Biography
Karen Frimkess Wolff was born in Los Angeles, received her BA from U.C.L.A. and MA in Art History from California State University Northridge. Her work has been exhibited throughout California, in Washington State and Germany. 1991, she received a Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Grant. 1976, she was one of thirty Americans nominated for the Paris Bienniele. The primary themes and forms of her works are based on Romantic landscape. She makes drawings, constructions and site-specific installations which usually include an element of sound.
Education
California State University Northridge, M.A. Art History, 2000
Thesis: “A Reasonable Facsimile, Southern California Landscapes: The Installation Form”
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. Painting & Drawing, 1964
University of California, Riverside, 1960
University of the Pacific, 1959
Honors
Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Grant (collaborative project with Rosalie Copeland), 1991
Board of Directors: S I T E, a California non-profit Artists’ Organization, 1990-1993
Paris Biennial Nomination (one of 30 Americans), 1976
Delta Theta Chi Scholarship for Women in Creative Fields, 1962
Exhibitions (selected)
2009 Compliments for Nature , Roland Dille Center for the Arts, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Moorhead, MN. (visiting artist, solo show)
2009 Flights of Fancy (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Platt Gallery, American Jewish University, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Go to the Park, Public Art Installation: Past Forward & Bus Stop.City of West Hollywood, CA
(collaborative installation & Bus Stop Poster with Dori Atlantis)
2008 Mount Saint Mary's College Gallery, Los Angeles (2 person show)
2007 Always Beginning, LAAA/Gallery 825, Los Angeles (solo show)
2003 Random Chance/Logical Reason, Ojalá Gallery, Los Angeles (solo show)
2001 Sound, Light, Fiber and Wood, Pico Rivera Centre for the Arts, Pico Rivera, CA (5 person show).
Curated by Georgia Freedman Harvey
2001 Floats, Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, Santa Monica, CA (2 person show).
Curated by Melinda Smith Altshuler
2000 Sylvan Apparition (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Ojalá Gallery, Los Angeles (solo show)
1999 Drawing Water/Gathering Dust, (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Angel’s Ink Space,
601 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, CA (solo show)
1999 Southern California Environments, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA (5 person show)
Catalog accompanies exhibition
1998 Journeys to Freedom, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, Washington
1993 Interconnection II, S I T E Gallery at the Roosevelt Building, L.A., CA (lead artist, 5 person show)
1990 Forbidden Entry, Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, L.A., CA (4 person show).
Curated by Selma Holo
1990 Institute for Design & Experimental Art (IDEA), Sacramento, CA (solo show)
Video of exhibition: RIVERWISH, by the Sacramento Cable Consortium and IDEA
1983 Art Space, Sacramento, CA (solo show). Curated by Marina Silver
1981 California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA (solo show). Curated by Jessica Jacobs
1978 Pasadena Community Arts Center, Brookside Park, Pasadena, CA (solo show)
1978 WordWorks Gallery, San Jose, CA (solo show)
1978 IPD Gallery (Business Annex of San Jose State Univ., U.C. Berkeley & Stanford Univ.), San Jose, CA (solo show)
1977 ThomasLewallen Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (solo show)
1977 Point of View, Four Los Angeles Artists, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, L.A., CA (4 person show).
Curated by Audrey Sanders
1975 Pasadena Artists’ Concern Gallery, Pasadena, CA (2 person show)
1972 Los Angeles Women’s Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
Group Exhibitions (selected)
2009 Bail Out Bienniel, Chapel Hill, No.Carolina. Curated by elin o"Hara slavick & Jeff Waites
2008 Syncopation, Angels Ink Gallery, San Pedro, CA
2008 Cucamonga Art Avalanche, Temporary Art Park, Chaffey College, Cucamonga, CA
( collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis),Curated by Stan Hunter & Chaffey College Art Committee
2007 Go Native, LAAA/Phantom Gallery ( collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Pasadena, CA
Curated by Karen Constine
2007 Quiet Life: The Botanical World, Santa Ana College, SAC Arts at the Santora Bldg. Santa Ana, CA
Curated by Mayde Herberg
2007 "Looking at Public Art", case exhibition of Public Art, Ontario International Airport, Terminal 2, Ontario, CA
(collaborative Dighol project with Dori Atlantis), Curated by Mary Oliver & Scott Canty, L.A. Municipal Art Gallery
2006 Tarfest (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
2005 Los Angeles Art Festival (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), Downtown L.A., June
Juried by Brian Tortora
2005 EarthWorksNow, 2005 International Biennial (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis),
Copper Mountain College, Joshua Tree, CA
2004 2004 Armory Outdoor Installational, Armory Northwest, Pasadena, CA, April 17 – June 26
2003 Companions & Conversations, Pierce College Art Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA. Curated by Mary Oliver
2003 About Face, El Camino College Art Gallery, Torrance, CA. Curated by Susanna Meiers & Michael L. Miller
2002 And So It Went: Ephemeral Art (collaborative installation with Dori Atlantis), The Armory Center for the Arts.
Curated by NewTown, Pasadena, CA
2001 Trail Markers, Lower Arroyo Parkway. Curated by NewTown, Pasadena, CA
2000 Apron Strings, El Camino College, Torrance, CA. Catalogue accompanies exhibition
1999 Goethe 250 Anniversary Exhibition, Frankfurt, Germany
1997 L.A. Slide, The Living Room, Los Angeles, CA & Gallery 25, Fresno, CA. Curated by Elena Siff
1997 “Blow-Up,” S I T E Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1995 Downtown Arts Development Association (DADA), S I T E Gallery, L.A. Curated by Vera Armand
1992 “Four Installations at the Roosevelt Building,” S I T E Critique Exhibition
1992 “Instruments of Sound,” Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, C
1992 “Eyes to See, Ears to Hear, Hands to Touch,” Artspace Gallery, Woodland Hills, CA.
