Born: USA. Raised in Rome, Italy. Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
PUBLIC ART PROJECTS:
2025-2027
Stacked (Monument), Temporary Public Art Sculpture for KitePharma (curated by Carl Berg)
City of Santa Monica, CA
2023-2026
Unsustainable Creatures: Elephant, Pasadena Rotating Public Art Program IV
Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, CA
2023
Temporary Public Art, Pack Dogs on the Taylor Yards Bridge
Illuminate the Night, commissioned by the Elysian Valley Arts Collective, Los Angeles, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND INSTALLATIONS: * indicates solo exhibition)
2021
Seconds To Last, Torrance Art Museum, (Dark Room), Torrance, CA*
2020
Urgent Matter, Matter Studio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA*
2019
Jacked, Craft Contemporary Museum, Los Angeles, CA*
Peace on Earth Exhibit, MOAH (Museum of Art and History), Lancaster, CA
2018
Migrations, (solo) International Museum of Art and Science, McAllen, Texas*
Pack Dogs Trio, installation for Pasadena ArtNight 2018, at DayOne, Pasadena, CA
2016
Ox Pull Along the River, Frogtown Artwork/CURRENT: LA Water Biennial, (commissioned one-night illuminated installation)
Cynthia Minet: Avian, Vita Art Center at the Bell Arts Factory, Ventura, CA *
Pack Dogs, installation for Gyre:The Plastic Ocean, Natalie and James Thompson Gallery, San Jose State University (Feb-April)
2015
Ox Pull Revisited, Soraya Gallery (Valley Performing Arts Center Gallery), California State University, Northridge *
Beast of Burden, USC Fisher Museum of Art, University of Southern California *
Pack Dogs, installation for Gyre: The Plastic Ocean (travelled to):
David J. Sencer/CDC Museum, Atlanta, GA, (Jan-June)
USC Fisher Museum, Los Angeles, CA. (Sept-Nov)
2014
Pack Dogs, installation for Gyre: The Plastic Ocean, Anchorage Museum, AK (curator: Julie Decker)
The Elephant, Gensler, Los Angeles (October-March)
2013
Packing (caravan), solo installation, Los Angeles International Airport*
Funded by Los Angeles World Airports/ LA Department of Cultural Affairs
2012
Cynthia Minet’s Unsustainable Creatures, Sculptures of Plastic and Light *
University of CA/ Riverside ARTSblock/Culver Center for the Arts, in conjunction with the City of Riverside Festival of Lights
2010
Unsustainable Creatures III, 24-Hour Gallery, Pasadena, CA*
Unsustainable Creatures II, The Wedge, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA *
2009
Unsustainable Creatures, PØST, (Kamikaze one-night exhibitions), Los Angeles, CA *
2005
Hybrids, SolwayJones, Los Angeles, CA *
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2024
Mother Earth, (curated by Sarah Tanguy and Virginia Shore)
Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy, Washington, DC
Above & Below: Views from AltaSea's Blue Hour, Guest Curated by Kim Abeles in collaboration with Gallery Curator, Michele Cairella Fillmore
Kellogg University Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
2023
Above and Below/ Blue Hour (curated by Kim Abeles)
AltaSea, San Pedro, CA
2022
The Animals Are Leaving, short film made with Jill D’Agnenica, La Brea Tar Pits Film Festival, La Brea Tar Pits/Natural History Museums, Los Angeles, CA
Let Me Talk, Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, CA (installation of Seconds to Last)
2020
We Are Here/Here We Are
Outdoor Group Show of 100 Artists, County-Wide in Los Angeles,CA
organized by Durden and Ray, art collective.
