Carolyn Tennant

Carolyn Tennant (b. Ithaca, NY) is a media artist, independent curator, and archivist living in Albany with her partner and frequent collaborator, J.T. Rinker and their kid, Matilda. She has worked at The Sanctuary for Independent Media since Fall 2021, employing an extensive background in archive management, event production, and arts administration. In addition to coordinating various media projects, she is organizing the Sanctuary’s extensive collection of documentation from over 20 years of programming. This work is driven by a commitment to creating greater public access to ensure the organization’s legacy. 

From 2006-2017, Carolyn served as Media Arts Director at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, a multi-disciplinary art space in Buffalo, New York, where in addition to curating and film programming, she developed the organization’s digital archive. She relocated to the Capital Region in 2017 to pursue a PhD in Electronic Art from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2021). She received her MFA from the University at Buffalo’s Department of Media Study in 2006, and she holds a BA from Hampshire College. Her research has examined the history of early video art, namely the collaborations between engineers and artists that took place at the Experimental Television Center in Owego, NY. Carolyn’s current research explores how artists use archives as the content and as the framework for their practice, and she is utilizing a collection of found 16mm films as the source for a multimedia series. An interdisciplinary maker, her projects live in the realm of experimental nonfiction, and employ a range of media such as film, video, performance and immersive installation.