Janelle VanderKelen

Janelle VanderKelen is an Assistant Professor and Director of Time-Based Foundations at the School of Art, University of Tennessee. Her work bridges film, ceramics, and sculpture to explore alternative relational dynamics between human, vegetal, and geological forms. She holds an MA in Intermedia Art (Ceramics focus) and an MFA in Film from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her films have screened at major institutions like the Museum of Moving Image and festivals including Ann Arbor and True/False. Current projects include The Golden Thread, supported by a Creative Capital Award.

Teaching focuses on Cinema Studies, Time-Based Art, and Foundations. She co-curates the aCinema screening series with Taka Suzuki. Recent honors include the 2023 Nohl Fellowship and residencies at MacDowell. Exhibitions span international venues from New York’s Anthology Film Archives to London’s Bow Arts.

• Education: MA Intermedia Art (UW-Milwaukee), MFA Film (UW-Milwaukee)
• Lab Affiliations: Media Pool, smART Lab
• Current Residencies: MacDowell (2023)

Practice integrates large-scale ceramic sculptures with 16mm film, exemplified by works like Niches (2025) and Flourish I/II (2024).