Maria Medina-Schechter
Maria was born and raised in Pasadena, CA. She spent much of her time in Temple City with her artist grandparents, who were pivotal in her becoming an artist. Her grandfather was a sculptor; her grandmother was a painter. As a child, Maria began working in the studio with her grandfather. During her career, she has developed over 1,000 paintings. Maria attended Cornish College of the Arts for her B.F.A. Maria initiated her graduate work with New York University and achieved a Masters in International Business with a published thesis on cause related marketing from Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany. When she was twenty-two, Maria received a MacArthur Award nomination. During the first twenty-three years of her career, Maria’s primary medium was oils and collage on gallery stretched canvas. After a car accident in 2018, she needed several surgeries to regain the use of her arms and hands. This required her to reconsider how she would continue to work and what materials would allow her to express herself fully, while still engaging nature. During her recovery periods, she read about Paul Stamets and Merlin Sheldrake. In addition, Louie Schwartzberg’s film Fantastic Fungi was pivotal in her shift in materials and approach to her practice. Over the last three years, she has fully engaged her practice despite her permanent disability in her arms and hands. Since 2021, she has created 44 new works. As she recently explained to a cohort: “It’s the first time in my life I am just doing and making without trying to have my work do something or be something other than the experience and expression of nature.”
Today, Maria grows her paintings and sculptures from mycelium, the same material that fruits mushrooms. Her painting palette includes fruits, flowers, mushrooms, and other botanical materials. Her mission as an artist is to inspire others to use healthier materials for a healthier world. Understanding that we are a part of something much larger than human life, she finds reverence for the natural world, which is at the centerpiece of each work she now creates. For 26 years, her work has shown with cultural institutions, including recent pocket exhibitions with the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California. Her solo exhibition with the California State Capitol highlighted youth leadership. She is inspired by Greta Thunberg, Malala, and other young ladies who have dedicated their lives to fostering visibility for some of the world's most pressing issues. Maria has achieved a number of grants that include The Gottlieb Foundation Emergency Grant, 2022; The Fantastic Fungi Global Summit Scholarship, 2021; Arts and Accessibility Grant, UCLA 2020; and The Center for Cultural Innovation, 2020. She has traveled through seventeen countries, living in both Thailand and Germany. She currently resides in Indianapolis.
Painting archive currently lives here. Over 1,000 paintings are in the process of moving over to Artwork Archive. The archive has sold to a variety of
patrons, organizations and institutions and are no longer available for sale.
CURRICULUM VITAE
SELECT SOLO/TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2023
2023 Rinconada Library, Palo Alto, CA, "Enchanted Garden", June, SOLO (forthcoming)
2023 The Museum of Infinite Outcomes, TN, "The Gatekeepers", May 19, SOLO (forthcoming)
2023 Las Laguna Art Gallery, CA, "Botanical", January 5 - 28th GROUP (online) (forthcoming)
2022
2022 Indianapolis Center on Art, "Winter Art Sale", Indianapolis, on-site : December 3
2022 Petite Galleria, "Miniature Works", San Jose, (Japan Town), CA, November 26 - January 28. GROUP
2022 Studio Alchemy Gallery, "Roots", Indianapolis, IN, November 4th (First Friday). GROUP
2022 RMC, Radical Mycology Convergence, OR, October 6-9. GROUP
2022 The Influx Gallery, "Emergence", London, August. GROUP
2022 EcoAware Art Gallery, "Dispose to Reuse, India, International Art Exhibition". February. GROUP
2022 Garfield Park Arts Center, "Red: A Color Exhibition", Indianapolis, IN, June 3 - 25. GROUP
2022 Playground Productions, "A Generous Kingdom: Preview", Indianapolis, IN, April 15. GROUP
2022 Sacramento County Board of Chambers, "Women of Courage", Sacramento, CAJan 7th - July 25. SOLO
2021
2021 Blue Line Arts, Sacramento, CA, Members Medley, July - September. GROUP
2021 Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, "Botanical Art and Illustration", December. GROUP
2020
2020 Illustrative Voices, Bay Area, CA, "20/20 Hindsight Social Justice Exhibition", December. GROUP
2020 Dab Art Co, Los Angeles, CA, "ART IN THE TIME OF CORONA™", December 2020 - January 2023. GROUP
2020 Women Soaring Project, New York, NY, "Women Suffragists", November. GROUP
2020 Triton Museum, Pocket Exhibition, Santa Clara, CA, "Covid-19: Life in a Pandemic", July. GROUP
2020 Triton Museum, Pocket Exhibition, Santa Clara, CA, "We Can't Breath", May. GROUP
2020 Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Albany, CA, "The Ground Upon Which We Stand", April 15 - May 31. GROUP
2020 Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA, "Happy Place", May-June. GROUP
Select Exhibitions
2018 Humani-fest, Indianapolis, June. GROUP
2015 Hidden Villa Farm, Los Alto Hills, CA, "The Women's Healing Conference", May. SOLO
2014 Sophia University, Palo Alto, CA, "Living Thailand", May -December. SOLO
2009 White Box, New York, NY, "Gut Box Art Collective", May. GROUP
