Spark Artist

Social practice

Brian Gillis's work is rooted in service. By using platforms, approaches and points of exchange in art, he creates opportunities for access to socially valuable information and support. Much of this work involves institutional partnerships that connect individuals and communities to resources associated with food and housing insecurity, mental health, substance abuse, criminal justice and violence. All ongoing, multigenerational concerns in his family and community. Gillis uses a variety of production strategies and conceptual approaches, often drawing from specific sites, histories and related partnerships. Outcomes range from functional and sculptural objects and installations to edited publications, educational initiatives and public actions. Gillis’s distinctions include fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council, the Oregon Arts Commission, and MacDowell; grants from the Ford Family Foundation, the Korea Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation; and residencies at MASS MoCA, the International Ceramic Research Center (Denmark), and Arizona State University's School of Arts, Media, and Engineering. He has conducted workshops and lectured at institutions including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Henry Art Gallery, and The Drawing Center (New York). Gillis has completed projects with a range of partners and organizations, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, CUE Art Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Mildred's Lane, Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, University of Applied Sciences in Koblenz (Germany), PRX’s Moth Radio Hour, American Red Cross, City of Roja (Latvia), and Seattle Public Schools. Gillis lives and works in Eugene, OR.