Lori Lipsman

Installation of FREE ART event at the end of the Desert Dairy residency I produced fifteen Polaroid series of Joshua trees and boulders taken with the SX70 Polaroid camera in Joshua Tree National Park, six drawings (done during a solo hike to Contact Mine), and five garden dolls (created from materials found at Desert Dairy). These pieces were available for any price a person could afford. The proceeds were donated to the Friends of Joshua Tree National Park. Any leftover pieces were donated to the Desert Dairy residency program and FOJT. This was a remarkably different time before the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Michele Guieu, an environmental artist and friend living in the Bay Area, was also in residency, and we spent long evenings discussing what was emerging in the news around COVID. The long hours I spent in the National Park, watching the sunrise and moonrise, working in the barn, and exploring the art and artists in the high desert helped get me through the pandemic and be...

Repurposed archive digital print 12” X 12”  

22” X 27” Mixed media on USGS Topographic Map. After the Interwoven installation was taken down at the San Diego International Airport, Terri Hughes-Oelrich, my collaborator on the project, and I invited local artists to take one of the 60 maps and create a piece to be auctioned for EarthLab San Diego. EarthLab is a 4-acre experiential environmental educational Climate Action Park, a program of Groundwork San Diego Chollas Creek. The map I chose was of a dry lake in Anza Borrego State Park, which was once used as a landing field for the military. This map also shows mining activities and the watershed of the area. The piece questions our commodification of natural resources. We were able to raise just over $6000 for Earthlab.

Kate Sessions Thank You. This was a FREE ART event, part of the Garden Party of the Century, and one of the events for the Panama-California Exposition Centennial Celebration. I created 100 works of sq sq honoring the contributions of Kate Sessions to the city of San Diego. “In 1892, Sessions leased 30 acres of land in Balboa Park (then called City Park) from the City of San Diego to use as growing fields. In return, she agreed to plant 100 trees yearly in the mostly barren park and 300 trees yearly in other parts of San Diego. This arrangement left the park with an array of cypress, pine, oak pepper trees, and eucalyptus grown in her gardens from seeds imported from around the world; virtually all of the older trees still seen in the park were planted by her.” (Wikipedia). During the parade and throughout the day, 100 one-of-a-kind, framed, signed, and dated works were given away. 

24 original Polaroid works of art were given away at Chollas Lake Park  

yaya for the Billboard Art Project. This is an example of work for the Billboard Art Project, which took over digital LED billboards, turning them into accessible public art venues for 24 hours or more. This intervention from advertising to art took place in 15 cities throughout the United States. The project aligned with how I want to bring art to people, creating accessible experiences for them with art through free art. Being accepted into the project, I created digital images that changed while displayed, creating another sense of movement for those passing by by car, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrians.

Canyon Shadow Play. Indoor temporary installation at Art Produce Gallery, San Diego, CA. This installation was inspired by a 3-day backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon and weekly forays into Florida Canyon in my neighborhood. As part of this installation, artists were invited to create 2D works interpreting canyons and placed on the community board. These works were available to viewers to take and pay what they could. All proceeds from selling these and other works were donated to Art Produce, whose mission is to build community and foster civic engagement through art, education, and public culture. There were also free prints available. These were printed on outdated Grand Canyon Visitor Guides graciously sent to me from the park. While the installation was up, I organized and facilitated events engaging with the community.

Sidewalk Relationships during Art Around Adams. This was a participatory intervention for six blocks along the south side of Adams Ave. The public was invited to draw on the sidewalk with chalk. At the end of the event, I swept the sidewalk, leaving ghost remnants of the drawings.  

Education: California College of the Arts BFA (ceramics/drawing) & MFA (glass/sculpture) San Diego Mesa College, Architecture & Interior Design Social Practice & Community Engagement through Art Vote Poster Campaign 2024, San Diego City College, San Diego, CA  California Arts Council Review Panelist, Impact Projects (PRJ) for 2024-25. Reviewed and ranked 40 applications for CAC. FREE ART 2024 San Diego CA; Health & Healing Summerfest Educational Cultural Complex; East Village downtown; Market & Uclide; front yard North Park Public Art/Public Sphere intensive workshop 2024, San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, San Diego, CA. Kumeyaay Design Exhibition Advisory Committee 2023-2024, San Diego City College Art Gallery. I n conjunction with the San Diego/Tijuana World Design Capital Practice/Practica 2024, co-curated with Terri Hughes-Oelrich, was an exhibition conceived in conjunction with the San Diego/Tijuana World Design Capital 2024-25. It highlights...

I am a conceptual artist committed to social justice and environmental protection. Experiences of play and learning inspire my work. My exposure to diverse cultures, environments, biases, and work experiences has shaped my identity as I navigate life, including my artistic pursuits. My projects encompass installations, public art, performances, collaborations, and studio practice.