CV – Art Lives Studio

About the Artist

photo credit:

Bridget Massa Photography

biography

Nadïne LaFond is a musician, painter and mixed media artist creating images that explore journey and dimension through the layering of symbols. Coming from a long line of visual artists, poets and musicians, Nadïne began drawing symbols at age four while visiting family in Haïti, where she feels her original creative spark was ignited. Relying on cues from her own heritage, Nature and documentation of dreams through a mix of abstraction, symbolism and figurative elements, she creates language for her investigations into social and cultural constructs, reflections on spirituality and technology and observations of humanity’s place and interaction within Nature.

She was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in New Jersey where she currently lives. Since 2004, she has developed and conducted workshops for educational institutions and arts organizations as well as an independent teaching artist in visual arts, music and literature.

statement

Making art for me starts with moments that immediately strike me as lessons. When the underlying tale begins to emerge, I follow that energy.

instruments: paintbrush, vocals & dreams genre: experimental, jam, abstract / symbolist

other disciplines

Nadïne LaFond is also an accomplished vocalist and songwriter.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

selected solo exhibitions

2023 Community Medicine: The Revolution of Selfcare, Perkins Center for the Arts, Collingswood, NJ

2007 For A Handful Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

selected group exhibitions

2018 Voices for Womankind: Resilience, One Art Space, NYC. co-curated by Carmen Zita of the Heller Group & Zak Ross of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery.

2018 Living In My Skin Interactive Conference, Caribbean Cultural Center of the African Diaspora, NY. curator, Yelaine Rodriguez.

2016 Oil-Down: (A Recipe for) Uniqueness Born From Differences Cumberland County College Community College (Clay College Gallery), Millville, NJ part of “Shades of Past, Colors of Present” Preserving Caribbean Cultural Heritage in New Jersey

2016 Between Worlds – In a World, Rowan College Gallery, Sewell, NJ part of “Shades of Past, Colors of Present” Preserving Caribbean Cultural Heritage in New Jersey

2016 Living In My Skin, Rio Penthouse Gallery III, New York, NY. curator, Yelaine Rodriguez Artist Talk with Edwidge Danticat

2016 SANKOFA: Reflection on Cultural Heritage and Shared Humanity Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (Gallery of Fine Craft), Millville, NJ. part of “Shades of Past, Colors of Present” Preserving Caribbean Cultural Heritage in New Jersey

2015 La Lucha II, Andrew Freedman Home, Bronx, NY. curator, Yelaine Rodriguez

2015 Consequential Translations, Centro Cultural de España Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. curator, Carlos Jesus Martinez Dominguez and Pepe Coronado

2015 La Lucha, Rio Penthouse Gallery, New York, NY. curator, Yelaine Rodriguez

2012 The Threshold of Your Mind, Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ curator, Anonda Bell

2010 Transcending History: Moving Beyond the Legacy of Slavery and the Holocaust The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, Baltimore, MD Vivant Art Collection Philadelphia, PA

2010 La Femme Mystique, Vivant Art Collection Philadelphia, PA

2010 Piti Piti Plein Kay: Small Works by Contemporary Caribbean Artists Lotus Studios Gallery, Highland Park,NJ. curator, Nadïne LaFond

2010 The Exquisite Corpse: Paul Robeson Galleries 30th Anniversary Exhibition Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

2009 Freestyle Newark Open Doors 744 Broad, Newark, NJ curator, Jeanne Brasile

2009 Female Expressions Newark Open Doors Guerilla Galleries, Newark, NJ curator, Luisa Pinzon

2009 Passport DC Embassy of Haiti, Washington, DC curator, Marcel Wah

2007 Positive Still: Artists Respond to AIDS Manhattan WCO Center, NYC curator, Hector Canonge

2007 Edge of Light Paul Robeson Galleries, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ

2007 Black Rock: The Metamorphosis of Home from Isolation to Connection Task Force Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ

2006 Transcripts from the Specter Penny Cluse Cafe, Burlington, VT

2006 Channeling Art II Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, Maplewood, NJ

2006 Touch + Feel: Messin’ with High and Low Red Saw Gallery Newark, NJ

2006 Recent Works The Barn Theater, Montville, NJ

2004 Visual Expressions: Haitian Women Artists Hammonds House Museum, Atlanta, GA

2004 National Black Fine Art Show Puck Building, NYC exhibited w/ Galerie Bourbon-Lally

COMMUNITY ARTS (Project Planning & Execution)

2016 to 2019

Co-coordinator for “See Your Song, Sing Your Piece” Summer Youth Arts Program (Multi-disciplinary) Art & Innovation Center, Rowan College of South Jersey, Millville, NJ. Co-coordinator, Jacqueline Sandro

Project Committee for “Near and Far: Arts and Cultures of East Asia”, 2018 – 2019 DownJersey Folklife Center / Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Millville, NJ.

Project Committee for “Shades of Past, Colors of Present”, 2016 – 2017 Preserving Caribbean Cultural Heritage in New Jersey DownJersey Folklife Center / Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Millville, NJ.

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

Co-curator, 2019 “See Your Song, Sing Your Piece” Group Exhibition and Performance.
Art & Innovation Center, Rowan College of South Jersey, Millville, NJ. Co-coordinator, Jacqueline Sandro

Co-curator, 2018 “Reincarnation of Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration and Homelessness”
Kelcher Hubb, Newark, NJ. GEM Project Artivsm program.

Co-curator, 2016 “SANKOFA: Reflection on Cultural Heritage and Shared Humanity”
Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (Gallery of Fine Craft), Millville, NJ.
Worked directly with Dr. Iveta Pirgova, Director of DownJersey Folklife Center

Curator, 2010 “Piti Piti Plein Kay: Small Works by Contemporary Caribbean Artists” Lotus Studios Gallery, Highland Park,NJ.

TEACHING

Paul Robeson Galleries at Rutgers University | Newark, NJ 2007 to present
Arts Educator, Art Moves Outreach Program

Carpe Diem Arts, Inc | Silver Spring, MD 2021
Teaching Artist , ACE Academy, Youth ArtBeat – afterschool programs for elementary school.

GEM Project | Newark, NJ 2021, 2020, 2018
Teaching Artist , Artivsm – Teen arts and education program focused on art and community activism.

Inspira Health Network | Vineland, NJ 2013
Self Expression Specialist for Healthy Teens Development Program

Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center | Millville, NJ 2016 to 2019
Teaching Artist, Homebound Folk Arts Program Down Jersey Folklife Center. Director, Dr. Iveta Pirgova Arts Instructor, General WheatonArts Classes and Workshops.

Arts Horizons | Englewood, NJ 2004 to 2008
Teaching Artist for Artist-in-Residence and Afterschool Arts Programs

EDUCATION

Independent Study

Amos Eno Gallery, NYC. Internship, Director: Daniel Ferris.

Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts. New Brunswick, NJ. Studied Fine Arts.

Studied with Helene Massey Hemmans, master sculptor. Orange, NJ.