EDUCATION
2020-23 MFA, Portland State University Art + Social Practice Program, Portland, OR
2006-08 BA cum laude, Interdisciplinary Performance Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2002-04 Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
SOLO PROJECTS
2018 JVxSQ: Ten Days in Times Square, civic exploration project. New York, NY
2015-on Jennifer Vanilla, living character and musical project. New York, NY
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
2022-on Hi-Vizibility Crosswalk Spectacular (with Mo Geiger and Dr. MLK School Safety Patrol), King School Museum of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
2022 Tour Here Now (with Luz Blumenfeld), guided tours of a single city block. Center for Urban Planning and Architecture, Portland State University, OR
2022 Elevator Sequence. Portland State University College of the Arts, Portland, OR
2021-on Crosswalk Fantasy Committee (with Nicole Galpern). Queens, NY
2017-18 JVL@b (Jennifer Vanilla: Live at the Bar) monthly performance series, The Windjammer, Queens, NY
2016-18 L.A.R.P. Castle, theater coven with Elsa Brown, Cassandra Jenkins, and Sam Regal, New York, NY
2016 In Search of Self-Loss, a dance play (with actors Cassandra Jenkins, Ethan Bassford, Sam Regal, and Mike Kolb). Otion Front Studio, Brooklyn, NY
2009-19 Member, Ava Luna, experimental pop band, New York, NY
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2022-on Music for Crosswalks, audio compilation. New York, NY and Portland, OR
2022-on Art & Social Practice Radio. KPSU College Radio, Portland State University, Portland, OR
2016 Stand Up Comedy by Non-Stand Up Comedians. The Windjammer, Queens, NY
2014-15 Master Cactus Audio Cassette Magazine, New York, NY
ADMINISTRATIVE PROJECTS
2022-on Program Coordinator, Portland State University Art + Social Practice MFA Program, Portland, OR
2022-23 Co-editor, Social Forms of Art Journal. Portland State University, Portland, OR
2021-23 Committee Member, Assembly Co-Authored Social Practice Conference (with ’21-’24 MFA cohort). Portland State University, Portland, OR
2021 Copyeditor, Social Forms of Art Journal, Portland State University, Portland, OR
SELECTED PERFORMANCES
2022 Invocation of the Crosswalk. Poetry Project New Year’s Day Marathon, St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY
2022 Jennifer Vanilla opening for Kikagaku Moyo. Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY
2021 Jennifer and its Angels, opening for !!! (Chk Chk Chk). Elsewhere Space, Brooklyn, NY
2021 SOCIAL SOUVENIR HOTLINE with JENNY V, The Lot Radio Times Sq. Transmissions, Times Square, NYC
2020 Host and Performer for Yaeji & Friends, Club Quarantine. World Wide Web
2019 Headliner at Ad-Verse Performance Festival, March, Athens, GA
2018 Dynasty Handbag’s Weirdo Night, Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Jennifer Vanilla Fantasy Factory, Spring Performance Festival, MOMA PS1, Queens, NY
2018 Host, RVNG Intl Presents: New Rave TV, Northside Festival, Brooklyn, NY
2016 BOOKLUB 10 group show, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS
2023 Art + Social Practice MFA Graduate Exhibition, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Portland, OR (forthcoming)
2022 T4T Art Collective Group Show. MK Gallery, Portland State University, Portland, OR
2017-21 The Jennifer Vanilla Hour, TV program, Queens Public Television, Queens, NY
2019 CBS Eyewitness, Evening Television News, New York, NY
2019 JVxSQ: Jennifer en Times Square, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens, GA
2018 One Hour With a Chair, Serial Box Projects, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
2015 The Ridgewood Eye (co-created with Marie Demple), STROBEVISION, Flux Factory, Queens, NY
2014 Home Music Videos, Big Law Gallery, Silent Barn, Brooklyn, NY