Curated by Scott Canty
1991 Color & Shape, 801 N. Brand Building, Glendale, CA. Curated by Jillian Coldiron
1989 Magical Mystery Tour, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA. Curated by Josine Ianco Starrels
1987 R O T A T Gallery, Oakland, CA
1987 Audio Screening, Leonard’s Art Space (March 28, 8:00 PM), Modesto, CA
1984 All Ears, Walnut Creek Civic Arts Center, Walnut Creek, CA
1982 Magical Mystery Tour, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, L.A., CA. Curated by Josine Ianco Starrels
1982 Configurations III, Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA. Curated by Luckman Glasgow
1979 Sound, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art, L.A., CA. Catalogue accompanies exhibition
1976 Space Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Curated by Eduard den Lau
1975 Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Rental Gallery), Los Angeles, CA
1975 Collage & Assemblage in California, Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art. Curated by Hal Glicksman.
Catalogue accompanies exhibition
1975 WomanSpace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
1972 Annual Award Show, Jewish Community Center, San Diego, CA
1970 Southern California Exposition, Del Mar, CA
1969 Small Image Show, California State College, Los Angeles, CA
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Author: “Art History on the College Level,” in Art Beyond Sight, A Resource Guide to Creativity and
Visual Impairment. Published by Art Education for the Blind & American Federation of the Blind,
New York,2003
Curator: Nature & The City, Installations at the Old Fire House No. 6, Exhibition of seven installation works
With catalogue, Echo Park Arts Festival, 2002
Developing and Teaching the History of Western Art Course for blind and visually impaired people: for
Braille Institute of America, Calif. State University Northridge & Los Angeles City College, 1993 to present
Article by Invitation: Wolff, Karen Frimkess, “Drawing With Sound,” LEONARDO, Journal of the International
Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology, Vol. 24, no.1, 1991, 23-29 and color plate A, No.3, 1991
Juror: Art Space Gallery, National Competition, Sacramento, CA, 1996
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Lectures & Panels (selected)
California State University Northridge, February 1, 1999
Museum Educators of Southern California, Huntington Museum, San Marino, CA, July 23, 1998
Fisher Gallery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, October 2, 1990
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, CA, December 14, 1989
University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, November 10, 1980
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, October 1, 1977
The Morning Show: Women and Art, KCOP TV, Channel 13, L.A., CA, Linda Nochlin (historical), Karen Frimkess
Wolff, Elissa Greisz, Jeanne Mansour (contemporary visual artists), December 30, 1976
Sonoma State College: Panel – Women in Creative Fields, December 4, 1972
Reviews & Articles (selected)
Woodard, Joseph, “Environmental Perceptions,” Los Angeles Times, Valley Edition, Friday, Feb.12, 1999, p.4
Radio Interview, 88.5, KCSN—FM, Rene Engle (Interviewer), Karen Frimkess Wolff, Tom McMillin (artists),
February 8, 1999, 10:00 AM – 10:27 AM
O’Brien, John, “Rooms With a View 2,” VISIONS, Art Quarterly, vol.5, no.1, Winter, 1990, p.34
Geer, Suvan, “Sound as Sculpture,” ARTSPACE, A Magazine of Contemporary Art, Albuerque, NM, vol.14, no.2,
January – February, 1990, p.61
Muchnic, Suzanne, Los Angeles Times, Part VI, December 21, 1982, p.9
Anderson, Fred, Channel 7 News, KABC—TV, 6:00 PM News, December 20, 1982
Lewis, Louise, “A Point of View, Four Los Angeles Artists,” ARTWEEK, vol.8, no.25, July 16, 1977, p.1 & back pg.
Wilson, William, “Art Walk,” Los Angeles Times, Part IV, June 3, 1977, p.14
Collections (selected)
U.C.L.A. Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
General Electric Capital Corporation, Irvine, CA
United Way Los Angeles, CA
Star Princess Corporation, Floating Museum, Cruise Ship Collection
Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA
Mr. Sam Battistone, Santa Barbara, CA
Mr. Joseph Cohen, New York, NY
Mr. Michael Sabo and Ginger Sabo, Tujunga, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Ahmed Rahman, Carson, CA
Ms. Ann Aguirre, Los Angeles, CA
Mr. & Mrs. William Wilber, Santa Rosa, CA
Peter & Lani Merlin, Los Angeles, CA
Mr. J. Francisco Aguilar & Ms. Lynette Polian, Los Angeles
Ms. Nina Cochran, Playa Del Rey, CA
Mr. Albert Sanchez, Los Angeles, CA