Bio

BIO

Lisa Marie Evans is a multidisciplinary artist and Kansas City, Missouri native. Her work varies in form from feature length documentary to short animation and public art installation. Evans has been a selected artist for Creative Capital's Professional Development Workshop for Artists, the Metropolitan Arts Council of Kansas City’s Inspiration Grant, Charlotte Street Foundation’s Studio Residency Program, and Arizona’s Commission on the Arts’ Professional Development Grant.

Evans has worked as an instructor at the Kansas City Art Institute, the University of Missouri Kansas City and Artists, INC, a professional development course for artists. As a youth worker and activist, she has developed curricula and led all ages in exploring personal and community issues through the art of filmmaking. Evans builds and facilitates self-maintained websites for artists, non-profit organizations and small businesses.

P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R I E N CE

January 2008 – Present, Multi-Media Artist, Lisa Marie Art

•Maintain a full-time art practice creating documentary, animation and public art projects; design and implement websites for artists, non-profit organizations and small businesses; provide training and workshops to facilitate website self-management.

January 2009- January 2010, College & Extended Education Instructor

•Lead Facilitator, Artist, Inc, Facilitated an entrepreneurial and professional development seminar for 25 multi-disciplinary artists. The 8-session program provided specific business training, peer-to-peer learning and one-on-one mentoring.
•Instructor, Kansas City Art Institute, Taught “Introduction to the World of Digital Possibilities”. Course focused on video cameras, video editing, project planning, production, shooting techniques and digital non-linear editing.
•Adjunct Professor, University of Missouri Kansas City, Instructed “Introduction to Film and Video Methods”. Course focused on development of writing, shooting and editing to acquire basic skills in digital video, super 8 film, sound production and image editing.

February 2008 – November 2008, Film Production Coordinator and Marketing Assistant

•Earthwork Feature Film, Organized scheduling, space management and logistics for hiring crew; managed equipment procurement; coordinated activities between departments.
•Outcast Films, Assisted in marketing, promotion, and public outreach; performed extensive online subject research.

May 2003-February 2008, Youth Program Art Instructor

•Youth Mentor, Jackson County Family Courts, Sentenced to the Arts Project, Developed curriculum and led adjudicated youth in creative expression through video making to redirect violent and delinquent tendencies and explore personal and community issues.
•Instructor and Facilitator, National Conference for Community and Justice, Counseled youth and to be effective leaders dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry, racism, heterosexism & other isms; constructed and led seminars educating youth in activism through filmmaking for Peace Jam, an international education program connecting youth with Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
•Filmmaker and Instructor, Youth Out Loud, Hate Crimes as Human Disaster, Led youth in creating a documentary with focus on human rights issues and hate crimes.

January 2000 – March 2005, Director of Service-Learning, Camp Fire USA

•Facilitated youth -of all abilities- in envisioning, planning, implementing and evaluating projects. Worked within schools and community organizations. Supervised volunteers, produced curriculum and budget.

P R O F E S S I O N A L A C T I V I T I E S

2011 – Now Board Member, FilmOut San Diego

2009 – 2010 Columnist, CAMP Magazine

2007 – 2009 Electronic Media Arts Panelist, Missouri Arts Council

2005 – 2008 Committee Member, Crosscut: Women Making Movies

2002 – 2004 Board Member, Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City

2002 – 2004 Facilitator, Passages: Kansas City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Youth Group

2003 – 2004 Co-chairperson, LGBT Youth Violence Prevention Project

E D U C A T I O N

B.A. in Advertising, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS - 1999

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am innately drawn to creating work that reflects diversity and human understanding. My form varies from feature length documentary to short animation to public art installation. I believe each piece provokes communication among the viewers and, more than a mere reaction to the work, becomes the very essence of it.

In my documentary work I choose subjects whose lives, as a whole, seem far from the norm. By presenting their lives in pieces, I find viewers are able to relate in some aspect, wherein lies a connection, even if in small form. Thus we are not so separate. At this point of realization, cognizant or not, is the peak of the work.

