Cody Umans (b. New York, NY) is currently based in Queens, NY. He has exhibited his work with the support of residencies, grants, collaborations with artists, and via community spaces like parks and gardens. Cody’s pursuit is to share his art in “unconventional spaces” and invite the public to share the experience of the creative process. Out of the incontrollable dynamic between art, the environment, and community, a deeper understanding of trust can be experienced. A significant part of his life and art practice is centered around building community, and being an ally to direct action communities. Cody’s practice is supported by working for art and artisan organizations in his community as a carpenter, metalworker, and general contractor. He has been hired to paint custom signs and murals as well.
Currently, Cody Umans and Margaret Horning are focused on developing their collaborative art practice, which explores pairing visual art and social engagement. They collaborate with the public by designing self-sufficient installations that invite data entry, play, resources, and art therapy. Using found materials from the local area, Cody and Margaret’s process repurposes wasted industrial materials to create a combination of puzzles, mobiles, habitats, murals, art workshops, and free stores. Interested in tensions between industrially ravaged landscapes and the remnant ecosystems native to the place, the partnerships’ colorful mixed media installations highlight overlooked landscapes with 2D and 3D forms. They have just completed their first residency together in July 2023 at El Sur in Mexico City.
Since 2019 Cody has made a significant space in his art practice for organizing and teaching free art workshops. During his residency at 6 Base gallery he invited the public to make drawings, which he compiled into a “wall book” and exhibited in the space for the remainder of the residency. Cody’s intention is to deconstruct the power dynamic between artist, gallery, and public. His concept is simple: if everyone is welcome to come into the Art space to make art, then everyone is able to have a deeper connection with the creative process. This opens the door for conversations about art from personal experience, catharsis through making, and skill sharing. Following this experience, Cody started Free Art Workshops for the Queensbridge NYCHA community in Queens, NY. In 2021 and 2022 he was awarded Queens Council of the Arts grants, and organized roughly 25 art workshops on the street, outside of the community center in Queensbridge. With the support of the grants Cody was able to hire other artists from the local community to share their practices with the participants of all ages.
Email: Seeyewnewyork@gmail.com
IG: @blurryportraits