Ilena Lee Cramer (1972, Canada)
Ilenaleepottery@gmail.com. 604-617-9152 http://www.Ilenaleepottery.com
Ilena (she/them) lives and creates on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied, traditional lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Səl̓ílwətaʔ, and Skwxwú7mesh Nations of the Coast Salish peoples (Vancouver, BC, Canada). A ceramic artist, teacher, writer, and theatre designer, she has been a lifelong student of ceramics and clay. Her current practice finds local landscape, environment and materials encountering myth, story and history.
Education:
University of Alaska – Fairbanks, Alaska, USA; theatre design, ceramics, 1996.
Capilano College – Vancouver, BC, Canada; Arts and Entertainment Management. 2001
Solo Exhibitions:
2023 – Above, From Below, Paneficio Gallery, Vancouver BC
2022 – Above, From Below, St. Andrews Wesley United Church, Vancouver BC
Group Exhibitions:
2023 – Queer Arts Festival, James Black Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2023 – Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Seattle, WA
2023 – Sur La Table, BC Potters Guild Plate Exhibition, Shadbolt Centre, Burnaby BC
2022 – Northwind Arts, “Small Expressions 21”, Port Townsend, WA
2022 – Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Seattle, WA
2021 – Queer Arts Festival, “Dispersed”, Vancouver BC
2021 – Rotunda Gallery, Richmond Arts Centre, “Instructors Exhibition”, Richmond, BC
2020 – Queer Arts Festival, “Wicked”, Vancouver BC
2020 – Clay Centre of New Orleans, “Geaux Cups III”, New Orleans, LA
2020 – Foyer Gallery, “Provocation: International Womens Day”, Squamish BC
2019 – Queer Arts Festival, “rEvolution”, Vancouver BC
2019 – Il Centro, Italian Cultural Centre, “Malleable: Changing Notions of Women”, Vancouver
2011 – Vancouver Art Gallery, “ FUSE: I Needle Vancouver, November Theatre
Galleries and Shops:
Serendipitys Backyard, Steveston, BC
EWMA Gallery, Vancouver, BC
Viking Gallery, Vancouver BC (Closed)
Wyldewood Collective Gallery, New Westminster, BC (closed)
Teaching:
2023 Workshops: Kintsugi and Foraged Clay, City Centre Artists Lodge
2020-present Richmond Arts Centre, youth pottery classes, 2020
2022 St. Andrews Wesley, community workshops
2018-2020 Kensington Community Centre, City of Vancouver
2009-2011 Playwrights theatre Centre, Self-production for Playwrights
Awards, Publications and Presentations:
2016 Panelist, “Queer Histories”, Q2Q symposium, SFU/Frank Theatre
2006 Jessie Theatre Award: Lounge by Tanya Marquardt, winner of the
Sydney Risk Prize for outstanding Original Script, Nominated for best
original composition or sound design
2002 Contributor, “Queeries”, Transmissions magazine
Artist Residencies:
2022 St. Andrews-Wesley United Church, Artist in Residence
2014-19 Curator/Producer, Diorama Project, Vancouver, BC
1996-08 Screaming Weenie Productions (Frank Theatre), Artistic Director,
Alaska and Vancouver BC
2002 Artist In Residence – Design, Rumble Theatre Productions
Other relevant experience:
2021 Richmond Arts Centre, Ceramic Studio Technician
2001-06. Rumble Productions & PuSh Festival, Managing Producer
2005 City of Vancouver, Ancillary Cultural Planner
2000-09 Theatre CV available upon request; Contract Designer, Production Manager, Stage Manager, for various independent theatre companies, incl. Leakey Heaven Circus, Felix Culpa, November Thr., Caravan Farm Thr.
Studied under:
Jack Walsh, Oregon, USA (pottery)
Diego Valles, Mata Ortiz, Mexico (ceramics)
Norman Armour, Vancouver BC (Theatre)
Anatoly Antohin, St. Petersburg, Russia (Theatre Direction)
Tara Maginnis, California, USA (Theatre Design)
Selected Theatrical Design:
I Needle Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery, November Theatre with Bev Davies. 2011
Life in the Theatre by David Mamet, Coop Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, 2010
Anna by Michael Scholar Jr. & Carmen Aguirre, November Theatre, HIVE 2010
Transmissions by Tanya Marquardt, Chriysalis theatre, Box Studio 2009
Hedda Gabler by Ibsen, Rumble Productions, Vancouver East Cultural Cat. 2002
Speculations by Christine Stoddard, MFA Thesis, Simon Fraser University 2001