artist in residence: Lela Pierce
Rosy Simas Danse (RSD) would love to give a warm welcome to our next artist-in-residence in three thirty-one space Lela Pierce.
Lela Pierce (she/they) is a Black multiracial artist, born and raised in rural MniSota Makoce - the ancestral and current homeland of the Dakota and Anishinaabe people. She has lived in the Twin Cities for nearly 2 decades -maintaining artistic practices in painting, performance and installation work. Lela has danced extensively with Ananya Dance Theatre as a founding member (2004-2016) as well as Rosy Simas Danse and Pramila Vasudevan of Anichha Arts (both 2015-present). In 2018 she was awarded a Jerome Emerging Artist Fellowship for visual art through MCAD.
Their work has been presented internationally in India and Sweden (including a solo show at Kalmar Konstmuseum) as well as several Twin Cities venues - notably Bockley Gallery and SooVAC. Lela holds a BA in Studio Art with Honors from Macalester College, and an MFA in interdisciplinary art and social practice from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is currently a Jerome Hill Fellow and teaches Sculpture at Macalester College.
