About Todd Blair

From learning to weld in a farm-machinery factory, to an art degree at the University of Kansas, Todd's humble midwest beginnings did not foreshadow the enthusiastic art educator and meticulous project coordinator he would become. A fine artist in his own right, Todd has assisted countless others as Project Coordinator (SRL, Chico McMurtree, Barry Schwartz), and as Adjunct Professor at Oakland's California College of the Arts.

He has helped organize significant Art and Technology conferences (ISEA, and Ars Electronica), and acted as curator and artist wrangler for the new phaeno Science Museum in Wolfsburg, Germany. He is currently part of a team working on a public art project for Lake Merritt in Oakland. He's done a lot.

But history and accomplishments are only a a fraction of the story. Todd is best known as a patient, smiling, energetic teacher and collaborator, someone who always sees a project through to the end with thoroughness and humor. In the classroom, his exuberance inspires everyone, teachers and students alike. Coupled with his vast knowledge of kinetic-mechanical art, this makes him well loved in the school community. Working with Todd is always a joy, his cheerful enthusiasm pushing a project forward, solving every problem as it arises and laughing along the way.

On Sept 23 of last year, this shining trajectory was altered by a serious industrial accident after an SRL show in Amsterdam. A large metal structure fell on him, knocking him over and causing traumatic brain injury. The next five months were spent in a Dutch hospital, re-gaining and losing speech and motion, fighting seizures, and many other complications.

Bouyed up by modern medicine, his faithful gal Alexandra, and his own fierce will, Todd became stable enough to return to the states in February, and is now in acute rehab, relearning such simple tasks as chewing and swallowing. He is on the verge of regaining speech and movement, but still has a long road ahead...