RACHEL SHERK
Education
MA, Puppetry, Storytelling & Community Activism
Gallatin School of Individualized Study, NYU
2017
BA, Visual Arts, Electronic Music, Literature
Bennington College
2011
Teaching
MAPS Arts
501c3 nonprofit organization
Founder
Director of Outreach
Director of Art/Puppet Curriculum
2018—Present
MusicArtPuppetSound.org
MAPS Kids
Founder
Director of Art/Puppet Curriculum
2013—Present
MusicArtPuppetSound.org
Cedar Crest Collage
Teaching Artist
Socially Engaged Art Class
Fall 2019, Spring 2019
cedarcrest.edu
Saint Ann’s School
Associate Preschool Teacher
2012—2018
saintannsny.org
Selected Performances
Words from Tompkins Square
spoken word audio collage
NYPL Tompkins Square Branch
August 6, 2019
The Third Barn Orchard: Birth
manipulated text
The Third Barn
Orefield, PA
July 6th, 2019
thethirdbarn.org
No Obstacles
live manipulated text
Greenspace, Queens
June 16th, 2019
The Night World
original puppet performance
14th Street Y
Manhattan
June 9th, 2019
14streety.org
Somewhere Downwind
co-creator, live projections, performer
Brick Theater, Brooklyn
September, 2017
bricktheater.com
Loon’s Moon
creator, puppets, performer
Cornwall Manor
Cornwall, Pennsylvania
February, 2017
March of Ghouls
Performer in Mettawee River Theater Company Halloween Extravaganza
Saint John the Divine, Manhattan, NY
October 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Space Bar
pluto’s girlfriend
Movie filmed (May 2016), Released (October 2016)
Flotation Trio
live visuals
Surry Arts Barn, Maine
The Barn Arts Collective, Maine
July 2016
Time Keepers
Writer, Director, Performer
14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
May 2015, December 2015
14thstreety.org
Organ Album Performance
voice, soundscape
La Macina di San Cresi Artist Residency
Greve in Chianti, Tuscany
July 2015
Ladder to the Moon
ukulele, voice, electronics, puppets
Indiemade Craft Mart
Allentown, PA
December 2014
Ladder to the Moon
Brooklyn Ethical Society
Brooklyn, NY
April 2013
Ladder to the Moon
Williamsburg Community Circus
Brooklyn, NY
February 2013
Danny Fisher-Lochhead Large Ensemble
improvised cactus & electronics
Redhook, Brooklyn
June 2014
Danny Fisher-Lochhead Large Ensemble
improvised cactus & electronics
ShapeShifter Lab, Brooklyn
November 2013
Stories About My Mom
Writer, Director, Performer
Grace Church, Brooklyn
May 2014
Stories About My Mom
14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
April 2014
Rosehips and Ships
electronics & sound-makers
Luggage Factory
Brooklyn, NY
October 2013
Rosehips and Ships
Brooklyn Rod & Gun
electronics & sound-makers
Brooklyn, NY
August 2013
Rosehips and Ships
electronics & sound-makers
Pete’s Candy Store
Brooklyn, NY
January/March 2013
Illiterates
lead (Jackie)
FARM SHOW Festival
Robert Moss Theater
Manhattan, NY
May 2013
Aaron Rourk Trio
improvised video projections
Illinos Jaquet Performance Space
Queens, NY
April 2013
Aaron Rourk Trio
Williamsburg Community Circus
Brooklyn, NY
March 2013
Selected Outreach
*through MAPS Arts
Kids Community Puppet Making and Songwriting
Saint Ann’s Church
Forthcoming Fall 2019
Brooklyn, NY
Adult Songwriting and Composition Workshops
Saint Ann’s Church
Forthcoming Fall 2019
Brooklyn, NY
Community Sound Project
NYPL Tompkins Square Branch
Manhattan, NY
July-August, 2019
In Kind Project
community songwriting, mask-making, puppet building
Orient, New York
July 28th, 29th, 30th
New York Public Library Summer Reading Kick-Off
community puppet making
June 6th, 2019
Puppet-Making with Refugee and Migrant Elementary School Children
arts workshops
Elementary Newcomer Academy
Allentown, PA
Spring 2019
After School Puppet Making with Refugee and Migrant Teenagers
arts workshops
High School Newcomer Academy
Allentown, PA
Spring 2019
Mask Making at Saint Ann’s Church
community animal masks
March, 2019
Vocal Empowerment Workshop
in collaboration with SPEAK Nonprofit
May 8th, 2019
Open House
community art and poetry workshop
14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
January 27th, 2019
Puppet Making with Refugee Children
puppet art workshop
Refugee Community Center
Allentown, PA
October 25th, 2018
Dreams & Collage
art workshop in collaboration with Parsons School of Design Students
October 30th, 2018
Selected MAPS Kids
Songwriting: Story to Song
Forthcoming Fall 2019
Puppet Making: Underwater Creatures
Forthcoming Fall 2019
Puppet Making: Endangered Species
Forthcoming Fall 2019
Open House Nursery School
puppet making and storytelling
July 18th, 2019
MAPS Kids Storefront
*MAPS Kids spent the year offering all sorts of workshops including puppet-making, visual arts, dance, music, songwriting, dollhouse making, storytelling, animation and video production. Workshops ranged from after school to full day programming and worked with an age range from 3 years old to 12 years old.
