Joanna Grasso
EDUCATION
2008 M.F.A. (cum laude), Exhibition Design, California State University, Fullerton, CA
Thesis: Artist-Curators: Infiltrators or Innovators?, Exhibition: Domestic Departures
2008 Museum Studies Certificate, California State University, Fullerton, CA 2008
2001 B.F.A. (magna cum laude), Painting & Drawing, Dominican University of California, San Rafael
2000 Studio Art, Lorenzo de’Medici Scuola d’Arte, Florence, Italy
1998 Italian Language and Cultural Studies, Istituto Europeo, Florence, Italy
1997 Study Abroad Program, Scuola Dante Alighieri, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
HIGHLIGHTS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2014-20 Program Manager, Family Connect, Foster Care Project, Pasadena, CA
2015-16 Arts Development Coordinator, Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA
2013-14 Editorial Assistant, Nomadic Journal, DoppelHouse Press, Eagle Rock, CA
2012-13 Venice Project Manager, U.S. Pavilion, Artist Sarah Sze, La Biennale di Venezia, Bronx Museum, NYC
2009-13 Curator/Art Advisor, Belmont Art Collection, privately held, Vancouver BC, Canada
2008-09 Managing Studio Director, Conceptual Artists Joseph Kosuth, Roma Studio, Italy
2007 Head of Installation, International Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art, Italy
2006-08 Graduate Assistant, Art History Dept., California State University, Fullerton, CA
2006-08 Research Library Assistant, Image Library, California State University, Fullerton, CA
2001-03 Event Ambassador and Interpreter, International Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art, Florence, Italy
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2016 Performance Advent Calendar, Daily posting of images from Over and Under Series (2012)
2015 Cowboys and Indians, K’a Tony’s Garden Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2015-13 Walking with the Goat Woman: a journey in global folklore, mythology and legend. Series of performances Villnachern, Switzerland; Port au prince, Haiti; Lusaka, Zambia
2012 Invest in the IMMATERIAL, Belmont Art Collection, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
2008 Signs of Life, @Space Project Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA
2007 Domestic Departures, Begovich Gallery, California State University, Fullerton, CA
2007 E-Ticket Ride, JFlynn Gallery, SoBECA, Costa Mesa, CA
2007 Three Deities, Koo’s Art Center, Long Beach, CA
2006 Dredges to Dreamboats: 100 years of Nautical History, Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, Newport Beach, CA
2006 Oral Fixation, Vacant commercial building, Santa Ana, CA
EXHIBITION HISTORY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Infinite, ROWDTLA, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Clean Fun, Video Installation, The Office, Huntington Beach, CA
2006 Captured, Atrium Gallery, California State University, Fullerton, CA
2001 Line, B.F.A. Exhibition, Main Gallery, Dominican University of California, San Rafael
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 Eliminate Project, UNICEF Online Auction, Charity Stars
The Coloring Project III, The 3rd Installment on Art History and Coloring, Luke’s Frameshop, Portland, OR
2015 Performance Advent Calendar, daily publication of images, Over and Under Series of performative interventions
2008 Film Festival (on line), Rat Powered Films
Mapping Reason, VIVA, The Culinary Institute of Florence & Italian Culture, Sebastopol, CA
2007 Our Place, Main Gallery, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
American Portfolio, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR
If you lived here, West Gallery, California State University, Fullerton, CA
OsCene, Contemporary art & culture in OC, Orange County Survey, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna, CA
2006 3-Deity, Koo’s Art Center, Long Beach, CA
All Media Juried Exhibition, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA
Friends and Family, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
Assimilation, Exit Gallery, California State University, Fullerton, CA
New Growth, Tony Danza Gallery, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
2005 Untitled, Main Gallery, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
Oral Fixation, JArt Projects, Vacant commercial building, Santa Ana, CA
2004 ArtSEEN Collaboration, Small Art Works Gallery, Florence, Italy
ARTIST RESIDENCIES + WORKSHOPS
2015 Artist Residency & Cultural Exchange, Port au Prince, Haiti
2013 Artist Residency & Cultural Exchange, Lusaka, Zambia
2013 Spirituality as Art Practice II, Montagnana, Toscana, Italia
2012 Artist Residency, Villnachern, Switzerland
2011 Woodcarving in the Bush Workshop; Limpopo, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, South Africa
2011 Artist Residency & Workshop, Mexico City, Mexico
2010 Spirituality as Art Practice Workshop, Montagnana, Toscana, Italia
2005-08 Resident Artist, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
2006 Art History & Contemporary Theories Workshop, San Francisco, CA
1999 6-week Artist Residency, La Cipressaia, San Casiano, Val di Pesa, Italia
PUBLICATIONS
2018 Musings, Ruminate (CSUF: Begovich Gallery) (Catalogue Essay)
2014 “In the desert of follies: a trip to the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum,” The Nomadic Journal, July 2014
2008-11 OC Art Blog, Contributing Writer
2009 Curatorial Statement, Domestic Departures (CSUF: Main Art Gallery) (Catalogue Essay)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
2014-Present Member Xiem Clay Center, Altadena
Presently Board of Directors, Universal Voice Inc., OC non-profit arts organization
2018 500RYT Yoga Teacher; focus on yoga therapy and trauma-informed modalities
2016-19 Volunteer, Annual Foster Youth Art Show, All Saints Church Foster Care Project
2018 Volunteer Trauma-sensitive Yoga Instructor, Exhale to Inhale
2015-18 Development Committee, All Saints Church Foster Care Project, Pasadena
2006-08 Society of Museum Associates (SOMA), [Chair 06-07, Vice Chair Fall 07’, Treasurer Spring 08], InterClub Council, California State University, Fullerton, CA
2005-08 Resident Artist, Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA
LANGUAGES
Fluent in Italian (spoken and written)