Education
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, MFA, 2000
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, BA Studio Art and Culture Studies, 1994
 

Filmography
Valiant! A Car, a Cause, and the Cold War, 74 minutes, Director, 2022
Trimda Dimd, Documentary series of Latvian Music during the Cold War, 18 short films, Director, 2021 - 2023
Singin’ in the Grain, a history of Czech and Slovak Minnesota, 90 minutes, Co-producer, 2019
Pērkons, a VR Rockumentary, Producer, 9 minutes, Virtual Reality, 2018
Twin Cities Tracks, Geo-tagged short film series of Minneapolis and St. Paul residents, HD, 2014/2020
Surviving the Peace, Director, Producer, Editor, 62 minutes, HD, DV, 8mm film, 2016
Satiksimies Garezerā, Director, Producer, Editor, 84 minutes, HD, 2015
Runa Riga Mobile App, Geo-tagged short films in Riga, Producer, HD, interactive, 2013- 2015
Souvenirs: Healing after war, Director, Producer, Editor, 88 minutes, DV and 8mm film, 2010/2011
One Day in a Land Far Far Away, Director/Producer, 3 minutes, DV, 2002/2010
Souvenirs, Installation and Video Screening, Minnesota Center for Photography, 2005
starp Latvijam (between Latvias), Director, Producer, Editor, 88 minutes, DV, 2004

Selected Screenings

Valiant! Minneapolis- St. Paul International Film Festival, Best of Fest, 2022
Singin’ in the Grain, MSP International Film Festival, 2019
Pērkons: Shift Film Fest, Maastricht, November 2018; Landmark Center North Gallery, November 2018;
Gallery Noass, Rīga, September 2018; Viva Tech Paris, May 2018
Valiant! Baltic Identities Symposium, Philadelphia, 2018; Latvian Nat’l Library JFK Reading Room screenings, 2018
Satiksimies Gaŗezerā: Lielais Kristaps Film Festival, Rīga, Latvia, 2016  Gaŗezers 50 Premiere, 2015
Surviving the Peace and Souvenirs: Community Screenings across North America, 2011- 2016;
GI Film Festival, Washington DC, 2013; Docutah Film Festival, St. George, Utah, 2012;
Minneapolis- St. Paul Int’l Film Festival, 2011; Jihlava Documentary Film Fest, Czech Republic, 2010 

between Latvias: Minneapolis- St. Paul International Film Festival, 2004; Lielais Kristaps Film Festival, Riga,

Latvia, 2003; Kino Galerija, theatrical screenings, 2003z

Selected Installations
Mūsu dižkoki | Our Noble Trees, University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 2021
VR Rockumentary Installation, Wende Museum of the Cold War, Culver City, California, 2020 - present
inVISIBLE, honoring World Mental Health Day, Circa Gallery, Minneapolis, 201
Analog Site, Video Installation at Fallon, Minneapolis, 2017
The 8030 Project Installation of Scrolls and 100 Days, Hennepin County Government Center Gallery, 2015
The 8030 Project Installation of collaborative works and Memorial Images, Lisle Art Center, Lisle, Illinois, 2015
The 8030 Project Installation of Memorial Images, AIM Gallery, Minneapolis, 2014
Interactive on-site video projections (Untitled), Co-Producer; Forecast Public Art Umbrella Event, 2009
Souvenirs, Installation and Video Screening; Minnesota Center for Photography, 2005
Tour, Photography and Video Installation; Riga Museum of War, Latvia, 2002
The Art of Flying, Installation on AirBaltic Airline Interiors, 2002
Divi vienā (Two in One), Installation at the Latvian Artists Union Gallery, Riga, 2001
 

