CV                                    click for printable version



LARA BANK

born March 6, 1972 in Baltimore, MD
Lives in Los Angeles, CA  

EDUCATION
PHD candidate 2004-2005 Communications, European Graduate School, EGS
MFA: Masters in Fine Art,1998, Studio Art, CalArts
MFA: Masters in Fine Art, 1996, Painting, University of Maryland, College Park
BA: Bachelors of Arts,1994, Studio Art, supporting area in art history, University of Maryland, College Park, summa cum laude.
1990 Maryland Institute College of Art


AWARDS
1996-98 Ahmanson Scholarship, CalArts
1996 ISC: International Sculpture Center Award in conjunction with Sculpture Magazine article
1990-96 Maryland State Senatorial Scholar
1994-95 Graduate Fellowship, University of Maryland at College Park


LECTURES
2010 Guest Lecture, Cal Arts artist-run space class visits Monte Vista Projects, Monte Vista, LA, CA
2009 Visiting Artist Lecture, University of Southern California, School of Cinema-Television, LA, CA
2008 Guest Lecture, artSpa 01 Panel Discussion: Art of Exchange, Sea and Space Explorations, LA, CA, November 23
2007 Guest Lecture, IPD Department, Otis School of Art, CA. March 28th
2004 Guest Lecture, USC, School of Cinema-Television, CA, October
2003 Visiting Artist Lecture, C-Level, LA, CA, June
2003 Guest Lecture, the Critical Studies Department, CalArts, CA, February
2002 Visiting Artist Lecture, Emerson College, Boston, MA, January
2001 Guest Lecture and workshop, Anima Mundi Film Festival, Rio & Sao Paulo, Brazil, Summer


GALLERY DIRECTION

Monte Vista Projects
collectively run art gallery, LA, CA
Co-Director (7 people)
September 2010 - Present
visit website

Sea and Space Explorations
501(c)(3) non-profit art gallery, LA, CA
Executive Director & Founder
July 2007 - Aug 2010
visit website

Moopark College Art Gallery
Moorpark, CA
Gallery Director/Curator
August 2009-Present

Park Projects
art gallery, LA, CA
Co-Director & Founder
July 2006 - June 2007
visit website


CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2011 Curated exhibition, Ever Green, Monte Vista Projects, LA, CA
2010 Curated international non-profit gallery exchange exhibition. Koh-i-noor in Sea and Space
Explorations and Sea and Space Explorations in Koh-i-noor, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2010 Curated exhibition, Sea and Space Three Hour Tour, for the Torrance Art Musuem, Torrance, CA
2009 Co-Curated exhibition w/ Roger Dickes, Let the Trees Decide, Glendale Gallery, CA, Mar-May
2009 Curated events, Needle in a Haystack, Nate Garcia, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, CA, Jan-Feb
2003 & 2005, Co-Curated net-based exhibition and symposium with Andrew Bucksbarg, Mediatopia.net
& Mediatopia2.net
1999 Organizer, Videographer, collabortive art installation, The F Word: Contemporary Feminisms and
the Legacy of the LA Feminist Art Movement, Cal Arts, CA


BIBLIOGRAPHY

ART WORK REVIEWS
Sallabedra, Megan, "'Ever Green' at Monte Vista Projects: Free Christmas Trees for Rent! But is it Art?", LA Weekly, Dec. 2011 - PDF
Wagley, Catherine, "Art To See, Five Artsy Things to See This Week...", LA Weekly, Nov., 2011 - PDF
Galleos, Emma, "'The Portable Forest Tree Library' Lets You Check Out a (Christmas)Tree From Its Living Library", LAist, Nov. 2011 - PDF
Judkis, Maura, "the arm as art gallery", The Washington Post, by Maura Judkis, October 2010 - PDF
Herbst, Robby, "Where Possible Possibilities Are Possible: Experiences and Forms of the Possible," Proximity, Issue Number 5, Fall 2009, pgs. 38-43 - PDF
The LLano Del Rio working group, A Map for An Other LA, Dec 2009. Tree and Space project on map.
Marinez, Lilian, “‘Scratch Visual’, Planeta Alternativo, 2003. read review
“The A List”, Sculpture Magazine, Oct. 1996


GALLERY REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS (as Executive Director/Founder)

