MEET MATTELINE DEVRIES-DILLING
“I work behind the scenes and in the shadows, but have been participating in the lighter side of the spell casting medicine of queer art for more then half my life. I'm humbled to be a part of this wonderful lineage of brilliance.”
Location: Cleveland, OH
Disciplines: Dance, poetry, sculpture/installation, public art, social practice/participatory, curation, zines/book arts, neon art fabrication and neon art conservation
matteline deVries-dilling (she/her) is the cofounder of Lite Brite Neon Studio. For the past 28 years she has crafted and facilitated the production of a vast range of neon art projects in tandem with her critically acclaimed studio and artists across turtle island. She is an ongoing collaborator with Queer|Art as well as with the Walker Youngbird Foundation, and has been working to help the continuance of the craft of neon in the queer and trans communities across the generational loss created as a result of the AIDS Pandemic, along with stewarding neon art in models of kinship and connection dear to her.
Work
Queer|Art Artist Editions
Native Neon Arts Residency
mentor profile
What interests you about mentoring?
“The lineage of queer mentors and kinship I've had has deeply influced and transformed my life and work, and It is a great joy to continue in this with others. the mentoring I've gotten from Julia Scher, Glenn Ligon, Jaguar Mary X, Temple Kay, LJ Roberts and the queer artists lite brite has worked with has helped me see how we hold hands with a beautiful lineage of critical queer medicine and spell casters. I'm thrilled to offer whatever I can in support and continued queer magic and luminosity.”
Given your experience and interests, what kind of emerging artist do you feel best positioned to support?
“I feel I could offer most to an emerging/mid career artist who's looking to work with alternative kinship models, working inside and outside of marketplace, who's interested in making public works, engainging with queer artist communities and looking to deepen a kinship model in creative production. I belive the work we do here is magic, and I feel I could best support someone who's looking to continue to develop and offer their queer magic to the world.”
As a mentor, what would you like to offer an emerging artist? What would you like to receive?
“I can offer guidance on production and collaboration, community connections, navigating institutions as an artist, and connecting to historic and communities that relate to queer visual arts. I'm not going to be great on academia, and while I have worked significantly with the marketplace and galleries, Its more as an outsider and advisor.”
Have you had mentors of your own? Who have they been?
“Julia Scher, Glenn Ligon, Celeste Lecesne, Sondra Loring, Jaguar Mary X, Linda Montano, Temple Kay, LJ Roberts, Nelson Santos, Marie Watt, Demian Diné-Yazhí, Sylvia Anderson, Alexandra Bell, Ja'Tovia Gary, Lama Rod Owens, Deborah Kass, Assume Vivid Astro Focus, and the entire team at Queer|Art.”
Is there something we didn’t ask that you would like prospective applicants to know?
“I work behind the scenes and in the shadows, but have been participating in the lighter side of the spell casting medicine of queer art for more then half my life. I'm humbled to be a part of this wonderful lineage of brilliance. Thank you so much.”
This mentor is open to working with fellows either remotely or in-person!