Jenie Gao

She/They

Jenie Gao (she/they) is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. She specializes in printmaking, public art, social practice, and storytelling, mediums with a history of democratization. She consults for cultural organizations and the public sector on equitable best practices.

Prior to founding her business, Jenie worked not only in the arts industry, but also the public school and manufacturing sectors. Through their cross section of experiences, Jenie has become attuned to how the design of organizations determines who has access to creativity, autonomy, leadership, and decision-making. Jenie advocates for fair treatment of labor and expanded cultural authorship for historically excluded perspectives. She runs a paid apprenticeship program and has thus far mentored 24 emerging artists. Jenie has a BFA in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis. They are an MFA candidate at Emily Carr University, and are developing research on how artists and culture makers navigate and uphold their ethics in the context of gentrification and institutional spaces.