Ann Diener’s drawing and installation practice investigates, records and traces the diverse elements that comprise the complicated history of place. Often large in scale, the works are multi-layered narratives. By incorporating maps, charts and printed materials, the artist examines the social and political ramifications of how land and urban spaces are cultivated, manipulated, developed and controlled. Recently, she has expanded her drawing practice to include lithographs and tapestries. Through references to land, culture, time and memory, these complex works move beyond mere geographic representations to, engage with the anthropological layers of place.
Diener earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles and her Masters of Fine Arts from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her works have been exhibited in museums and galleries, among them the Weatherspoon Museum in North Carolina, the Art, Design and Architecture Museum at UCSB, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Torrance Museum, Otis College of Art and Design, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, the Riverside Museum, the Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College, Edward Cella Art and Architecture and Bank Gallery, Los Angeles and Hosfelt Gallery and Electric Works, San Francisco, as well as numerous art fairs in the US and Europe.
Her work has been reviewed in The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Art on Paper, Artweek, among others. She has been awarded residencies at The Bogliasco Foundation, Genoa, Italy, Kaus Australis, Rotterdam and the American Academy, Rome. She has taught at The University of California Santa Barbara and her practice includes bringing art to public schools.
contact: info@anndienerstudio.com
EDUCATION
MFA, University of California, Santa Barbara
BA, University of California, Los Angeles
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2024 Pacific Standard Time: Art x Science x LA, 2024, The Getty Foundation, Los Angeles, California, Lancaster Museum of Art and History, forthcoming
2022 Linear Dissections, The Power of Place, Pierce College, Los Angeles, California
2022 A New Place, outdoor installation, Los Angeles (Inglewood), California
2014 Entangled Grid, Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara California
2013 Tapestries, Electric Works, San Francisco, California
2011 Studio Exhibition, American Academy Rome
2010 Artist-in-Residence Ann Diener, Art, Design and Architecture Museum University of California Santa Barbara
2010 Field Notes-Ann Diener Large Scale Drawings, Cuesta College Art Gallery, San Luis Obispo, California
2008 Cathedrals of Commerce, Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Growth, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California, brochure
2004 Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (formerly Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California, Exploring Borders
2001 Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California, The Blue Wall
1994 Parnas Gallery, Santa Monica, California
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 So Cal, So Cool, KPCC Studios, a partnership between Bermudez Projects and KPCC/Southern California Public Radio, Los Angeles, California
2022 FAST FORWARD – The Future is Equal, Bermudez Projects, Los Angeles, California
2022 FAST FORWARD – The Future is Female, Bermudez Projects, Los Angeles, California
2022 Human Natures, 10th Anniversary Show, Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH), Lancaster, California
2021 Nomad, Torrance Museum of Art, Torrance, California
2020 Hobson’s Choice, Torrance Museum of Art, Torrance, California
2020 UCSB MFA Graduates, Sullivan and Goss Fine Art, Santa Barbara
2020 Heather James Fine Art, Santa Barbara, Group Drawing Exhibition
2019 Ann Diener and Dorit Cypis, Mandarin Plaza, Los Angeles, California
2018 Works from the Permanent Collection, Art, Design and Architecture Museum, University of California Santa Barbara
2018 Disruption, Sullivan and Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, California
2017 Brand 45, Works on Paper, Selected by Leslie Jones, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
2016 Office Hours, Beta Main Museum, Los Angeles, California
2016 Alumni Exhibition, University of California Santa Barbara, California
2015 An Odyssey, 10 Years at the Torrance Museum, Torrance, California
2014 Fifty Years of Distinguished Alumni, Art, Design and Architecture Museum, University of California Santa Barbara
2014 Toward the Heart of the Matter, Sturt Haaga Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2014 Murmuration, Hinge Modern, Culver City, California
2013 Fanatic, POST. Los Angeles, California
2012 Open House, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
2012 Landscape & Architecture, Irvine Fine Arts Center, curated by Carl Berg
2011 View from Here, Santa Barbara Museum of Art
2011 Achromatic Variations, Jane Deering Gallery, Santa Barbara, California
2010 Density, Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, California
2009 Baker’s Dozen, Torrance Museum of Art, Torrance, California, catalogue
2009 Project 30, curated by Lisa Melandri, Santa Monica Museum of Art
2009 I’ll be your mirror, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2008 Edge, Channing Peake Gallery, Santa Barbara County Arts Commission
2008 Looky See, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California
2008 Los Angeles Juried Exhibition, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
2007 Pulse Art Fair, London, represented by Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2007 Preview Berlin, represented by Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2007 Welcome to Our Neighborhood, Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Santa Barbara, California
2007 Art LA, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2006-07 Art on Paper, Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, catalogue
2006 Aqua Art Fair Miami, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2006 Explorations, Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Santa Barbara, California
2006 sprawl, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2006 draw, paper, scissors, Domestic Setting, Los Angeles, California
2006 Painting’s EDGE, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, California
2006 Painting’s EDGE, Fullerton College, Fullerton, California
2006 LA Art, Santa Monica, California
2005 Aqua Art Fair Miami, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2005 M Theory, Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco, California
