About the Studio & Shop
Jenie Gao believes that high quality, impactful art should be accessible for everyone, and that having art available at multiple price points does not diminish an artwork's value. Rather, equity and accessibility are the cornerstones of cultural stewardship and innovation, especially for artists whose cultures have faced erasure and who have fought to protect and reclaim their histories, rituals, and stories.
The goal of Jenie Gao Studio having an online shop is to:
- Emphasize the importance of artists having agency over their intellectual property. I love the galleries, curators, art consultants, and clients that I work with, and all the ways they help me reach new audiences. I also believe that healthy relationships are built on respecting one another's autonomy, and that artists get to decide the methods by which they choose to sell their work.
- Make contemporary artwork accessible to collectors of all levels. Over the years, I have gotten many messages from "non-arts" people saying they've learned more about the importance of art because of the advocacy work I've done. I love that my shop can be an entry point for people of all backgrounds to engage with the arts and their own creativity.
- Harness the power of commerce for social good. Commerce is older than capitalism, and I love reimagining economic ecosystems via the impact of small businesses. This online shop has served many purposes. In 2021, it helped me earn enough income to take two years off from my client work to go to graduate school. Since 2020, it has helped me fundraise over $6,400 USD for social justice causes and community mutual aid efforts.
Whether you represent a major collecting institution or you're an individual collector with a big appreciation for art or you're simply looking for something to share with your family and loved ones, I invite you to spend time in my shop! Thank you for your ongoing support and for making my dream of an arts practice built on equity and access a reality.
Want to discuss potential partnerships, acquisitions, exhibition loans, commissions, arts licensing, or consulting work? Get in touch today.
About the Artist
Jenie Gao (they/she) is a full-time artist, consultant, and entrepreneur. Since 2014, they have run an anti-gentrification arts business, specializing in printmaking, public art, social practice, and community storytelling. She consults for cultural organizations and the public sector on equity and ethics.
Jenie pulls from experiences as a second generation Taiwanese-Chinese American and a descendant of working class immigrants. They grew up in rural Kansas, on the lands of several tribes including the Kansa, Osage, Kickapoo, and Shawnee. Prior to founding their business, Jenie worked in the museum industry, public education, and lean manufacturing. Through their cross section of experiences, Jenie has become attuned to issues of artists’ labor, cultural power, and institutional accountability. She runs a paid apprenticeship program and has thus far mentored 25 emerging artists.
Jenie has a BFA in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Their work is in over 30 public collections including Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Brown University, Bowdoin College, and University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Kohler Art Library. Their recent museum exhibits include Museum of Wisconsin Art, Trout Museum of Art, Burnaby Village Museum, Cedarburg Museum, and South Bend Museum of Art. Her work has been included in publications such as PBS, Shoutout LA, and Fête Chinoise. Their art residencies include Art in the Park with Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation: Decolonization, Art, & Culture; Ma’s House in the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, New York; Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in Okoboji, Iowa; the Bubbler at Madison Public Library in Madison, Wisconsin; Artist Campaign School in Chicago, Illinois; Proyecto’ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Museo de Arte Moderno in Chile. They are a TEDx Madison speaker and gave a talk entitled The Power and Purpose of Creativity.
Public Permanent Collections
For Special and Rare Books Collections, contact the Special Collections librarians to make an appointment to view the work.
Amherst College, Archives & Special Collections • Amherst, MA
Amherst College, Circulating Artists’ Books Collection • Amherst, MA
Art Gallery of Ontario, Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives • Toronto, ON
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection • Bainbridge Island, WA
Baylor University, Baylor Book Arts Collection • Waco, TX
Bayview Foundation, Permanent Collection • Madison, WI
Bennington College, Crossett Library • Bennington, VT
Bowdoin College, George J. Mitchell Dept. of Special Collections • Brunswick, ME
Brown University, John Hay Library • Providence, RI
Columbia University, Rare Book and Manuscript Library • New York, NY
Cornell University, Mui Ho Fine Arts Library • Ithaca, NY
Dartmouth College, Rauner Special Collections Library • Hanover, NH
Emily Carr University of Art + Design Library, Artist’s Book Collection • Vancouver, BC
Fundación ´ace, Permanent Collection • Buenos Aires, Argentina
George Mason University, Special Collections Research Center • George Mason, VA
Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections • Washington, DC
Madison Public Library Artist’s Book Collection • Madison, WI
Northwestern University, Art Library’s Artists’ Books Collection • Evanston, IL
Ohio State University, Rare Books & Manuscripts Library • Columbus, OH
Princeton University, Graphic Arts Collection • Princeton, NJ
Rice University, Woodson Research Center • Houston, TX
Savannah College of Art and Design, The Archives and Special Collections at Atlanta • Atlanta, GA
Stanford University, Bowes Art & Architecture Library • Stanford, CA
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library • Berkeley, CA
University of California, Berkeley, Ethnic Studies Library’s Asian American Studies Collection • Berkeley, CA
University of California, Irvine, Special Collections & Archives • Irvine, CA
University of Iowa, Special Collections & Archives • Iowa City, IA
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Sloane Art Library • Chapel Hill, NC
University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections • Philadelphia, PA
University of Toronto, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library • Toronto, ON
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Kohler Art Library • Madison, WI
UW Health: East Park Medical Clinic • Permanent Collection, Madison, WI
Washington University in St. Louis, Special & Rare Books Collections • St. Louis, MO