For Taking You Places

April 8 - August 30, 2024
University Gallery

Calcagno Cullen is a social practice artist who proactively collaborates with others to make projects, systems, and organizations in order for her work to have most relevance and community impact. She is a sculptor of institutions and sees her creative work as that of making connections and fostering asset-based community development. Calcagno Cullen’s work is rooted in a deep belief in the human capacity for generosity and abundance, as well as a persistent optimism that in bringing people together, we can grow together towards a beautiful revolutionary future.

In an attempt to resist the capitalistic “winner takes all” mentality, a large focus of her work is focused on generosity… generosity in a way to fills cups, not depletes them. Professionally, Cullen has recently joined the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Foundation as a Program Manager, and spends her days connecting with artists and arts organizations envisioning better futures and providing resources to make these futures a reality. Prior to joining the Haile Foundation, Cal spent over 8 years leading and growing Wave Pool Arts Center, a collaborative community arts organization that she co-founded in 2014 and led as the founding Executive Director. Previously she held positions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, California, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and others. As a socially engaged artist, she sees her creative work as that of making connections, listening deeply to both neighborhood and artists’ needs, and fostering asset-based community development. She understands all of her labor as an artistic process and uses her creativity equally in the office and her studio, where she draws, makes hand-made artisanal shoes, stows make-shift instruments for her marching band, and plans future collaborative projects with neighbors and friends. She is deeply committed to developing equitable solutions to problems using art as a catalyst.