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ABOUT

Image of Lauren looking over her left shoulder with hand-on hip. She is standing under a canopy of trees with sunlight peeking through.

Lauren Nicole (LN) is a Neurodivergent, Native, Southern California-based artist, focusing on painting,  beadwork, and storytelling. Her work is a commentary on the silencing of emotions, what is considered appropriate, and the onslaught of infantilization and predatory sexualization when one is perceived as weak or having less inherent value by societal standards.

Lauren was named the 2024 Artist-In-Residence at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center and awarded the California Creative Corps 23-24 Artist Grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach and the California Arts Council. 

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Her expressively vibrant and exaggerated portrait style, with its play on perspective, immerses viewers into the sensations of having sensory-processing differences. Being multiply neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD, TBI, Synesthesia,...) Lauren’s palette contains a hidden language of emotions. Combining elements of her Indigenous heritage (Tongva, Chumash), beadwork and Native plant relatives are commonly incorporated into her work, shown across the United States and Canada (Turtle Island). 

RESIDENCIES, FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS...

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2024 AIR
@ The Muck

2024 Artist-In-Residence at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center with a solo exhibit in Spring 2025.

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CALIFORNIA
CREATIVE CORPS
ARTIST GRANTEE

July '23 - June '24

One of thirty-five artist recipients chosen from Los Angeles and Orange Counties for the California Creative Corps Grant through the Arts Council for Long Beach and the California Arts Council. This state fellowship included professional development workshops and a project supply budget of $25,000.

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MEZTLI PROJECTS SUMMER ART FELLOWSHIP

Invited into Meztli Projects' Summer Art Fellowship focusing on Indigenous culture and history, as well as expressing opinions surrounding current social issues affecting the Native community.

July - August 2020

WORKSHOPS, PANELS, CONSULTING...

COLOR YOUR EMOTIONS
An Intuitive Painting Workshop

  • ArtsOC Artists with Disabilities Panel & Discussion

    • Panelist, May 2024

  • ArtsLB Creative Corps Program

    • January 20, 2024​

    • March 2, 2024

    • May 25, 2024

    • August 25, 2024

  • The Chapter House LA 

    • August, 2022

  • So'oh Shinali Sister Project​

    • 3x throughout March, 2022​

  • Arts Alive, City of Mission Viejo

    • April, 2015​

  • OC Arts & Disability Collaborative's Considerations for Arts Patrons with Autism

    • Panelist, July 2024

  • Sensory Sensitivity Walk-Through for Autistic Audiences

    • Consultation on the Asian Comics Exhibit at Bowers Museum, June 2024

  • Sensory Sensitivity Walk-Through with the Santa Ana Zoo

    • Consultation on Sensory Bag items and Social Narrative, August 2024

  • Accessibility Consultation with the Laguna Art Museum

    • Consultation on ​sensory workspaces and fidget items, August 2024

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

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SOLO EXHIBITION

Spring 2025

Solo exhibition at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center as part of her 2024 Residency.

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Indigenous DNA

December 2024

Three of Lauren's Paa'or pieces were selected for the first Indigenous DNA: Decolonized Native Art show held at the Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop. Paa'or - Grow |Blue 2.1|, Paa'or - Grow |Pink 2.1|,  and Paa'or - Burn |Blue 1.2| 

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ART THAT'S SMALL
AT CITY HALL

March - April 2024

Ick! one of the That Face paintings, was exhibited in Laguna Beach's City Hall as part of the Laguna Beach Arts Commission's annual open call, Art That's Small at City Hall.

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OPEN CALL: APOPHENIA

The Offering |LN17| on view at the Open Call; Apophenia at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

December '23 - March '24

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ART THAT'S SMALL
AT CITY HALL

March - April 2023

Mhm., one of the That Face paintings, was exhibited in Laguna Beach's City Hall as part of the Laguna Beach Arts Commission's annual open call Art That's Small at City Hall.

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FEMININE PERSPECTIVE

Select LongNeck portraits and The Mouths series on exhibit in the Feminine Perspective Art Show at the Norman P, Murray Center.

November - December 2022

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DUO EXHIBITION

November - December 2022

Duo Exhibition with Jenni Nonaca at the Potocki Center for the Arts. Features the Paa'or | Burn collection and selected LongNeck portraits.

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COMMUNITY
ART BOX

September 2022

Hand painted (finger painted) the first Art Box in Orange County, sponsored by The Mission Viejo Friends of the Arts and the Rotary Club of Orange County Digital. Community members can share, take, or leave art supplies in the Art Box housed at the Potocki Center for the Arts.

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LAND AS KIN

October - December 2021

Pokuu | One and Messenger shown at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center as part of the Land as Kin art exhibition curated by Amy Redfeather.

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THE DIGITAL MURAL
PROJECT

March 2021

Elders shown in The Digital Mural by Canada's Galerie Numerique.

CERTIFICATES & TRAINING

  • Nuts + Bolts of Community Engagement in the Creative Sector

    • 2024, 11:11 Projects​

  • Project Management Crash Course

    • 2024, 11:11 Projects​

  • Portfolio Building for the Multifaceted Artist

    • 2024, 11:11 Projects​

  • Navigating the Gallery Scene

    • 2024, 11:11 Projects​

  • Arts and Accessibility

    • 2024, ArtsOC with Marleena Barber

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