Biography

Kunik began as a watercolorist and landscape painter, but wanting to work more conceptually, she returned to school, earning a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design. Informed by environmental issues and questions that impact daily life, Kunik’s abstract paintings began referencing environmental problems, which prompted her to begin a four-year community gardening project that also fed a large number of hungry artist/gardeners. Kunik then turned to fine art photography in order to investigate perception as it relates to the vegetables she cultivated in her gardens. Using photos from her travels as a reference, she then began combining photography and painting and an emulsion process to continue her exploration of perception.

Kunik has exhibited at numerous galleries and museums, nationally and internationally, including: Ceres Gallery (New York), National Arts Club (New York), Art 1307 Gallery (Italy), Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Museum (Thailand), Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Japan), Chiba City Museum of Art (Japan), Tiny Griffon Gallery (Germany), Museum of Art & History (California, Wilding Museum of Art and Nature (California). Kunik was born in Chicago, Illinois, earning a BA degree from the University of Illinois and an MS from Chicago’s DePaul University. She moved to Beverly Hills, CA in 1978, where she currently resides.

EDUCATION

2016 BAU Institute/Puglia Residency, Casalabate, Puglia, Italy
PSU International Art Workshop 2016, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani, Thailand
KMUTNB International Art and Design Workshop 2016, King Mongkut’s University of
      Technology NorthBangkok, Rayong, & Bangkok, Thailand
Art Lab, Civitella d’Agliano, Italy – Two-week painting residency – Honorable MentionMentorship with Helen Mayer & Newton Harrison on LA & the
      Rising of Waters Exhibition
BFA, with Honors, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California
Assisi, Italy – Three-week painting residency
Canisy, France – Three-week painting residency
Los Angeles County Museum of Art-Art Docent (7 years)
M Ed, Reading & Learning Disabilities, with Distinction in the Curriculum,
      DePaul University,Chicago, Illinois
BA, Spanish Education & Psychology, with High Honors, University of
      Illinois, Urbana, Illinois

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Ceres Gallery, New York, NY
L A Artcore
Los Angeles Art Association, Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Docent Council,
McNabb Martin Contemporary Art Gallery, San Diego, CA
National Arts Club-Exhibiting Artist
Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art
WEAD — Women Environmental Artists Directory

AWARDS

3 Gold Awards, 2022, 22nd Japan International Art Exchange Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
5 Awards of Excellence, 2022, 22nd Japan International Art Exchange Exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan