Gili Rappaport (they/them) is an artist, writer, educator, and naturalist, raised between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. They earned a BA in American Social-Political Movements from Washington University in St. Louis in 2010, then pursued graphic design. Under apprenticeship with naturalist Laura Chávez Silverman, Rappaport developed profound connections to observation and wilderness, influencing their art practice.
Recipient of an MFA in Contemporary Art Practice: Art & Social Practice at Portland State University School of Art + Design ('24), Rappaport's interdisciplinary, socially engaged work has garnered recognition in presentations at The Kitchen, The Front Room at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Content 2024 at The Society Hotel, and the Chehalem Cultural Center among others, and been highlighted in Elephant Magazine, Willamette Week, and The New York Times. Notable publications include They Call Me The Mayor at Riis Beach: Ralph’s Beach Parties 1994—2000 (Anthology Editions), I See What You See (KSMoCA), and Field Guide To The Northeast Volumes I—III (The Outside Institute). They are also founder and artistic director of their press green flash projects. King School Museum of Contemporary Art (KSMoCA), PSU Special Collections and University Archives, and The CLAGS Research Archive (CUNY Graduate Center) hold their work in public collections. Their work has been supported by RACC (Regional Arts & Culture Council), National Parks Service, and Portland Parks & Rec.
In 2025, Gili will open their first solo show at the Multnomah Art Center in partnership with Urban Forestry at Portland Parks & Rec, and be artist-in-residence at AZ-West / High Desert Test Sites. Gili is Lead Instructor for the inaugural spring 2025 Amber Hollibaugh Seminar in the City, co-sponsored by CLAGS: The Center of LGBTQ Studies at CUNY and the Barnard Center for Research on Women.
Gili is queer, nonbinary, and of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. They reside in Portland, Oregon and New York, New York where they collaborate on site-responsive projects, and research the bonds between making art and caring for the land.
Portrait by Seth Caplan, 2020.