Tanner Blackwell

Tanner Blackwell (she/her) was the Studio Community Manager at Center for Book Arts from April 2024 to March 2025, where she oversaw the Studio Programs, the Artist-in-Residence program, and the Bookshop.

She is a trans artist and writer working across print, textiles, and sculpture. Through her work, Tanner explores how language shapes queer identity—both as a tool for self-definition and as a force that can limit, confuse, or flatten lived experience. Her practice brings together humor, critique, and care, using familiar materials to reflect on the tensions and possibilities of naming, performing, and inhabiting identity.

Since 2015, Tanner has been committed to fostering inclusive community arts spaces that prioritize accessibility, collaboration, and joy. She believes deeply in the power of print media to build connections, challenge norms, and create spaces for queer and marginalized voices to thrive.

Tanner holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her work has been exhibited across the U.S., including at Cranbrook Art Museum, Norwest Gallery of Art, Galerie Camille, and M Contemporary Art, as well as in artist-run and community spaces in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Cleveland.

You can see more of her work at tannerblackwell.com