Torey Erin is a Minneapolis based curator, writer, and multidisciplinary artist primarily working in sculpture, painting, installation, and moving image. Her work is about perspective, mortality, and the magic of the natural world. Torey was born in the Black Hills (Paha Sapa) of South Dakota and currently resides on the unceded lands of the Dakhota people past and present in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Torey received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, focusing on installation and analog film. Her background has informed site and time specific works including a Light Study project with a mobile camera obscura and dozens of experimental film portraits of trees, vapor, and abstractions of light to emphasize the curiosity and wonder of being “in place''. Her recent work includes a site specific gathering of large stones titled thoughts from the earth that has become a site for meditation and other somatic practices at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, Minnesota. She has collaborated on projects such as Impermanence I/II, inviting participants across the world to create temporary fragrant sculptures and map them for others to find. Her work aims to create an emotional connection to the environment.
Torey is currently pursing a Master’s in Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and works for the Kusske Design Initiative in the College of Design and as an assistant to the Dean of Faculty in the College of Design. She is a recipient of the 4Ground Midwest Land Art Biennial (with support from Plains Art Museum and Franconia Sculpture Park, Joan MaCloed student Leadership Award (landscape architecture), 2020 Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant, Springboard for the Arts Hinge Artist Residency, Jo Tushie Fellowship, the Blacklock Sanctuary Fellowship, and a Landscape Architecture Foundation Olmsted Scholar.
Torey has exhibited at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Mirrorlab, Soo Visual Art Center, Company Projects, Public Functionary, Q2 Gallery, Rosalux Gallery, Yeah Maybe Project Space, FilmNorth, Gamut Gallery, and has an outdoor installation at Silverwood Park in Minnesota and Rabanus Park World Garden in Fargo, North Dakota; she has created costume and set/interior design at First Avenue, the Palace Theater, and the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Torey’s films have been featured in the Franconia Environmental Film screening, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Regis Center for Art, Duluth Film Festival, Trylon Cinema, Saltless Sea Cinema, Headwaters Film Festival (winner of Best Experimental Film) and Franconia Sculpture Park’s 5 Minute Film Festival.
Her recent projects include Salix, a 16mm film installation and zine, Mausoleum, a 16mm film collaboration with the earth. With community she planted her first love letter garden out of hand made seed paper with participants love letters to the earth written on them.
Toreyeb AT gmail DOT com