Biography for WE artspace
WE artspace was conceived in April of 2009 and over the course of the next few months, walls were built, track lighting was installed so that WE could open its doors with its first group show in July. WE was formed by husband and wife artist team Naaman Rosen and Tina Dillman. Our mission is to help navigate primarily 2-D culture by emerging artists residing in the Bay Area. Through navigation, we aspire to present art to an audience that will form connections amongst one another, initiating dialog within our culture, in creating a community of people.
The WE in WE Artspace is actually an acronym for West-East. The title is a concept based on our lives. Naaman grew up in a small town in N. Idaho, where Interstate 90 runs through. Whereas Tina grew up in a small town in upstate N.Y. where Interstate 90 runs through. The concept is that Naaman and Tina have always been connected by a single line, I-90W and I-90E.
Born in a small town in N. Idaho, until the age of 16, Naaman Rosen received his GED and moved away from home. Being consumed by art, culture, punk rock and skateboarding that did not exist where he came from, he hitchhiked and drove all over the US and lived in varies places such as Portland Or., Savannah Ga., Indianapolis In., Louisville Kt., Spokane Wa. and Yellowstone Nat’l. Park Wy. At the age of 23, he moved to the Bay Area and has lived in Oakland for nearly a decade. Naaman came to the Bay Area to get serious about his artwork and did so by attending art classes at the San Francisco Art Institute. He attended part time for two and half years at which time he withdrew and worked and saved and applied for loans to complete his education in the arts, at the California College of the Arts (&C) and in 2007, he graduated with his B.F.A. in Photography.
Tina Dillman graduated from the University of Iowa in 2003 with her B.F.A. in painting and drawing. Since college she has dedicated a majority of her time to world of art non-profits. Her first position began after graduation when she moved to Providence, R.I. through the Americorps VISTA program to work as the Assistant Development Director at AS220. After her year-long term concluded in Rhode Island she continued her involvement as an Americoprs VISTA and moved to San Francisco to work as the Youth Program Coordinator at ArtSpan. Through this position she was exposed to other organizations and was involved in various activities at Southern Exposure, New Langton Arts, The Lab and Intersection for the Arts, eventually serving a two-year term on the Board of Directors at Intersection for the Arts. In 2008, upon moving to Oakland, she began investing her time with a smaller arts organization, Rock Paper Scissors Collective, as a member of their Development Committee and later was solicited to join their Advisory Board. She currently holds their only paid position for the organization as the Office Manager and Events Coordinator for Art Murmur. Since college Tina has also been dedicated to her own art profession and has been involved in group and solo shows in the Bay Area.
