Born Detroit, Michigan, 1980
Lives and works in Los Angeles, California
EDUCATION
2014 Royal Academy Schools, London, MFA (Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art)
2002 Yale University, BA (Cum Laude, with Honors Distinction in Art)
2000 Goldsmiths College, University of London, Visiting Student in Visual Arts (First Honors)
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Away in the Catskills: Summers, Sour Cream, and Dirty Dancing, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Concession, The Mary Ed Mecoy Hall Art Gallery, Murray State University, Murray, KY
Tobacco Lands (two-person), Bolivar Art Gallery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Tobacco Lands, ARX Gallery, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO
2023 Dirty Dancing: Revisiting the Catskills, Kniznick Gallery, Brandeis University, Boston, MA
2022 Popular Vote, The Art Gallery at Glendale Community College, Los Angeles County
2021 13 Presidents: A Radio Series, Materials & Applications on 96.7 KGAP, Los Angeles
2018 Investment Opportunity, Kingsgate Project Space, London (billboard commission with accompanying film screening)
2017 13 Presidents: A Radio Series, commissioned by Dublab and Rice + Toye, London
2016 13 Presidents, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
Human Resources, Los Angeles (live presentation)
Book Show, Los Angeles (live presentation)
2015 The Watergate Complex, Rice + Toye, London
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses, VASA Project (online)
2014 Ibid. Projects, Los Angeles (live presentation)
RA Schools Show, Royal Academy Schools, London
2002 Recent Work, Yale School of Art
2001 Pop—New Paintings, Yale School of Art
The Life & Times of Marisa Starwell, Yale School of Art
2000 Recent Work, Saybrook College, Yale University
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Apophenia, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
2023 Modern Desert Markings, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Monte Vista Projects Open Show, Los Angeles
Acid-Free, Blum + Poe, Los Angeles
2022 Garden, Ladies’ Room, Los Angeles (online)
2021 The Spiritual Exercises 2, Arts Chaplaincy Projects, University of the Arts London (online)
2020 Almost Presidential, Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
(co-curator and participating artist; online due to COVID)
Executive Failure, Oxy Arts, Los Angeles, (co-curator and participating artist; cancelled due to COVID)
Almost Presidential, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(co-curator and participating artist; cancelled due to COVID)
The Spiritual Exercises, Arts Chaplaincy Projects, University of the Arts London (online)
Tailgate, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles
2019 Breaking Bread in L.A., Oxy Arts, Los Angeles
2018 Experiencing Architecture, Royal Academy of Arts at Walmer Yard, London
2017 Inaction, Watch It Gallery, London
2015 Whitechapel Gallery, London (film screening)
Morton House, Mexico City
2014 RA Editions, Advanced Graphics, London
2013 Outpost Open Film, Outpost, Norwich, UK and touring (S1 Artspace, Sheffield; Rhubaba, Edinburgh; The Tetley, Leeds; and more)
Surfacing, Griffin Gallery, London
Premiums, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2012 Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London and UK tour (Jerwood Hastings; Mac, Birmingham; and The Gallery, Arts
University Bournemouth)
2010 ArtSway Open, Sway, UK
Salon Art Prize, Matt Roberts Arts, London
Resort, The Residence Gallery, London
2009 PixelPops, BolteLange Gallery, Zurich
Salisbury Drawing Open, Salisbury Arts Centre, UK
2007 Recent Work, ACAVA Cremer Street Studios, London
Random, Homestead Gallery, London
Disposable Fetish, The Nunnery Gallery, London
2006 Annual Open, Cafe Gallery Projects, London
Random, Wagdas Gallery, London
2005 Publish and Be Damned, London
2002 Undergraduate Senior Projects, Yale School of Art
Undergraduate Comprehensive Exhibition, Yale School of Art
2000 Undergraduate Comprehensive Exhibition, Yale School of Art
1999 Undergraduate Comprehensive Exhibition, Yale School of Art
SELECTED GRANTS, AWARDS, AND RESIDENCIES
2016 Arts Council England Grants for the Arts
British Council Artists’ International Development Fund
2015 Bar Tur Photobook Award (shortlist), The Photographers’ Gallery, London
2014 Detusche Bank Award in Art
Award for the Outstanding Final Year Text, Royal Academy Schools
2013 Artist-in-Residence, Popps Packing, Detroit
Royal Academy Schools Travel Scholarship
Edna Weiss Prize for Painting, Royal Academy Schools
2012 Royal Academy Schools Travel Scholarship
Independent artist residency, Los Angeles (supported by Royal Academy Schools)
2002 Sudler Award for the Arts, Yale University
2001 Sudler Award for the Arts, Yale University
2000 Sudler Award for the Arts, Yale University
1999 Yale Prize for Writing