Animation presents an interesting avenue as we can relate to the images in a childlike and simple fashion while, at the same time, the message is applicable to adult content. My approach with animation is to present themes of human interest in a childlike manner, which induces the viewer to understand the conceptual motivation and deeper meaning behind the work.

I am a believer in the power of positive thought. As I work to stimulate understanding and a sharing of perspectives, I feel my work experiments with creating change through an energy wave of human empathy and connectivity.

America Now and Here – Kansas City, MO- Candy Apple Red (actress)

e4c: Electronic Gallery – Seattle, WA- Communified

Gateway Film Festival – Lamoni, IA- Box This, Candy Apple Red (2 films)

Cleveland International Film Festival – Cleveland, OH- Candy Apple Red

SENE Festival – Providence, WA- Candy Apple Red

Screenland – Kansas City, MO- She and Candy Apple Red (2 films)

KC Gay & Lesbian Film + Video Festival – Kansas City, MO- When You Knew

Paragraph Gallery – Kansas City, MO- Cumulus, Group Exhibition

Minna Gallery – San Francisco, CA- A Million Little Pictures, Group Exhibition

Art House Gallery – Atlanta, GA- Original Motion Picture, Group Exhibition

Lawrence Art Center – Lawrence, KS- Kinder Joy, Video Installation for dance performance

Art House Gallery – Atlanta, GA- A Million Little Pictures, Group Exhibition

University of Philippines – Manila, Philippines- the same, but different

La Esquina – Kansas City, MO- Infobahn, Group Curatorial

For Sale Gallery – Kansas City, MO- Perceiving Perceptions, Installation Animation

YWCA Film Festival – Kansas City, KS- Ripped, Perfect, box this and the real world is full of dummies (4 films)

Leedy-Voulkos Art Center – Kansas City, MO- Mis, Miss & Missed Communication, Group Exhibition

The Late Show Gallery– Kansas City, MO- Tribute to Mot-ly, Installation video with wheelchair shrine as seating

Image + Nation Film Festival – Montreal, QC- the same, but different

Out On Screen Film Festival – Vancouver, BC- the same, but different

KC Gay & Lesbian Film + Video Festival – Kansas City, MO- When You Knew

Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival – Kansas City, MO- Serial Killers, Swingers and Boy Scouts

KC Jubilee Film Festival – Kansas City, MO- the same, but different (work in progress)

Seattle Transgender Film Festival – Seattle, WA- the same, but different (WIP)

One Night Stand Film Festival – Kansas City, MO - the real world is full of dummies

Temecula Film Festival – Temecula, CA- Assembling Pancho Villa

Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival – Kansas City, MO- Ripped

Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival – Kansas City, MO- Assembling Pancho Villa

Temecula Film Festival – Temecula, CA- box this

KAN Film Festival – Lawrence, KS- box this0

2011

2010

2009

2008

2006

2005

2004

2003

RESUME

S E L E C T E D S C R E E N I N G S A N D P R E S E N T A T I O N S

A W A R D S A N D G R A N T S

Artist recipient for Arizona Commission on the Arts’ Professional Development Grant

Selected artist for e4c: Electronic Gallery, Seattle, WA

Selected artist for Art on the River, Dubuque, IA

Selected artist for Avenue of the Arts, Boynton Beach, FL

Selected artist for Charlotte Street Foundation’s Studio Residency Program, Kansas City, MO

Selected artist for Avenue of the Arts, Kansas City, MO

Selected artist for Creative Capital’s Professional Development Workshop

Artist recipient for Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City’s Inspiration Grant

Best Feature Film, the same, but different, KC Jubilee Film Festival

Best Interpretation of an Artist, Serial Killers, Swingers and Boy Scouts, Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival

Kansas City’s Emerging Film Artist, named by the Kansas City Star

First Place, Best Animation, the real world is full of dummies, One Night Stand Film Festival

Second Place, Best Documentary, Ripped, Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival

First Place, Best Documentary, Assembling Pancho Villa, Every Picture Tells a Story Film Festival

First Place, Best Animation, box this, KC Jubilee Film Festival

Third Place, box this, Open Division, KAN Film Festival