Profile
Kiersten Nash believes passionately in the power of creativity–the power to ask: why? what if…? and how might we…? In 2013, Kiersten founded Public Works as a platform for catalyzing creative civic engagement by expanding the capacities of individuals and organizations to understand how they can and do impact their environment–be it a patch of grass, park or public policy. Recognized as an artist, designer, and educator, Kiersten prefers the more elusive moniker Thinker-Tinkerer. She integrates cultural theory with her experimental prowess as an artist and training as a former athlete to navigate the nuances of everyday attuned to the [in]visible infrastructures that mold perceptions, conceptions, and mobilities. Her collaborations have been recognized by such notable institutions as The Municipal Art Society of New York and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her research presentations include [Un]Learning: A Dialectical Approach Toward Sustainability (2015, Cumulus Mumbai Conference); [Un]Learning X Design From The Ground, Up (2015, LearnxDesign Conference); [Un]Learning for Tomorrow By Design (2014, AIGA Design Educators Conference); and D.Tour: Detroit, Going Nowhere, Going Somewhere (2012, The American University of Paris). She has co-designed and facilitated workshops throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. Kiersten is currently an Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design, where she earned her MFA in Transdisciplinary Design.