KEAN O’BRIEN
EDUCATION
2022 Master of Arts, Education and Leadership; Fielding Graduate University. Santa Barbara, CA.
2011 Master of Fine Arts, Photography and Media, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
2008 Bachelor of Arts, School of Photography and Performance, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Photography Instructor, Open Education, Latitude, Chicago, IL (2021-2023)
Full-time faculty, Photo Arts Conservatory at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, CA (2015-2017)
Co-Chair of Photography, Photo Arts Conservatory at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, CA (2017-2020)
Partner, Social Justice Venture Partners, Los Angeles, CA (2018-2020)
Board member, Transgender Board of Advisors, West Hollywood, CA (2015-2018)
Visiting Faculty, California State University, Long Beach, CA (2016)
Visiting Faculty, Art Institute of California, San Bernardino, CA (2012-2014)
Teaching Assistant, Photography & Media Program, CalArts, Valencia, CA (2011 – 2013)
Teaching Assistant, Filmmaking Department, CalArts, Valencia, CA (2012 – 2013)
Studio Assistant, Ashley Hunt, Los Angeles, CA, (2009 - 2011)
Program Directors’ Assistant, Photography & Media Program, CalArts, Los Angeles, CA, 2009 – 2011
Co-founder, Concord: Artist Run Space, Los Angeles, CA (2011-2012)
Instructor, CAPSA high school program, Los Angeles, CA (2010-2011)
Exhibition Coordinator and Assistant Teacher, CSSSA, state funded art high school program (2011)
Art Teacher, Turning Point Middle School, Los Angeles, CA (2009-2010)
Artist Licensing, AMMO Books, Los Angeles, CA (2009-2010)
ARTICLES AND PUBLICATIONS
2023 The Desire for Ugliness: Queers, Rebels, and Freaks. Playing Shakespeare's Characters, Peter Lang Publishing. [Co-authored with Corina Maritescu]
2020 Homecoming: A Project of Tracing Trauma and Building Community. Ed. Quinn, Therese, and Lauren De Jesus. Fwd: Museums: Home. StepSister Press [Co-authored with Corina Maritescu]
2021 Tracing Trauma, Trains zine, Tiny Splendor Press.
2019 Boyle Heights and The Fight Against Gentrification As State Violence. American Studies Quarterly Journal [Co-authored with Corina Maritescu and Leonard Vilchis]
2018 Tracing Trauma, On The Bus, BazBam Press
2016 The American Culture of Guns and Prisons, FAYN Magazine, NYFA Press, Los Angeles
Let The Wild Be Free, Issues #2. Vol. 2. Eds. Gottesdiener, Sarah Faith and Killian, Nicole. Los Angeles: Pixel Pact Pack
2015 Horses, Issue #1. Vol. 1. Eds. Gottesdiener, Sarah Faith and Killian, Nicole. Los Angeles: Pixel Pact Pack
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2021 Rosemary, Pete. “Artist To Share Work.” SIU Carbondale News, 8 November 2021. Web.
“Tracing Trauma”, Trains zine, Tiny Splendor Press. 2021
2016 O’Brien, Kean, Ed. Sarah Brophy, Janice Hladki. Pedagogy, Image Practices, and Contested
Corporealities, Routledge, Feb 5, 2016. Print.
2015 LaFleur, LIss. "Disrupting Bodies, Disrupting Narratives." NMC MediaN. Journal of The New Media Caucus, 15 June 2015. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.
Manson, Caden, and Jemma Nelson, eds. Contemporary Performance Almanac 2015.Vol. 2. N.p.: Contemporary Performance, 2014. Print.
Museum of Transgender History and Art (MOTHA) http://www.buzzfeed.com/motha/transgender-art-culture-in-2014-15ig3
2014 O’Brien, Kean and Whitney, Emerson. Transient. Minneapolis: Book Mobile, 2014. Print.
“West Hollywood: Transient Exhibition.” Web log post. Niipy.com. N.p., 1 Nov. 2014. Web.
“Transient Exhibition Los Angeles.” Web log post. Alejandrosantiagophotography.com. Ed. Alejandro Santiago. N.p. , 22 Nov. 2014. Web.
“Transient Panel Discussion.” Web log post. Timeout.com. N.p., 24. 2014. Web.
“ ‘Transient’ Mobile Exhibit Shares Ideas About Transgender Identity.” Web log post. Wehoville.com. N.p., 12 Nov. 2014. Web.
“FTM Searching: Trans YouTube Culture: FTM Search(ing), By Kean O’Brien.” Wild Gender. Ed. Emerson Whitney. N.p., 13 Feb. 2013. Web.
Manson, Caden, and Jemma Nelson, eds. Contemporary Performance Almanac 2013, Vol. 1. N.p.: Contemporary Performance, 2013. Print.
“Man And His Dog” Wild Gender. Ed. Emerson Whitney. N.p. 9 April. 2013. Web.
2012 Eunjung Kim (2012): Why Do Dolls Die? The Power of Passivity and the Embodied
Interplay Between Disability and Sex Dolls, Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 34:3-4, 94-106
2011 Into My Seas, CalArts MFA Thesis Catalog
“Creating in the Queer Diaspora.” Web log post. Kean O’Brien- FTM FUCK FEST and Developmental Emotional Complexity. N.p., 31 Jan. 2011. Web.
