AK Garski (they/them/theirs) is a nonbinary/trans visual artist, educator, and activist who creates artwork that deconstructs the gender binary and confronts social injustice. Garski earned a BA in Studio Art and Women’s Studies from St. Catherine University in 2012. They obtained an MFA in Painting and an MA in History and Theory of Contemporary Art from San Francisco Art Institute in 2016. From 2016-2021, Garski served as an adjunct instructor in the Art and Art History Department at St. Catherine University. As an educator, they specialize in creating curriculum that tackles LGBTQIA+ discrimination, unpacks white privilege, and supports anti-racism. Since 2020, Garski has provided private consultations to individuals and organizations focusing on gender variant equity and inclusion through the lens of visual art. Garski has received multiple grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2019 Artist Initiative Grant; 2021 Creative Support Grant). They were a 2020-21 artist in residence at Second Shift Studio Space, where they expanded their ongoing bodies of work The Redacted Collection and Yes, NO: Portraits of Consent.
Garski currently resides in Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota) on the unceded homelands of the Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples.
AK Garski is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.