Sea and Space Explorations
Mayer, Anna, "Los Angeles, California United States: Letter From Los Angeles," Proximity, Issue Number 6, Winter 2009-2010, pgs.130 -132
Calvin, "QUEER TERRITORIES at Sea and Space Explorations," The New Gay, April 13, 2010, online publication - PDF
The LLano Del Rio working group, A Map for An Other LA, Dec 2009 (Sea and Space and Tree and Space project on map with description)
"What to Do This Weekend", Daily Candy Los Angeles, culture section, The Weekend Guide, August, 2009, online publication - HTML
Ward, Alie, “Gallery on a Shoestring," Brand X: The LA Times, Vol. 12, No. 21, week of August 26, 2009 - JPG (327KB) (interview)
Ward, Alie, “The Little Gallery Doing Big Weird Things,” Metromix: The LA Times, Vol. 2, Issue 6, Feb. 11-17, 2009 - PDF (cover story & interview)
Denny, Drew, “Sound in Space 2," L.A. Record, Vol. 3, Issue 12, Feb. 2009, pg. 15 - PDF (986KB) (interview)
Szupinska, Joanna, "The Other LA Art Scene: Part I," FlashArt Online, Issue March/April 2008 - PDF
"Buzz - At Your Service: Street Smart," LA Magazine, Issue March 2008, pg. 66 - JPG (592K)
Villafane, Andie, "artspotting: gallery (p)reviews," Citizen LA, Issue Feb 2008 - JPG(300K)
Zolghadr, Tirdad, "How German is it?," FRIEZE Magazine, Issue 111, Nov-Dec 2007 - PDF
Marcoux, Patrick, "Conspiracy and Economy: Chris Bassett @ Sea and Space...," LA, Noah Becker's White Hot Magazine of Contemporary Art, Oct 2007 - PDF
Ballesteros, Lilliane, "Experience Art in Highland Park," The Occidental Weekly, Oct. 10, 2007, pg. 8 & 9 (cover story & interview)
Arnold, Margaret, "New Art Spaces in Northeast LA," The Arroyo Seco Journal, Volume 7, Number 10, Sept. 2007, pg. 9 (interview)


Park Projects (as Co-Director/Co-Founder)
Wing, Carlin, "Jessica Halonen & Emily Joyce" ...Might Be Good, issue 84, Feb. 23, 2007 - PDF


CURATORIAL PROJECT REVIEWS (Co-Curator)
"Net Art Exhibitions", The Whitney ArtPort (2003-present). Mediatopia on resources page. link to page
"Hacktivism, E-Music, New Media Art", neural.it(June 29, 2003). Mediatopia was on the cover of the publication. read review
"Intelligent Gathering Maps Lovely Weather", www.art-themagazine.com , 2003. Mediatopia project reviewed. read review

Solo Events (participatory art projects)
07/14/2011 The Portable Forest and Wearable Foliage, San Diego Art Museum, San Diego, CA

Collaborative Events
11/2011 Sunset Boulvard Art Concert, LA, CA
10/11/2009 Washington Boulevard Art Concert, Washington Boulevard, LA, CA
06/12/2010 The Portable Forest presented with The Faraway Places, Human Resources, LA
05/30/2010 (Yoni) Tree and Space, Anna Mayer, at Tree and Space, LA
02/08/2009 We Share Wish Machine, Jade Thacker & Miggie Wong at Tree and Space, LA
03/23/2008 Spring Rites at Tree and Space, artSpa at Tree and Space, LA

Solo Exhibitions
2008 Tree and Space Planting, Sea and Space Explorations, LA, CA
2004 Very Natural, Fancyland, LA, CA
1998 The Island of Misfit Toys, CalArts, CA
1997 Blue Kiss, CalArts, CA
1996 Cal Arts Head, CalArts, CA

Two - Person Exhibitions
2005 The Universe Wants More, Crazy Space, 18th St. Art Projects, Santa Monica, CA

