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Home , Cantor Arts Center, Palo Alto Art Center, Richmond Art Center, Stanford University

Lava Thomas www.lavathomas.com [email protected] b. Los Angeles, CA

Solo Exhibitions 2018 Mugshot Portraits: Women of the , Rena Bransten Gallery, , CA 2015 Looking Back and Seeing Now, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA 2014 Lava Thomas: Beyond, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA 2005 Organic, Nathan Larramendy Gallery, Ojai, CA 1996 Parallel Origins, Art Dome, CA State , Northridge, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions 2018 EXPO Chicago, Rena Bransten Gallery, Chicago, IL Pretty Big Things, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press, Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, MI Art on the Vine, Martha’s Vineyard, MA SF Art Book Fair, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times, Part II, Center for Contemporary Art, Napa, CA The Portrait Show, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA Face Forward: Self-Image & Self-Worth, , Richmond, CA States of Matter, Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN 2017 PULSE Miami Beach, Rena Bransten Gallery, Miami, FL Sabbath: The 2017 Dorothy Saxe Invitational, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA With Liberty and Justice for Some, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, Lincoln Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC Culture In A Changing America, Artist Salon Series, Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY With Liberty and Justice for Some, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Sanctuary City: With Liberty and Justice for Some, SFAC Gallery, San Francisco, CA Lift Off, Rio Hondo Art Gallery, Rio Hondo, CA The True Stories Project: Exploitation and Empowerment, Patan Museum, Kathmandu, Nepal 2016 EXPO Chicago, Rena Bransten Projects, Chicago, IL After Pop Life, Minnesota Street Projects, San Francisco, CA artMRKT, San Francisco, Rena Bransten Gallery, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA Contemporary Figuration as an Expression of Humanism, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA These American Lives, Rena Bransten Gallery, Minnesota Street Projects, San Francisco, CA Introspective, BravinLee Programs, New York, NY 2015 PULSE Miami Beach, Rena Bransten Projects, Miami, FL EXPO Chicago, Rena Bransten Projects, Chicago, IL artMRKT San Francisco, Rena Bransten Projects, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco, CA 2014 Collect!, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA West Coast Ink, University Art Gallery, Sonoma State University, Sonoma, CA 2013 Being Scene: A Performance Installation, in collaboration with Aleta Hayes, Iris & B Gerald Cantor Center at , Stanford, CA 2012 Community Creates, , Palo Alto, CA Women In Print, Etchings from the Paulson Bott Press, Bolinas Museum, Bolinas, CA 2011 Chain Letter, Shoshona Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA Women in Print, Paulson Bott Press, Berkeley, CA

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2011 Tel-Art-Phone, Beacon Arts Building, Inglewood, CA 2010 Secret Drawings, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA 2008 Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA Idyllwild Art Center, Idyllwild, CA 2007 International Print Center, New York, NY 2006 Fullerton College Art Gallery, Fullerton, CA Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA Idyllwild Art Center, Idyllwild, CA Paulson Bott Press, Berkeley, CA Strictly Graphite, Fine Arts Gallery, College of Marin, Marin, CA Hair Raising, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA ArtLA, Nathan Larramendy Gallery, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA 2005 Paintings Edge, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA Face Paint, Bucheon Gallery, San Francisco, CA San Francisco International Art Exhibition, Nathan Larramendy Gallery, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco, CA 2004 Meat Show, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA Commission ’04, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA Art Interrupted 2, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA Echoes of , American Pavilion, Epcot Center, Disneyworld, Orlando, FL Hidden Treasures, Nathan Larramendy Gallery, Ojai, CA 1999 Two Artists: Stacy Pyles and Lava Thomas, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA New Work, College of the Arts, Oakland, CA 1998 Sexing Myths, Betty Wymer Gallery, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL 1997 Caressed By the Earth, CA African-American Museum, Los Angeles, CA Aphrodisiac, Ascension Gallery, Washington, DC III, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA Time of Departure, Pro Arts Gallery, Oakland, CA 1995 Parallel Origins, Landing Space, Wight Gallery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Commissions 2013 Set Design, “Singing the Rooms: Songs For Alan,” performance by Aleta Hayes, Performance Studies International Conference, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 2007 Set Design, “Remix Project,” Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA Set Design, “Rock, Pop and Hip Hop in Contemporary Theater,” Stanford University High School Program, Stanford, CA 2006 Set Design Collaboration, “Remix Project,” Eastside College Preparatory High School, East Palo Alto, CA 2004 Commission ’04 Mini- set, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery with Trillium Press, San Francisco, CA 1996 Set painting for “Five Dead Friends,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO 1994 City of Santa Clarita Mural Project with East Los Angeles Street Scapers Studio, Los Angeles, CA

