EDUCATION

Maryland Institute College of Art

BFA Fibers, Summa Cum Laude

(2023)

FELLOWSHIPS,
RESIDENCIES,
RESEARCH GRANTS,

Young Artist in Residence,
Salem Art Works, NY
(2024)

Fabricademy, WAAG Futurelab, Amsterdam, NL
(2023-2024)

Windgate Lamar Fellow
Center for Craft, Asheville, NC
(2023-2024)

SCIART, Researcher
UMBC, Baltimore, MD
(2023)

Mother Nacre, Research Team
Biodesign Winning Team
MOMA, NY
(2023)

Hopkins Extreme Material Institute
Schulman Labs, Artist in Residence
Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD
(2022)

SCHOLARSHIPS,
AWARDS

Windgate-Lamar, Center for craft fellowship
(2023)

BioDesign Challenge winning team - Mother Nacre
(2023)

SCIART research internship
(2023)

HEMI Summer Project Grant
(2022)

Lenore G. Tawney Foundation Scholarship
(2023)

Kuhlman Fiber Arts Scholarship (2021-2023)

Louise N. Myerberg Family Scholarship Academic Honors Scholarship
(2018 - 2023)

Creative Visions Award
(2018 - 2023)

Presidential Scholarship
(2018-2023)

R. Jenkins Bristor FA Fund
(2018 - 2023)

Arnell Lewis Land Art Scholarship (2018 - 2023)

Thalheimer Endowed Scholarship
(2018 - 2023)

MICA Grant
(2018)

Academic Scholarship MICA
(2018 - 2023)

Thalheimer Endowed Scholarship
(2018 - 2023)

Oxbow Artist FunForLife Program - Metal casting
(2018)

Penland School of Craft, Kenan Fellowship - Glass blowing
(2018)

EXHIBITIONS

Radiant Fibers -
Clive Davis Gallery, NY
(2025)

Kite Show -
Rockaway Beach, NY
(2024)

Artist in Residence Exhibition -
Salem Art Works, Salem NY
(2024)

If Birds Could Fly -
Mount Royal Station, Baltimore, MD
(2024)

Academy Final Exhibition -
WAAG Futurelab, Amsterdam, NL
(2024)

Biodesign Final Presentation -
MoMA, New York, NY
(2023)

Perennials -
Mount Royal Station,
Baltimore, MD
(2023)

Woven Pixel -
Middendorf Gallery,
Baltimore, MD
(2023)

Invention of an Ecosystem -
Gateway Gallery, Baltimore, MD
(2023)

Something Big -
Middendorf Gallery, Baltimore, MD
(2022)

We Are Everywhere -
Fox 2 Gallery, Baltimore, MD
(2022)

Hopkins Extreme Material Institute - Malone Hall, Baltimore, MD
(2022)

Montgomery -
Montgomery Park,Baltimore, MD
(2021)

Sentiments -
Main O Gallery, Baltimore, MD
(2020)

EXPIRIENCE

Fibers Research Technician,
MICA, Baltimore, MD
(2025 - Current)

Part Time Associate
3D Design Department
CCBC Essex + Catonsville, MD
(2024 - Current)

Studio Assistant
Annet Couwenberg, Baltimore, MD
(2025 - Current)

Studio Assistant
Liz Ensz, Baltimore, MD
(2024)

3D Printing Teacher
Openworks, Baltimore, MD
(2024 - Current)

Digital Fabrication Technician,
MICA, Baltimore, MD
(2022 - 2023)

EHS Studio Monitor,
MICA, Baltimore, MD
(2020 - 2023)

Art Teacher,
The Painting Workshop, Baltimore, MD
(2020 - 2022)

Private Art Tutor,
Baltimore, MD
(2020 - 2023)

House Intern,
Elsewhere Museum, Greensboro, NC
2019

Art Teacher,
Mosaic Center, Baltimore, MD
2019

Last Updated 24.10.31

RESEARCH

MOTHER NACRE,
BACTERIALLY DERIVED MOTHER OF PEARL

BIO DESIGN WINNING TEAM

MADDIE OLSEN, FINN YENCKEN, SARAH BECKER, LILY XIAO, ORIN NOEL, RILEY COX, STARTLONG WOLFRUM

2023

Thinking about materials we preserve, especially as heirlooms, the pearl came up over and over. It is at once a token of generational love and a symbol of craft tradition, but also a visceral reminder that extraction (of earth, labor, and currency) is the core of the “precious materials” industry. Mother Nacre’s approach to bacterial nacre looks at the oyster as a role model for handling our most valued plastic, and uses bacteria to develop both a multi-layer coating and a bulk material that have properties of mollusk nacre
This process happens outside of an ocean; in collaboration with, not inside, an organism; and outside of industrial environments.

INFORMATION PAGE