2018
Italianità, IAMLA (Italian American Museum of Los Angeles) Los Angeles,CA
Museum of Ennui, Shed Collective at Shoebox Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2017
Made Out of What,Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Office Hours,Beta/Main Museum, Los Angeles, CA
The Disappearing Frogs Project, Frank Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC
Entangled, The Animal Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2016
In partnership with The Other Toy Story, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC
Post-Waste, South Bay Contemporary, San Pedro, CA (curator: Tracey Weiss)
Dark Nights/LA LIVE, LA LIVE, Los Angeles, CA (one-night only), (curator: Melissa Richardson Banks)
Bird!, Muzeuum, Los Angeles, CA (curator: Mishelle Moross)
2014
MAS Attack, Santa Monica Art Studios, (curator: Max Presneill and others)
Aqua Art Fair, with Coagula Curatorial, Miami, Fl (curator: Mat Gleason)
Luminosity, Pasadena ArtNight 2014, DayOne/LightBringer Project, Pasadena, CA
American Trash, EarthWE Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA (curator: Marina Debris)
Transcending Trash: The Art of Upcycling. Muzeo, Anahem, CA (curator: Matthew Leslie)
LA Luz, Gensler, Los Angeles (curator: Tess Logan)
2013
Arranged Art, Hudson|Linc, Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, CA (curator: Nick Lisica)
2012
Escape from the Landfill, Huntington Beach Art Center, CA (3 person with Joyce Dallal and Olga Lah) (curator: Darlene DeAngelo)
Space Oddity, SCube Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2011
AIGA ReExtravaganza, (exhibited artist), Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Markers 8: Mapping 2011, ArtLife for the World, Venice, Italy (curator: Doron Polak)
2010-11
Increments, installation/group show selected by GATE Projects, (Glendale Area Temporary Exhibition), Glendale, CA
2010
Unleash the Beast, Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (curators: Milo/McLean)
99cent Ontario, Los Angeles World Airports/Ontario Airport, Ontario, CA (curators: Barry Markowitz and Stu Rapaport)
2009
Souvenir Art Venice 2009, Scala Mata, Collateral Event of the 53rd Biennale of Art, Venice, Italy, (organized by Doron Polak and the International Artists Museum, Israel )
2008
Animal Magnetism, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA (curator: Mat Gleason)
Reaching Out, Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA
2007
W.O.P., The Brewery Project, Los Angeles, CA (curator John O’Brien)
HAUS/Guests, The Brewery Project, Los Angeles, CA (curator: Nena Amsler)
PillowTalk, Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (curator: Merylyn McCorkle)
2006
With Strings Attached, Ruby Green Art Center, Nashville, Tennessee (curator: Leslie Kneisel)
Labirinti, Biennale Di Arte Tessile Contemporanea III, Archaeological Museum of Amelia, Umbria, Italy (curator: John O’Brien)
From America, Museum of Contemporary Art, Minsk, Belarus (curator: Mela Marsh)
2004
double take, the Brewery Project, Los Angeles, CA (co-curators John O’Brien/Cynthia Minet)
Making Art, Atrium Lobby, Hall of Administration, County Government Center, Ventura, CA
Glass Sky, Celluloid Moon, Peggy Phelps Gallery, Claremont Graduate University, CA
2003
Shelter/Miklat/Maljaa’ an international exchange exhibition: co-organized by Cynthia Minet and Jill D’Agnenica
The Brewery project, Los Angeles, CA (March)
Limbus Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel (November)
The New Gallery, Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel (October)
2002
2+2, Gallery 2211_SolwayJones, Los Angeles, CA
OutAuction 2002, Butterfield’s, Los Angeles, CA
City of Angels/Gates of Hell, Advocate Gallery/Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, Los Angeles, CA
2001
Mapping, Works/San Jose, CA (curated by Jennifer Starkweather)
Spazi di Pace/Art for Peace, International Exchange Exhibition (co-organized by Cynthia Minet and Jill D’Agnenica , Ricki Puch and Secondo Sannipoli)
Coagula Projects/I-5 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Projective-Artists Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel
Spazi di Pace/Art for Peace, Palazzo dei Consoli, Gubbio, Italy (2000)
2000
Peace Fountain, Collaborative Public Art Piece with Jill D’Agnenica and Matthew Chase-Daniel, sponsored by the Gubbio Arts Council, Gubbio, Italy Psych 2000, POST, Los Angeles, CA
Apron Strings: Ties to Identity, El Camino Community College Art Gallery, Torrance, CA
Extreme, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
OK To Touch, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA
SELECTED PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS:
2018
High Art Fridays:The Global Artplace, Artist Catalog 2018, Ron Shelton and the Ohio Arts Council, OH
Voyage LA staff. "Meet Cynthia Minet of MinetStudio in Lincoln Heights, interview, Voyage LA, May 22
Moyer, Nancy. "Artist Takes Serious Look at Migration, Environment in New IMAS exhibit, The Monitor, May 14
Moreno, Edward. "Two Types of Migration: Migratory Birds, Immigrants' Plight Subject of LA Artist's Exhibit at IMAS", The Monitor, April 13
LA Home Magazine, 5 Sculptors Feature, April 3
Brewer, Gary. "Studio Visit: Cynthia Minet, Repurposed Aesthetics, Art and Cake, March 20
Davis, Genie. Migrations: Cynthia Minet's Sculptures Take Flight, DiversionsLA, March 15
2017
Davis, Genie. Cynthia Minet: Glowing and Winged things Illuminated with Meaning, DiversionsLA, July 25
Curbed/Miami, Best of Art Basel Miami Week, front page photo., Dec 11