2007 Works Arts Gallery, "Annual Art Auction", San Jose, CA, GROUP
2005 Bellevue City Hall, WA, GROUP
2004 Manhattan Social Club, "Eve Ensler Fundraiser", NYC, SOLO
2003 Luisen Park, "What Is Art-What Is Sound", Mannheim, Germany, GROUP
2002 Alte Feuewache, "What Is Art" Fundraiser, Mannheim, Germany, SOLO
2002 Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA, SOLO
2001 Agora Gallery, New York, NY, GROUP
1997 COCA, Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA, GROUP
1997 Cornish College of The Arts, "Fisher Gallery", Seattle, WA, GROUP
Awards/Grants /Residencies
2022 Museum of Infinite Outcomes: The Gatekeepers Project: Adult workshops and Youth based art & nature workshops
Grant facilitated by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
2022 Biophilium Canadian residency, science school for artists: Mycophilia, Mushroom School For Artists: September 19th - 30th
2022 Biophilium Canadian residency, science school for artists: WildCraft, August 8th - 19
2022 Biophilium Canadian residency, science school for artists: Symbiosis: Ecology school for artists, July 11 - 22
2022 Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant, New York, NY
2020 Art Ventures painting residency, Half Moon Bay, CA, January
2021 Fantastic Fungi Scholarship: Voices From The Underground, Seattle, WA
2021 Seneca Center of California: artwork acquisition for their rehabilitation center
2020 California Arts Council, A State Agency, The National Arts and Disability
Center, UCLA, 'Arts and Accessibility Grant', California
2020 The Center For Cultural Innovation, California Relief Fund for Artists
and Cultural Practitioners Grant (Covid-19 related), California
2007 Schiller International University, Benjamin Franklin Award, Heidelberg, Germany
2004 Goethe Institute, Grant/Kulturmittlerin (cultural liaison), New York
2002 The MacArthur Fellows Program, Nominee, Seattle, WA
2002 Museum of Pop Culture, exhibition, Seattle, WA
2001 Seattle Space Needle Artist Studios, studio grant, Seattle, WA
1998 Oculus Gallery, 2nd Place : The Story of The Door, (Installation), Baton Rouge, LA
1997 Cornish College of the Arts, President’s Scholarship, Seattle, WA
1994 Euphrat Museum of Art, De Anza College, 2nd place award, Cupertino, CA
Curation and Special Projects
2009 -2019 I owned my own company for 10 years: Cultured Social LLC. The company focused on creative marketing, artist representation, curation grant writing, and professional development support. In ten years, I had the privilege of acting as the YouTube Specialist with Cisco Systems, I co-created a significant community for the Clorox suite of brands and designed their social media platforms, strategy and management of 11 brands: Kingsford Charcoal, Brita, Burt's Bees, Glad, all Clorox branded products, and several others. I worked in their innovation division, primarily with their scientists. I secured publications of our work together in the New York Times and The Harvard Business Review. My direct report and co-creator was Greg Piche and IP strategist and Senior Scientists, Mike Petrin. As a result, I would move on to continue to provide creative content, social media strategy for Standard Bank in South Africa, which developed a unique way to find innovators in mobile tech in their part of the world. I designed the content and strategy for their innovations. I would later volunteer with area non-profits that needed support in social media, strategy, and online community development. This led to holding board seats with major institutions to support the health and well-being of my community.
2015 Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, CA
Panelist - "Professional Development Program"
Provided insights into digital marketing and art strategy for artists
2015 Santa Cruz Mountain Arts Center, Ben Lomond, CA
Board Training: Arts Marketing and Strategy Development
2015 Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
Imagine SLS, Santa Cruz, CA
Curated, exhibition and annual fundraiser, Film Festival, Adults with Disabilities
2010 Thai Mundo Organization, Udon Thani, Thailand
raised 10k in art supplies and books for the local orphanage, shared insights with
administration on social media and blog training, lived with and learned from Thai forest monks & muns
2009 De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University Museum, Santa Clara, CA
Museum support, docent tours, research, and exhibition support
2005 Senior Fulbright Research Scholar: Vasco Billboards and Global Trade, New York, NY
Research support of scholar Donald Fels, website development and curatorial support
2005 Victoria Secret Inc., I designed the "Elizabeth" line which included a bicycle, boxes, baskets, and tins. I
initially created a variety of botanical and floral oil paintings which I then transferred into a digital format creating
patterns and designs used in all of the customizations
2005 I was hired as a consultant by Fader Magazine to work with Moby on his event that took place at the Natural History
Museum in New York City. This is where I was invited to consult with GMSH an arts collective created in New York City comprised of Richard
Linklater animators from the film Waking Life and three other artists. I would develop a fish bowl type of installation with GMSH
exhibiting their works with the Capitol Hill Arts Center co-creating the event with Randy Engstrom who Directed the office of Arts and Culture
Seattle, Washington.
