FRANKIE TOAN

FeToan.com

Fetoan314@gmail.com

Education

2012 B.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

2008-2010 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, BFA candidate, Chicago, IL

Solo + Two Person Exhibitions

2022

  • Strange Familiars, Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO (Upcoming)

2021

  • The Perfect Storm + Creative Hub Feature, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

  • In The Weeds, Acre Projects Gallery, Chicago, IL

2020

  • Lost At Home, The Storeroom, Denver, CO

2019

  • Voting Booth, Booth Projects, Anderson Ranch, Snowmass Village, CO

  • Gay Renaissance, Secret Love Collective, David B Smith Gallery, Denver, CO

2018

  • Find The World Where You Are, ReCreative Denver, Denver, CO

2017

  • Hold Hands, Tootsie’s Nail Salon, Denver, CO

2016

  • Plush It Real Good, PlatteForum, Denver, CO

Public Art and Commissions

2021

  • Finger Dome, Room at Meow Wolf Denver’s Convergence Station, Denver, CO

  • 2020 Mask Initiative, partnered with Redline Denver to make masks for local organizations and RTD bus drivers, Denver, CO

  • Montessori School of Denver, Denver, CO (collaborative fiber sculpture installation made with the whole school)

2019

  • Holding Space, Idea Box, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver, CO

  • Kaleidoscape, sculptures commissioned by Meow Wolf to be part of immersive amusement park ride, Elitch Gardens, Denver, CO

2018

  • Burt, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marisco Campus, Denver, CO

  • Public Body, alley installation for Between Us Alleys produced by the Downtown Denver Partnership Business Improvement District, Denver, CO

Selected Group Exhibitions

2022

  • The Best Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Denver, CO

2021

  • Remote Residue, Doppler Projects, Athens, GA

  • Armor, Collaboration with Steven Frost, Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO

2020

  • Untitled, Mask fashion show, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

  • Queer City of the Plains, McNichols Building, Denver, CO (with Secret Love Collective)

  • Secret Garden, Tiffany Matheson’s yard, Lakewood, CO

  • Mask, Vicki Myhren Gallery, Denver, CO

  • Pink Progression, Arvada Center, Arvada, CO

  • Queer Ecology Hanky Exhibition, Irma Freeman Center, Pittsburgh, PA

2019

  • Altar(er) Hex, The Temple, Denver, CO

  • Pulling a Thread, The Weeks Gallery, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY

  • Queer Ecologies Hanky Exhibition, collaboration with Emilie Mulcahey, The Future and White Page Gallery, Minneapolis, MN

  • Harvest Moon, Claude Haus, Denver, CO

  • Collectivism, Secret Love Collective, Center for Visual Arts, Denver, CO

  • (In)Visible Paradox, Duke University, Durham, NC

2018

  • Window Wells, Yes Ma’am Projects, Denver, CO

  • Self, ReCreative Denver, Denver, CO

  • Month of Modern- emerging designer showcase, eTown, Boulder, CO

  • Secret Love Collective Spooky Valentine, Understudy, Denver, CO

  • Making Art/ Making Community, Vicki Myhren Gallery, Denver, CO

  • Pink Progression, Boulder Public Library, Boulder, CO

  • 10x, RedLine, Denver CO

  • Utopia of the Neutral, Cabal Gallery, Denver, CO

2017

  • Peace in the Universe, DAVA gallery, Aurora, CO

  • RedLine Resident and Resource Artists, Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, CO

  • The Temple Group Show (Group Exhibition at Platteforum, curated by Platteforum teen interns and Cortney Stell of the Black Cube Nomadic Museum), Denver, CO

