Dina Weiss is a New York City-based artist, curator, and educator, she holds her M.F.A. in Sculpture from Parsons, School for Art & Design, and a B.S. in Studio Art from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She also studied art history at the American University of Paris in France and studio art at Parsons Paris and the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. Her current exhibition and curatorial project - Textures of Feminist Perseverance is on view at The James Gallery at CUNY Graduate Center through June 7, 2024, and at the Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space from March 1 - April 27, 2024. Some past exhibition venues include the Equity Gallery, NY; San Diego Contemporary Museum of Art, CA; City Without Walls, Newark, NJ; Hudson Valley Contemporary Center for Art, Peekskill, NY; The LAB, San Francisco, CA; Untitled Space, New Haven, CT; and Art in General, New York City. Works are included in public collections at The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY; The New York Public Library, New York City; and The West Collection at SEI, Philadelphia, PA.

Artist Statement:

My practice encompasses weaving, sewing, drawing, painting, constructing, and photography. Through these mediums, I engage in a tactile dialogue with the materials that respond to the urban landscape and the adjacent interior spaces. New York City has been my home for more than two decades, and during this time, I've undertaken extensive documentation of it. My lens captures the grandiose landmarks and the often-overlooked, mundane facets of city life. In my archive, one can find a trove of photographs that immortalize iconic structures and the discarded remnants of urban existence strewn upon sidewalks.

I am an archivist and a flâneuse, a wanderer who navigates the urban terrain. My work is grounded in feminism and urban theory as a response to my lived experiences as a city dweller and a woman.  I utilize traditional crafts to explore the interwoven relationship between interior and exterior spaces. This provides the sustaining energy, as I continue to examine the complex interplay between the city and its inhabitants.

Teaching, Curatorial, and Administrative work:

Dina Weiss has been working as an educator, curator, and arts administrator with 20+ years of experience supporting artists of all ages and stages in their creative development. She has led educational programs at colleges, museums, and cultural institutions with a commitment to fostering interdisciplinary practices. She has been invested in how artists, designers, and cultural producers can effectively harness their creativity impactfully to drive meaningful social change. Throughout her career, she has served as an Assistant Chair, Associate Professor, Curator, non-profit Executive Director, Education Coordinator, and Teaching Artist for museums, colleges, and cultural institutions across New York City.  These roles have provided a wealth of administrative experience, educational and academic knowledge, and a strong understanding of the complexities and nuances of arts education and programming leadership.

Weiss is an Adjunct Curator and Program Associate at the James Gallery, CUNY Graduate Center. Her current exhibition and curatorial project - Textures of Feminist Perseverance is on view at The James Gallery at CUNY Graduate Center through June 7, 2024, and at the Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space from March 1 - April 27, 2024.  Presented in two venues, Textures of Feminist Perseverance asks how women's daily experiences and contributions are recorded in physical, virtual, and social public spheres. Centering the work of 17 female-identifying artists, this project supports artists who are imagining ways for women to take up the space they are already producing.

She was the Assistant Chair of Fine Arts at Pratt Institute and an Associate Professor from 2012-2024. At Pratt, she worked with both MFA and BFA programs overseeing all public programming and outreach, serving on curriculum committees, and developing new educational initiatives for students, faculty, and alumni. Before that, Weiss served as the Executive Director of Artists Alliance, Inc. and Director of Cuchifritos Gallery & Project Space, a not-for-profit arts organization located on the Lower East Side of New York City, which provides exhibition and studio opportunities to emerging and underrepresented artists. She currently serves on the Board and Curatorial Advisory. She taught at Parsons, School of Design, where she partnered with the Museum of Art and Design's education department to create a portfolio preparation program for NYC high school students. She was an Education Consultant at the New Museum where she contributed a chapter in their publication Rethinking Contemporary Art and Multicultural Education, published by Routledge and the New Museum. And an Education Coordinator at the Museum of Arts & Design, The Drawing Center, and the Dia Art Foundation in New York City, working to bring arts access to New York City public schools and local communities.