1991, Born in Bogotá, Colombia
Lives and works in San Francisco, CA
EDUCATION
2016, MFA, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
2013, Bachelor of Arts. Earlham College, Richmond, IN.
2009, International Baccalaureate. United World College, San José, Costa Rica
SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2019 Spillage, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Conversation 7 w/ Farah Al Qasimi, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Burn Notice, Tmoro Projects with Conrad Guevara , Santa Clara, CA
2017 Slow Clap, R/SF Projects, San Francisco, CA
De:Formal Gallery, New York, NY
Introductions, Unauthorized SFMOMA Solo Show, San Francisco, CA
2016 El Hábito, Bass & Reiner, San Francisco, CA
2014 Danny & Him, Paul Sack Gallery, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 State of the Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR
2019 Touching History, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
Sense of Self, Institute of Contemporary Art San José, San José, CA
2018 Bay Area Now 8, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Female Trouble, CULT Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA
RELAY II, Slide Space 123, Oakland, CA
UNTITLED Art Fair, San Francisco, CA
MonSTARS, Swim Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Albion, San Francisco, CA
2017 The Black Infinity, NoPlace Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
Kah-meel-E-yun, Pro Arts, Oakland, CA. Curated by Yarrow Slaps
Open Studios, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
Lil' Swim, Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Bestiario/Menagerie, Adobe Backroom Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2016 Shaky Towns Vol. 2, The Battery, San Francisco, CA
#Simulacra, Embark Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Commons Dilemma, Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, CA
The Infraordinary, Adobe Backroom Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Landfill/Bedrock, Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco,
Om I'm Home, Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Shaky Towns, VOL I. Alter Space, San Francisco, CA
Reconstructed, Good Mother Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Welcome To The Left Coast, Luggage Store Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Yaocihuatl, Social Policy, San José, CA
Group Show, Burnt Oak Gallery, Oakland, CA
MFA SFAI Exhibition, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA
Parking Lot Art Fair w/Residence/SF, San Francisco, CA
StART up Fair w/Embark Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Mistaken Impressions, Root Division, San Francisco, CA
2015 So·lil·o·quy, Swell Gallery, San Francisco, CA
PARANOIA, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA
This Is Not A Painting, Embark Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Awards, SOMArts, San Francisco, CA
Alejandro Almaza Pereda's Pop-up Show, Walter & Mc Bean Gallery, San Francisco, CA
LGBT Por La Vida, Adobe Books, San Francisco, CA
Paul Sack Building Award, Still Lights Gallery, San Francisco, CA
God Particle II The Mattress Formula, McRoskey Mattress Factory, San Francisco, CA
Holy Hole, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Milhojas, Swell Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 New Genres Salon, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
Re-Frame w/ Pinkard Collective, Zellerbach Quad, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
BeLong, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Homegrown: Brooklyn Finest, Tutu’s, Brooklyn, NY
An Invitiation: To Practice, Glasshouse Art&Life Lab, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Better Than Milk. Leads Gallery, Richmond, IN
2012 114th Annual Exhibition of Richmond & Area Artists. Juror: Ron Monsma. Richmond, IN
2011 Group Show at 305 w. 29th st. New York Arts Program, Manhattan, NY
2019 Fall and Spring Student Show, Leads Gallery, Richmond, IN
2009 United World College: Higher Level Art Students Final Exhibition. San José, Costa Rica
AWARDS & HONORS
2020 State of the Art 2020, Crystal Bridges
2020 Art on Market Kiosk Poster Series, SFAC
2019 Alternative Exposure Grantee, Southern Exposure
2018 Bay Area Now 8, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Facebook Artist in Residence
Alternative Exposure Grantee, Southern Exposure
2017 Tosa Studio Award
San Francisco Artist Award Finalist
Art Matters Award Nomination
2016 Graduate Student Recognition Award, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
2015 Murphy & Cadogan Contemporary Art Award, San Francisco Foundation for the Arts
2014-16 Master of Fine Arts merit Fellowship in Photography, San Francisco Art Institute
2013 Departmental & College Honors, Earlham College, Richmond, IN
2012 Mary Jane Harvey Memorial Award. For outstanding work in the Arts
2012 W. Ray Stevens Jr. Memorial Award for ‘Horizontal Gravitational Force’
2012 Merit Award at the Richmond Art Museum for ‘Corpse # 1’
2009-2013 Full Scholarship Earlham College
2009-2013 Davis UWC scholar
2007-2009 Scholarship United World College Costa Rica
PRESS
2019 Strange Fire Collective Interview with: Marcela Pardo Ariza
Beyond the Studio: Marcela Pardo Ariza
Congratulations Pine Tree: Bluets with Marcela Pardo Ariza
2018 The (Art) Scene Podcast: Marcela Pardo Ariza & The Tallest Part of the Arch
Womxn* Art Handlers Carefully Deinstall Glass Ceiling of the Preparator World
Expansive, Exciting 'Bay Area Now 8' Lives Up to Its Name, KQED
Photographers Reveal Through Concealment, KQED
SF new art space opens its doors with an exhibition called "MonSTARS"
At Santa Clara's tmoro projects, Still Life enters Other Dimensions, KQED by Sarah Hotchkiss
2017 Slow Clap, Photograph Magazine by Roula Seikaly
Art Talk Radio w/ Kunstcapades: Marcela Pardo Ariza
Art Scene Podcast: Marcela Pardo Ariza
Fall Season brings rich gallery openings by Charles Demarais, SF Chronicle
Slow Clap, Art Business.com by Alan Bamberger
Art Exhibition composed only of Color and Light, Charles Desmarais, SF Gate
Bestiario/Menagerie Review by Roula Seikaly
2016 Marcela Pardo Ariza interview by Clare Szydlowski, Venison Magazine
Episode 12: The (art) Podcast, Mariel Bayona, curator of El Hábito
Interview by Michelle Weidman for Congratulations Pine Tree Episode 91
West Coast MFA Dispatch by Roula Seikaly for Humble Arts Foundation
Graduate MFA Exhibition at Fort Mason by Art Business
In Focus MFA graduates San Francisco Art Institute
Mistaken Impressions at Root Division by Aaron Harbour for Curiously Direct
This is not a Painting at Embark Gallery by Xiao Wang
2015, So Li Lo Quy at Swell Gallery by I. Leber
2015, Milhojas at Swell Gallery by Jackie Valle
2019 California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
California State University Monterey Bay, CA
San José State University, CA
2018 Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Mills College, Oakland, CA
2017 The Painting Salon, San Francisco, CA
2016 San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
2016 UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
EXPERIENCE
2018 Co-Founder, Womxn Art Handlers
2017 Curatorial Council Member, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
Program Associate, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2016 Associate Curator, R/SF, San Francisco, CA
Photography Professor, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
Scenic Staff, Restoration Hardware, San Francisco, CA
2014-16, Gallery & Installation Assistant, Walter & McBean Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014-15 Swell Gallery Curator, San Francisco, CA
2014-15, Co-Curator & Co-Founder of Noroof Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014, Co-Founder of Pinkard Collective
2014, Production Assistant of Anxious Spaces: Installation as Catalyst, Knockdown Center, Queens, NY
2013-2014, Installation and Curatorial Assistant, The Clocktower Gallery Manhattan, NY
2011, Art Education, International Center of Photography Manhattan, NY
2011, Artist Apprenticeship, Sebastiaan Bremer Studios Brooklyn, NY
2010-2013, Publicity Director, WECI 91.5 fm Richmond’s Public Radio Richmond, IN