  • Great Expectations, Gallery of Contemporary Art, Colorado Springs, CO

  • Opening Doors, Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO

  • Nice Work If You Can Get It, RedLine, Denver, CO

2016

  • Insistent Objects, Greenhill Gallery, Greensboro, NC

  • Dogwood Arts Festival, The Hive, Knoxville, TN

  • Transgender Realities, Wiseman Gallery, Grants Pass, OR

  • Ridiculous-ness, Ice3 Gallery, Denver, CO

  • Monumental, Redline, Denver, CO

  • The Institute for Non-Bizarre Treatment, Access Gallery, Denver, CO

2015

  • Wintershow 2015, Greenhill Gallery, Greensboro, NC

  • #ThisIsABrooch, Pop-Up Show at SNAG, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA

  • Behold: Modern Metal Vessels, Lillstreet Gallery, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL

  • A Naturally Picked Stacked Attraction of Glitz, Sandra J. Blaine Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

2014

  • Fine Contemporary Craft of the Southeast Biennial Juried Exhibition, ArtSpace, Raleigh, NC

  • Southerners: Queer Identified Artists Finding Home and Family in the South, Carrack Modern Art, Durham, NC

  • Wilderness, Gallery 5, Richmond, VA

  • Artist-in-Residence, Loggia Gallery, Gatlinburg, TN

  • Radical Jewelry Makeover, The True F. Luck Gallery, Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA

  • Heat Bend Repeat, FAB Gallery, Richmond, VA

  • American Craft Council Show, Baltimore, MD

  • Reliquary/Redux, Burroughs Welcome Gallery, Greenville, NC

2013

  • Collage Festival, Yuki Club, Philadelphia, PA.

  • Good Things Happen To Bad People, Mule Barn Craft Studio, Richmond, VA.

  • American Craft Council Show, Virginia Commonwealth University booth, Baltimore, MD

  • 2012 XOXO Goodbye, 1000 West Broad, Richmond, VA

Collaborations & Event Installations

2020

  • Envisioned Futures, Collaborative Quilt, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA

  • No Place To Go (artist-made, queer haunted house) Lakewood and Wheat Ridge, CO

2019

  • Room at Meow Wolf’s Dark Palace event, installation with Secret Love Collective, National Western Complex, Denver CO

  • Untitled, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO (with Secret Love Collective)

2018

  • A Simple Lie, interactive murder mystery game, wirter/director, Denver, CO

  • April Window Display Installation at LowBrow Denver, Denver, CO

  • Cheap Crystal Installation for Platteforum’s 15 year anniversary Gala, Platteforum, Denver, CO

  • Secret Love Collective Anniversary, BreckCreates Gallery, Breckenridge, CO

  • Colony 933, immersive performance at Private Residence, Denver, CO

2017

  • High Fives and Handshakes pop-up, LowBrow Denver, CO

  • SWAMP, pop-up installation with teen interns at Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Denver, CO

2016

  • Nkisis Project, Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO

  • Collaboration with Sarah Rockett, Ashley Frazier, Peter Yumi and 63 other artists

  • The Seahorse Club Presents: The Big Queer Dance Party (interactive installation), Glob, Denver, CO

  • Collaboration with Piper Rose

2014-2017

  • Queer Prophecies: Future Visioning, San Francisco (2014),

  • CYNETART Festival Dresden, Germany (2015), Hyperpavilion at Venice Biennale (2017)

  • Collaboration with Coral Short and Angela Gabereau

2013

  • Interior Design and Craft/Material Studies lamp collaboration, Richmond, VA

Press & Publications

2022

  • The Transgender Touch, written by Emmanuel David for ASAP/Journal 7.1 (upcoming)

2020

  • Makers for Masks- COVID-19 response, Denver Westword

2019

  • Voyage Denver, Meet Frankie Toan, September 2019

  • Interview on Yale University Radio with Brainard Carey August, 2019

2018

  • Pollux Zine, Volume 6, December 2018

  • 303 Magazine, Halloween and Valentines Day Collide at a New Immersive Installation in Downtown Denver, written by Cori Anderson, October 2018

  • HyperAllergic, A Denver Art Project Envisions Alleys as Social Spaces, written by Kealey Boyd, September 2018

  • Boulder Lifestyle Magazine, September 2018 issue

  • HyperAllergic, Bringing Our Social Media Spaces and Selves into the Gallery, written by Kealy Boyd, April 2018

