The Muckenthaler Cultural Center has announced its third Artist-in-Residence, Erin Schalk, for the 2021 Season.

During her residency she intends to focus on projects for the blind and visually impaired, including expanding art class access to that community and curating a gallery exhibition of work from visually impaired artists.

Artist Erin Schalk.

Schalk graduated with her MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2017, and has exhibited her art throughout the United States, Europe, and in Japan. She holds a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Oklahoma (2010), a BA in East Asian Studies from the University of Maryland (2015), and a Master of Arts in Art from the University of Dallas. From 2010 to 2013, she lived and worked in Okinawa, Japan, also as an artist, writer, and teacher.

Currently, Schalk works as a visual arts educator for adults with total blindness and low vision. She has previously worked with the Orange County Museum of Art and UCLA’s National Arts and Disability Center to create an online, accessible exhibition tour.

“Marsh” by Erin Schalk. Gouache and digital overlay on watercolor paper.

On her selection, Muck CEO Farrell Hirsch said, “This year we had more submissions than ever, and a much higher quality of competition for the position. What made Erin stand out to our committee was the combination of a great resume, relevant experience, and a very deep passion and commitment for a specific set of projects. She was the perfect mix of an artist with a vision and a person who could realize that vision.”

For more information on The Muck’s Artist in Residence program, visit: www.themuck.org/artist-in-residence.