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= Elana Mann = Elana Mann is a Los Angeles- based contemporary artist who emphasizes the power of communication and listening through her installations.

Early Life/Education
Elana Mann was born on November 26, 1982, in Newton Massachusetts. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband Jean-Paul Leonard who is a designer and their two children. Elana obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (B.F.A) from Washington University. She also received her master's degree in fine arts (M.F.A) from the California Institute of the Arts. She specialized in sculpture and developed a passion for the act of communication. Her interest in communication led her to focus her sculptures on the act of listening, inspiring her to create sculptures that are listening devices.

Career
Elana is a sculptor and installation artist working in the realm of art. Besides creating sculptures, Elana also focuses on performances, video work, and collaboration making her an interdisciplinary artist. Through her artwork, she aims to address political issues in society pertaining to listening and speaking. Her work is highly influenced by her environment, particularly resistance movements happening in her community such as the Black Lives Matter protests. Her sculptures were created to represent the power of human speech. Her sculptures in "Sounds from the Swamps" demonstrate this concept as well as the human voice's resiliency in the face of attempts to silence it. While working on these pieces, she was thinking about how society tries to silence those who oppose oppression and white supremacy, and how, despite this, their voices have become louder and stronger than ever. She created sculptures that resemble instruments that actually generate sounds when used by amplifying the user's voice. They even have holes in the palm of their hands that are connected to a trumpet valve. When utilized they cover the person's mouth on purpose. The goal is to create a contradiction by covering the person's mouth while amplifying their voice.

"The Assonant Armory" is one of her most memorable exhibitions presented in the Commonwealth and Council art gallery. The goal of this exhibition is to highlight the human voice through instrumental sculptures. Elana designed megaphones and musical horns with human figures and acoustic qualities. The most intriguing aspect of these sculptures is that they emphasize the significance of vocal sounds and politics. "Hands up, don't shoot horns" and "Histophones" were used to emphasize the human voice calling out for justice. One of the most intriguing pieces in this exhibit is the "Donald Trumpet," which is designed to mute his voice. The purpose of this piece was to silence his hateful and racist remarks towards minorities and people of color. Her work is distinctive in that she uses a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and stone. She focuses on communication, raising awareness of the importance of listening to one another, and promoting peace.

Works/Accomplishments
Elana has displayed her work in a range of venues throughout the United States and the world, including museums and galleries. Her projects include installations, solo and two person exhibitions, performance and screening, public projects, and even writings and publications.

Solo and Two Person Exhibitions:
2016 The Assonant Armory, Commonwealth & Council, Los Angeles, CA

2018 Instruments of accountability, Pitzer College Art Galleries, Claremont, CA

2021 Year of Wonders, redux, 18th street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA.

Performances and Screening:
2017 Now Hear This! An Exercise in Listening, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA

2018 Ain't I A Womxn? A Gender's Promenade, State Historic Park, Los Angeles, CA

2019 Muscle Beach Cookbook, current: LA, curated by Human Resources, Venice Beach Recreational Facility, Venice, CA

Public Projects:
2016 Talk through the hand, mural on the exterior of Baik Art, Los Angeles, CA

2017 Take a Stand Marching Band, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2021 Song of the Cicada, Honor Fraser gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Selected Writing and Publications:
2018 Propositional Attitudes: What do we do now? co-edited with John Burtle, Golden Spike Press, Risograph print, 122 pages, edition of 250

Awards
Elana has received the following awards:

2019 2020 2021
 * The Stone & DeGuire Contemporary Art Award
 * Artist-in-Residence at the Los Angeles Clean-Tech Incubator (AIR LACI)
 * International Artist-In-Residence at Artpace San Antonio
 * The City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship
 * Sustainable Arts Foundation Award
 * Future Art Award

Contact Information
Website: https://elanamann.com/

Email: elanamann@gmail.com

Instagram: @elanamamma