MUSICAL RELEASES
Jennifer Vanilla:
2022 Castle in the Sky (with Brian Abelson), Sinderlyn Records, Brooklyn, NY
2019 J.E.N.N.I.F.E.R. EP (with Brian Abelson), Beats in Space Records, Brooklyn, NY
2017 This is Jennifer, Planet Jennifer Records, Inc., Jenniferia, JV
Ava Luna (with Carlos Hernandez, Felicia Douglass, Ethan Bassford, Julian Fader, Nathan Tompkins, Anna Li Sian):
2018 Moon 2, Western Vinyl; Histoire de Melody Nelson, Turntable Kitchen Records
2015 Infinite House, Western Vinyl
2014 Electric Balloon, Western Vinyl
2012 Ice Level, Infinite Best Recordings
2010 Services EP, Cooling Pie Records
NOTABLE RECOGNITION
2022 Pitchfork, 7.0 for Castle in the Sky
2022 BBC 6, Maryanne Hobbes’ Hit Reset feature
2022 Deutschland Funk, German Public Radio interview
2019 NPR Music: All Songs Considered, Jennifer Vanilla “Space Time Motion”
2019 #15 of Paste Magazine’s The 23 Best Music Videos of 2019
2018 Cassette of the Month, This is Jennifer, Rough Trade Records, Brooklyn, NY
GRANTS, RESIDENCIES, SCHOLARSHIPS
2022 Precipice Fund Grant, supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation of the Visual Arts, Portland, OR
2021 Lane Martin Art Practice Endowed Scholarship, Portland State University, Portland, OR
2018 Artist in Residence, Times Square, New York, NY
2018 Queens Council on the Arts SU-CASA Teaching Grant, Queens, NY
2017 Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2016 Artist in Residence, Otion Front Studio, Brooklyn, NY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Written by:
2022 Going the Extra Mile: Stories from Celene’s Thrift, Social Souvenir Press.
2022 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Be in the Play That You’re In” Becca Kauffman with Jibz Cameron
2022 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Small Things Become Huge” Becca Kauffman with Avalon Kalin
2022 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Anyone Can Do This” Becca Kauffman with Crosswalk Collective LA
2022 Social Forms of Art Journal, “The Unexpected Host” Becca Kauffman with Fernando Perez
2021 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Going the Extra Mile: Luis Insists on Hardcover,” Becca Kauffman with Luis Orlando Beltran
2020 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Have a Nice Day,” Becca Kauffman with James Blount
2020 Social Forms of Art Journal, “Jennifer Vanilla Goes to Therapy,” Becca Kauffman with Adolfo Profumo
Written about:
2022 QNS, “Community celebrates new traffic safety measures in Ridgewood,” Elijah Hamilton
2022 Ridgewood Times, “Ridgewood residents call for safety signals at dangerous intersection,” Julia Moro
2022 The Brooklyn Rail, “The Joy of Artificial Flavoring,” Kamikaze Jones
2022 Pitchfork, “Album Review: Castle in the Sky,” Max Freedman
2022 BBC 6, Mary Ann Hobbes “Hit Reset,” radio feature
2022 Deutschland Funk, radio interview, Christoff Reimann
2022 Interlocutor Magazine, “Jennifer Vanilla’s Castle in the Sky”
2022 Polyester Zine, “Glad Rags: Jennifer Vanilla on the Importance of Personalizing Your Style”
2020 Love Injection, “I Can, I Will, I Must Jennifer,” Barbie Bertisch.
2019 Vogue, “Meet Jennifer Vanilla, the New York–Based Performance Artist…” Sophie Kemp.
2019 Flaunt, “Jennifer Vanilla Q+A,” Larry Armstrong-Kizzee.
2019 Ink Magazine, Cover Story, “Touching Down on Planet Jennifer,” Kristina Dickey.
2019 Just Magazine, “Our November Guest: NY Performance Artist Jennifer Vanilla.”
2018 Ravelin Magazine, “Becca Kauffman on Being Jennifer Vanilla,” Jillian Billard.
2018 The Cut, “The Performance Artist Playing Her Own Muse,” Sarah Spellings.
2018 Queens Newsweekly, “Ridgewood-based Performer Jennifer Vanilla Hosts…” Ryan Kelley.
2017 Ridgewood Times, "Jennifer Vanilla Brings Performance Art Experience to the Windjammer,” Anthony Giudice.