Brooklyn, NY
for more information on the years programming please email.
July 2018-June 2019
Kids Art Week & Gallery
June 24th-28th, 2019
Puppet Making with Ann Patchett
puppet making to celebrate Patchett’s new kids book
Books Are Magic
May 8th, 2019
Recorded Music Workshop
music and art workshop with kindergarten
Packer Colligate School
Brooklyn, NY
April 9th, 2019
Pause/Play
community sound recording
14th Street Y
Manhattan, NY
February 10th, 2019
Eileen Fisher: Hand Puppets
puppet making with recycled materials
Making Space
Brooklyn, NY
January 13th, 2019
Open House Nursery School Trip
painting and puppet making
Brooklyn, NY
December 2018
Eileen Fisher: cape-making, marionette-making
workshops using recycled materials
Making Space
Brooklyn, NY
October 28th, 2019
Costume Design
Emily Climer’s Phantom Ghost Phantom
costume design
Sundays on Broadway
Manhattan, NY
November 11th, 2018
emilyclimer.org
Emily Climer’s Phantom Ghost Phantom
costume design
Triskelion Arts
Brooklyn, NY
October 12 & 14, 2018
emilyclimer.org
Theodora Skipitares’s Prometheus Within
Assistant Costume Designer
La MaMA
Manhattan, New York
April 2012
lamama.org
Artist Residencies
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Harrison, Nebraska, USA
April 2017
nps.gov
La Macina Di San Cresi
Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
July 2015
chianticom.com
Foundation OBRAS
Estremoz, Portugal
August 2015
obras-art.org
Gallery Shows
Collected Works
MAPS Gallery
June 2019
musicartpuppetsound.org
Mother/Daughter
MAPS Gallery
June 2019
musicartpuppetsound.org
On Symptoms of Cultural Industry
in collaboration with Bureau for Open Culture
video
Mass MoCA
North Adams, MA
July, 2011
massmoca.org
On Symptoms of Cultural Industry
in collaboration with Bureau for Open Culture
video
Open Engagement Conference
Portland, OR
openengagement.info
May, 2011
Curation
Sunday @ MAPS
percussion, electronics, puppets
featuring Matt Evans, Aaron Rourk, Emma Wade and Shara Stranovsky
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June 30th, 2019
Experimental Animations Screening
guest curator, Ana Mouyis
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June 29th, 2019
Sound Circle
8 channel sound installation by Scott Sherk
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June 21st-23rd, 2019
Sam & Louise
guitar and voice
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June 18th, 2019
Juanma Trujillo Ensemble
guitar, violin, bass, saxophone, electronics
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June 15th, 2019
Collected Works
a visual art show featuring Debra Freelander, Sandra Javera, Aaron Rourk, Dana Wolfson, Eli Back, Christine Miller, and myself.
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
June, 2019
Mimes of Wine
music and songs
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
December 1st, 2018
mimesofwine.com
Ben Seretan
music and songs
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
December 1st, 2018
benseretan.com
Theo Koppel
performance artist
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
November 17th, 2018
theokoppel.com
A Different Thread
music performance
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
November 17th, 2018
adifferentthread.com
Halloween Music Extravaganza
MAPS Storefront
233 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
October 31st, 2018
Evening Concert Series
an ongoing video installation
ECS: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Harrison, Nebraska
April 2017
ECS: Richford, VT
Richford, VT
July 2016
ECS: OBRAS
Portugal
August 2015
ECS: Slow Road
Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy
July 2015
ECS: Landgrove
Landgrove, VT
July 2014
Conferences, Awards and Press
Best of NY
New York Magazine
March, 2019
Monday Symposium @ Saint Ann’s School
tending our garden: creating community in the classroom through story
Saint Ann’s School
Brooklyn, NY
Fall 2017
Little Chairs, Big Differences Diversity Conference
using story/metaphor to build community in the classroom
Weeksville Heritage Center
Brooklyn, NY
October 18th, 2017
The Academy for Teachers
Teaching Fellow
2016/2017
Early Outreach Work
The Jubilee Collective
in collaboration with Faith Griffiths
Jubilee Summer Workshop Series
art and drama workshops
Starr Library
Rhinebeck, NY
June, July 2011
Jubilee Library Series
music, art, cooking
McCullough Free Library
North Bennington, VT
Fall 2011
Jubilee Family Band
Baltimore, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire
July, 2010