Group Exhibitions & Festivals
2011 Ever Green, Monte Vista Projects, LA, CA
2011 Raflost: Icelandic Festival of Electronic Arts, Iceland (collaboration with Clay Chaplin)
2011 Contemporary Art in Every Home In Highland Park, Kristi Engle Gallery, LA, CA
2010 Koh-i-noor at Sea and Space Explorations & Sea and Space in Koh-i-noor, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 Sea and Space Three Hour Tour, the Torrance Art Musuem, Torrance, CA
2009 On The Shoulders of Davids, Jaus, Santa Monica, CA
2009 Sustainability, Woodbury Hollywood Exhibitions, LA, CA
2008 The RED and the BLUE, art and politics, Weingart Gallery, Occidental College, LA, CA
2008 Group Show Without Andre Butzer, LA, CA
2008 ArtistGallerist, Another Year in LA, LA, CA
2007 artSpa, Sea and Space Explorations, LA, CA
2007 The Suitcase Meets the Drawing Party, Raid Projects, LA, CA
2007 The Pyramid Show, Monte Vista Projects, LA, CA
2005 Pinewood Derby, Hangar 1018, LA,CA
2005 Our Bodies, Ourselves, The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest, Machine Project, LA, CA
2005 FARfetched 2005, auction, Foundation for Art Resources, LA, CA
2004 Sound Off, White Box Gallery, Marina Del Rey, CA
2004 On the Brink of Desire, Girls that Spice it Up, Ambivalent Space, LA, CA
2004 Pleasure Garden, Barnsdall Art Park, LA, CA
2004 My Secret Valentine, 700 E 1st Gallery, LA, CA
2003 $200 takes any Piece, Andrewshire Gallery, LA, CA
2003 Experimenter/ReMix, Centro Nacional de Artes, San Salvador, El Salvador
1998 Home Improvements, Home in Valencia, CA
1996 7th Annual National Competition, Viridian Artist Inc., NYC. Juror: Lisa Phillips, Whitney Museum
1996 Transforming Traditions, Women’s Caucus for Art National Exhibit, Bromfield Gallery, Boston

Screenings
2007 Video Picnic, Me and You Variety Candy Gallery, LA, CA
2006 Second Heeb Film Festival, Aurora Picture Show, Houston, TX
2006 Overlook Park Shorts, Annual Independent Film Festival, Cleveland
2004 Contraband, Stowaway Lounge, Artist-Made Karaoke Videos, ISEA2004 Cruises, ISEA2004
Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts. Traveling: Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallin.
2004 Overlook Park Shorts, Annual Independent Film Festival, Cleveland
2004 Online Video Show, Body Builder & Sportsman Gallery, Chicago
2002 ‘LA Freewaves’ TV or Not TV Festival ‘Karaoke Style: Step Up to the Mic’, LA Freewaves, CA
1998 Squelch and the Super Fly, Super 8 Short Film Festival, Huntington Beach Art Center, LA, CA

Collaborative Performances
2010 Annie Okay by Asher Hartman for Machine Projects, Hammer Museum, LA. Extra: Cowboy.
2000 New Media Variety Show. Side Street Projects, LA, CA, with Andrew Bucksbarg
2000 Experimental Sound Show. Holly Matter Gallery, LA, CA, with Andrew Bucksbarg
1997 Digital Improvisational Ensemble, Cal Arts Modular Theater, LA, CA


COLLECTIONS
2003 Rhizome.org, http://www.rhizome.org
2001 Rhizome.org, http://www.rhizome.org

BOARD MEMBERSHIP
2011 Advisory Board, LACE, LA
2010 - present Advisory Board, The Llano Del Rio working group. Los Angeles mapping project.
2008 - present President of Board, Sea and Space Explorations

GRANT WRITING & CONSULTING
October 2011, Grant Writing Consultant, LACE, LA, CA


TEACHING

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Fall 1997 Art Theory, CalArts, Art Deparment
Spring 1997 Art Theory, Cal Arts, Art Department
Spring 1996 "Introduction to Art Theory", University of Maryland, Art Department
Fall 1995 "Introduction to Painting", University of Maryland, Art Department
Fall 1995 "Two-Dimensional Design", University of Maryland, Art Department


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Gallery Assistantships
November 1998-July 1999 Reception, Membership, Submissions, Los Angeles Contemporary
Exhibitions (LACE).
May 1997 Receptionist, Richard Heller Gallery, Bergamont Station.

Flash and Website Development
April 2001-January 2004 Technical Director, N-Tonic.com.
April 2000-April 2001 Technical Director, Metapa.net (previously Syndol, previously DaliMedia).
January-April 2000 Flash Artist and Programmer, Swell Productions.

Digital Imaging
November 1999-April 2000 Imaging Technician, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
September 1998-January 1999 Digital Imaging Technician, Walt Disney Imagineering.

*references available upon request