Russian American Elena Zolotnitsky is Inspired by the concepts of beauty, adolescence, and time passing. She seeks to create works that are alive with the raw physicality of paint, to which viewers can relate on an emotional level.
Bio
Born: 1961, Moscow Russia
Education: MFA Moscow Cinema Academy (VGIK), Moscow Russia 1987
Awards, Grants, Residencies:
2013 Full Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
2008 Jerome Caja Terrible Beauty Award, Visual Aid, San Francisco, CA
2007 Award of Excellence, Cash Prize at Northern National Art
Competition, Nicolet College, WI
Best in the Show, Cash Prize at Loyola National Works on Paper, Chicago, IL
2005 Award of Excellence: 48th Communication Arts Annual Illustration Exhibition, CA
Full Fellowship from Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, Taos, New Mexico
Best in the Show and Purchase Award “Dimensions 2005”, 40th National Exhibition,
Winston-Salem, NC
2004 Award of Excellence: SDAI 46th International Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2003 Full Fellowship Award for Residency at the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
1997 Grant from the Paul Beckett Foundation, Denmark / Spain
1993 Gold Medal: Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD
1992 Merit Award: 36th Annual Illustration Exhibition, Society of Illustrators, NY
1991 Merit Award: 27th Annual Illustration Exhibition, Society of Publication Design, NY
Selected Exhibitions:
2016 Fragmented, Gallerie Citi, Burlingame, CA
2015 Solo Show, Pryor Fine Art Atlanta, GA
2014 "Emotive" Gallerie CITI, Burlingame, CA
"Urbana" Group Exhibition, Gallerie CITI, Burlingame, CA
SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 “Moderm Masters of Contrast, Composition and Form” Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
“Seen” Visual Aid presents MONCA: Works by David Park, Nathan Oliveira, Richard
Diebenkorn, Mel Ramos, Elena Zolotnitsky, San Francisco, CA
“Sin and Redemption” SFMOMA Artists Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Berkeley Civic Center” in conjunction with Berkeley Art Center and KALA, CA
“Scapes” Solo Show, Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Introductions 2012 - CA Realists” Statewide Juried Competition (Juror’s 5 top picks),
ArtZone 461 Gallery, San Francisco, CA
“Introductions” Group Show at Selby Fleetwood Gallery, Santa Fe NM
“Painting Only” Juried State Competition, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
2011 “Introductions” Group Show at Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta GA
“Zolotnitsky@Bucci’s” Emeryville, CA
“Holiday Show” Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2010 “Cimmerian Muse: Exploring The Gestures Of The Mind”, Nieto Fine Art,
San Francisco CA
“The Figure Now”, Fontbonne University Fine Arts Gallery, St.Louis, MO Juried by
Sofie Jodoin, Alex Kanevsky and Nicholas Uribe
2009 Paul Mahder Gallery: “Basic”, San Francisco, CA
2008 “Terrible Beauty” Mark Parron and Elena Zolotnitsky, Paule Anglim Gallery, San
Francisco, CA
Franklin Bowles Gallery, San Francisco
2007 Loyola National Works on Paper, Crown Center Gallery Loyola University of Chicago
Northern National Art Competition, juried by Allan Peterson, Nicolett College, WI
Micaela Gallery: “Salon d’Ete 2007”, San Francisco, CA
Rotunda Gallery, USF School of Law, curated by Saiko Matsumaru. San Francisco, CA
Paul Mahder Gallery, San Francisco, CA FranklinBowles Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2006 Franklin Bowles Gallery, San Francisco, CA
B. Boeltz Gallery, Denver, CO
“Finding the Figure”, SFMOMA Artist’s Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2005 Micaela Gallery: “Salon d’Ete 2005”, San Francisco, CA
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: Visual Aid at 16, San Francisco, CA
San Diego Art Institute: 48th International Exhibition, juried by Derrick C. Cartwright,
Director of the San Diego Museum of Art
“Closer”, Barbara Anderson Gallery, Berkeley, CA
2004 Blue Room Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Barbara Anderson Gallery: “Works on Paper”, Berkeley, CA
ARTWALK at the Embarcadero Center, curated by ArtSpan, San Francisco, CA
2003 Catharine Clark Gallery: SPICE Visual Aid Artists, San Francisco, CA
San Diego Art Institute: 46th International Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2002 Vorpal Gallery: “Beaux & Eros”, San Francisco, CA
2001 SFMOMA Artists Gallery 4 Artist Show, San Francisco, CA
Vorpal Gallery: “The Year 2001- Art Odyssey”, San Francisco, CA
1999 Museum of American Illustration: SPD Gala Annual, New York, NY
Art Expo: Finalists of the Art Calendar Magazine’s Competition, New York, NY
James E. Lewis Museum of Art, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
Sloane Gallery, Denver, CO
1997 Springfield Art Museum: Watercolor USA Honor Society, 6th Biennial Exhibition
“Maryland Artists” Government House, Annapolis, MD
Lancaster Museum of Art: “Creating Women”, Lancaster, PA
Russian Embassy, Washington D.C. curated by Diane Beal
“Made in the USA”, Hodson Gallery, Hood College, Frederick, MD
1995 Regional Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD
1994 Zenith Gallery, Washington D.C.L.
1993 New York City Public Library: SPD Gala Annual, New York, NY
Galerie Francoise, Green Spring, MD
1992 Zimmerly Art Museum: Norton Dodge’s Collection of Soviet Art,
Rutgers University, NJ
Selected Publications:
2013 Architectural Digest July Issue 2012
The Ritz - Carlton Magazine October Issue, page 40
Lilith Magazine Summer Issue, page 16
American Art Collector May Issue, pages 23, 85
Art & Antiques May Issue, page 19
Southwest Art Magazine January Issue, “Art of the Figure”
2011 Great River Review Cover Art for Summer/Spring Issue, Anderson Art Center,
Minnesota
2009 Etnosfera Magazine: “Elena Zolotnitsky: Creativity - Is a Personal Affair” Interview with
Yulia Goryacheva. Issue #11 (134) Moscow, Russia
2008 7x7 San Francisco Magazine: “Watch This Space” by Christine Ryan. November Issue
p.120
2005 46th Annual Communication Arts, p.107 2003 Baltimore Magazine: “A Selection of
Contemporary Russian Artwork” by John Lewis, February Issue pp. 122-123 2000
NY Times Book Review Cover: “Thus Spake Beowulf” February 27th 1997
Intelligencer Journal “Happenings”, March Issue: “Bold or Fractured, Images
From Women’s Selves” by Jennifer Knopf. Cover Story on “Creating Women”,
Lancaster Museum of Art, PA
1996 Frederick Gazette: “Six Very Good Reasons To See ‘Made in the USA’” by
Richard Lebhers on the Exhibition of Selected Former Russian Artists
1995 The Artist’s Magazine: “Rising Watercolor Stars” by Bebe Raupe, October
Issue pp. 60-65. An Art Review featuring the top winners from 10 of
North America’s most prominent Watercolor Societies
1993 The Baltimore Sun March 11: “Zolotnitskys Blend Humor and Grimness, Go Figure” by
John Dorsey. Art Review on the two-person exhibition at
Galerie Francoise, Baltimore, MD
Museum Collections:
Norton Dodge Collection of Soviet Art at Zimmerly Art Museum,
Rutgers University, NJ