Mira is an abolitionist artist, educator, researcher, and organizer based in Chicago. Their work explores spacial justice and global histories of resistance with a focus on the role state violence, censorship, and manufactured scarcity have had on our collective ability to imagine and enact other ways of life.
They are currently the Director of Operations at Walls Turned Sideways, Assistant Studio Manager at The Digs Chicago, and a teaching artist with REAL Youth Initiative.
Mira received a Master of Art’s in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA from the University of Michigan where they studied Ethnic Studies, Art History, and Ceramics.
They have worked with the following organizations: Walls Turned Sideways, Real Youth Initiative, The Digs, Patric McCoy Legacy Project/Diasporal Rhythms, Groundcover News, Michigan Student Power Alliance, and NON:Opera Arts & Humanities
You can find more of their work on Instagram @coldandwetfromtheearth.
coldandwetfromtheearth@proton.me
coldandwetfromtheearth.org
EDUCATION
MA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Art Education)
BA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (Arts & Ideas in the Humanities + American Cultural Studies - Ethnic Studies)
AWARDS + GRANTS + FELLOWSHIPS
Odyssey Travel Grant, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2025
Illinois Humanities Activate History Microgrant, 2024
Mencoff Internship Award, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2024
Initiative for Democracy & Civil Empowerment, University of Michigan, 2024
New Artists Society Scholarship, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2023-2025
Graham Institute Social and Environmental Sustainability Grant, University of Michigan, 2023
Joel S. Siegel Scholarship, Department of American Culture, University of Michigan, 2022
MLK Spirit Award, Nominee, University of Michigan, 2021
EXHIBITIONS & CURATION
Prison Papers: Organizing Inside/Outside Solidarity, Co-Curator & Exhibiting Artist, Chicago, IL, Walls Turned Sideways, 2026
No One Held to Answer, Exhibiting Artist, Chicago, IL, SPACE.01, 2024
Archives as Action, Archives as Discourse, Exhibiting Artist, Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Northwestern University, 2025
There is No Disappearing Act, Exhibiting Artist, Ypsilanti, MI, Sometimes Space, 2024
School as a Function of Empire, Co-Curator & Exhibiting Artist, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, SITE Gallery, 2024
my country kills people, Exhibiting Artist, Chicago, IL, SPACE.01, 2024
Cylces of Liberatory Love, Exhibiting Artist, Chicago, IL, CELLOPHANE, 2024
Undergraduate Thesis Exhibition, Exhibiting Artist, Residential College Art Gallery, University of Michigan, 2024
COLLECTIONS
Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection
TALKS, PANELS & WORKSHOPS
"Prison Papers: Activating the Archives," Workshop, Chicago, IL, Socialism Conference, 2026 (upcoming)
"Publishing is Trans(itory)," Lecture, Chicago, IL, Quilt Church, 2026
"Keywords for an Archival Unraveling," Lecture, Graduate Thesis Presentations, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2025
"Rehearsals for the Revolution," Graduate Student Talk, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Department of Visual Critical Studies, 2024
"Activating the Groundcover News Archive," Workshop, ENGLISH 126-004, University of Michigan, Fall 2024 & Spring 2025
"Cultivating Generational Knowledge: Food as Generational Knowledge within Asian and Asian American diasporic communities," Residential College Undergraduate Thesis Presentations, University of Michigan, 2023
"Cultivating Generational Knowledge," Bite Sized Talks, Sustainable Food Program, University of Michigan, 2023
TEACHING
Co-Instructor, Listening Across Neighborhoods, Chicago, IL, NON:op, 2025
Workshop Instructor, Artmaking as Resistance, Chicago, IL, REAL Youth Initiative, Spring 2025 & Spring 2026
Graduate Teaching Assistant, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Art History & Art Educations Departments, 2024-2025
Teaching Assistant, University of Michigan, Psychology Department, 2020
PUBLICATIONS
Prison Papers Ed. 1, Editor, Walls Turned Sideways, 2026
Critical Fabulation Zine, 2023
Cultivating Generational Knowledge, 2023
Queer Asian Americans, Zine Ed. 7, Designer, United Asian American Organizations, 2022
This Past Year, Zine Ed. 5, Designer & Co-Editor,United Asian American Organizations, 2022
The Liberation Archive, Zine Edition 4, Designer & Co-Editor, United Asian American Organizations, 2022
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Assistant Manager, The Digs, 2026-present
Director of Operations (2026-present), General Manager (2024-2026), Walls Turned Sideways
Archivist, Patric McCoy, 2024-2025
Archivist, Groundcover News, 2024-2025
Installation Assistant, Residential College Art Gallery, University of Michigan, 2023
Research Assistant, Department of American Culture, University of Michigan, 2022-2023