New Padnos Artist-in-Residence explores American belonging and culture in campus installation

By Thomas Chavez
Grand Valley State University

When he accepted the role as the newest Padnos Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Jeffrey Augustine Songco was excited about the opportunity to be ambitious and adventurous with his art. A conceptual artist, Songco draws inspiration from his personal life and how it interacts with American culture and society.

Songco brings a storied career to the Department of Visual and Media Arts, with a storied lifelong career in the arts. As a 10-year-old, he began performing on stage in New Jersey at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree before earning his Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute.

His introduction to West Michigan came through his participation in Art Prize, which he participated in four times prior to moving to the region.

“I just kept coming back and coming back, and eventually, I decided to move here,” he said.

Now residing in Allendale, Songco's residency with Grand Valley, titled “Our Island,” will focus on ideas of identity and power, drawing from his experiences as a child actor in the musical “South Pacific” and American pop culture like the reality show “Survivor."

“I am interested in using these specific cultural references as material to investigate how stories of racism, love, war and American belonging are rehearsed and performed in American culture,” he said.

Songco said that as a concept artist, the idea is more important than the ultimate outcome. As he develops the “Our Island” installation, he plans to allow the momentum of the production to determine his choice of medium.

“I am excited to share the medium of installation art with students as well as the multimedia approach that I take with my work,” Songco said.

As he works with students, Songco hopes to encourage them to explore art mediums they are not used to working with and explore worldbuilding through art.

Renée Zettle-Sterling, assistant department chair, said the department is excited to have Songco and believes his work will engage students, faculty and the West Michigan community.

“His work is especially timely in a world that is changing rapidly, where many people are searching for a meaningful sense of place and connection,” she said.

“The Department of Visual and Media Arts invites all of us to engage with Jeffery while he is here with us for the next academic year. His work creates a vast amount of opportunities for dialogue, encouraging audiences to consider both personal and collective narratives of identity.”

Songco said that leaving behind the comfort of his typical studio and environment is integral to advancing ambition and adventurous worldbuilding.

“To get out and be part of a community, I get to make and explore new work,” he said. “I am excited for the unknown.”

Songco will hold a welcome event on Oct. 5 at the Kirkhof Center, where he will share a presentation and discuss his project plans with the community.

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