Education
––Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) ABD
Regional and City Planning – Community Development, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Media Art/Photography, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAS)
Photojournalism and Art, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Awards & Grants
2023 Tulsa Artists Fellowship (Tulsa, OK)
2018 CASE-PRH Fellowship Center for Art and Social Engagement at University of Houston (Houston, TX)
2017 Oklahoma APA (American Planners Association) Award for Outstanding Public Outreach for Women of North East Oklahoma City Photovoice Project
2016 Light Work Artist in Resident A-I-R (Syracuse, NY)
2016 McNair Fellowship University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
2014 En Foco New Works Photography Fellow (NYC, NY)
2013 Newspace Center for Photography Fellow (Portland, OR)
2013 Art 365 grant Recipient, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (Oklahoma City, OK)
2012 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) “Site Unseen”, Hardesty Art Center (Tulsa, OK)
2011 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Artist Fellow (Oklahoma City, OK)
2011 National Photography Fellow, Midwest Center for Photography (Wichita, KS)
2011 Creative Project Grant recipient, Oklahoma visual arts council (Oklahoma City, OK)
2010 Research Travel grant Recipient, College of Fine Arts and school of Art, University of Oklahoma
2010 Creative Project Grant recipient, Oklahoma visual arts council (Oklahoma City, OK)
2009 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Docents Award Recipient, University of Oklahoma
2008 Research Travel grant Recipient, College of Fine Arts and school of Art, University of Oklahoma
2007 Graduate Assistant at University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
2005 Ronald E. McNair Research Grant Recipient, Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX)
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Deep Looking, Alexandre Hogue Gallery, Tulsa, OK.
2021 The Spaces Between, Melton Gallery, Edmond, OK.
2019 To Belong, Second Floor, 21C Museum Hotels, Oklahoma City, OK.
2018 Black Place-making and Imagination, Project Raw Houses, Houston, TX.
2018 Border Blend, Leap Coffee Roasters, Oklahoma City, OK.
2014Collaborative Self, Oklahoma State Capitol Galleries, Oklahoma City, OK.
2014 Mother’s Prayer, Blue Wave Fine Art Gallery, Amesbury, MA.
2014 Site Unseen, University of Oklahoma Tulsa, Schusterman Library, Tulsa OK.
2014Collaborative Self, Southwestern Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK.
2013 Collaborative Self, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX
2013 Site Unseen, Hardesty Arts Center, Tulsa OK.
2012 Collaborative Self, Newspace Center for Photography, Portland OR.
2012 Collaborative self, Individual Artist of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK
2011 The Promise Land, Lightwell Gallery, Norman, OK
2009The Promised Land, Urban Roots, Oklahoma City, OK
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 The All-Black Towns of Oklahoma, The Oklahoma Center for Humanities, Tulsa, OK.
2021 Views of Greenwood, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK.
2019 To Belong, Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Tulsa, OK.
2018 Personal Space, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR.
2018 Mother’s Prayers, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
2017 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.
2016 Race, Love and Labor, University Art Museum, University at Albany, NY, (Curator) Sarah Lewis
2016 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN.