Bibliography 2018 Raiford, Leigh. “’Lava Thomas’ “Mugshot Portraits: Women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott’,” exhibition catalog, 2018. Black Renaissance Noire, Vol. 18, Issue 2, ed. Quincy Porter Troupe, , New York, NY, 2018. (forthcoming) Desmarais, Charles. “An uncertain approach to political art at di Rosa,” San Francisco Chronicle, August 18, 2018.

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2018 Desmarais, Charles. “What’s up in SF museums and galleries this fall,” San Francisco Chronicle Datebook, August 17, 2018. Norwood, Christopher. “Black Excellence at Art Basel,” International Review of African American Art, Vol. 28, No. 2 (2018): p. 13-32. Giles, Gretchen. “Part Two of di Rosa’s ‘Be Not Still’ a Lesson in the Importance of Being Earnest,” KQED Arts, June 28, 2018. Lederer, Carrie. Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press, exhibition catalog, 2018. Fancher, Lou. “Walnut Creek: African-American art show opens at Bedford Gallery,” East Bay Times, April 13, 2018 Hutson, Laura. “Two Shows at Zeitgeist Gallery Explore the Power of the Feminine,” Nashville Scene, January 25, 2018. Boyle, Kathleen. “States of Matter,” Nashville Arts Magazine, January 4, 2018. 2017 Miller, Robert Nagler. “Remember the Sabbath: 57 artists respond in imaginative exhibit,” The Jewish News of , November 19, 2017. 2016 Roth, David M. “These American Lives at Rena Bransten Gallery,” Square Cylinder, April 25, 2016. 2015 Black Renaissance Noire, Vol. 15, Issue 2, ed. Quincy Porter Troupe, New York University, New York, NY, 2015. LeDuc, Aimee. Lava Thomas: Looking Back and Seeing Now, exhibition catalog, September 2015. Garchick, Leah. “What if you gave a piano concert and goofs didn’t matter,” SF Chronicle, July 15, 2015. Zack, Jessica. “Lava Thomas’ Mirrored Art Helps Viewers Reflect,” SF Chronicle, July 31, 2015. Burke, Sarah. “Lava Thomas’ Tambourine Dream,” East Bay Express, July 15, 2015. 2014 Garchick, Leah. “MoAD cuts the ribbon and welcomes art lovers to reimagined space,” SF Chronicle, December 4, 2014. LeFalle-Collins, Lizetta. Lava Thomas: Beyond, exhibition catalog, 2014. Winn, Steven. “Lava Thomas’ art rooted in biography,” SF Gate, November 29, 2014. Winn, Steven. “MoAD reopens with big changes and big plans,” SF Chronicle, November 26, 2014. “The Cantor collaborates with Stanford students in many creative ways: Being Scene,” News, Spring 2014. 2013 Kienzle, Karen. The Veterans Portrait/Self-Portrait Project, exhibition catalog, 2014. 2011 Studio Visit, Vol.15, ed. Stephen T. Zevitas, 2011. 2010 Junker, Howard. “Violin d’Ingres”, ZYZZYVA 90, Winter 2010. “Art Collection of the Consulate General, Johannesburg, South Africa,” exhibition catalog, 2010. Graham, Jason-Louise. “Lava Thomas Shakes Berkeley,” Examiner, September 28, 2010. Messer, Ari. “Studies in ,” COLOR #6, March 2010. 2006 Junker, Howard. “Fictitious Self-Portrait,” ZYZZYVA 78, Winter 2006. Cohen, Stephen. ArtLA, exhibition catalog, January, 2006. Hendrix, Anastasia. “Art off the top of our heads,”San Francisco Chronicle, January 15, 2006. 2005 Wiebe, Stacey. “Body of Art,” Ventura County Reporter, September 22, 2005. San Francisco International Art Exhibition, exhibition catalog, 2005. 2004 Buckner, Clark. “Critic’s Choice,” San Francisco Bay Guardian, December 22, 2004. Meat Show, exhibition catalog, 2004. 2003 Campbell, Rob. “Natural refinement,” Ventura County Reporter, December 11, 2003. Woodard, Joseph. “All certified ‘Organic,” LA Times Calendar Weekend, December 4, 2003. 1997 Wilson, Stanley. Caressed by the Earth, exhibition catalog, 1997. Dunn, Suzanne and Sorensen, Dina. New Drawing, exhibition catalog, 1997. 1996 Johnson, Reed. “Similar Visions from Worlds Apart,” Daily News, October 11, 1997. Woodard, Joseph. “Sights,” LA Times Calendar, November 14, 1996. 1995 Von Blum, Paul and Du Tan, Stephanie. Parallel Origins, exhibition catalog, 1995.

