Astri Swendsrud

Astri Swendsrud serves as Associate Professor of Art within Biola University's Department of Art, where she integrates studio practice with academic instruction in Los Angeles. Her position reflects active engagement in both campus-based teaching and the broader contemporary art ecosystem through exhibitions and collaborative projects.

Education:

• M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), 2008

Swendsrud's research investigates belief systems through material transformations, utilizing party supplies like confetti and candles to create installations examining ritual, anticipation, and spiritual interpretation. Her practice bridges personal symbolism with communal exploration, particularly through the Semi-Tropic Spiritualists collective which interrogates faith-skepticism binaries in performance contexts. This work consistently addresses how everyday objects become vessels for meaning-making within contemporary culture.

Analysis of her 2016-2018 output reveals concentrated focus on institutional critique through artist-run spaces, ritual materiality, and community-based knowledge production—evident in projects like Unconfirmed Makeshift Museum and Faculty Meeting which dissect power structures within academic and cultural frameworks while maintaining accessibility through familiar materials.

Scientific Awards:

• Harvey Fellowship
• Ahmenson Graduate Fellowship (2007)
• CalArts Graduate Fellowship (2006)
• Who’s Who Among American College & University Students (2004)

Swendsrud actively shapes artistic discourse through co-founding Elephant—an influential Los Angeles artist-run exhibition space—and her Semi-Tropic Spiritualists collaboration. Her presentations at institutions like Cerritos College and CalArts demonstrate commitment to demystifying art production through panel discussions on alternative spaces and studio practices, while her university teaching extends these community-focused methodologies into formal education settings.

Her work manifests across diverse venues from Richard Telles Fine Art to Joshua Tree's Shangri-La, reflecting strategic engagement with both established galleries and experimental sites to explore how spatial contexts influence interpretive frameworks around belief and ritual.