Reviews and Recognition

Pērkons VR reviews, director interviews: Rīta Panorāma, Latvian Public Television, August 28, 2018; ir.lv,
August 29, 2018; Diena, SestDiena (Saturday weekly news edition), September 9, 2018
Laiks, Latvian News, New York, Two-part series on Trimda dimd music shorts, November - December 2017
Radio NABA show Transplants, interview with Kristaps Kreslins on Trimda dimd, Riga, November 12, 2015
KFAI interview with Lydia Howell and Vets for Peace, The 8030 Project, Minneapolis, November 8, 2015
WCCO/CBS Radio, interview with Roshini Rajkumar on The 8030 Project, Minneapolis, October 18, 2015
Minneapolis Star Tribune, article by Jon Tevlin on The 8030 Project, October 27, 2015
The Paley Center for Media in New York, Surviving the Peace selected as pitch finalist at DocFest 2014
KFAI interview Fresh Voices Feature by MJ Gilmore, “Filmmaker Mara Pelecis”, featured at ampers.org, 2012

Knight Arts Review of “Souvenirs” by Susannah Shouweiler, knightarts.org, November 9, 2011
Minneapolis-St.Paul International Film Festival: Souvenirs; “Best of the Fest”, Top 10 of 250 Films, 2011
East Silver Nomination for “Silver Eye” Award by the Institute of Documentary Film, Czech Republic, 2010

MSP Film Festival: Between Latvias; Audience Award for Best Local Feature and Top 20 of all 160 Films, 2004

City Pages: From Latvia with Love, Film Festival Feature Review, P. Scholtes, March 31, 2004

Latvian Ministry of Culture Annual Awards 2002, Installation Tour nominated for Best Show

Interviews, between Latvias: Kulenis, Cultural Review, 2001; Personas Kods, LTV, 2002, Viss Notiek, LTV, 2003

Reviews, Tour 2002: Diena, S. Timofejevs, Nov. 25; The Baltic Times, Nov. 27; Diena, H. Demakova, Nov. 28
Studija, Artists interviews from The Second International Latvian Artists Exhibit, Autumn 1998

Minneapolis Star Tribune, review of Five Jerome Artists, Mary Abbe, October 3, 1997

Sculpture Magazine, review of Franconia Sculpture Park’s Inaugural Exhibition including Omas, February 1997

New Art Examiner, review of No Name Exhibition's show Room, November 1996

Artist and Filmmaker Fellowships and Grants
US State Department Democracy Commission Grant, 2017American Latvian Association Project Grant, 2015, 2016, 2017Latvian Foundation Project Fellowship, 2015Forecast Public Art Jerome Project Grant, 2014Forecast Public Art Jerome Research and Development Grant, 2013Jerome Foundation Study and Travel Grant, 2012- 2013Latvian Foundation Project Fellowship, 2012Jerome Foundation Media Arts Grant, 2005Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, 2005Latvian Capital Culture Fund Artist Grant, 2003Latvian Ministry of Culture Artist Fellowship, 2002William J. Fulbright Fellowship, 2000, with grant extension, 2001Jerome Foundation Emerging Artist Fellowship, 1996- 1997

 

Selected Work for Hire
MMAF and the Minnesota Historical Society, permanent video installation at Historic Fort Snelling, 2022
American Latvian Association Museum, permanent video installation, narrator Laila Robins, Rockville, MD, 2022
Minnesota Academy of Medicine, Director, films for the Univ. of Minnesota Medical Library Archive, 2018
The Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF): a bi-partisan non-profit helping soldiers and families

The Journey Continues, 7 minutes, 2010; Created for Fundraiser with Tom Brokaw
Welcome Home, 4 minutes, 2007; Created for Fundraiser with Thomas Friedman

A Soldier’s Story, 7 minutes, 2005; Created for Fundraiser with Senator John McCain 

National Night Out, NNO Minneapolis Celebrates 20 years, Director and Producer, 2008

Organizational and Educational Experience

Adjunct Faculty, AI Minnesota, Digital Film and Video Production, 2011- 2015
Founding Director, Information and Media Education Centre, Riga, Latvia 2001- 2003