Brandon Alvendia, an artist, curator, and educator, actively promotes artist-run initiatives across North America, fostering community-driven exhibitions, events, and publications. As Co-Founder of artLedge, BEN RUSSELL, The Storefront, and Silver Galleon Press, he served as Independent Curators International's Curatorial Research Fellow in 2021, focusing on projects in the Mississippi River Basin. He also spearheaded the revival of the MdW project, expanding its reach across the central Midwest to support a growing ecosystem of hyperlocal art scenes from the region, working together to build lasting coalitions of purposeful, artist-led action.
In addition to his curatorial work, Brandon has extensive teaching experience at institutions including the School of The Art Institute, UIC, and Columbia College, all located in Chicago, as well as the Maine College of Art in Portland, ME. Brandon holds degrees from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Additionally, he has participated in programs such as the Copycat Academy in Toronto and the ICI Curatorial Intensive in New Orleans. Recipient of Spring 2024 Curatorial Research Fellowship Grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.