2016 bARTer, Current Studio, Oklahoma City, OK
2016 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, GA
2015 The Center is Moving Target, Kemper Contemporary Museum, Kansas City, MO.
2015 En Foco New Works “Mother’s Prayer” The Bronx Documentary Center, NYC, NY.
2015 Race, Love and Labor Tremaine Gallery, Hotchkiss School Lakeville, CT, (Curator) Sarah Lewis
2014 OKC125: The Underground, Oklahoma City, OK, (Curator) Romy Owens
2014 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, AR
2014 INFOCUS: Self-Published Photobooks, Phoenix Museum of Art, Phoenix, AZ.
2014 Race, Love and Labor, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY, (Curator) Sarah Lewis.
2014 Art 365, Hardesty Art Center, Tulsa, OK Curator Raechell Smith
2014 Mother’s Prayer, Newspace Center for photography, Portland, OR.
2014 Art 365, [Artspace] at Untitled, Oklahoma City, OK, Curator Raechell Smith.
2013 24 works on Paper, Traveling exhibition Oklahoma. Curator Kristen Olds
2012 Fabric of Sky, MAINSITE Contemporary Art, Norman, OK.
2012 Domestic Borders, City Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
2012 Made in Woodstock VI, Center for Photography, Woodstock NY.
2012 Shifting, Individual Artists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK. Curator Tiffany Barber
2011 My Ethiopian American Self, Selam Visual Arts Festival, Toronto Canada (Invited)
2011 Developed Work, Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, KS.
2011 The 2011 Annual Juried show, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Denver CO.
2011 The 2011 Annual Juried show, Denver Public Library, Denver CO.
2010 Interactive Portraits, Vermont Photo Space Gallery Essex VT.
Publications
2018 Anh_Thuy Nguyen, The State Project: Oklahoma, Lenscratch Online, October 2018
2018 Photography Feature, Oklahoma Today, V.68 No. 5 pp.78-87 September/October 2018
2015 Asher Gelzer- Govatos, “Native Son: Eyakem Gulilat explores place and identity through his photography,” Oklahoma Magazine, May 21, 2015.
2015 Aline Smithson, Lenscratch Online, August 31, 2015.
2015 Glenda Rice Collins, “Oklahoman’s Photography Featured in ‘State of the Art’ Exhibit”. NewsOK, January 4, 2015.
2014 Chad Alligood and Don Bacigalupi, “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now,” Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, AR.
2014 Hannah Fressier, “Fresh AiR” Artist in residency Catalogue. Newspace Center for Photography, Portland Oregon.
2014 Brandy McDonnell, “Collaborative Self,” The Oklahoman, September 29, 2014.
2014 Lewis, Sarah. “Race, Love, and Labor.” Exhibition Catalogue. Dorsky Museum. September 2014.
2014 James D. Watts, JR. “Arts Scene: AHHA Hosts Art 365 exhibit with Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition,” Tulsa world, Sunday, May 25, 2014.
2014 Tiffany Barber, “A View from the Top: Eyakem Gulilat’s 11:00 AM Series,” Art 365 Catalogue, pp. 32-41. Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, 2014.
2014 John Brandenburg, “Art review: Art 365 exhibit covers spectrum of senses,” The Oklahoman, March 6, 2014 http://newsok.com/article/3940510.
2014 Brandy McDonnell, “‘Art 365’ culminates with new exhibit in Oklahoma City,” The Oklahoman, February 28th, 2014 http://newsok.com/article/3938020
2014 Beau Leland, “Eyakem Gulilat, Art 365 (2014),” Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJVBuAUX38.
2013 Tumelo Mosaka, “Site Unseen,” Hardesty Art Center catalogue essay, 2013.
2013 James D. Watts, JR. “‘Site Unseen’ reveals hidden, changing landscape of Race Riot area,” Tulsa World, Sunday, March 31, 2013.
2012 Erinn Gavaghan, “Hometown Glory: Shifting,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 27 No. 4 July/Aug. 2012.
2012 Ariel Shanberg and Akemi Hiatt, “Made in Woodstock VI.” Web. November, 2012
2012 Newspace Center for Photography, “In the Gallery.” Web. 2012.
2012 Jill Anderson, “Museo® Silver Rag Collaborative Self Photography Case Study,” Magic Ink, 2012.
2011 Kirsten Olds, “Art 365: Eyakem Gulilat,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 26 No. 6 Nov./Dec. 2011
2011 Aline Smithson, Lenscratch Online, September 2011.
2011 Oklavision Interview, June 2011.
2011 Tiffany Barber, “Photo Recall: Eyakem Gulilat,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 26 No. 3 May/June 2011.
Residencies
2016 Light Work A-I-R, Syracuse, NY
2013 Hardesty Arts Center, Tulsa, OK
2013 Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, OR
2010 The Center for Photography, Woodstock, NY
––Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) ABD
Regional and City Planning – Community Development, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Media Art/Photography, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAS)
Photojournalism and Art, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.
