Jessie Shefrin
As an artist/educator and leadership coach, Jessie Shefrin's work has been predicated on a deep and ongoing interest in investigating interdependent, integrative and interactive relational systems as experienced through the lens of art, design and business and their intrinsic connection to contemporary culture.
In the late 1980’s, her work focused on integrating electronic tools and approaches into the fine arts curricula at the School of Art and Design at Alfred University where she was Professor of Print and Digital Media for 27 years. During her tenure there she Co- founded The Institute for Electronic Arts and Chaired the Division of Expanded Media and the Electronic Integrated MFA Program.
In 2004, Jessie became the Dean of Graduate Studies at The Rhode Island School of Design where she worked with faculty and graduate student populations from around the globe to build interdisciplinary curricula. In 2008, she assumed the post of Provost at RISD and led the school in this capacity for three years. During this time she became more and more interested in ideas around leadership, action and change and how live, renewable systems can become the foundation for innovation.
While at Alfred, she received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, conferred by the State of New York through the State University of New York in Albany, NY. And more recently received the ‘Rhode Island Women in Higher Education Outstanding Leadership Award’.
Jessie's work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe and China. Venues include: The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY; P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Museum of Modern Art affiliate, Long Island City, NY; The Boston Cyberarts Festival, Boston, MA; The Beijing International New Media Exhibition, Beijing, China and most recently at BS1 Contemporary Art Center, Beijing.
Visiting artist at Arts Letters & Numbers Summer Workshop 2012 - 2013 and 2016.