SELECTED ARTIST LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS
2022 Visiting Artist Lecture University of Illinois Chicago
Visiting Artist Lecture, School of The Art Institute of Chicago
2021 Panel, Aperture Summer Open, New York City
2020 Visiting Artist Lecture, University of New Mexico
Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Lebanon, Beirut
Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Arizona, Tucson
2019 Visiting Artist Lecture, University of California, Santa Cruz
Artist Lecture, Art of Freelance, Los Angeles, CA
National Women’s Studies Association Conference, San Francisco CA
American Studies Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii
2017 Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Illinois Chicago- Museum Studies Dept.
Guest Lecture, CalArts, Valencia, CA
2016 Visiting Artist Lecture, SFAI, CA
2015 Visiting Artist Lecture, Long Beach State University, Long Beach, CA.
College Arts Association, New Media Caucus Panel, NYC.
2014 Curator and Moderator, Transient Exhibition panel at the city council chambers,
West Hollywood,CA.
Artist/Curator Presentation, The City of West Hollywood Art Council, West Hollywood, CA.
2013 Artist Presentation for faculty and students, The Art Institute of California, Inland Empire, CA.
2011 Queer Caucus, In conjunction with CAA, NYC.
2010 Queer Visibility Conference, Studies in Sexuality, Emory College, Atlanta, GA.
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, The School of The Art Institute of California, Chicago, IL.
EXHIBITIONS / SCREENINGS
2023 Chronic Perspective, Unconditional Care, Rochester Contemporary Art Center
Chronic Perspective, Unconditional Care, Center for Arts & History, ID
2022 In Finite Space - Commissioned installation for the City of West Hollywood
Queer Ecologies- Brushwood Center, Riverwoods, IL
2021 Mapping A Genocide, Interconectivitty, Highland Park Art Center, IL
Beyond Subjectivity, Waterloo Arts Center, Cleveland, OH
2020 Mapping Trauma, Aperture Summer Open, Fotografitska, NYC
Beyond Subjectivity, PhotoLA, Los Angeles, CA
2019 FTM Searching, Czong Institute of Contemporary Art, South Korea
2018 UnFunction, Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, RI
Beyond Subjectivity, Nuit Rose, Toronto, CA
Beyond Subjectivity, Fire In The Mountains, Jackson, WY
Get Well Soon, Nous Tous Space, Los Angeles, CA
Distance Makes The Heart Grow Harder, Dorset, VT
2017 Mapping A Genocide, PhotoLA, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Mapping A Genocide, Human Resources, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Last One. Defibrillator Gallery, Chicago, IL
Genocide Project. The Gay and Lesbian Canadian Archive, Toronto, Canada
Genocide Project, Waterloo Arts, Cleveland, OH.
Curator: Mike Kelley Mobile Homestead, The Geffen Contemporary at MoCA, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Curator of Transient, Los Angeles and The City of West Hollywood, CA
Man And His Dog, LA Photo, Los Angeles, CA.
Man and His Dog, Venice Arts, CA.
2013 Hope, Queer Arts Collective, CalArts, Valencia, CA.
2012 Man And His Dog, Barnsdall Art Center, Los Angeles, CA.
I Use Male Pronouns, The City of West Hollywood, CA.
2011 FTM Search(ing), Screening- REDCAT Theater, Los Angeles, CA.
Curator of Transient, Valencia and Los Angeles, CA.
FTM Search(ing). The Farley Building- CalArts MFA show, Los Angeles, CA.
2010 FTM Search(ing), Screening- Queer Mondays, Highland Art Center, Los Angeles, CA
Curator of In Relation to Each Other, CalArts, Valencia, CA.
I Can’t Feel It Anyway, Risky Sex Conference, Emory College, Atlanta, GA.
2008 I Can’t Feel It Anyway, SAIC Gallery, Chicago, IL.
Metabolic Growth, SAIC Gallery, Chicago, IL.
QueerAbilities, Screening- SAIC, Chicago, IL.
Metabolic Growth, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL.
2006 Be This, Around The Coyote, Chicago, IL.
Gender Sculpture, Studio B., Three Oaks, MI.
Gender Sculpture, Columbia College, Chicago, IL.
2005 Photo Gender Italia, SRISA, Florence, Italy.
GRANTS / AWARDS / RESIDENCIES/ PANELS
2023 Latitude Space for Photography, Residency. Chicago, IL
2022 SVP-LA2050 Grant Reviewer, LA, CA
Marble House Projects residency application reviewer
Artist Grant, City of West Hollywood, CA
2021 Jentel Artist Residency, WY
SVP-LA2050 Grant Reviewer, LA, CA
Marble House Projects residency application reviewer
2020 SVP- LA2050 Grant Reviewer, LA, CA
2018 Marble House Projects, Dorset, VT
2016 Artist Grant Review Panel, The City of West Hollywood, CA
2015 Artist Grant, Genocide Project, The Gay and Lesbian Canadian Archive, Toronto, Canada
2014 Curatorial Grant, Transient Exhibition, The City of West Hollywood, CA.
Curatorial work featured on city billboards, West Hollywood, CA.
Art Farm Residency, Marquette, NE.
2010 Dean’s Reserve Grant, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
Artist Grant, Queer Visibility Conference, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
Diversity Grant, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
2009 Photography Department Grant, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
Academic Scholarship, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
Merit Scholar, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
2008 Ox-Bow Residency, Saugatuck, MI.
Photography Project Grant, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
2007 Merit Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Academic Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Incentive Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
2004 Photography Projects Grant, Columbia College, Chicago, IL.