Fenn Bruns

About

Fenn Bruns (they/them) is an artist, educator, and community organizer from Folsom, CA. They are excited to be part of the team at Blue Line Arts, serving as Gallery Coordinator. After receiving their BFA in Art and Design and minor in Queer Studies from Cal Poly SLO, Fenn has returned to the Sacramento Valley region to build up their arts experience while pursuing an MFA in Art Practice. 

Fenn has been honored as the awardee of the Kodak Professional Photographer scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, in addition to being recognized for Outstanding Contribution to DEI Work and with the Art for Social Change award from Cal Poly Arts. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2024, their experience in academia and research drives their passion for promoting equity and cultural competence through arts education.

They have served as a community consultant for their academic and lived experiences around issues of queer identity, research in intersectional feminism and queer studies, and interdisciplinary studies intertwining art and LGBTQ+ history. Fenn served as a panelist for Cal Poly’s Open House on behalf of the Art and Design department, introducing incoming freshmen to the program and providing critical insight into strategic minoring in liberal arts. They also were asked to speak at the HJ Miossi Art Gallery at Cuesta College, where they spoke to the intersections of mass media and queer identity as it related to Cobi Moules’ Exhibition, Showering of Sparkling Bits.

Fenn is a former EXL Art Teacher at Pony Express Elementary where they introduced a comprehensive art studio curriculum to a Title One school that previously lacked the capacity to provide such a program. Their dedication to their local arts community influences the work they make, working largely collaboratively and in alternative arts spaces such as DEMO Art and Books and Prism Art Space, both in Midtown, Sacramento. Their photographic work is currently on display at Timeless Thrills Gallery in East Sacramento.

Fenn’s work has been regionally and nationally recognized, being awarded as one of the top three artists in SPE’s New Wave Exhibition, honored by juror Nelson Chan. Additionally, their work as a photographer for Mustang News was awarded 3rd place for Best Feature Photograph at the California College Media Awards.

As an artist, Fenn understands the intricacies of working in and around the gallery space and is dedicated to providing attentive care to all who walk in our doors, sharing their passion for art as a tool of connection and healing in our communities and abroad.