Art Institute; Los Angeles, CA
PRINT PUBLICATIONS
Cotter, Holland (2014, April 3), “Where Blue-Chip Brands Meet Brassy Outliers.” New York Times
Smith, William S. (2013, September 13); “Valerie Cassel Oliver Talks Black Performance Art.” Art in America Magazine
WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS
Stillman, Nick (2015, January), “Prospect.3” Art Forum
Pechman, Alexandra (2014, July 30), “Tameka Norris: Too Good For You (Introducing Meka Jean).” Art News
Vanagan, Dea (2014, May), “Tameka Norris: Almost Acquaintances.” Art Review
Cooper, Ashton (2013, November 6), “25 Questions for Possibly Bleeding Performa Artist Tameka Norris.” Huffington Post
Kori. (2009), Tameka Norris and Hamilton,"Finding Meaning in College Bound Words Through Visual Art," Arts=Education, Connecting Learning Communities in Los Angeles, Amy Shimshon-Santo and Lauren Salazar (eds.), Lulu.
ONLINE SERIES
Sarah Urist; Green, John; PBS Digital Studios. (2015, February – Forthcoming). “Become Someone Else.” The Art Assignment.
PODCASTS
Ash, Lucy (2014, March 11) Outlook: First Gay First Lady. BBC
BLOGS
Shaw, Cameron. (2013, October 1). “On Becoming.” Art21 Blog
RESEARCH
2009
Graduate Mentoring Program Brown Bag Lunch Series, “A Rap Music Video as Institutional Critique?,” screening and discussion Licker (Presenter) UCLA, Los Angeles CA
2008
“Finding Meaning in College Bound Words Through Visual Art,” Jordan Starr High
School, Watts, CA, 11th grade English class. Integrated SAT College Preparation vocabulary with visual art, promoting ownership and personal meaning of these words, students made several paintings with exhibition and critique.
2007-2009
ARTS-IN Scholar, Research and Follow up in New Orleans and Mississippi Gulf Coast, Post-Katrina Photographic Journal. Included three trips to the area traveling through to document the change or lack of change in particular neighborhoods and observe the particular needs of the community.
