June Edmonds

Artist’s Statement

First inspired by my meditation practice, my ongoing series of abstract paintings explore how color, repetition, movement, and balance can serve as conduits to spiritual contemplation and interpersonal connection.

I am drawn to the use of the circle, curved and straight lines, often drawing on various cultural and art historical references to sacred geometries. The vesica piscis is a symbol formed by the intersection of two circles with the same radius and has been associated with creation and the passage from the spiritual world to the physical. I use the circle as a doorway to memory, to identity and to connection to the highest and most mysterious parts of the inner self. My goal is to infuse each work with a rhythmic energy, which invites the viewer to connect with something higher within.

In my most recent works, I have been revisiting and redefining traditional Western color theory. Color associations can be connected to culturally symbolic imagery, trauma, and emotion, and are thus able to communicate about power and systemic disenfranchisement. Exploring the psychological construct of skin color or tone through pattern and abstract painting has proven to be a revealing gesture. These ideas are explored in my newer flag paintings which discuss the alignment of multiple identities such as race, nationality, gender, or political leanings. Color and abstraction are a way to create space for these difficult discussions.

Website: juneedmonds.com

Born Los Angeles, CA
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA

EDUCATION

S.E.A. in Arts and Healing, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
M.F.A. in Painting, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
B.A. in Art, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Solo Exhibition (forthcoming), Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2022 107 Prints, Transformative Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2021 June Edmonds: Full Spectrum, A 40-Year Survey Exhibition, Leband Art Gallery, Burns Art Center, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
Joy of Other Suns, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
June Edmonds, University Art Gallery, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
2019 Allegiances and Convictions, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Scats and Stitches, LAUNCH LA, Los Angeles, CA
2015 Recent Works, The Sijonny Project Space, Long Beach, CA
Rhythm and Spirit, Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA
2012 June Edmonds: Paintings, Avenue 50 Studio Annex Gallery, Highland Park, CA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 “Radical Leisure”, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2022 “Adornment | Artifact”, Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2022 14th Biennale de Dakar, Le Marché International Des Arts De Dakar
2022  Biddy’s Garden, Transformative Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2021 New Histories, curated by Dion Johnson, Harris Art Gallery, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA
2020 Unreachable Spring, Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
For Which it Stands, presented by Assembly Room, Ford Foundation Gallery, New York, NY Founding Narratives, Mead Art Museum, Amherst, MA
2019 Selections from the Permanent Collection, Davis Museum of Art, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA EXPO Chicago, with Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Dallas Art Fair, with Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Art Los Angeles Contemporary, with Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2018 Polychromatic Mojo: Color as Content, curated by Hagop Najarian, Cerritos College Art Gallery, Norwalk, CA Viva La Vulva, Band of Vices Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
