DR MCKAIN'S CURRENT ART PRACTICE IS HOUSED AT

THE INSTITUTE FOR AESTHETIC ADVOCACY

and their new website needs a few bucks -- and us hiring someone to grind/curate for a week --to finally go live. since we are pitching our book, this page is also a quick IAA 101

(VIDEO BY SHAWN BALLARIN W/ SUN SILO @ NORTHERN SPARK [2015]: INTERNATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION/PERFORMANCE)

EXHIBITIONSINSTALLATIONS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CO-FOUNDER

THE INSTITUTE FOR AESTHETIC ADVOCACY
2017-PRESENT

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / DIRECTOR
SCHOOL OF ENGLISH, DIGITAL MEDIA,
& COMMUNICATION ARTS
NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY:
2018-2023


FOUNDER / ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DIVISION OF RHETORIC & DIGITAL ARTS
HAMLINE UNIVERSITY:
2011-2017

  • ARTS and CULTURAL CRITICISM

    KARE-11 MINNEAPOLIS
    CBS NEWS MINNEAPOLIS
    PIONEER PRESS
    POP MATTERS
    ALTERNET
    POP CULTURE & THEOLOGY
    BLERG
    JOURNAL OF AMERICAN CULTURE
    MY DISSERTATION
    LEXINGTON PRESS
    HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PRES
    MCGRAW-HILL

    PRESS and MEDIA 

  • EXHIBITIONS

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CURATOR / AESTHETIC ENGINEER / MC / RESEARCHER / SHOWRUNNER

    ACLU MN
    RECLAIM THE BLOCK 
    URBAN EDUCATORS
    LITTLE EARTH NATIVE HUD COMMUNITY
    NATIVE YOUTH ARTS CENTER
    INSTITUTE FOR DIGITAL HUMANITY
    PROTECT MN
    SECOND CHANCE MN
    GUNS DOWN, LOVE UP
    INSTITUTE FOR DIGITAL HUMANITY
    NORTH SURBURBAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
    NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
    HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
    THE DIGITAL ARCHIVE OF LITERACY

    thank you to my IAA exhibition partners (and hundreds of artists from around the world)

    GO TO THE IAA 

  • INSTALLATIONS

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR / MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST, WRITER, and/or PERFORMER / MUSICIAN

    w/ the IAA

    CZONG MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART   I   TWIN CITIES ZINE FEST   I  MN ARTS BOARD

    FRANCONIA SCULPTURE PARK  I  ELY CENTER FOR THE ARTS  I  NORTHEAST SCULPTURE GALLERY  I   PROJECT PROJECT

    w/ dronesTruck

    UNIV. OF MN INSTITUTE ON THE ENVIRONMENT   I   MISSOURI REVIEW (RUNNER UP: MILLER AUDIO AWARD FOR HUMOR)   I   HAMLINE MIDWAY ARTS FESTIVAL 


    w/ sun silo

    MINNEAPOLIS ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL    I   NORTHERN SPARK ARTS FESTIVAL   I   

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Co-Founder / Creative Director

THE INSTITUTE FOR AESTHETIC ADVOCACY

THE INSTITUTE FOR AESTHETIC ADVOCACY

Twin Cities-Based Art Collective, Creative Advocacy Agency, and Free Speech Think Tank... 

...that amplifies and defends ideas, people, and dialogues that have been silenced or censored.

  • CONTAMINATED
    CONTAMINATED
  • DIGITAL RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS
    DIGITAL RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS
  • Y2K16: SURVIVING THE DIGITAL APOCALYPSE
    Y2K16: SURVIVING THE DIGITAL APOCALYPSE
  • SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
    SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
  • ALL BULLETS SHATTER
    ALL BULLETS SHATTER
  • ZINE EXCHANGES
    ZINE EXCHANGES

INSTALLATIONS

  • CELLULAR HOME INVASION
    CELLULAR HOME INVASION
  • Y2K16: SURVIVING THE DIGITAL APOCALYPSE
    Y2K16: SURVIVING THE DIGITAL APOCALYPSE
  • UNSOUND METHODS
    UNSOUND METHODS
  • ENDLESSLY REPEATING ENDLESSLY
    ENDLESSLY REPEATING ENDLESSLY
  • Ma l'amor mio non muore (Love Everlasting)
    Ma l'amor mio non muore (Love Everlasting)
  • SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
    SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
  • DRONESTRUCK: OPERATION COMO
    DRONESTRUCK: OPERATION COMO
  • SOUNDTRACK TO CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA
    SOUNDTRACK TO CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA
  • Love Everlasting (Ma l'amor mio non muore)
    Love Everlasting (Ma l'amor mio non muore)
  • WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY (WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?)
    WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY (WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?)
View full details

