Education
MFA 1972 University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
BFA 1970 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Awards and Grants
2022 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
2019 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Grant
2018 Focus on the Masters. Lifetime archive and public talk. Ventura, CA
2017 New York Foundation for the Arts, "Distinguished Artist Grant" .New York, New York.
2015 AICA-USA (Art Critics) Finalist for best show of 2012 in an alternative space, "Un-Natural" at the Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Park. Los Angeles, CA
2007 July Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute, Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant
1996 Artist Fellowship, J. Paul Getty Trust Fund for Visual Arts
1980 CETA Grant: Art in Public Spaces. One year’s support.
1980 Artist’s Grant: California Arts Commission
Solo Exhibitions
2018 Un-Natural Disasters" Craft and Folk Art Museum. Los Angeles. Curated by Howard Fox.
2017 Field Notes from the Front Lines. Merion Estes Recent Paintings CB1 Gallery, Los
Angeles, CA. October
2017 Lost Horizons and Cooling Trend. CB1 Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2015 Dystopia. CB1 Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2012 Un-Natural. Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park. With Mallinson, Burnes and Adams.
2012 Paintings and Works on Paper. David Richard Contemporary. Santa Fe, New Mexico
2011 Lost Horizons and More. David Richard Contemporary. Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 Merion Estes: "Lost Horizons" Gallerie Anais, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica CA 2008 In the Garden: The Art of Merion Estes. Biola University Art Gallery. La Mirada, CA
2007 Merion Estes: Recent Paintings. Cardwell Jimmerson Gallery. Culver City CA
2006 A Sea of Possibilities: Works by Merion Estes 1971-2006. Pomona College Museum of Art. Curated by Rebecca McGrew. (Catalogue)
2005 Contemporary Soliloquies on the Natural World: Karen Carson, Merion Estes, Constance Malllinson, Margaret Nielsen, Takako Yamaguchi. USC Fisher Galleries, Los Angeles.
2001 Merion Estes, Paintings. Irvine Fine Arts Center. Curated by Carl Berg
1998 Subversive Pleasures. Curated by Carl Berg. Remba Gallery, West Hollywood, CA (Catalogue essay by Michael Duncan)
1997 Merion Estes Paintings. Curated by Carl Berg. Gallery LASCA, Los Angeles
1997 Merion Estes. Gallery LASCA, Seoul, Korea.
1996 Merion Estes, Recent Paintings. Claremont Graduate School Gallery, Claremont, CA.
1994 50+: A Painting Show. Rio Hondo College Gallery, Whittier, CA.
1994 Soundings. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1991 Merion Estes: Recent Paintings. Daniel Saxon Gallery, Los Angeles 1988 Mystic Realms: Paintings by Merion Estes. California State University at
Dominguez Hills, Los Angeles, CA.
1987 Merion Estes. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. 1986 Merion Estes. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. 1984 Merion Estes. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1983 Merion Estes. Karl Bornstein Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1979 Merion Estes: Studies and Templates. North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
1980 Public Installation. Avenue of the Stars. Century City. Funded by CETA (One year)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2020 With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in America 1972-1985. MOCA Los Angeles
2021 and the Hessel Museum at Bard College, New York.
2018 The Feminine Sublime. Pasadena Museum of California Art. Pasadena, CA
2017 Hot Time Summer in the City. CB1 Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2016 Summer Reverie. CB1 Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2016 Megafauna: Endangered in Africa. Occidental College Gallery
2016 Urbanature. Curated by Constance Mallinson Art Center College. Pasadena, CA
2015 XX Redux. Chapman University Gallery, Orenge, CA Catalogue. Curated by Nancy
Buchanan
2015 Art and the Environment. LAX exhibition space. Curated by Jay Belolli.
2013 Dangerous Beauties. Stuart Haaga Gallery, Descanso Gardens, CA Curated by John O’Brien
2012 The Nature of Things: Ruth Bachofner Gallery Santa Monica, CA
2011 Platform: Los Angeles in the the 70ʼs. David Richard Contemporary. Los Angeles Art Fair
2011 Painting Per Se: Los Angeles Paintings from the Seventies. David Richard Contemporary. Santa Fe, New Mexico (Curated by Peter Frank and David Eicholtz)
2011 AKA Zen, David Richard Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2009 Rant. Curated by Ryan and Dan Callis. Pacific Design Center. Los Angeles.
2007 Women Artists of Southern California: Then and Now. Track 16 Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica CA. Catalogue.