2017

  • ZeroMile Magazine, Artist Voice, Gaia Orr, December, 2017

  • Nails Magazine, Denver Salon Collaborates with Sculptor for Cultural Event, November 20, 2017

  • The Now Denver, video coverage of Opening Doors Exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Denver. Aired 4/26/2017 on KMGH-DEN

  • (ABC) 26 April 2017 16:35 - The Now Denver

  • 303 Magazine, Denver Artists Explore How To Make It As Artists In New Exhibition, Feb 6, 2017

2016

  • 100 Colorado Creatives Interview with Susan Froyd, Westword online publication

  • They Insist: Works by 18 young sculptors at GreenHill compel viewers to pay attention, by Tom Patterson, Review of Insistent Objects, (What Is You featured)

  • Westword, Plush It Real Good, March, 2016

  • Creative Voice, collection of 60 artists, curated by Sarah Tector Artist in Residence

2019

  • ACRE residency July 2019, southwest, WI

2018

  • Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO

2015-2017

  • RedLine, Denver, CO

2016-2017

  • Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO, teaching residency with teen interns (Nov 2016-Jan 2017)

2016

  • PlatteForum, Denver, CO (January-March 2016)

2014-2015

  • Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN.

2013

  • Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, August visual artist. Saratoga, WY.

Visiting Artist Lectures & Workshops

2021

  • Comfort in Creativity, Workshop taught with Moe Gram for the Colorado TAB conference, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

2020

  • Visiting (Remote) Lecturer for Susie Ganch’s Senior Seminar class, VCU Crafts, Richmond, VA

  • AbEx Olympics, Visiting “judge” for Clyfford Still Museum program, Denver, CO

2019

  • Visiting Artist at CU Boulder, Emmanuel David’s critical inquiries in Transgender Studies class, Boulder, CO

2018

  • Speaker and co-organizer of Queer Art Crawl September 2018, Denver, CO

  • Visiting Artist at CU Boulder, Emmanuel David’s critical inquiries in Transgender Studies class, Boulder, CO

2017

  • Visiting Artist at Metro State University, Denver, CO

  • Visiting Artist at Parsons School of Design, Queer and Trans Cultural Production class, New York, NY

  • Assisting LJ Roberts with installation at Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY

  • Visiting Artist with Museum of Contemporary Art Denver teen interns, Denver, CO (upcoming)

  • Movement in Steel (weekend workshop) Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN (upcoming)

  • Teaching Residency at Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, working with teen interns, Boulder, CO

2016

  • 3D sewing workshop with Reach Studio, RedLine, Denver, CO

  • Teen Friday Night, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver

  • Concepts class with teacher Katie Wattson, Denver University

Teaching Experience

2018

  • Workshops through the Children’s Museum of Denver, emphasis on ages 0-10, Denver, CO

2017

  • Transformation Animalia, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (sewing class for 8-10 year olds)

  • DIY Banner Making, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Sewing class for 10-13 year olds)

  • Where Street Art Meets Fiber, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO (Cross-stitch and fabric design class for teens)

2016

  • Material Process and Concept Development Class, Collaboration with PlatteForum and McLain Community High School, Denver, CO

2014-2015

  • EPIC Arts, Art as Social Justice Class, collaboration with RedLine and Columbine Elementary, Denver, CO

  • Introduction to Welding (adult class), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

  • Middle-High School Wire Sculpture Class, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

  • Middle School Mask Masking Class, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

  • ArtReach, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

  • Demo specialist, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

2012-2013

  • Assistant to Kristy Santelli, Moody Middle School Art department junior jewelry students, Richmond, VA

  • Introduction to Powder Coating Techniques, Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA

  • Assistant to Susie Ganch, Advanced Casting and Surface Design, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

  • Assistant To Danielle Stevens, High School Introduction To VCU metals, Richmond, VA

  • Assistant To Shauna Kirkland, Accessory Design, VCU, Richmond, VA