Abby Mae Friend lives and creates in Cincinnati, Ohio, located on unceded land belonging to the Shawnee, Myaammia, and Osage people along the Ohio River. Growing up in the midwest, Friend spent most of their time outside: working with their grandmother, playing in the woods, and creating make believe clubs. From a young age, they sought connections through art, constantly trying to find meaning and communication by creating. Friend is a fierce believer in their hometown and is dedicated to sticking around to make it better through solidarity practices.
Friend has always been a maker of things and spends their time now balancing their family and work, both of which are constant labors of love. Seeking the intersections between art and activism, they are constantly striving to create connections between art and community that feel right and intuitive, although they are often uncomfortable.
By creating art that blurs the boundaries between art and activism, Friend includes community conversations just as much as sculpture and curating in their practice. By redefining objects and movements as both art and resistance work, their work portrays humor, humility, and the absurdity of exceptionalism through education, contemplation, and community building.
Abby Mae Friend graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning with a Bachelors in Fine Arts and a concentration in Sculpture in 2015. They have worked as a preparator in many arts institutions including the Contemporary Arts Center and Hudson Jones Gallery. They were the first Curatorial Resident at Wave Pool Gallery with their exhibition WITH NO MEMORIES, NO TIES, NO PHANTOMS TO TEND FOR in 2018. Friend has exhibited and performed in many spaces including Wave Pool Gallery, the Contemporary Arts Center, the McMicken Freespace, and Chase Public. Most recently Friend participated in the Terrain Biennial with a public art installation in October of 2021.
Abby Mae Friend fully believes in aliens and encourages you to share your abduction stories. You can donate money to them for future projects through venmo @abbymf. Art work is work!