Bio

Joe Mangrum’s sand paintings and multiple medium installations explore issues of the urban grid, environmentalism and its effects on the collective psyche. He has created a series of over a thousand intricate sand paintings in public and private spaces as well as a body of permanent sand paintings on canvas and carved wood. He has also  created large scale, multi-material installations in large spaces. His work is inspired by ancient traditions and synced up with a rhythm of urban free-style animation, combined with bright “Pop Art” colors.  His paintings are influenced by an abundant world of undersea creatures, botanicals and diverse forms of cross-cultural metaphors with a mash up of personal symbols. His technique with sand employs a graffiti like parallel of close to the ground sharp lines to a wide “spray” from higher up of diffused effects in alternating layers. Mangrum is based in New York City and has traveled with his work internationally.

He kicked off 2018 with a commission by Prabal Gurung for the Spring Fashion Week runway in New York. His work was featured at the Museum of Arts and Design as part of the “Swept Away” exhibit, completing an indoor project “Asynchronous Syntropy” as well as circumambulating the entire museum for a marathon 24 hrs in two days. He participated in The Flag Art Foundation’s “Watch Your Step” exhibit and has installed at The Corcoran Gallery Rotunda in Washington D.C. Mangrum has held residencies at the de Young Museum, San Francisco, at the Ashe Cultural Center, New Orleans and The Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, where he was featured in the inaugural exhibit of the Sunshine Museum. He received the prestigious Lorenzo de Medici Award at the Florence Biennale in 2003, for his piece titled “Fragile”. Mangrum’s works have been commissioned by private collectors, The Asia Society, Prabal Gurung, Jen Kao and many others. In addition, he has received commissions from the City of San Francisco, including a permanent public artwork on the sidewalk of the Mission District. Other commissions include Coachella Music and Arts and other festivals. He has created a series of sand paintings in Miami during Art Fairs at Project Miami, Multitudes Gallery and Miami Art Space. 

Mangrum grew up Florissant, Missouri and later earned his degree in Fine Arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Working primarily as a painter, Mangrum embarked on years of travel inspired by natural wonders and indigenous sites of North America. He continued to travel internationally, making his own connections to cultural patterns. During this time, he began using plants and flowers that he collected to make ephemeral artworks. In 1995, he made San Francisco his home until 2008 and expanded his ephemeral works to include auto parts, technology and varieties of found and fabricated artifacts, presenting his first solo installation at San Francisco State University. His large scale installations continue in such manifestations inspired by mushroom clouds, pyramid shapes and the Ouroboros. 

Mangrum has also worked with educational programs, given artists presentations and panel discussions at School of Visual Arts, Adelphi University and SUNY Geneseo. He has demonstrated his work with students at The United Nations International School, The de Young Museum of San Francisco, Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York and Moton Elementary in New Orleans. He is an active supporter of environmental causes and has contributed efforts to Love For Japan, Riverkeeper Alliance, Natural World Museum, World Environment Day and Copenhagen 15. He has been featured on Sesame Street, and interviewed for the PBS program “Spark” on KQED. His work has been displayed in various publications including Antennae Journal in the UK. He has been featured on CNN, The New York Times, New York Daily News, LA Times, Artbusiness.com, Yahoo News and numerous blogs. In 2017 Joe  was featured by the Emmy nominated online series Humans of New York (HONY). His sand covered hands share the cover of HONY’s NY times best seller by the same name.  

Download Curriculum Vitae

education

1991   (BFA) The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

solo

2022   

  • Alibi Art, Aqua Art Miami, Miami FL

2019    

  • Hudson Underground Gallery, Hudson NY

2018    

  • Spectrum Miami, Solo Installation, Miami, FL

2017    

  • “New Paintings” Chashama Gallery, New York, NY 

2015    

  • “Sand Paintings by Joe Mangrum” Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands

2013 

  • 300 Riverside Drive, Lobby Installation, Chicago, IL
  • 540 W Madison St. Lobby installation, Chicago, IL

2009   

  • “Chrysalis Stage,” Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY 

2006   

  • “Impressions,” Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY

2005   

  • “Urbis Ouroboros,” Urbis Artium (Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art), San Francisco, CA

1996   

  • “Garden of Earthly Delights,” Daniel Arvizu Gallery, Santa Ana, CA

1995   

  • “Hypothesis 1995,” San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA

select group

2024.  

2023   

  • Promega BTC, Madison, WI
  • Alibi Art Summer Show, Kingston NY
  • NFT NYC Artist Village, Javits Center, NY    
  • Artport Kingston, Kingston NY

2021   

  • Artport Kingston, Kingston NY

2019   

  • “Sanctuary” City Hall Kingston NY
  • O + Positive Festival, Gallery Fifty 5, Kingston, NY 

2017   

  • Tag der Niedersachen, Wolfsburg, Germany

2014   

  • MOCA North Miami, Art Basel Special Projects, Miami, FL 
  • SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo NY
  • Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial, Sharjah, UAE

2013   

  • “Ephemeral” Adelphi University Garden City, NY
  • Linda Warren Projects, 10th Anniversary Show, Chicago, IL

2012    “

  • Swept Away,” Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
  • “Watch Your Step,” Flag Art Foundation, New York, NY
  •  Corcoran Gallery Rotunda, Washington, DC
  • “Globalectics,” Multitudes Art Gallery, Miami, FL