City of Los Angeles (COLA 2018) Individual Artist Fellowships Exhibition, curated by Steven Wong, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Marina del Pedro, curated by Tim Maxeiner, Angels Gate Cultural Center Gallery, San Pedro, CA Black Matters, curated by Molly Barnes and Pamela Smith-Hudson, West Los Angeles College Gallery, Culver City, CA
Eyes Forward, curated by James Panozzo and Mary Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Art Show, Launch LA Gallery, Los Angeles Convention Center.
2017 Diasporagasm, curated by April Bey, Michael Sterns Gallery in San Pedro, CA; SOLA in Los Angeles, C
Method, Movement, Memory, curated by Martin Betz, Manhattan Beach Art Center, Manhattan Beach, CA 2016 Blue, The Loft at Liz’s, Los Angeles, CA
What I See, curated by Art Carillo, Avenue 50 Studio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Crate Digger, curated by Jason Ostro, Gabba Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Flower Power, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
Boots on the Ground, curated by Dulce Stein, Mid City Art Center, Los Angeles, CA
Black History Exhibition, West L.A. College in Los Angeles, CA and Molly Barnes Gallery, Los Angeles, CA I am More, curated by Isabel Rojas-Williams, Gabba Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Practice, Practice, Practice: Abstract Spirituality in Contemporary L.A. Painting, Sculpture, and Performance, curated by Doug Harvey, Nan Rae Gallery, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA The New New: Group Show, Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY
2015 Aztlan Mujeres de Aztlan / Desde el Corazon de la Mujer, curated by Margaret Garcia, The dA Center for the Arts, Pomona, CA
Colored Girls, curated by Chelle Barbour, Autonomie Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Hard Edge, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Believe!, curated by José Lozano, Avenue 50 Studio Gallery, Highland Park, CA .
Word Up~Interactions Between Text and Image, Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA
Recent Acquisitions, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2013 Women’s History Month Art Exhibition, Altadena Community Arts Center, Altadena, CA
Common Ground II, California African American Museum + Mercado de Paloma, Los Angeles, CA 2012 Clusters, Los Angeles College + University of Southern California Medical Village, Los Angeles, CA
Baile Con Duende, Watts Towers Art Center, Los Angeles, CA 2011 Unusual Suspects, Fremont Gallery, Pasadena, CA
Improvisations, San Bernardino College Art Gallery, San Bernadino, CA
Group Exhibition, the office of Assembly Member Holly Mitchell, Los Angeles, CA 2010 African American Masterworks, M. Hanks Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Distinctly Los Angeles, M. Hanks Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
40th Anniversary Exhibition, St. Elmo Village, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Common Ground, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA 2007 From a Female Point of View, The Loft Gallery, San Pedro, CA
2006  Black Like We, The Feldman-Horn Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Tomorrow’s Masters, M. Hanks Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2005  Primarily Red, I-5 Gallery, The Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Fade, Luckman Fine Art Gallery, Cal State Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2002 Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride: African American Murals, University Art Gallery, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA
2001 Spirit Observed, The Advocate Gallery, Hollywood, CA
1999 Art & Issues, Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
1997 Do You See What I See?, Articulture Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA
Hand, Mind and Spirit, Sheppard Gallery, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
1996 Divergent Similarities, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
New Identities of Los Angeles, Self-Help Graphics, Los Angeles, CA

AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2022 Guggenheim Fellowship, New York, NY
2022 Vermont Studio Center Fellowship/Residency, Johnson,VT
2020 AWARE Prize, The Armory Show/ Archives of Women Artists Research & Exhibitions, New York, NY
2020 Harpo Foundation Grant, Vermont
(chosen as the best solo booth by a female artist)
2017-18 COLA (City of Los Angeles) Artist Fellowship, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, CA 2017 Paducah Artist Residency, Paducah, KY
2016 Center for Cultural Innovation Quick Grant, San Pedro, CA
2005 Artist in Residence / Individual Artist Grant, Cultural Affairs Department, San Pedro, CA
2003 Artist in Residence / Individual Artist Grant, Cultural Affairs Department, Los Angeles, CA 2001 Artist in the Community Individual Artist Grant, California Arts Council, Sacramento, CA
2000 Inglewood Cultural Arts, Inglewood, CA
1997 Residency Grant, Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos, NM
1997 Residency Grant, Dorland Mountain Community, Temecula, CA
1982 Residency / Full Grant, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
“The Whirling, Spiritual Abstraction of June Edmonds”, December 7, 2021, Allison Conner, Hyperallergic Magazine
“Review: A welcome June Edmonds survey illuminates the artist’s surprising trajectory”, November 2, 2021, Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times
“June Edmonds; Freedom in Abstraction”, November 2, 2021, Richard Allen May III, Artillery Magazine.
“June Edmonds’ 40-Year Survey at Laband Art Gallery, Loyola Marymount University and Solo Exhibition at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles”, Lita Barre, October, 2021, White Hot Magazine
“Los Angeles:  5 New Gallery Exhibitions are Dedicated to Artists Lorna Simpson, Betye Saar, Amoako Boafo, June Edmonds, and Rashid Johnson”, Culture Type, Oct. 1, 2021, Victoria L. Valentine
“’Ebony on Draper and Girard’ Mural Complete,” La Jolla Light, Jul. 20
Mackin-Solomon, Ashley.
“New Installation for Murals of La Jolla Honors Local Black Pioneers,” La Jolla Light, Jul. 12
Edmunds, Melanie. “The Future is Black Art. Portrayals of Black Community,” Artsy, Feb. 11
2020 Quach, Hoa. “San Diego’s Museum of Contemporary Art Announces Digital Auction,” Times of San Diego, Sep. 1
Haight, Cathryn. “5 Museum Curators Share The Artwork They’ve Missed the Most,” WBUR The ARTery, Jul. 15
Hollis, Phyllis. “Episode 19: A Conversation with June Edmonds,” Cerebral Woman, June. 10 Zanardi, Eva.
Selvin, Claire. “Armory Show Names Three Prize Winners for the 2020 Edition, Including Inaugural AWARE Prize for Women Artists,” ARTnews, Mar. 6
Lopez Cassel, Dessane.
“Visiting the 2020 Armory Show Amid Ominous Headlines,”
Hyperallergic, Mar. 6
Schwendener, Martha. “The Armory Show: Playing It Safe During an Unsettled Time,” The New York Times, Mar. 5
“10 Artworks to See at The Armory Show in New York This Weekend”, ArtFix Daily, Mar. 5 Keener, Katherine. “$10,000 AWARE Prize will recognise 20th century female artist at the Armory Show”, Art Critique, Feb. 25
Di Liscia, Valentina. “Prize at Armory Show Will Give 10k to a Woman Artist or Her Estate,”
Hyperallergic, Feb. 20
2019 Bowie, Summer. “Allegiances and Convictions: An Interview with June Edmonds and Luis De Jesus,” Autre Magazine, June 29
Dambrot, Shana Nys. “Review: June Edmonds at Luis De Jesus,” Art and Cake, June 13
David Pagel. “Review: June Edmonds Paints A Different American Flag – One Defiantly More Brown,” Los Angeles Times, May 29
Hudson, Suzanne. “Artforum Critics’ Pick: June Edmonds”, Artforum, May 24
Goldman, Edward. “Smart, Courageous and, Yes,Totally Naked”, Art Talk: KCRW, May 14
Miranda, Carolina A. “Datebook: Painter June Edmonds Imagines Flags Inspired by Black History”, Los Angeles Times, May 9
2018 Najarian, Hagrop. “Polychromatic Mojo: Color as Content, Cerritos College Art Gallery,” Art and Cake, Nov. 11
Easter, Makeda. “L.A. gave local artists $10,000 grants. See what they did with them at Barnsdall Art Park”, Los Angeles Times, May 2
LA Weekly, Apr. 30
2017 Davis, Genie. “Diasporagasm at SBC SoLA Gallery,” Art and Cake, Oct. 23
The Source, Aug. 19
Harvey, Doug. “June Edmonds: Circle/Curve Series,” Abstract Spiritual (blog), Apr. 15 “The New New,” published by Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Jan. 2016 (catalogue)
2015 Knight, Christopher. “‘Hard Edged’ art at California African American Museum widens perception of black artists’ work,” The Los Angeles Times, Dec. 9

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Crocker Museum, Sacremento, CA
California African American Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Davis Museum, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
Mead Art Museum, Amhurst College, Amhurst, MA
David Owsley Museum, Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Escalette Permanent Collection of Art, Chapman University, Orange, CA New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH
Rodney M. Miller Sr. Collection, New York, NY
Michael Rubel Collection, Los Angeles, CA
David Rogath Collection, Greenwich, CT
Kelly Williams and Andrew Forsyth Collection, New York, NY Michelle Branch and Dale Cook Collection, San Francisco, CA Robert and Anne Conn Collection, Del Mar, CA
Richelieu Dennis Collection, Old Westbury, NY