Vankin, Deborah. "The Museum Director Will See You Now..", Los Angeles Times, Dec 7
Davis, Genie. “The Grand Opening of the Animal Museum”, Art and Cake, Jan. 5
2016
DRAIN: A Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture , Junk Ocean (Vol:12:2)
Cynthia Minet: Oceans of Junk (art project) editors: Celina Jeffery and Ian Buchanan
Davis, Genie, “Post Waste at South Bay Contemporary: Nothing Wasted”, Art and Cake, September 21
2015
Zellen, Jody. “Cynthia Minet at the USC Fisher Museum of Art, ARTILLERY MAGAZINE, November_2015 Reviews
MEMORY AND DREAM, 2015. The Album of the 6th Beijing International Art Biennale (catalog)Foreign Languages Press
Camli, Selim. “Beast of Burden at USC Fisher Museum”, Based/Istanbul, Sept, Vol.1
Cynthia Minet: Beast of Burden, Nela Art News (review, front page) 6 Sept
Powers, Summer. “Past, Present and Futuristic: 3 Recycling Artists in Los Angeles (Noah Purifoy, Marina DeBris, Cynthia Minet) The Culture Trip, Summer 2015
Campodonico, Christina, The Beauty of Awareness: Artists shape plastic ocean debris into visual messages, The Argonaut, Sept 16
Fallon, Clare. “Stunning Art Exhibition Captures the World of Plastic Trash, The Huffington Post, September
Stafford, Jeff. "Artists Sound the Environmental Alarm in "Gyre: The Plastic Ocean", www.artsatl.com, Feb l8
Willer-Allred, Michelle. "Of Bards and Beasts: Moorpark School Hosts Hybrid Art Event", Ventura County Star, Apr 16
2014
Chang, Richard. "Museum Showcases Trash as Art”, OC Register, May 28
Discovery Channel Canada, feature on Daily Planet's Weird Planet (March 21, 2014)
Kehe, Jason. "Beautiful Glow-in-the-Dark Critters Born From Dumpster Diving", Wired Magazine (online) Feb 13
Martinez, Francisco. “Pack Dogs, Manada de Perros”, Catalogodiseno, (online), based in Santiago, Chile. Mar 5
Estes, Adam Clark. "These Glowing Dogs are Made From Rubbish Pulled From the Ocean", Gizmodo (UK), Feb 16
NOAA's Response and Restoration Blog, "Gyre: The Plastic Ocean exhibit puts ocean trash on display in Alaska", Feb 21
Dunham, Mike. "Museum exhibit explores pollution as art". Anchorage Daily News, January 31
2013
Bingham, Lisa. "Taking Flight: Cynthia Minet on Art in Airports", FORM Magazine Web Extra, Dec 9
Jao, Carren. "Animal sculptures at LAX shed light on household trash", Los Angeles Times , July 27
2012
Solis, Jaime. "Unsustainable Creatures", Inland Empire Weekly, December 27
Barton, Dave. "Excavating America's Future With 'Escape from the Landfill'", OC Weekly. August 2, 2012
Senn, Evan. "Escape from the Landfill, Cultural Sanctuary in Surf City", KCET Artbound, July 13, 2012
2010
Daichendt, Gary James. “Creatures of the Night are Wildly Fun, and Political”, Pasadena Star News, Nov 22
Rosoff, Libby. “Seduction, revulsion in L.A.–Studio Visit with Cynthia Minet”. theARTblog, June 22
Celada, Luca. TG1 Focus: Mostre e Eventi, RAI Television, April 19
2007
Maddox, David. ”With Strings Attached”, Ruby Green, Nashville, Numbers: 58, Winter 2007
2005
Myers, Holly. “Hunger Meets Mere Consumption”, Los Angeles Times, April 22, E2
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, GRANTS AND HONORS:
2018
Recipient of Pasadena ArtNight Minigrant, sponsored by LightBringer Project/DayOne, Pasadena, CA
2017
Artist interview, Modern Art Blitz, with Mat Gleason, Los Angeles, CA
Sabbatical Leave Award, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA (academic year 2017-2018)
2016
Panelist, Gyre:The Plastic Ocean, Natalie and James Thompson Gallery, San Jose State University, CA
2015
Artist Selection for the 6th Beijing International Art Biennale, The National Museum, Beijing, China
Guest Lecturer, Eco Art Summer Course, Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Presenter, Bards and Beasts, (collaborative art and poetry), Walnut Canyon Elementary School, Moorpark, CA
Co-Organizer (with Erika Lizee) of panel discussion for the Year of Myth and Reality, Moorpark College, CA
2014
Recipient of Pasadena ArtNight Minigrant, sponsored by LightBringer Project/DayOne, Pasadena, CA
Selected for Pre-Qualified Artist Pool, Metro Art, LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Organizer/Curator of Planet: An Ecological Symposium and Exhibition, Moorpark College, CA
Artist Lecture: Gyre: The Plastic Ocean, Anchorage Museum, AK
2012
Panelist, in conversation with Peter Frank and "Space Oddity" artists, SCube Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Panelist, in conversation with Sue Carpenter, OC Register, and other artists in "Escape from the Landfill": Joyce Dallal and Olga Lah
Workshop facilitator, "Re-using Trash", with kids' summer camp at Huntington Beach Art Center in conjunction with "Escape from the Landfill", Huntington Beach Art Center, CA
2008
Artist’s Residency, International Ceramic Research Center, Guldagergaard, Denmark
Master Artist for Ventura County Award, Focus on the Masters 2008, archive and lecture
2005
Artist’s Residency, Stichting Kaus Australis, Rotterdam, Netherlands
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
2000- present
Professor, Studio Art, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
1992
Teaching Fellow, Foothill Consortium/Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico
1990-2000
Professor, Studio Art and Art History, Antelope Valley College, Lancaster, CA
1989-90
Visiting Professor, Sculpture, Tyler School of Art/ Temple University Abroad, Rome, Italy
EDUCATION:
1987 MFA, San Francisco State University
1983 BA, University of California, Santa Barbara
1981 Tyler School of Art/Temple University Abroad in Rome, Italy