MONICA TYRAN
Metairie, LA
2025-2026 Grant A Sustainable Studio Relocation and Build Out
Grant 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2023-2024
Monica Tyran utilizes printmaking to create work that explores how memories are constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed over time. “My process and development of work is rooted in my constant processing of experiences and cyclic patterns of life and the everyday. Grounded in screenprinting, my work is an ongoing exploration of how we process and reconstruct the past through visual storytelling,” she explains. “Beginning my artistic career as a painter, my practice holds a mixture of technical precision with intuitive exploration, layering color and texture to mirror the fragile scaffolding of memory." She aims to create a space for her audience to contemplate their own relationship with memory and its artifacts. The works displayed above are from the series Reclaimed Fragments and explore artistic recycling and visual storytelling through collage. This series reflects her belief in the transformative potential of artistic "failure.” “By literally cutting apart previous works and reconfiguring them within new contexts, I engage in a dialogue with my own artistic past while creating something entirely new,” she reflects.
This grant will support Tyran in expanding her artistic possibilities through a sustainable studio relocation and buildout. She will move her practice into a studio closer to home in a space owned by local artist Thomas Bruno—a third-generation New Orleanian known for his bronze sculptures and fine woodworking. “Thomas envisions a collaborative environment where artists and artisans can thrive, making this an exciting opportunity to not only optimize my workspace but also be immersed in a setting that fosters artistic exchange,” she explains. She plans to set up the new studio to better support her screenprinting workflow and will install a washout booth for proper screen cleaning. She also plans to host an open studio event to share her work and celebrate this new chapter. “The move represents an important investment in the sustainability of my work, ensuring that I can continue to hone my artistic practice while fostering deeper engagement with the community,” she reflects.
Tyran earned a MA in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans and a BA in Visual Arts from Dillard University. She has studied screen printing and printmaking at Penland School of Arts & Crafts, San Francisco Center for the Book, School of Visual Arts, and New Orleans Glass & Printmaking School. Her work has been exhibited in New Orleans, Miami, and Chattanooga. She currently works as Program Specialist at National Performance Network.
Monica Tyran first joined the YAYA Guild in 2004.
All works are copyright of the artist.