Awards & Grants
2023 Tulsa Artists Fellowship (Tulsa, OK)
2018 CASE-PRH Fellowship Center for Art and Social Engagement at University of Houston (Houston, TX)
2017 Oklahoma APA (American Planners Association) Award for Outstanding Public Outreach for Women of North East Oklahoma City Photovoice Project
2016 Light Work Artist in Resident A-I-R (Syracuse, NY)
2016 McNair Fellowship University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
2014 En Foco New Works Photography Fellow (NYC, NY)
2013 Newspace Center for Photography Fellow (Portland, OR)
2013 Art 365 grant Recipient, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (Oklahoma City, OK)
2012 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) “Site Unseen”, Hardesty Art Center (Tulsa, OK)
2011 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Artist Fellow (Oklahoma City, OK)
2011 National Photography Fellow, Midwest Center for Photography (Wichita, KS)
2011 Creative Project Grant recipient, Oklahoma visual arts council (Oklahoma City, OK)
2010 Research Travel grant Recipient, College of Fine Arts and school of Art, University of Oklahoma
2010 Creative Project Grant recipient, Oklahoma visual arts council (Oklahoma City, OK)
2009 Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art Docents Award Recipient, University of Oklahoma
2008 Research Travel grant Recipient, College of Fine Arts and school of Art, University of Oklahoma
2007 Graduate Assistant at University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)
2005 Ronald E. McNair Research Grant Recipient, Abilene Christian University (Abilene, TX)
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Deep Looking, Alexandre Hogue Gallery, Tulsa, OK.
2021 The Spaces Between, Melton Gallery, Edmond, OK.
2019 To Belong, Second Floor, 21C Museum Hotels, Oklahoma City, OK.
2018 Black Place-making and Imagination, Project Raw Houses, Houston, TX.
2018 Border Blend, Leap Coffee Roasters, Oklahoma City, OK.
2014Collaborative Self, Oklahoma State Capitol Galleries, Oklahoma City, OK.
2014 Mother’s Prayer, Blue Wave Fine Art Gallery, Amesbury, MA.
2014 Site Unseen, University of Oklahoma Tulsa, Schusterman Library, Tulsa OK.
2014Collaborative Self, Southwestern Christian University, Oklahoma City, OK.
2013 Collaborative Self, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX
2013 Site Unseen, Hardesty Arts Center, Tulsa OK.
2012 Collaborative Self, Newspace Center for Photography, Portland OR.
2012 Collaborative self, Individual Artist of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK
2011 The Promise Land, Lightwell Gallery, Norman, OK
2009The Promised Land, Urban Roots, Oklahoma City, OK
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 The All-Black Towns of Oklahoma, The Oklahoma Center for Humanities, Tulsa, OK.
2021 Views of Greenwood, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK.
2019 To Belong, Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education, Tulsa, OK.
2018 Personal Space, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR.
2018 Mother’s Prayers, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
2017 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC.
2016 Race, Love and Labor, University Art Museum, University at Albany, NY, (Curator) Sarah Lewis
2016 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, MN.
2016 bARTer, Current Studio, Oklahoma City, OK
2016 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, The Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, GA