2004-2005 Senior Project Manager, Novo Arts, New York
I managed half a million in major design projects and installations for The Ritz Carlton, Hilton, and Bank of America.
2003 Lake Washington Technical College, Seattle, WA
Designed and produced digital art and sound workshop (this was a What Is Sound workshop).
2002 Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle, WA
Co-Curated Whatisart-Whatissound: Exhibition design and program direction
(This was a What Is Art - What Is Sound fundraising event).
2000 Independent Media Center, Seattle, WA
Co-Curated, "Stepping From The Shadows".
2000 What Is Art - What Is Sound?, Seattle, WA & Mannheim, Germany
Co-Founded the collective turned non-profit and co-curated all public events over a 5 year period.
Education
2022 Yale University: Teacher Leadership Program (ongoing)
The online program began in October and we will break for January
The next segment of teaching with an emphasis on story telling begins in
Spring 2023.
2021 Blue Wind School of Botanical Studies
Edible & Medicinal Oaks/Acorns of the Western U.S. (Online)
2019-2020 HarvardXOnline
Continued Education Courses
-Pyramids of Giza, Ancient Egyptian Art and Archeology
-Leaders of Learning
-Women Making History:10 Objects Many Stories
2007-2009 Schiller International University, Heidelberg, Germany
Masters in International Business
Thesis published on Cause Related Marketing:
"Cause Culture, Capturing Social Capital through Marketing"
2006-2007 New York University, New York, New York,
Masters, Visual Arts Administration,
(Initiated graduate work-transferred 2nd yr. to Heidelberg, Germany)
2002 - 2003 Goethe Institute, Goethe-Institut Mannheim Sprachschule
1994-1998 Cornish College of The Arts, Seattle, WA
Bachelor of Fine Art
1993-1994 De Anza Community College, Cupertino, CA
Art History, Painting, Drawing,
Teaching Experience/Artist Talks
2022 Artist Relief Project (ARP), monthly online engagement (artist talk)
2021 Blue Line Arts, Artist talk, Sacramento, CA
2021 Crocker Art Museum, Teacher training, Sacramento, CA
(E.S.L) Emotional, Social, Learning
2021 Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA, painting instructor
2020 Illustrative Voices, Artist talk, San Jose, CA
2020 Private Instruction: painting, drawing and art history, CA
During our work together my student applied for her first art competition and won 2nd place.
More importantly her work was in an exhibition titled: 12 Freedoms Gained: A Juneteenth juried art exhibition in
Ft.Worth, Texas at the Fort Worth Community Art Center. This was a youth arts exhibition. Together, we took a deep
dive into diaspora, culture, and took a hard look at a specific exhibition: Legends from Los Angeles: Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar.
2020 Women's Caucus for Art, Palo Alto, CA
2007 Embassy CES, NYC: National Arts and Culture Program Manager: I designed and implemented public programs for the adult students visiting
New York City for the first time. My primary role was to be the students 'first friend' and not just take them to galleries,
museums, broadways shows, dinner clubs, night clubs, but to share and teach American culture and history.
1998-1999 Washington International School, Northgate, WA, Painting and drawing instruction
1998-1999 First Place, Seattle, WA, Painting and drawing instruction
Conference/Board Membership
Radical Mycology Convergence, Mulino, Oregon
October 6-9, 2022
Donated artworks to the visual art exhibition and silent auction to support the continuation of community programs that serve humanity and our planet.
Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht, NL
Sept. 22 -24, 2022
The 3-day event explored the idea of an Intergovernmental Panel on Art and Climate Change and ways to integrate the arts, social sciences, and humanities within the interface between science and global policymaking. Gathering professionals from the arts, science, and beyond, IPACC WG IV speculates on the role of the arts in relation to climate breakdown. the (IPACC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Art and Climate Change.
The Homeless Garden Project, Santa Cruz, CA, 2016
Former board member
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, 2001
Former: Latin American community board member
Organized by then Deputy Director for art: Lisa Graziose Corrin
In addition, I worked with the Seattle Art Museum for three years.
Membership
Hacker Dojo, Mountain View, CA- Previous
NCWCA Women's Caucus on Art - Previous
Representing the Clorox Company-Previous
Language
English, German
Studied: Arabic, Japanese, Spanish and Thai