Janeil Engelstad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Janeil Engelstad
Janeil Engelstad
Born	Seattle, Washington
Nationality	American
Education	New York University, University of Washington

Janeil Engelstad is an American artist and curator. A curator is someone who organizes art shows. She uses art and design to help solve problems in society and with the environment. Janeil also creates projects through her group called Make Art with Purpose (MAP).

Janeil Engelstad's Art and Ideas

Janeil Engelstad's early art used photos and videos. She explored ideas about who we are, our identity, and the world around us. While studying at New York University, she learned from artists like Peter Campus and Félix González-Torres.

During this time, Janeil became interested in sharing stories. These were stories that the news often missed. She volunteered at a place that helped people without homes. This experience made her want to use art to help others. She then helped create her first big project. It was called Art Works: Teenagers and Artists Collaborate. Famous artists like Chuck Close were part of it.

Janeil has written many articles and essays. In 2023, she wrote for a special part of Leonardo magazine. This magazine is about art, science, and technology. Her article focused on the work of Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison. These artists were also founders of Janeil's group, Make Art with Purpose.

Since 2022, Janeil has focused on helping Ukrainian artists. She worked with Lilia Kudelia to create Vich-na-Vich (2022). This was a video art show in Dallas. They also held talks with Ukrainian artists and writers. These talks were about how the war affected their lives and art.

Inspiring Art Projects

Janeil Engelstad has led many projects. Each one uses art to explore important social issues.

Voices From the Center: Stories of Change

Voices From the Center is a project that collects people's stories. It focuses on changes in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. These changes happened after the Berlin Wall came down. Janeil was a Fulbright Scholar teaching in Slovakia. She wanted to understand how people felt about life before and after the wall fell.

She talked to people aged 45 to 85. Many felt their experiences during the communist era were being forgotten. Janeil created Voices From the Center to share these important views. The project also included young adults. They shared their thoughts on life after communism. Everyone talked about what freedom meant to them. They also shared their dreams and hopes for their countries.

Parts of Voices From the Center were shown in galleries and museums. These included places in Slovakia and Chicago. Public art, like transit campaigns, also shared the stories. The project's website was even designed as an art piece itself. Janeil first started this project in 2009. She expanded it in 2019, interviewing people from the Solidarity movement in Poland.

AMPL!FY: Giving a Voice to Important Issues

AMPL!FY grew from an earlier project called Dialogues on Race. Janeil designed this project through Make Art with Purpose. Artists, graphic designers, and activists created posters and billboards. These artworks focused on racial equality. Community discussions then followed.

After the United States Presidential Election, 2016, Janeil wanted to help people talk about political differences. She worked with designer Mark Randall. They changed Dialogues on Race into AMPL!FY. This project aims to create media content for groups working on social and environmental issues.

AMPL!FY took place in New York City in 2017 and 2018. Posters designed by artists and non-profit groups were displayed. They were shown in public display cases in Manhattan and Harlem. An art show at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) also featured the project. It included public programs to "amplify" social and climate issues. Educational programs taught students about topics like justice reform and disability rights. They also discussed how activist art has shaped history.

Beyond Borders: Connecting Cultures Through Art

Janeil created Beyond Borders while visiting the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). This project explores connections between artworks. It focuses on cultures and traditions that might be less known. The project started when new travel rules were put in place in the United States. These rules affected travel from certain countries.

Janeil made a set of cards. Each card showed an artwork from the DMA's collection. On the front, there was an image and a phrase she wrote. On the back, she shared her thoughts on the artwork. The cards were in Spanish and English. They also included a map of the museum tour. Beyond Borders also featured public events for museum visitors.

Art and the Environment: Eastern and Central Europe

Janeil was a guest producer for a special issue of the MIT journal ARTMargins. This issue focused on environmental art. It looked at art from former Eastern Bloc countries. It explored how art connects to capitalism, globalization, and climate change. The project included interviews with artists and cultural producers. They discussed the idea and reality of the "natural environment."

Peace Room / Make Room for Peace: Visions of Harmony

After the September 11 attacks, Janeil asked people about their ideas of peace. She sent questionnaires to people in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. People sent back poems, stories, pictures, and music. This material was put into a book.

Later, a public space was designed in a gallery. It had furniture and tableware. This space was used to discuss different meanings of peace. It also explored how peace can be real for individuals and groups. The Chicago Tribune newspaper also featured the project. Readers were asked to design their own "peace plate." Families, schools, and individuals sent in designs. A group, including Janeil, chose the winning designs.

Peace Signs / Visualizing Violence: Youth and Safety

Janeil worked with Mark Randall to create Peace Signs. This project focused on youth gun violence. It took place in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. Each part of the project included workshops for high school and college students. They learned about design, understanding media, and violence prevention.

The project created billboards, transit posters, and art shows. It also included public talks and a peace parade. These events helped raise awareness about gun violence.

Identity/Identité: Language and Culture

Identity/Identité was a year-long project. Janeil worked with Canadian artist Deborah Bennett on it. The project explored the link between language, culture, and national identity. It focused on English and French speaking people in Canada.

Art from this project was shown in galleries and libraries. It was also projected onto storefronts in Toronto and Montréal. Partners included the Toronto Public Library and University of Toronto.

Make Art with Purpose (MAP): Art for a Better World

In 2010, Janeil Engelstad started Make Art with Purpose (MAP). MAP works with communities and different fields of study. They create art projects together. These projects focus on important social and environmental issues around the world.

Awards & Honors

• Artist Residency Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2024
• COIL Fellow, University of Washington, 2023
• Red Bull, Artist Grant, 2020
• Nasher Sculpture Center, Artist Grant, 2020
• Laźnia Centre for Contemporary Art, Gdańsk, Poland, Artist in Residence, 2019
• Dallas Museum of Art, Visiting Artist, 2017
• Dallas Mastermind Award, 2014
• Fulbright Scholar, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, 2006