2005 North by Northwest, Hunsaker Schlesinger Fine Art, Santa Monica, California
2002 Small Images, Sullivan Goss Fine Arts, Santa Barbara, California
2002 Formulations, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
2001 University Art Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara
2001 Sketchy, Acuna-Hansen Gallery, Los Angeles, California
1999 Wallworks, LA Artcore, Los Angeles, California
1995 Art About Town, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
1994 Parnas Gallery, Santa Monica, California, Drawing Exhibition
REVIEWS
Art and Cake, “Living through a Pandemic: Series, Repetition and Process, Part 2”, September 6, 2020
San Francisco Chronicle, “96 Hours”, February 27, 2013
San Francisco Weekly, “Tapestries”, February 13, 2013
Santa Barbara News-Press. “Color of a Different Color”, Josef Woodard, May 20-26, 2011
Santa Barbara News-Press, “Getting Lost in the Details”, Josef Woodard, March 19-25, 2010
Santa Barbara Independent, “Expect the Unexpected”, Elizabeth Schwyzer, February 18, 2010
Los Angeles Times, “Baker’s Dozen at the Torrance Museum”, David Pagel, October 9, 2009
Artweek, “Ann Diener: Cathedrals of Commerce”, Josef Woodard, December 2008-January
The, “Ann Diener; Cathedrals of Commerce”, Heather Jeno, November 2008
Santa Barbara News-Press, “On it and off it”, Josef Woodard, October 17-23, 2008
Santa Barbara Independent, “Greenhouse Effects”, Colin Marshall, October 9, 2008
The, “Looky ”, October 2008, Art Ltd, “Santa Barbara: On a Tilt Toward Art”, Kim Biel, September/October 2008
Los Angeles Times, “A sprawling satisfying show”, Leah Ollman, August 22, 2008
Artweek, Ann Diener, “Growth”, Ashley Tibbets. April 2008
Los Angeles Times, “Drawings Capture Dangerous Energy”, Christopher Knight, January 25, 2008
Santa Barbara News-Press, “Here comes the neighborhood”, Josef Woodard, March 30, 2007
Art on Paper, “Draw, Paper, Scissors”, Peter Frank, October-November 2006
Los Angeles Times, “Artists who stand out from the group”, Christopher Knight, August 11, 2006
Los Angeles Times, “What this group can do with paper”, Leah Ollman, June 2, 2006
Santa Barbara News-Press, “Artists in Our Midst”, Ted Mills, September 4, 2006
Arts Journal– Modern Art Notes, “Miami Ones I liked”, Tyler Green, December 8, 2005
Los Angeles Times, “Affordable Art? Right this way”, Scott Timberg, August 25, 2005
Santa Barbara Independent, “Drawing Outside the Lines,” Sanam Petri, October, 2004
Santa Barbara News-Press, “Exploded enclosures,” Josef Woodard, September 24, 2004
Artweek, “Sketchy at Acuna-Hansen Gallery”, David DiMichele, October 2001
Santa Barbara Independent, “Hot Summer Color” D.J. Palladino, August 24, 2000.
Santa Barbara News-Press, “The Long Hot Summer,” Joan Crowder, September 1, 2000
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2019 nominated for Anonymous Was A Woman award
2017 The American Academy in Rome, Italy, Visiting Artists and Scholars Program
2017 Robert Brown Award, Brand 45, Works on Paper, Brand Library and Arts Center, Glendale, California, juror Leslie Jones, Curator, Prints and Drawings,
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
2016 The Bogliasco Foundation Artist Fellowship, Liguria Study Center, Genoa, Italy
2011 The American Academy in Rome, Italy, Visiting Artist and Scholars Program
2009 Kaus Australis Residency, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2005 Dissertation Fellowship, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
2005 Abrams Prize, given to an outstanding graduate student in the arts at the University of California, Santa Barbara
2004 Abrams Prize
2004 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Inter-disciplinary Humanities Center, University of California, Santa Barbara
2004 Israel Levitan Graduate Award, University of California, Santa Barbara
2005-2003 Teaching Assistant, University of California, Santa Barbara
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023 UCLA Scholarship Application Reviewer
2022 Visiting Artist, Pierce College Los Angeles, California
2020 Visiting Artist, California State University Long Beach
2010 Artist in Residence, University of California Santa Barbara
2018 El Nopal Press, edition of lithographs, Los Angeles, California
2010 Artist in Residence, University of California Santa Barbara
2008 Q & A with Curator of Prints and Drawings, Leslie Jones, for The Modern and Contemporary Art Council, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
2007 Visiting Artist, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California
2007 Speaker, The Helen Rosenberg Memorial Lecture, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
2007 Lecturer, Department of Art, University of California, Santa Barbara
2006 Speaker, University Art Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara
2006 Speaker, Saigon Biennale Company, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2005 Speaker, Otis College of Art and Design
2005 Slide Registry, The Drawing Center, New York, New York
2004-2003 Curator, The Glass Box, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
2004-2003 Search Committee, Executive Director, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
2003 Panelist, talk in conjunction with FINE LINES, drawings from the collection of Wynn Kramarsky, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum
2003-1999 Board member, Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, California
PUBLICATIONS
2022 “Conversations with Ann Diener,” Voyage LA, May 11, 2022
2022 “Meet Ann Diener | Visual Artist,” Shoutout LA, March 14, 2022
2011 included in New American Paintings, Pacific Coast Edition
2010 “In the Studio,” Western Art and Architecture, Spring/Summer 2010
2009 Bakers Dozen, Torrance art Museum. Torrance, California
2008 Growth, Bank Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2007 Works on Paper, Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC
2006 included in New American Paintings, Pacific Coast Edition
2005 included in New American Paintings, MFA Annual
2004 Exploring Borders, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum. Santa Barbara, California
2004 included in New American Paintings, Pacific Coast Edition
COLLECTIONS
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Santa Barbara Arts Commission
Lancaster Museum of Art and History, MOAH
Art, Design and Architecture Museum, University of California Santa Barbara
The Capital Group
Prudential Insurance Company of America
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
The West Collection
RELATED WEBSITES
uam.ucsb.edu
drawingcenter.org