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Fellowships, Awards and Residencies 2018 Artadia Award Finalist, San Francisco 2017 Artist in Residence, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA Artist in Residence, Kala Art Institute, Berkeley, CA 2015 Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant 2008 Paintings Edge, Idyllwild Arts Center, Idyllwild, CA Winter Residency, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA 2003 Artist in Residence, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, CA Peninsula Community Foundation Fellowship 1998 All College Honors, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA 1995 J.P. Getty Undergraduate Internship for Diversity in the Arts and Humanities

Lectures, Panel Discussions, Artist Talks, and Workshops 2018 Artist Talk, New York University, New York, NY (forthcoming) Panel Discussion, “Contemporary Artists in Conversation with History: 1968,” with Alfredo Jaar and Sam Gilliam, moderated by E. Carmen Ramos, PhD, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC 2017 Artist Talk, “Double Take: One Artwork Two Viewpoints,” conversation series with Joanna Marsh and Kevin Strait, PhD, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC Lecture, Visiting Artists and Scholars Series, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA Lecture, Department of Art and Art History, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Lecture, Art History Department, Mills College, Oakland, CA Conversation series, “Culture In A Changing America,” Park Avenue Armory, New York, NY 2015 Conversation with Jacqueline Francis, PhD, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA Lecture, Ceramics Department, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA

2014 Artist Talk, Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA Lecture, Department of Visual and Public Art, California State University Monterey, Monterey, CA 2013 Studio Visit, graduate seminar, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA 2012 Studio Visit, graduate seminar in design management, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 2010 Artist Talk, Dance Department, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA Studio Visit, graduate seminar in design management, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 2008 Artist Talk, Drama Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2007 Panel Discussion, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA 2006 Artist Talk, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA Artist Talk, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA 2005 Artist Talk, San Francisco Art Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1999 Artist Talk, San Francisco Art Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1995 Artist Talk, California State University, Northridge, CA Artist Talk, Dept. of Art Practice, , Los Angeles, CA

Interviews and Media 2018 “Contemporary Artists in Conversation with History: 1968,” Panel discussion, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. April 4, 2018. https://americanart.si.edu/videos/contemporary-artists-conversation-history- 1968-151761

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2017 “Meet the Artist: Lava Thomas on ‘Requiem for Charleston’,” Contemporary Artist Series. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C., November 13, 2017. https://americanart.si.edu/videos/meet-artist-lava-thomas- requiem-charleston-103463 Jennings, Packard. “Lava Thomas, 2017,” Packard Productions, Vimeo video, https://vimeo.com/212164055

Professional Experience 2017 Juror, Tosa Award 2010 Juror, Visions for a New California, Residency, Alliance of Artist Communities 2010-2013 Trustee, Alliance of Artists Communities 2007-2013 Trustee, Djerassi Resident Artist Program

Public Collections Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA United States Embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa, Art in Embassies Program 1999 BFA, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA 1996 UCLA School of Art Practice, Los Angeles, CA

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