2006 Plex. Curated by Noel Korten. The Brewery Annex. Los Angeles
2005 Group. Carl Berg Gallery. Los Angeles, CA
2003 LAPD. Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Los Angeles. Curated by Michael Duncan.
2002 Post Cool. San Jose Art Museum, San Jose, CA Curated by Michael Duncan
Traveled to Otis College of Art, Los Angeles. (2004)
2002 Out of the Digital Domain. Irvine Fine Arts Center. Irvine, CA
2002 Hand-painted. Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA Curated by Carl Berg
2001 The Importance of Being Earnest. Occidental College Gallery, Los Angeles. Curated by >Michael Duncan
2001 Cross-Pollination. Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn, N.Y. Curated by Susan Joyce.
Organica. Coleman Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
2002 Threeʼs Company. With Linda Day and Jeremy Kidd. Cypress College Fine Arts Gallery. Cypress, CA
2000 Cosmic Dermis. Curated by Gordon Haines, Rosamund Felsen Gallery, Santa Monica.
2000 Intraconnections. Curated by Carl Berg, Dan OʼMelveny Gallery, West Hollywood, CA
1998 Group Show. Curated by Carl Berg, Remba Gallery, and West Hollywood, CA.
1996 Teeming. Curated by Habib Kheradyer. POST Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1996 Transcendental Meditations. William Turner Gallery, Venice, CA.
1996 L.A. Current: the Female Perspective. UCLA Art Rental Gallery at The Armand Hammer Museum: Los Angeles, CA.
1995 Impure Painting. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Group Show. Jan Baum Gallery: Los Angeles, CA.
1994 Current Abstraction. Curated by Noel Korten. Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles.
1993 The Layered Look. Curated by Sue Spaid. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1991 Of Nature and the Human Spirit. Daniel Saxon Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1988 Visionary Landscape. Curated by Joan Hugo. Womanʼs Building, Los Angeles Elements: Landscape. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1986 Group Show. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1985 Group Show. Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
1984 A Broad Spectrum: Contemporary Los Angeles Painters and Sculptors. Design Center, Los Angeles, CA.
1984 Criticʼs Choice: Downtown Artists. Transamerica Center, Los Angeles, CA. 1983 Los Angeles Pattern Painters. ARCO Center for Visual Art, Los Angeles, CA.
1983 Group Show. Organized by Karl Bornstein. Joseph Gallery: New York, NY. 1983 Exchange of Sources: Expanding Powers. California State University Stanislaus: Turlock, CA. Curated by Harmony Hammond.
1983 Five from L.A. Linda Farris Gallery: Seattle, WA.
1983 On and Off the Wall: Shaped and Colored. Oakland Museum of Art, Oakland, CA 1982 In and Around Little Tokyo. Japanese American Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
1982 Downtown L.A.: Between the Freeways. Palm Springs Museum of Art, Palm Springs, CA Between the Freeways: The New Art of Los Angeles. Curated by Tom Garver Madison Center for Fine Art. Madison, WI. Also traveled to the Center for the Visual Arts,
Normal Illinois, Addison Gallery Of American Art, Andover, MA. Nickel Art Museum, Alberta, Canada.
1981 Contemporary Triptychs. Curated by David Rubin. Scripps and Pomona College Galleries, Claremont, CA.
1981 Merion Estes and Barry Fahr. Downtown Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. 1981 Some Painters, For Example. Security Pacific Bank, Los Angeles, CA
1981 Drawings: Some Personal Definitions. San Diego State College Gallery
Reviews and Articles
2018 With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art,1972 to 1985. Anna Katz
2018 Mizota, Sharon. "the Femine Sublime"
2018 Dambrot, Shana Nys. "Merion Estes". Artillery Magazine. Los Angeles CA
2018 Walters, Sydney. Merion Estes." Art and Cake
2018 Nimptsch, Emily. "Merion Estes" Riot Material.
2018 Heitzman, Lorraine. "Feminine Sublime"
2017 Heitzman, Lorraine. "Merion Estes". Art and Cake
2017 Ollman, Leah, "Vibrant Beauty in L.A. Artist Merion Estes" "Lost Horizons". LA Times
2017 Abrahams, Megan. "Merion Estes" Art Limited.
2017 Messerli, Douglas. "Pattern Recognition" Hyperallergic
2015 Abrahams, Megan". "Merion Estes: Dystopia" Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art.
2015 Pagel, David. "The Gorgeous But Threatening World of Merion Estes" Los Angeles Times
2015 Barton, Dave. "Chapman University Revisits the F Word: XX Redux." OCWeekly
2013 Barrie,Lita. Artweek.LA/issue July-22- "Dangerous Beauties".
2013 Enholm, Molly. Art ltd. "Dangerous Beauties" July/Aug
2012 Framk Peter. "Un-Natural" Fabrik Magazine. May
2011 Frank, Peter. "Los Angeles Painting in the 1970ʼs." Art ltd.. Sept.-Oct.2011
2011 Powell-Wilson, MaLin. "California State of Mind." Albuquerque Journal North.
2010 L.A. Rising: Southern California Artists Before 1980. Lyn Kienholz. Getty Press
2009 Frank, Peter. Merion Estes: "Lost Horizons" Art ltd. November/ December 2009
2007 Mallinson, Constance. "Merion Estes Review" Art in America, December
2006 Duncan, Michael. "Focus L.A." Art in America. November
2006 Frank, Peter. "Pick of the Week" L.A. Weekly
2006 Pagel, David. Earth, Wind and Higher" Los Angeles Times. January
2005 Duncan,Michael et al. "State of the Art; 100 Best Artists in LA" LA Weekly. November 5
2004 Miles, Christopher. "Tracing Patterns" Art in America. February.
2003 Myers, Holly. "Redefining Boundaries of Whatʼs Hip". Los Angeles Times. July 28
2003 Frank, Peter. "Picks of the Week:" NYPD, LAPD" Los Angeles Weekly.
Pincus, Robert. "LA Post-Cool" San Diego Union-Tribune.
