mari jaye blanchard Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts, Painting, University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, 2005
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, 2000
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor-2D Animation, Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Film & Animation, Rochester, NY, 2015 to present
Courses taught:
Undergraduate: 2D Animation I (previously Dynamics), Animation Scriptwriting & Storyboarding, Animation Workshop II, Drawing for Animation, Principles of Animation, Pre-Production
Graduate: 2D Animation Mechanics, Animation Writing & Visual Storytelling, Graduate Seminar
Courses created:
Delayed Completion
BASECamp Study Abroad
Instructor, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2014 to 2017
Courses taught: Animation Workshop II, Intro to TVPaint, Pre-College Tradigital Animation
Visiting Artist, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, 2013 to 2015
Courses taught: Animation II, Storyboarding & Storytelling
Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Philadelphia, PA, 2012-2014
Courses taught: Digital Hand Drawn Animation, (co-taught) Mixed Media Animation, (co-taught) Computer Animation
Artist Abroad Facilitator-Ecuador, MYX: Multicultural Youth eXchange, Philadelphia, PA, 2007
Taught, in English and Spanish, mural production over the course of a two-week collaboration between American high school students and South American elementary school students.
Program Director, Mystic Mural Program, Somerville, MA, 2005
Working directly with an environmental educator, instructed crew of Somerville teenagers in mural production with an emphasis on exploring the local environment.
Instructor, Mural Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 2003
Designed and taught painting curriculum focused on fifth through seventh graders
Teaching Associate, Citizen Schools- Boston, MA, 2001-2002
Supported Citizen Schools staff in after-school programming, including apprenticeships.
EXHIBITIONS & SCREENINGS
Anibar Animation Festival, Peja, Kosovo (VR program postponed until 2021)
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Bucheon/Seoul, South Korea, July 2020
Disegno-in-Motion, Group Show Marymount Manhattan College (exhibition rescheduled for fall 2020)
UFVA New Media Exhibition, (University Film & Video Association) UFVA Virtual Conference, July 2020
Cybershorts: A VR Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA, May 2020
Demetera International Film Festival, Paris, France, May 2020
ILSSA: Frameworks Group Show, Unrequited Leisure, Nashville, TN, September 2019
Tin Ceilings and Other Specifics, Group Show, The Magenta Suite, Exeter, NH, June 2019
ILSSA Group Show, Cummings Arts Center Galleries, Connecticut College, New London, CT, February 2019
ILSSA Group Show, Cecile R. Hunt Gallery, Webster University, St. Louis MO, November 2018
Made on the Mountain: A North Mountain Residency Retrospective, Phaze II Gallery, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, September 2018
Frankly Film Festival, Piqua, OH, 2017
Borderless: In Perspective, Lite-Haus Galerie, Berlin, Germany, 2016
Borderless: In Time, Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2016
CIAS Faculty Show, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2016
Animation Block Party, BAM Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY, 2016
Decensortized: A Safe Space, Westbeth Gallery, New York, NY, 2016
Cartuna’s Art Basel Animation Showcase, Miami, FL, 2015
Animation Block Party, Sesame Slam: A Retrospective on Sesame Street Animations, Twelve Little Chicks, BAM Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY, 2015
Northwest Animation Festival, Portland, OR, 2014
Animix International Animation, Comics, Caricature Festival, Israel, 2014
Annecy International Animation Festival, Annecy, France, 2013
Melbourne International Animation Festival, Melbourne, Australia, 2013
Australian International Animation Festival, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 2013
Talking Transition- NYFA New Video Compilation, New York, NY, 2013
Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival, Philadelphia, PA, 2012
Animation Block Party, Brooklyn, NY, 2012
Glomation, Parer Place Project at the Creative Industries Precinct, Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Australia, 2012
Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival, Philadelphia, PA, 2011
Animation Block Party, BAM Cinemas, Brooklyn, NY, 2011
Northside Festival: Animation Block Party Short Films, Brooklyn, NY, 2011
7 Body Language Mistakes by Kira Blazek, Dixon Place, New York, NY, 2010
Animation Block Party, BAM Cinemas, Brooklyn, New York, 2010
Rooftop Film Summer Series, Brooklyn, New York, 2010
Wild Things, AnnMarie Garden & Sculpture Park, Dowell, MD, 2009
Action.Stop.Action, Vox Populi (Juried by Joshua Mosley), Philadelphia, PA, 2008
Penn Alumni Show, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York, NY, 2008
Jersey City Museum Screening (Curated by Delmira Valladares), Pochue, Jersey City, NJ, 2007
Philadelphia Film Festival, Philadelphia, PA, 2007
Proof, Vox Populi (Curated by Colette Copeland), Philadelphia, PA, 2006
SPEMA Conference Video Festival, Fairfax, VA, 2005
PANELS/PRESENTATIONS
Presenter, Birds of a Feather, “Making the Switch from Traditional Animator to VR”, IEEEVR Conference, Atlanta (moved online), March 25, 2020
Panelist, Hybridity and Mixed Media in Animation, “Line of Action: Two-Dimensional Animation in a Three-Dimensional Space”, University Film & Video Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN, July 2019
Presenter, 2D Animation in VR, Anibar Animation Festival, Peja, Kosovo, July 2019
Panelist (and Faculty Advisor), Women of Color Film Festival, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, March 30, 2019
Presenter, FRAM Applied Critical Thinking: Critical Thinking in Motion, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, October 25, 2018