  • THANK YOU TO OUR INSTALLATION PARTNERS, PATRONS, AND HOSTS


    JURIED and or GRANT FUNDED INSTALLATIONS

    CZONG MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA)
      TWIN CITIES ZINE FEST   
     MINNESOTA ARTS BOARD

    RHETORIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
    TULTAIN VALLEY CREATES
    BAD VIDEO ARTS FESTIVAL
    SAINT CLOUD ZINE FEST
    HAMLINE OPEN STUDIOS

    FRANCONIA SCULPTURE PARK
     ELY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
    NORTHEAST SCULPTURE GALLERY  
       PROJECT PROJECT

    ART INSTALLATIONS 

  • THANK YOU TO OUR EXHIBITION PARTNERS

    JURIED and/or GRANT-FUNDED LOCAL, NATIONAL, and/or INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS and (always) CIVIC FORUMS

    ACLU MINNESOTA 
    SAFETY NOT SURVEILLANCE COALITION
    RECLAIM THE BLOCK
    GUNS DOWN, LOVE UP
    LITTLE EARTH NATIVE HUD COMMUNITY
    LITTLE EARTH NATIVE YOUTH ARTS CENTER
    PROTECT MINNESOTA
    SECOND CHANCE COALITION
    NORTH SUBURBAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
    URBAN EDUCATORS NORTHEAST SCULPTURE FACTORY
    DIGITAL ARCHIVE OF LITERACY NARRATIVES
    NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
    HAMLINE UNIVERSITY

    ART EXHIBITIONS 

  • AND TO THE HUNDREDS OF ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

    who contributed and participated in these unique attempt to foster community during lockdown, disinformation war, the assault on artistic/academic freedom, and this AI shitshow.

    GO TO THE IAA 
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AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR, THE INSTITUTE FOR AESTHETIC ADVOCACY

ARTIST STATEMENTS / AESTHETIC AMICUS BRIEFS / PSST: COMEDIANS

The surprisingly -- if not alarmingly -- highly credentialed arts advocacy and free speech collective you call when no other arts advocacy and free speech collective will take your call.

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ART INSTALLATIONS

  • Because Art is the Answer When Nothing Else Works.

  • JURIED and/or GRANT FUNDED GROUP and SOLO INSTALLATIONS

    CZONG MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA)
      TWIN CITIES ZINE FEST   
     MINNESOTA ARTS BOARD

    RHETORIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
    TULTAIN VALLEY CREATES
    BAD VIDEO ARTS FESTIVAL
    SAINT CLOUD ZINE FEST
    HAMLINE OPEN STUDIOS

    FRANCONIA SCULPTURE PARK
     ELY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
    NORTHEAST SCULPTURE GALLERY  
       PROJECT PROJECT


  • Using aesthetics to illuminate, educate, and advocate for

    free speech,
    digital civil rights,
    science,
    public health,
    and civic civility.

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Czong Institute for Contemporary Art

CELLULAR HOME INVASION

View full details

ART INSTALLATIONS

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ART EXHIBITONS and CIVIC FORUMS

DR M AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR / CURATOR / DESIGNER / HOST


  • Designed to catalyze and curate allegedly impossible cross-cultural conversations.

  • JURIED and/or GRANT-FUNDED LOCAL, NATIONAL, and/or INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS and (always) CIVIC FORUMS:

    ACLU MINNESOTA 
    SAFETY NOT SURVEILLANCE COALITION
    RECLAIM THE BLOCK
    GUNS DOWN, LOVE UP
    LITTLE EARTH NATIVE HUD COMMUNITY
    LITTLE EARTH NATIVE YOUTH ARTS CENTER
    PROTECT MINNESOTA
    SECOND CHANCE COALITION
    NORTH SUBURBAN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
    URBAN EDUCATORS NORTHEAST SCULPTURE FACTORY
    DIGITAL ARCHIVE OF LITERACY NARRATIVES
    NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
    HAMLINE UNIVERSITY




  • THANK YOU TO:
    THE HUNDREDS OF
    ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

    who contributed and participated
    in these unique attempts to
    foster community during lockdown,
    disinformation war,
    the assault on artistic/academic freedom,
    and this AI shitshow.

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Institute for Aesthetic Advocacy

CONTAMINATED

View full details

ART EXHIBITIONS

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PERFORMANCES

JURIED and/or AWARD-WINNING and/or I JUST LIKE THEM

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Northern Spark Arts Festival / Sun Silo

ENDLESSLY REPEATING ENDLESSLY

View full details

PERFORMANCES


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