2011   

  • “After Dark,” Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA

2010   

  • “Diwali Celebration,” Asia Society, New York, NY
  • “Wide Open,” Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY

2009   

  • Oasis Gallery, Beijing, China
  • Sunshine Museum, Beijing, China
  • Viridian Artists, Curated By Elisabeth Sussman Whitney Museum, New York, NY
  • Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY
  • “Expand-Reflect-Exist,” All Points West Festival, Jersey City, NJ
  • Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY

2007   

  • “Liminality,” Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA

2006    

  • Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY
  • SFMOMA Artists Gallery @ Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 

2005   

  • “Diversitas,” Bioneers Conference, San Rafael, CA
  • “Summer Heat,” Chi Contemporary Fine Art (Causey Contemporary), Brooklyn, NY
  •  Black Rock Arts Foundation – Art Festival, San Francisco, CA
  •  “Bayennale,” International Art Festival, Oakland, CA
  •  “World Environment Day,” Red Ink Studios, San Francisco, CA
  •  “Spiritus Mundi,” Lola Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2004   

  • “Ignite,” Cellspace, San Francisco, CA

2003    

  • Biennale Internazionale Dell’ Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy
  • “Breathless,” 608 Folsom, San Francisco, CA
  •  Varnish Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  •  Coachella Music Festival, Indio, CA

2002   

  • “9/11 Memorial,” Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco, CA 
  • “East/West: Art From The Other Side,” Facility 3, San Francisco, CA
  • “Superheroes’ New Year’s,” Bill Graham Civic  Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
  •  Featured Artist, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Indio, CA

2000   

  • Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA
  • “Installations and Observations,” Cellspace, San Francisco, CA

1999   

  • “Polli-Nation 2,” Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA

1998    “

  • Polli-Nation,” Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco, CA 

1997    

  • California College of Arts, San Francisco, CA
  • “Festival on the Hill,” Randall Museum, San Francisco, CA

1996   

  • “Embarrassment of Riches,” Huntington Beach Art Center, CA
  •  “Gallery Invitational,” Daniel Arvizu Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
  •  “Alternative Landscapes,” Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

notable commissions

2021    

  • “Layla Infusion,” Mission St. Terrazzo installation, San Francisco Arts Commission, CA

2020.   

  • Intersect by Lexus, New York NY

2018    

  • NYFW Runway for Prabal Gurung, Fall 2018, Spring Studios, New York, NY

2017   

  • Tag der Niedersachen, Autostadt Volkswagon Headquarters, Wolfsburg, Germany 
  • World Science Festival, Rose Hall, Lincoln Center,   New York, NY

2001   

  • “Layla & Swingdaddy,” Mission St.Terrazzo installation, San Francisco Arts Commission, CA 

1998   

  • “Trans-mission,” temporary installation, San Francisco Arts Commission, CA

notable collections

2014   

  • Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, FL

2012   

  • Museum of Art and Design, New York, NY

public works

2017   

  • “Sand Series,” 85 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY

2016   

  • “Sand Series,” 129 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY

2015   

  • “Sand Series,” 86 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY

2014   

  • “Sand Series,” 107 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY

2013   

  • “Sand Series,” 154 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY

2012   

  • “Swept Away,” Circling the Museum Project, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
  • “Sand Series,” 116 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY”Sand Series,” 2 sand paintings, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico 

2011   

  • “Sand Series,” 146 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY 

2010   

  • “Sand Series,” 169 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY 

2009   

  • “CO2 Cube,” Copenhagen 15, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • “Sand Series,” 47 sand paintings, public spaces, New York, NY 

2002    

  • Muni Stop, Mission St.Terrazzo installation, Funded by San Francisco Arts Commission, 

1998   

  • “Trans-mission,” temporary installation, Funded by San Francisco Arts Commission, CA

1997   

  • “Virus Series,” public spaces, San Francisco, CA

1996   

  • “Echoes of Corrective Surgery,” public spaces, Laguna Beach, CA

1995   

  • “Creation, Capitalism and Corrective Surgery,” public spaces, Laguna Beach, CA

awards

2003  

  • Lorenzo De Medici Award, Biennale Internazionale Dell’ Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy

1998  

  • Market Street Art In Transit, San Francisco Arts Commission, CA

1991  

  • Merit Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL

1990  

  • Dr. R. A. Koetting Prize, St. Louis Artists Guild, MO

1987  

  • Juried Prize, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL

1986  

  • Portraits of India, Asia Society, New York, NY

residencies

2013  

  • Ashé Cultural Arts Center, New Orleans, LA

2008  

  • Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China

2007  

  • de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA

bibliography

2018   

2017   

2015   

2014    

  • Naturally Hyper-natural Conference, School of Visual Arts New York, NY
  • SUNY Geneseo Artists Talk

2013

2012   

2011

2010    

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004    

  •  Guy Denning, “A funny thing happened on the way to the Tate,” guydenning.org.uk,

2003

2002

2001

1998

1996

  • Marilu Knode, AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES, Catalog, Huntington Beach Art Cent er
  • Suvan Greer, “An Embarrassment of Riches..,” Artweek, November pg. 23
  • Doree Dunlap, “Art: The Golden Land, In the name of progress,” Orange County Weekly, March 8 – 14, pg. 22

1995

1994

1986

  • Anon., “Focus On..,”SPAN Magazine, US Information Agency, New Dehli, May pg. 40