My Work Is Not Me: Lauren Kalman
In the 78th episode of Perceived Value, host Sarah Rachel Brown takes listeners to the Penland School of Craft, where she’s participating in their Winter Residency. Leading up to the residency, Sarah had heard from a few fellow artists attending, but overall, she had no idea who she would cross paths with. To her delight, the residency allowed her to meet many artists she’s admired from afar. Among them is the guest for this episode, Lauren Kalman, who has been on Sarah’s interview wishlist for some time. After sharing a few meals, Sarah asked for an interview.
The two women sat down to discuss how Lauren unexpectedly got her first teaching position, the art of negotiation and why it’s a crucial skill, how to sell work when your work is challenging to sell, and how an artist’s work is not always representative of their personality.
Lauren Kalman is a visual artist based in Detroit, whose practice is rooted in craft, sculpture, video, photography and performance. Kalman completed her PhD in Practice-led Research from the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University. She earned a MFA in Art and Technology from the Ohio State University and a BFA with a focus in Metals from Massachusetts College of Art.
Her work has been featured in exhibitions at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Museum of Arts and Design, Museum of Contemporary Craft, Cranbrook Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Mint Museum, World Art Museum in Beijing, and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris among others. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Françoise van den Bosch Foundation at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Detroit Institute of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, and the Korean Ceramics Foundation. In 2020 she received the Françoise van den Bosch Award for her career’s impact on the jewelry field, in 2022 she received the Raphael Founders Prize in Glass from Contemporary for Craft, and in 2023 she was named a Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow.
She is a dedicated educator and is currently a Professor and the Chair of the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Instagram: @laurenkalman
Facebook: @LaurenKalmanArt
