Glenn Sonnie Wooden
Sonnieone.com
Education
2020: University of Pennsylvania, Masters of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2018: The University of Iowa, BA Studio, Emphasis in Entrepreneurship, Iowa City, Iowa
2014-2015: The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Solo Exhibitions
2018
Westside With Love solo exhibition at The University of Iowa Visual Arts Building gallery E148
Ancestral Phone Booth (2018) at The University of Iowa Visual Arts Building in The Visual Arts Building sculpture Garden.
Ancestral Phone Booth (2018) at The University of Iowa Visual Arts Building in The Mauricio L. Lasansky and Emilia B Lasansky Atrium.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023
Samkofa: A showcase of boundary-defying personal cinema by Black Filmmakers in collaboration with Film Diary and Photodom (Brooklyn, NY)
2022
No Name Cinema presents Film Diary 2.0 (Santa Fe, NM)
Lino Kino: Completely Familiar, Entirely Free (New Haven, CT)
GODSPEED: FILM DIARY NYC (Brooklyn, NY)
The Dividual an exhibition curated by Joshua Simon at Kunstraum of Leuphana University Lüneburg (Los Angeles, California)
2021
The Dividual an exhibition curated by Joshua Simon at Kunstraum of Leuphana University Lüneburg (Lüneburg, Germany)
Ways of Seeing (Chicago, IL)
University of Pennsylvania MFA Thesis Exhibition, “Double Feature” - Collaboration with Princeton Cange as Darker Than Blue (Philadelphia, PA)
Where are we now? by Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Philadelphia, PA)
Wants & Needs at Elizabeth Foundation Project Space (New York, NY)
2020
Open Video Call (Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia)
Legion Arts (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Ways Away at FJORD (Philadelphia, PA)
2019
Incubation Series: Close Enough at the Lightbox Film Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Silverstein Photography Studio Abroad Program: Tokyo (Philadelphia, PA)
Penn Lens Showcase (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Pennsylvania’s Masters of Fine Arts First-Year Exhibition: “11/10” (Philadelphia, PA)
2018
Slap Happy (Brooklyn, NY)
Hip-Hop Healing group exhibition (Iowa City, IA)
Shift: Light Leaked is an bi-monthly online photography magazine that creates community and dialogue.
STEAM Fest 2018. Terry Trueblood Center. (Iowa City, IA)
2017
Symptomatic Process (Iowa City, IA)
16x16x16 Traveling Group Exhibition (University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA. University of Kansas - Lawrence, KS. Metropolitan Community College - Omaha, NE. Montana State University - Bozeman, MT)
2016
We're A Grateful Bunch (Iowa City, IA)
4X5X10 (Iowa City, IA)
Residency
2019
Cyprus Landscape Reconciliation Studio Abroad Program: Nicosia, Cyprus
Silverstein Photography Studio Abroad Program: Tokyo, Japan
2018
The Heights, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Artist Talks
2023
…Like Clockwork by Chicago Filmmaker (Chicago, IL)
2021
Kunstraum of Leuphana University Lüneburg (Lüneburg, Germany)
University of Santa Barbra: Artist talk with undergraduate art program
2020
Catalina Nights: A conversation about art, culture, business, and entrepreneurship via Twitch
2019
“Anxious Preoccupied” on WQHS radio show at the University of Pennsylvania
2018
PennDesign Spotlight: Presentation on privilege, Chicago, and the convergence of community.
V103 Chicago segment, Chicago Speaks with Darryl Dennard on Kanye West, Chicago, and education
Hip-Hop Healing at Big Grove Brewery on black resilience, survivals guilt, and community
Hip-Hop Healing on KRUI Radio Iowa City, in conversation with Joshua Housing
2017
"Somewhere is Here: Sumter County, Alabama,” presentation in conversation with Tameka J. Norris, Witching Hour festival, Iowa City, IA
Collections
2017
The Mu Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at The University of Iowa
Media
2019
“A Beacon of Hope” for Phi Gamma Delta Magazine
2018
Brother Spotlight: Sonnie Wooden in the Phi Gamma Delta graduate newsletter for the Mu Deuteron chapter
Sonnie Wooden & Joshua Housing in conversation with The Daily Iowan on race, socio-economic status, and privilege.
Grants
2019
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation: Student Arts Innovation Grant
University of Pennsylvania Masters of Fine Arts Departmental Grant
2018
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation Travel Grant
Publications
2021
Boy Meets World Monograph and Mechanical Soft-Press at Printer Matter, inc
Boy Meets World Monograph - Funded by The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation
Boy Meets World & Mechanical Soft-Press collaboration
May Newsletter: Penn Club of Chicago
2018
"Farewell, Iowa" opinions column for The Daily Iowan
"The warmth of The Dandy Lion" opinions column for The Daily Iowan
"I hope God hears me cry" opinions column for The Daily Iowan
"Hawkeye fans need to demand more" opinions column for The Daily Iowan. The column became the second-highest viewed online article in the past three years with 60,000 hits.
"Anthony Bourdain & America" opinions column for The Daily Iowan
"Drake’s only true competition is Drake himself" opinions column for The Daily Iowan
"Pseudo Liberals & Racism" personal essay in The Daily Iowan
Chicago: Neither Here, Nor There with The Daily Iowan on race, socio-economic status, and privilege.
2017
P! Magazine for the Mu Deuteron Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at The University of Iowa in collaboration with Sonnie Studios LLC
2015-2016
Staff photographer for The Daily Iowan newspaper
Accolades
2020
Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship: The National Prize is given to graduating MFA students from ten leading MFA programs in the country. Awarded to a graduating MFA student nominated by the faculty who shows exceptional promise as a visual artist in painting, sculpture, film, video, mixed media, or performance art.
2019
Cyprus Landscape Reconciliation Fellowship (University of Pennsylvania)
2018
Pacemaker finalist and honorable mention from the Associated College Press for the story Chicago: Neither Here, Nor There.
2017
The Light Factory - Honorable Mention in the Annuale 9 (Charlotte, NC)
2016
Young Masters Award from Danny Wilcox Frazier of VII Photo agency, for photographic theory and practice, while at The Daily Iowan Newspaper.
Professional Experience
2018 - 2020
Teaching assistant for the undergraduate program of fine art at the University of Pennsylvania.
Student council program representative for the Master of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. Provide communication between the MFA’s to the student council board. Comments, ideas, and concerns are then taken to the larger governing body of the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.
Student Ambassador for the Master of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
Photography lab monitor at the University of Pennsylvania. Oversee camera rentals, inventory, and developing room.
2018
Creative consultant for Rowan. An LA-based producer, sound engineer, rapper, and singer.
Creative Director of the Mu Deuteron chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Head director of merchandise and logos, while overseeing chapter events from formals, philanthropies, and date parties.
2017
Artist Assistant (video and photographic documentation), for National Endowment for the Arts, an awarded project by Tameka J Norris; in collaboration with Coleman Center for the Arts. (July 2017 - August 2017)
Volunteer Research Assistant at The University of Iowa Museum of Art. Worked remotely and communicated back to the museum weekly. Researched artist and objects for catalog descriptions. Research used for all UIMA public domain catalogs. Learned the importance of feedback and writing skills in the work place. (January 2017 - May 2017)
Co-Founder of Porous Photography Collective. Porous is a photography collective/agency focused on giving the photographer more power over their images and stories they tell.
2015 - 2016
Staff photographer for The Daily Iowan newspaper.