2003 Morris, Barbara. "Post-Cool". Artweek.
2002 Fischer, Jack."Post-Cool". San Jose Mercury News.
2000 Haines, Gordon. Brochure essay for Cosmic Dermis show at Rosamund Felsen.
2000 Pagel, David. Review, "Cosmic Dermis" Los Angeles Times. August.
1998 Duncan, Michael. "Merion Estesʼ Alternate Universe: Shameless Pleasure in the Garden of Fancy". Exhibition Catalogue, "Subversive Pleasures".
1998 Pagel, David. Review. Los Angeles Times. April 24 1997 Martin, Victoria. "Teeming at Post", Art Week. February.
1996 Kandel, Susan. "Review of Teeming", Los Angeles Times. Dec. 19.
1996 Kandel, Susan. "Calculation and Abstraction", Los Angeles Times. Dec. 5.
1996 Pagel, David. "Transcendental Meditations", Los Angeles Times. August 15.
1994 Duncan, Michael. "L.A. Rising", Art in America. December.
1994 Kandel, Susan. "Entrancing Revelations", Los Angeles Times. February 3
1993 Kandel, Susan. "The Layered Look: an Inspired Mess", Los Angeles Times. July 29.
1991 Baron, Todd. "Review", Artscene. September.
1988 Suggs, Don. "Distance/Disruption", Forehead. Vol. I.
1988 Zimmerer, Kathy. "Merion Estes: Recent Paintings", Visions. Summer Issue 1987 Mallinson, Constance. "Merion Estes", Art in America. November.
1987 McKenna, Kristine. "Galleries", Los Angeles Times. April 10. 1986 Hugo, Joan. "Symbolic Landscapes", Artweek. March.
1986 Gardner, Colin. "Review", Los Angeles Times. January 24. 1984 Menzies, Neal. "A Turn Towards Art History", Artweek. March.
1983 Rubin, David. "Merion Estes at Karl Bornstein", Art in America. May.
1983 Pincus, Robert. "Review of Bornstein Exhibition", Los Angeles Times. February
1983 Home, Kathleen. "Breaking and Entering", Images and Issues.
1983 Folliot, Sheila. "Expanding Powers", Artweek. March 19.
1983 Wilson, William. "Carrying Downtown to the Desert", Los Angeles Times. Feb. 5.
1981 Rourke, Mary. "Merion Estes and Barry Fahr at Downtown Gallery", Images and Issues. Winter.
1981 Ballatore, Sandy. "Expanding on the Decorative", Images and Issues. Summer.
1981 Drohojowska, Hunter. "Pick of the Week", L.A. Weekly. July.
1981 Pincus, Robert. "From Pattern to Imagery in Paint", Los Angeles Times. August
1981 Battles, Brian. "They Have a Line on New Art", San Diego Union. April.
1970’s resume
Education
1972 Master of Fine Arts University of Colorado 1970 Bachelor of Fine Arts University of New Mexico Awards and Grants
1979 Los Angeles City CETA Grant for Art in Public Places
Solo Exhibitions
1979 Merion Estes: Five Year Survey, Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles
1979 Night Garden Installation, LAICA Downtown Space, Los Angeles
1979 Public Installation.(Funded by CETA Art in Public Spaces Program)
1975 Undercurrants, Grossmont College Gallery, San Diego, CA
1974 Merion Estes, Grandview Galleries, Women’s Building, Los Angeles, CA
Group Exhibitiona
1978 XX, L.A.C.E., Los Angeles, CA
1977 Eight From L.A. Baum-Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles
1976 Downtown Artists, ARCO Center for the Arts, Los Angeles
1974 Contemporary Idioms: Some New L.A. Galleries. University of California at Santa
Barbara Galleries, Santa Barbara, CA
1972 Four from Boulder. Center for Contemporary Art. Denver, CO.
Selected Articles and Reviews
1979 Wilson, Jane. “Lofty Ambitions for Downtown Artists, Los Angeles Herald Examiner September 15
1979 Muchnic, Suzanne. Review of Barnsdall Exhibition. Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7
1977 Wilding, Faith. “By Our Own Hands” Double X Publishing 1977
1976 Wilson, William. “ARCO Exhibit Opens at Center” Los Angeles Times, May 3
1976 Dignam, Pet and Gottlieb, Laurie. “The Young Artists Return to the Central City”, Los Angeles Magazine, July
1975 Preisman, Fran. “Ordered Systems Into Irrational Forms” Artweek. November
1975 Wilson, William. “The Flavor of Feminism”, Los Angeles Times. July 8
1973 McConnell, Miriam. “Six Los Angeles Women”. Artweek December 1