2015 The Center is Moving Target, Kemper Contemporary Museum, Kansas City, MO.
2015 En Foco New Works “Mother’s Prayer” The Bronx Documentary Center, NYC, NY.
2015 Race, Love and Labor Tremaine Gallery, Hotchkiss School Lakeville, CT, (Curator) Sarah Lewis
2014 OKC125: The Underground, Oklahoma City, OK, (Curator) Romy Owens
2014 State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, AR
2014 INFOCUS: Self-Published Photobooks, Phoenix Museum of Art, Phoenix, AZ.
2014 Race, Love and Labor, Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY, (Curator) Sarah Lewis.
2014 Art 365, Hardesty Art Center, Tulsa, OK Curator Raechell Smith
2014 Mother’s Prayer, Newspace Center for photography, Portland, OR.
2014 Art 365, [Artspace] at Untitled, Oklahoma City, OK, Curator Raechell Smith.
2013 24 works on Paper, Traveling exhibition Oklahoma. Curator Kristen Olds
2012 Fabric of Sky, MAINSITE Contemporary Art, Norman, OK.
2012 Domestic Borders, City Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
2012 Made in Woodstock VI, Center for Photography, Woodstock NY.
2012 Shifting, Individual Artists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK. Curator Tiffany Barber
2011 My Ethiopian American Self, Selam Visual Arts Festival, Toronto Canada (Invited)
2011 Developed Work, Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, KS.
2011 The 2011 Annual Juried show, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Denver CO.
2011 The 2011 Annual Juried show, Denver Public Library, Denver CO.
2010 Interactive Portraits, Vermont Photo Space Gallery Essex VT.
Publications
2018 Anh_Thuy Nguyen, The State Project: Oklahoma, Lenscratch Online, October 2018
2018 Photography Feature, Oklahoma Today, V.68 No. 5 pp.78-87 September/October 2018
2015 Asher Gelzer- Govatos, “Native Son: Eyakem Gulilat explores place and identity through his photography,” Oklahoma Magazine, May 21, 2015.
2015 Aline Smithson, Lenscratch Online, August 31, 2015.
2015 Glenda Rice Collins, “Oklahoman’s Photography Featured in ‘State of the Art’ Exhibit”. NewsOK, January 4, 2015.
2014 Chad Alligood and Don Bacigalupi, “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now,” Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, AR.
2014 Hannah Fressier, “Fresh AiR” Artist in residency Catalogue. Newspace Center for Photography, Portland Oregon.
2014 Brandy McDonnell, “Collaborative Self,” The Oklahoman, September 29, 2014.
2014 Lewis, Sarah. “Race, Love, and Labor.” Exhibition Catalogue. Dorsky Museum. September 2014.
2014 James D. Watts, JR. “Arts Scene: AHHA Hosts Art 365 exhibit with Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition,” Tulsa world, Sunday, May 25, 2014.
2014 Tiffany Barber, “A View from the Top: Eyakem Gulilat’s 11:00 AM Series,” Art 365 Catalogue, pp. 32-41. Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, 2014.
2014 John Brandenburg, “Art review: Art 365 exhibit covers spectrum of senses,” The Oklahoman, March 6, 2014 http://newsok.com/article/3940510.
2014 Brandy McDonnell, “‘Art 365’ culminates with new exhibit in Oklahoma City,” The Oklahoman, February 28th, 2014 http://newsok.com/article/3938020
2014 Beau Leland, “Eyakem Gulilat, Art 365 (2014),” Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJVBuAUX38.
2013 Tumelo Mosaka, “Site Unseen,” Hardesty Art Center catalogue essay, 2013.
2013 James D. Watts, JR. “‘Site Unseen’ reveals hidden, changing landscape of Race Riot area,” Tulsa World, Sunday, March 31, 2013.
2012 Erinn Gavaghan, “Hometown Glory: Shifting,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 27 No. 4 July/Aug. 2012.
2012 Ariel Shanberg and Akemi Hiatt, “Made in Woodstock VI.” Web. November, 2012
2012 Newspace Center for Photography, “In the Gallery.” Web. 2012.
2012 Jill Anderson, “Museo® Silver Rag Collaborative Self Photography Case Study,” Magic Ink, 2012.
2011 Kirsten Olds, “Art 365: Eyakem Gulilat,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 26 No. 6 Nov./Dec. 2011
2011 Aline Smithson, Lenscratch Online, September 2011.
2011 Oklavision Interview, June 2011.
2011 Tiffany Barber, “Photo Recall: Eyakem Gulilat,” Art Focus Oklahoma, V. 26 No. 3 May/June 2011.
Residencies
2016 Light Work A-I-R, Syracuse, NY
2013 Hardesty Arts Center, Tulsa, OK
2013 Newspace Center for Photography, Portland, OR
2010 The Center for Photography, Woodstock, NY