April Dawn Parker’s work explores natural phenomena, such as the freezing point of water and how it becomes structurally hexagonal when frozen. She is intrigued by how geometric forms exist as perfect shapes when considered mathematically, but in nature are always expressed imperfectly and organically. In college, she majored in Religious Studies, but had yet to merge her creative interests with her intellectual pursuits.

Now, combining religious art conventions with her studio work in a new series, titled ‘Cathedral,’ Dawn Parker creates “holy nature” triptychs that are inspired by the great and sumptuous altarpiece paintings of the early Middle Ages. Her work however, honors “nature” which is essential to our health and survival. Titles come from poetry of the 13th Century Sufi mystic, Rumi, and the resulting abstract landscapes are both familiar and imagined.

EDUCATION

Brown University, BA with Honors, Providence, RI

Yale University, School of Art, one year of Graphic Design MFA program, New Haven, CT

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2022 Outside the Open Window (upcoming), Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
2021 31st Annual Intl. Juried Exhibition (upcoming), annual intl. juried exhibition, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
(selected for "Director's Choice" digital presentation by Vernita Nemec)
Later Impressions (upcoming), annual national juried exhibition, The Chicago Alliance of Artists, Chicago, IL
2020 LOOK, group show, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA
Salon Style, group show, SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2019 Lobster Dinner: a show of small works, national juried exhibition, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn, NY (juried by Will Hutnick, Artist and Curator)

Faber Birren National Color Award Show, national juried exhibition, Stamford Art Association, Stamford, CT (juried by Meredith A. Brown, Curatorial Assoc., Modern & Contemporary Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Sanctuary, national juried exhibition, online portion, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA (juried by Bryan Yedinak, Director of Themes+Projects)

Bay Area Masters, juried exhibition, San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo, CA (juried by Ruth Waters, Peninsula Museum of Art)

Something About Lines, juried exhibition, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA (juried by Katy Kuhn, Artist)

Movers and Shakers, group show, The Drawing Room, San Francisco, CA

Small Works Show, group show, SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Southern Exposure: 45th Annual Auction, juried auction, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

2018 Skies of Gold: Willard Dixon, Sophie Dixon Dillo, David Molesky, April Dawn Parker and Irene Zweig, group show, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

Southern Exposure: Monster Drawing Rally, live drawing auction, hosted at Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA

2017 StartUp Art Fair SF, solo room, Hotel Del Sol, San Francisco, CA

The IXA: Venice, art and design pop-up show, Interior X Art (IXA), Venice, Los Angeles, CA

21st Annual Art for AIDS Auction, juried auction, Alliance Health Project, San Francisco, CA

2015 Art at the Palace: April Dawn Parker, Artist-in-Residence solo show, IHangar, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA

Awaken: Elizabeth Barlow, Elmer Bischoff, Joan Brown, Kim Froshin, April Dawn Parker, John Wood, group show, Gallerie Citi (now Andra Norris Gallery), Burlingame, CA

Art by America, national juried exhibition, Art House, Chicago, IL (juried by James Wood, School of Art Institute of Chicago, and Ginny Voedisch, Art Institute Museum of Chicago)

Summer National, national juried exhibition, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, Novato, CA (juried by Nancy Meyers, Curatorial Asst. at Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art)

Bold, juried exhibition, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA (juried by Robert Green, Director of Robert Green Fine Arts)

Dart for Art: 4th Annual Auction, silent auction, Lymelight Foundation, Burlingame, CA

2014 Nest: April Dawn Parker and Alyson Belcher, two-person exhibition, Gallerie Citi (now Andra Norris Gallery), Burlingame, CA

Dart for Art: 3rd Annual Auction, silent auction, Lymelight Foundation, Burlingame, CA

2013 Narbutas Spring Art Salon: April Dawn Parker and Marguerite Elliott, two-person exhibition, Ross, CA

Small Works Holiday Show, group show, Gallerie Citi (now Andra Norris Gallery), Burlingame, CA

33rd Faber Birren National Color Award Show, national juried exhibition, Stamford Art Association, Stamford, CT (juried by Derek Leka, Faculty at Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan, CT)

Works on Paper, national juried exhibition, Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis MD (juried by Katherine Blood, Curator of Fine Prints, Library of Congress, Washington, DC)

Bold, juried exhibition, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA (juried by Robert Green, Director of Robert Green Fine Arts, Mill Valley, CA)

Out of the Blue, juried exhibition, Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, CA (juried by Ruth Braunstein, Director of Braunstein/Quay Gallery, San Francisco, CA)

2012 Exposição de April Dawn Parker, Suzie Buchholz, group show, Colorida Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal

Dwell Magazine Home Tours: Marin, featured artist, Dehn Bloom Design: Loft, Mill Valley, CA

Marin Designer’s Showcase, estate tour, with Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, Tiburon, CA

One King’s Lane: Fine Art, inaugural on-line fine art sale, with Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, One King’s Lane, San Francisco, CA

2011 Headlands Center for the Arts: Benefit Art Auction, silent auction, with Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, Headlands Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA

Chocolate Party Art Show, group show, Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, Mill Valley, CA

Art Bazaar, on-line fine art sale, with Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, Serena and Lily, Sausalito, CA

MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS

2021 Lori Waxman, "60wrd/min COVID Edition: I'll Never Be Untrue; April Dawn Parker," art.newcity.com, April 9, 2021, Chicago, IL
2019 “Improve Your Art by Looking at This,” featured artist on video blog, Art2Life.com, San Francisco, CA

2017 “Launch: The IXA,” exhibition announcement with photograph, Luxe Interiors + Design: Los Angeles, December, 2017, pg. 126, Los Angeles, CA

“Design meets Tech in a new way in Venice Beach,” The IXA show write-up, EditorAtLarge.com, Editor at Large: Business of Home, August 1, 2017

“FolioLink Website Designs, Brasilia template: April Dawn Parker,” featured website, FolioLink.com, 2017-present, Falls Church, VA

2015 Amy Haddad, “Art by America at The Art House: Trends and Traditions in Two-Dimensional Contemporary Art,” show review, The Art House, July 3, 2015, Chicago, IL

“Spotlight, Best of the Bay: Gallerie Citi,” review, Daily Post, February 24, 2015, p. 14, Palo Alto, CA

“Portfolio Website Feature,” image, FolioLink.com, February 2015, Falls Church, VA

2014 National Juried Winner: Abstract, award, ArtSlant 6th Showcase, October 2014, Los Angeles, CA (juried by Jennifer Jacobs, Michal Raz-Russo and Stefan Benchoam)

Paula Bolduc, “April Dawn Parker Exhibition Review,” review, Splash, March 24, 2014, Los Angeles, CA

“Clients in the Spotlight,” featured, FolioLink Newsletter, January 2014

2013 Soren Hemmila, “ICB Artists Exposed,” article, MarinScope.com, December 5, 2013, Sausalito, CA

Rebecca Wilson, Director, “The Bright Fantastic” Collection, selected, Saatchi Online, December 3, 2013, Los Angeles, CA

“FolioLink Presents: April Dawn Parker,” profile, FolioLink.com, December 2013, Falls Church, VA

National Juried Winner: Abstract, award, ArtSlant 8th Showcase, October 2013, Los Angeles, CA (juried by Veronica Bruce, Wendi Norris and Charlie Hood)

Rebecca Wilson, Director, “New this Week” Collection, selected, Saatchi Online, August 26, 2013, Los Angeles, CA

Natalie Hegert, Editor, “Featured Artist: April Dawn Parker,” featured, ArtSlant VIEWS e-newsletter, ArtSlant Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, week of July 9, 2013, Los Angeles, CA

National Juried Winner: Abstract, award, ArtSlant 5th Showcase, July 2013, Los Angeles, CA (juried by Neysa Page-Lieberman, Darren Jones and Deb Klowden Mann)

2012 “Dwell Home Tours: Mill Valley Loft,” featured painter, Dwell.com, Dehn Bloom Design, April 28, 2012, San Francisco, CA

Mary Jo Bowling, “Interior Alchemy,” article, CA Home and Design magazine, July – August 2012, p. 124–131, San Francisco, CA

2011 Frank Mallicoat, Anchor, “Bay Sunday,” interview, CBS BAY CHANNEL 5, November 20, 2011, San Francisco, CA

“ICB Artists Winter Open Studios: 11 Artists to Keep Your Eyes On,” selected, 7x7 SF blog, November 29, 2011, San Francisco, CA

“RSVP Hot Ticket: 2011 ICB Winter Open Studios,” post, MarinMagazine.com, December 2011, Sausalito, CA

SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Dehn Bloom Design, Mill Valley, CA

Innovation Hangar, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA

Kes and Laura Narbutas, Ross, CA

Offices of Alto Law, Portland OR

Offices of One Economy, Portland OR

Work held in private collections throughout the United States

TEACHING/VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum, volunteer, San Francisco, CA, 2017 – 2019

“Painting with Gouache,” painting workshop sponsored by Winsor & Newton, Flax Art and Design, San Francisco, October 10, 2015

RESIDENCY

Innovation Hangar, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA, June – August, 2015