Introduction

Jack Toolin

Introduction: Artist/Educator

My artwork has grown from photography to incorporate performance art, video, and new media. My work with the collaborative group C5 has been featured in venues such as the 2002 Whitney Biennial, the Digital Secrets Symposium at Arizona State University, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria, and most recently at San Francisco Camerawork.

C5 projects include net art, performance art, and theoretical discourse addressing the impact of information technology. My work as an individual artist has been presented at Dixon Place in New York, Fugitive Art in Nashville, the San Francisco Dada Fest and many more. This performance work makes satirical commentary on society's fascination with wealth and globalization, a theme that has carried over into painting and drawing as well. A variety of skills have been developed and employed to accomplish this work; story writing, acting, video production, editing, and lighting to name a few.

Since having taught photography and two dimensional design as a grad student, I have taught art history, installation art, performance art, modern/postmodern theory and mass communications at the college and junior college level. My approach to teaching these classes has been one that combines technical facility with

conceptual depth. As well, I have taught foundation art, digital photography and video to K-12 students. The variety of subject matter and broad range of students vouches for my ability to work with people of divergent backgrounds and varying objectives.

I make significant contributions to the development of the San Jose art community. Having served as board president for two years at Works/San Jose, a non-profit gallery and performance space, I initiated new funding sources from local and state agencies and established the Performance Nights series, now in its eighth year, featuring Bay Area artists as well as nationally known artists (we recently hosted John Fleck and Annie Sprinkle). This series provided one of the few outlets for interdisciplinary artists in the South Bay and is a vital connection between the cultural worlds of San Francisco and San Jose.

Maintaining a healthy culture for artists means sustaining thriving local venues that encourage informed participation by patrons and artists alike. My roles as board member, curator, and fund raiser for local arts organizations demonstrates my commitment to this vision.