Rachel Yurkovich

ROY Alum: 2016

My first solo show after graduating was at ROY G BIV.  Getting selected really helped to build my confidence, and it gave me practice to put a show together.  My work is non-traditional, and the gallery Director was very supportive of my installation.  The opportunity to show at ROY G BIV demonstrates their willingness to provide an outlet for experimental art.  Exhibiting at ROY proved to be a good steppingstone for me as an artist and to help me move forward with other shows.

https://www.rachelyurkovich.com/

BIO: Rachel Yurkovich is an American mixed-media artist based in Cleveland, Ohio. Born in South Carolina, she grew up in North Macedonia and the Czech Republic, experiences that gave her a unique perspective on culture, belonging, and the environment, which continues to inform her work. She returned to the U.S. to study Sculpture and Painting at the Cleveland Institute of Art, earning her BFA in 2014.

After graduating, Rachel received the First Agnes Gund Traveling Award, which funded her 2016 trip to Chernobyl, Ukraine. From this trip, she created the short film Black Grass, documenting how wildlife reclaimed the abandoned site. This journey helped shape her ongoing focus on the interactions between the human-made and natural worlds. Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions at The Sculpture Center (OH), Waterloo Arts (OH), Bruce Gallery (PA), Cleveland Botanical Garden (OH), and Matthaei Botanical Gardens (MI). Her videos have also been featured in film festivals across the U.S. and Europe.

Rachel balances her art practice with her day job as Associate Director of Technology at the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Interactive Media Lab, where she helps others use cutting-edge tools in their creative process. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys time with her husband, and two young children.‍ ‍