Presenter, Art Talk Series, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY, October 23, 2017
Panelist, 20/20 Research in Focus Colloquium: Perception, “Looking Forward by Looking Back”, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, March 22, 2017
Panelist, Animation Block Party, Sesame Slam: A Retrospective on Sesame Street Animations, Brooklyn, NY, August 2, 2015
AWARDS & HONORS
Best VR Short: Demetera International Film Festival, Swing, 2020
RIT Provost Learning Innovation Grant (PLIG), SOFA Slow-Mo: Movement Research Through Active Learning, 2019
ADVANCE: Connect Grant, Developing Spatialized & Volumetric Audio in VR Storytelling, 2019
RIT Faculty Education and Development (FEAD) Grant, 3D Character Design: Swing, 2018
RIT Faculty Education and Development (FEAD) Grant, Exploratory Trip to Kosovo, 2017
RIT Faculty Education and Development (FEAD) Grant, Labor of Love: Mutoscope, 2016
ADVANCE: Connect Grant (recommended for funding), Animated Poetry Project, 2016
LoopdeLoop RITUAL New York Winner, 2015
New York Foundation for the Arts Gregory Millard Fellow, 2012
Audience Award, Animation Block Party , 2011
Finalist, Aniboom Sesame Street Contest, 2010
Urban Artist Initiative/New York City Fellow, 2007
Finalist, Winnipeg Mural Festival, 2006
Audrey Robinson Award, University of Pennsylvania, 2005
Stuart Egnal Scholarship Award, University of Pennsylvania, 2005
Alumni Association Award, University of Pennsylvania, 2005
Chair’s Merit Scholarship, University of Pennsylvania, 2003-2005
Graduation with Distinction, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, 2000
Lawrence Kupferman Memorial Award, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, 2000
Travel Scholarship: Printmaking in China, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, 2000
SERVICE
Institute Committees:
Institute Writing Committee (beginning 2020)
College Committees:
CIAS/CAD Awards Committee (Co-Chair with Don Arday in 2018) 2015-2018
CIAS/CAD Retreat Planning Committee (organized by Interim Dean Robin Cass) 2017/2018
CAD FRAM Committee 2018
School Committees:
Search Committe, SOFA School Director 2019
Search Committee, SOFA Tenure Track Animation Professor 2018-2019
Search Committee, SOFA Lecturer Animation 2016
CILECT Review Committee (Animation) 2018
MFA Portfolio Review Committee 2017
Professional Committees:
Advisory Committee, (NYFA) New York Foundation for the Arts (three year term) 2016-2019
Curator, High Falls Film Festival, 2015-present
Faculty Assistant, SOFA Anijam 24-Hour Animation Production, 2015-2019
Facilitator, Brick by Brick Diversity & Inclusion Trustees Workshop, 2019
Faculty Advisor, NarRITives Project, 2019
Reviewer, National Porfolio Day, (Chicago, New York City, Rochester) 2018-2019
Facilitator & Organizer, SOFA NYC Trip, 2017, 2018
Community Outreach:
Muralist, Hipocampo Bookstore, 2019
Workshop Leader, Rochester Prep High School, 2016-present
Volunteer, Center For Youth, 2015-present
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Independent Animator, Rochester, NY, 2005 to present
Independently responsible for every element of the production pipeline for 2D animated films including
layout, design, direction, storyboarding, animation, compositing, color and clean-up as well as
writing lyrics for animated children’s songs.
Clients include:
Sesame Workshop (Elmo at the Zoo, Lonely Eleven, Twelve Little Chicks, Thirteen’s Not So Lucky, Not Yet)
Sesame International (Use It Again, Everyone Needs Water)
MTV (Virgin Territory Promos: Snooki, Nev, Jamie Lee, Chet)
Comedy Central (Trip Tank: Sunday Funday)
New York Foundation for the Arts
Cartuna
Films include: Labor of Love (Mutoscope), Every Single Inch of Ground, Tired Tongues, Bullets for Breakfast,
Craft, Brood, Wasp
Regional Artist/Muralist, Trader Joe’s, Brooklyn, NY, 2002-2014
Part of a two-person team, worked directly with store managers and regional vice-presidents to research,
design and produce by hand, interior signage and murals for over fifty stores, including all five original
flagship New York City locations.
Juror, Northwest Animation Festival, Portland, OR, 2014-2018
Using an online scoring system, reviewed films for entry into the festival.
Juror, SVA Dusty Awards, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, 2012-2013
Participated in the end of year panel to review and award student thesis films.
Grant Panelist, Asian American Arts Alliance /Urban Artist Initiative, New York, NY, 2009
As part of a panel, reviewed and selected recipients of the 2008 Urban Artist Initiative Grants.
Grant Panelist, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY, 2008
During the course of one week as part of a five-person panel, reviewed over one hundred and forty films
to select the 2007 NYFA Fellows.
PRINT MEDIA
Gemma Correll, “What I wore Today”, (Spruce, 2011), Illustration on p.60, 2012
Stan Hochman, “Winter of our Discontent”, Philadelphia Daily News, January 17, 2007
Roberta Fallon, “School’s Clout”, Philadelphia Weekly, Friday, May 18, 2005
Edward J. Sozanski, “A Tribute to an Art Lover”, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday May 27, 2005
Lori Hill, “First Friday Focus”, City Paper, May 5-11, 2005
GQ magazine “Destination: Boston” (Photograph of mural included in article), July 2003
WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS
“Animation Block Party Spotlight on Mari Jaye Blanchard”, Animation Magazine online interview, Casey Safron
posted by Thomas J. McLean, April 3, 2012
“Success Story” Aniboom interview on aniboom.com, May, 2010
http://www.aniboom.com/article/Aniboom-4-Sesame-Street-Awards-Finalist-Mari-Jaye
ORGANIZATIONS
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), Member
ASIFA East (l’Association Internationale du Film d’Animation), Member
Family Camp Animation Collective, Co-Founder
ILSSA (Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts), Member
WIA (Women in Animation), Member
References furnished upon request