Christa Forster, Artist CV





Christa Forster

EDUCATION

MFA, 1994, Creative Writing, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
BA, 1989, English and Spanish, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California

AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Individual Artist Grant, Houston Arts Alliance, Literature and Performance, 2013
Individual Artist Fellowship, Houston Arts Alliance, Literature, 2009
Albee Competitive Playwriting Seminars, March 2004
Diverseworks Houston Performing Arts Residency, 2003
Individual Artist Fellowship, Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, Literature, 2002
CACHH Neighborhood Arts Program Grant, 1999
Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Grant, 1997
Art Access Fellow in Photography, Glassell School of Art, Houston, 1996-1997
Individual Artist Fellowship, CACHH, Literature, Houston, 1994
Barthelme Creative Writing Fellowship, Poetry, Houston, 1990
Stella Earhardt Academic Fellowship, University of Houston, 1990
Best Non-Fiction Essay, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, 1989

PERFORMANCE WORKS
2011        Rock v. Threads, a one-act play, World Premiere, Pristina, Kosovo
                Prey on Me, a Crown of Crots, World Premiere, Houston, TX, Kaboom Books                                                                                                 
2009
Comadres, Spacetaker Artist Speakeasy, Houston, TX
Against Motherhood, Voices Breaking Boundaries, Houston, TX
Selections from Phenomenal Days, Space 125, Houston, TX
Pink at the Brown, Wortham Center, Houston, TX

2007
Maw, as part of Tamarie Cooper’s 20 Love Songs, The Axiom, Houston, Texas

2003
Antilogical Pedagogical, Diverseworks, Houston, TX

2000
I’m a Motorola Phone, Diverseworks, Houston, TX
Future Girl, St. Mark’s Place & Paradise Lounge, New York, NY
Not My Name, Nuestra Palabra, Talento Bilingue, Houston, TX

DRAMATIC AND COLLABORATIVE PERFORMANCES
2000-2012

"City Council Meeting: Performed Participatory Democracy," by Aaron Landsman, Mallory Catlett and Jim Finley, staffer, Houston, TX, 2012
“Baal” by Bertolt Brecht, actress, Emily, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, fall 2004
“Hotel Play” by Wallace Shawn, actress, Doctor, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, 2004            
“Rhinoceros” by Eugene Ionesco, actress, Mrs. Boeuf, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, 2003
“Jerry’s World” actress, Jane, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, 2003
“A Soap Opera” by the Kinks actress, Singer, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, 2002
“Dorothy in Palacios” Christa Forster and John Edward Ross, Voices Breaking Boundaries, 2000
“Writers and Musicians Collaborate” Christa Forster and Joel Stein, Diverseworks, 1999
“Earrata: A Cagean Happening” The Menil Collection, spring 1994
“Unheard Arguments: Visual Works by Houston Writers” featured artist, Treebeards, fall 1993

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
1993-2000
Shag, original rock band, Houston, TX – regular show venues included Rudyard’s Pub, The Ale House, The Edge Bar, Mary Jane’s, SXSW (1997), Clark’s, No-Tsu-Oh

1992-1993
Shiksa, orignal rock band – regular shows included living rooms around the Montrose

1985-1989
Women’s and Consort Classical Choirs, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

SELECTED READINGS AND APPEARANCES

Featured Poet in Public Poetry, The Carriage House, Houston Genealogical Library, September 2013
Featured Poet with Robert Lunday on The Front Row, September 4, 2013
Featured Educator for Writers in the Schools on KPFT’s “Living Art,” June 2009
Featured Artist on The Front Row, KUHF, 88.9 January 2009
On-stage Interview with Nick Hornby, Inprint, Inc., Hobby Center, Houston, October 2007
Poison Girl Poison Pen Series, Houston, April 2007
Mexican Hibiscus Phoneworks, Diverseworks, winter 1994

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Non-Fiction
            “All Over the Place: Artist District as Diaspora” (Cite 78, Summer 2009)
            “Preview of No Zoning: Houston Artists Engaging the City” (Cite 78, forthcoming Summer 2008)
            “Made From Ike: Out of Destruction, Creation” (Cite 76, Fall 2008)
            “Scrapbook” (Clutch and Shuffle, spring 2006)
            “How Does Your Garden Grow: The Work of Mara Adamitz Scrupe” (Sculpture, winter 2005)
Fiction
            "Failure of Heaven," anthologized short story, The Milk of Human Kindness, Austraila, 2014
            “Heathens” (Buffalo Bayou Art Park Christmas Tree Show Catalogue, winter, 2005)
Poetry
            “Chaos Theories,” Zocalo Public Square, Spring 2010
            “Phenomenal Days” chapbook (by word of mouth press, Spring 2001
            “The Stoning” If Stones Could Speak, curated by Lorenzo Thomas, UH Downtown, 1998

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Service and Volunteer Experience
Member of the Houston Grant Writers Network, Houston, TX, 2008-2009
Board Director, Spacetaker, 2004-2007
Founding Board Director, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, Houston, 1996-2004
St. John’s School, Featured Speaker, Fine Arts Chapel, 1999 and 2005
Inprint, Inc., Book Talk on Jeffrey Eugenides, Brazos Bookstore, 2004
Lawndale Arts Center, Teaching Writer, Saturday Teen Workshop, 2004
Writers In the Schools, Keynote Speaker at Annual Meeting, 1999
Jesse H. Jones One Act Play Festival, Houston, Director, 1996-1999
Poetry Editor, Gulf Coast, 1992–1994

Conferences
The Grantsmanship Center Grant Writing Workshop, Participant, Houston, April 2008
National Performance Network Conference, Panelist, New Orleans, LA, 2004
Naropa Institute, Summer Writing Program, Participant, Boulder, CO, 2003
Theater Communications Group National Conference, Participant, Philadelphia, PA, 2002