Sudler Award for the Arts, Yale University
1995 Center for Creative Youth Arts Residency, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
SELECTED ARTIST’S PUBLICATIONS
2025 Bam, Crack, Rock, Pop (Skirball Cultural Center & California Fever Press)
Aquí Me Quedo (California Fever Press)
2022 Bring a Folding Chair (The Art Gallery at Glendale Community College & California Fever Press)
2019 January (California Fever Press)
2018 The Front Lawns of One Block: 20 Houses, 1 Apartment Building, a Law Office, and a Mortuary (Kingsgate Project Space &
California Fever Press)
2016 13 Presidents (Slimvolume)
2015 How I Taught Umberto Eco to Love the Bomb (RA Editions & California Fever Press)
The Watergate Complex (Rice + Toye)
2012 Birthplace Richard Nixon (California Fever Press)
ARTIST’S TALKS AND READINGS
2025 Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles
Bolivar Art Gallery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Murray State University, Murray, KY
2024 Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2023 Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles
2022 The Art Gallery at Glendale Community College, Greater Los Angeles
2020 Artists 4 Democracy, Los Angeles
Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
2018 Royal Academy of Arts at Walmer Yard, London
2016 ICA, London
The British Library, London
Arnolfini, Bristol, UK
University College London
Royal Academy of Arts Library, London
Harvard University
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, NY
Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, NY
Cover Books, Atlanta
2015 Rice + Toye, London
London Original Print Fair, Royal Academy of Arts
2014 Royal Academy of Arts, London
2013 Outpost, Norwich, UK
Royal Academy of Arts, London
TEACHING AND OUTREACH
2020– Core member, Artists 4 Democracy, Los Angeles
present
2025 University of Kentucky
Murray State University, Murray, KY
2024 University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2023 Brandeis University
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
2022 California State University Bakersfield
California State University Northridge
Glendale Community College, Los Angeles County
College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA
2016 Harvard University
University of the West of England, Bristol
2014 Glasgow School of Art
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London
Camberwell College of Art, London
2011– Visiting artist, various UK high schools and mentor to high school students via Royal Academy of Arts Learning Department
2014
INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Cini Foundation, Venice, Italy
Royal Academy of Arts, London
The British Library, Tate, and numerous other archive and library collections
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PRESS
2025 Artforum, "Marisa J. Futernick at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles,” Critics’ Pick and review by Andrea Gyorody
Hyperallergic, “A Paean to the Bygone ‘Borscht Belt’: Marisa J. Futernick creates fictions inspired by the Catskills,”
exhibition review by Renée Reizman
Wallpaper*, “Los Angeles art exhibitions: the best shows to see in May 2025”
Musée Magazine, “Marisa J. Futernick at the Skirball Cultural Center: Away in the Catskills,” exhibition review
The Wrap, “The Skirball Debuts ‘Jack Kirby: Heroes and Humanity’ and ‘Away in the Catskills’ Exhibits”
Beverly Press and Park Labrea News, “Explore the Catskills in new Skirball exhibition”
2024 Hyena, collaborative anthology published by Hexentexte
2023 Southwest Contemporary Magazine, “Artists React to the Legacy of Nevada Land Art in Modern Desert Markings,”
exhibition review
Double Scoop, “Rethinking land art at the Barrick,” exhibition review
The Art Box Podcast, full episode artist interview
2022 Dream House, a collaborative zine published by Hexentexte
2021 Refract Journal, University of California Santa Cruz
2021 Glendale Tenants Union Zine
2021 Taz (German daily newspaper), “There is a lot at stake,” artist interview
2020 Los Angeles Times, “6 artists display work online for Orange Coast College’s Almost Presidential”
LA Weekly, Almost Presidential coverage in Arts Calendar
KUCI 88.9 FM, Ask a Leader, hour-long panel discussion of Almost Presidential
Coast Report, “Almost Presidential is live online at the Doyle”
2019 Ache magazine, 4-page artist’s piece (text and images)
2016 The Studio, Royal Academy of Arts, excerpt from 13 Presidents
2015 Art Papers magazine, “Grits” (9-page artist’s piece with text and images)
Aesthetica magazine, artist interview
2014 RA Magazine, “Up, up and away”, roundtable discussion with Phyllida Barlow
2009 World Radio Switzerland, Swiss by Design, coverage of BolteLange exhibition
2006 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “One less alternative”
2001 Yale Herald, “Starwell makes love to her alter-ego,” exhibition review