Dustin Yellin is an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist based in Brooklyn, New York. His works are exhibited around the world—from the Corning Museum of Glass to Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes to the SCAD Museum of Art. Yellin is known for his signature, oversized “three-dimensional paintings,” consisting of collections of paper suspended in glass. What sets him apart is not only his artistic talent, but his work as a cross-disciplinary visionary—one who stands strongly for the combined power of art and science. Yellin has been profiled by the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and was invited to speak at two TED conferences, giving talks entitled “A journey through the mind of an artist” and “Why I think inside the box.”
The artist-activist is also recognized for reinvesting in his community. Yellin founded Pioneer Works in 2012, a nonprofit community center and research hub, moved by the mission to bring together experts from all fields and walks of life. The foundation is dedicated to finding innovative solutions to big problems—and sharing them with the rest of the world. Pioneer Works functions as a common ground for the intellectually curious, regularly hosting science lectures, book launches, and concerts for the community, and is housed in the renovated five-story building next door to Yellin’s Brooklyn-based art studio. Hundreds of artists apply each year to complete an on-site residency with the center.