Alma Sheppard-Matsuo illustrator designer puppeteer asheppardmatsuo@gmail.com
Alma is a queer hāfu artist, visual storyteller, and educator from New York, currently based in Philadelphia. They received their BFA in traditional animation from the School of Visual Arts (NYC) in 2010. After graduation, they worked in the streets with radical puppetry groups like The People's Puppets, Bread & Puppet and Great Small Works on issues ranging from migrant rights to the debt crisis to environmental justice. This work developed their emphasis on visual narrative as a necessary and useful tool of advocacy in social justice. Alma’s illustration work has been featured in numerous publications, as well as in galleries and public spaces across the country. After teaching visual art in NYC for years, they have relocated to Philadelphia where they are a middle school ELA teacher and continue making art.
Learn more at: https://bunnymermaid.tumblr.com/
Bunnymermaid is named after drawings of bunny-mermaids Alma would make as a 3 year old. Their grandmother suggested it would be a good name for a studio. This website is named in memory of her.
EDUCATION
Bread & Puppet Theater, apprenticeship, 2012 (Glover, VT)
School of Visual Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2010 (New York, NY)
EXHIBITIONS
Dec 2016 Printed Stories: Student Words, student show (teacher), Wilmington DE
Feb 2015 Seeing Stories, solo show at Littlefield, Brooklyn NY
Jan 2015 WinTour Variety Show, Pizza Speakeasy, New Orleans LA
Dec 2014 Open Call Salon Show, Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn NY
Nov 2014 Nha Minh Grand Opening, 485 Morgan Ave., Brooklyn NY
Sept 2014 Our Climate Projected: 15 Artists Respond to Climate Change, Brooklyn Roasting Co., NY
June 2014 Never Alone, online exhibition, http://neveraloneart.org/artworks/
Mar 2014 Unbound: A Tribute to Aaron Swartz, ThoughtWorks, NY
Dec 2012 ARTSTRIKE, online exhibition, http://artstrike.tumblr.com/
Oct 2011 No Comment, pop-up exhibit in Financial District, NY
PUBLIC & COMMUNITY WORKS
July 2017 LifeLines Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA, collaborating artist
Feb 2016 Earth First! The Musical, Lake Worth FL, performer & stage manager
April 2015 Mask and Movement workshop, Visva-Bharati University, India
Dec 2014 Sun Wu Kung - Monkey King, Chinese Theatre Works, painter
Sept 2014 Decolonize Climate Justice, Free University, illustrator
July 2014 "Out of the Box and Over a Barrel", Waterfront Museum, Brooklyn NY, painter & puppeteer
June 2014 All In the Red (student movement organization), illustrator
May 2014 May Day Free Education, Free University, illustrator
2012 - 14 Aftselokhis Spectacle Committee, creates spectacular, razor-sharp Purim spiels, member
Oct 2013 Helix Queer Performance Network, designer
Nov 2012 Chang-Er Flies to the Moon, Chinese Theatre Works, painter
2011-13 The People's Puppets, member
PRINTED & PUBLISHED WORKS
l'Humanité [France] Sept 2014, Posters for Gaza Initiative (newspaper), contributor
Renson, Krempasky, and Schubert: Developing Trans* Competence, Jan 2014, illustrator
Tablet Magazine, multiple article illustrations:
Rosenbaum, Judith: "But Mommy, Am I Going to Get Breast Cancer When I Grow Up", Oct 2013
Schlanger, Margo: "In the Story of Jonah, an Urgent Lesson About Solitary Confinement", Sept 2013
Glausiusz, Josie: "New Jewish Rituals Offer Comfort to Women Who Have Had Abortions", Aug 2013
Multiple theatrical posters:
Goose Girl, directed by Raphael Mishler, Dec 2013
Human Fruit Bowl, directed by Jesse D. Hill, May 2013
Queerspawn, directed by Jesse Geiger, Jan 2013