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D A N F O N T E S
PACIFIC MURALS STUDIOS
143-3rd Street
SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901
(415) 785-4530
DANFONTES@YAHOO.COM

EDUCATION
A. S. Merritt College, Oakland, 1979
B. A. (with Honors) California State University, Hayward, 1982

EMPLOYMENT
1983-2009 Artist / Muralist. Self-employed creator of public artworks, canvas-works, photographs, drawings, watercolors, mixed media sculptures in studio and site specific. Artworks include interior & exterior projects in both business and residential settings. Consultant on numerous mural and public art endeavors. Further employed as part-time design supervisor for Craig Lazarus Lighting Designer, makers of fiber optic sign display for ten years including work on Sony’s Metreon of San Francisco, the Tech Museum of San Jose and the Crissey Field Nature Center of San Francisco.

Last decades public art highlights include:

1998-Commissioned to produce 15 large-scale murals for then Mayor Jerry Brown’s inaugural celebration.

2003-Commissioned large scale murals at Straus Carpet Company located in Oakland with the assistance of Ingrid Good.

2003-“Crossroads” mural project in Dublin, CA with Daniel Galvez, John Wehrle and John Pugh 2003. This monumental two-mural undertaking is located beneath the 680 freeway at Dublin Blvd. as well as Amador Valley Road also beneath 680.

2004- “Luther Burbank Mural” at Oakland’s Burbank Elementary School.

2004-06 Commissioned to paint historical murals for Playland-Not-at-the-Beach, El Cerrito

2005-06 Assistant to Daniel Galvez on the McNeil Island visitor Center Murals, State of Washington.

2006-Working Consultant to Isis Rodriguez on her Juvenile Justice Center Murals, San Leandro.

2006-Assistant to Daniel Galvez on the “African American Library Murals”, 14th & Castro, Oakland

2007-Assitant to Daniel Galvez on the “Maudell Shirek Mural” in Berkeley City Hall.

2007-Murals for Marin Day School-San Francisco.

2007-08-(soon to be ’09) Poster artist for Pacific Pinball Exposition-Marin Co. Civic Center. Including artwork on billboards, bus advertisements.

2008-Assistant to John Wehrle on “MacDonald Avenue murals” in Richmond, CA
(Private mural commissions throughout this time as well-examples upon request)

EXPERIENCE
1983-2009 Produced over 125 murals including Oakland’s “Giraphics” and “Lake Merritt” murals as well as San Francisco’s “Bethany” Senior Center Mural. Directed the creation of Willie Brown’s inaugural murals in 1996. Directed over 200 volunteers in creating the “Neighborhood Experience Murals” for Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s inaugural in 1998. Painted in multiple productions with Daniel Galvez, Keith Sklar, John Wehrle, Gary Graham, Alan Leon, Caroline Stern, Brooke Fancher and Ed Cassel throughout the greater Bay Area. Served as juror, advisor, event co-ordinator for multiple projects. Seven years of service as project assistant and co-creator of the non-profit organization entitled: Renaissance of Papermaking. Served on Boards of Directors of Oakland’s Center for the Visual Arts, East Bay Depot for Creative Re-use, Renaissance of Papermaking, Pro Arts and “Health through Arts”. Arts teacher for students at Wildwood Elementary School, Piedmont, St. Leo’s, Sante Fe, Golden Gate and La Escuelita schools, all of Oakland, Stanley Intermediate School of Lafayette. Private arts tutor. Selection panelist for Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission. Appointed to Oakland Blue Ribbon Committee on Public Art 1999. Served two-year term on Oakland’s Crafts and Cultural Arts funding advisory committee.

SELECTED COMMISSIONED WORK
1984-2009 Numerous commissioned works for both individuals and businesses including the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, City of Oakland, Port of Oakland, City of Concord, City of San Francisco and multiple works for the Director of the Port of San Francisco. Currently working on a private interior home commission in an estate in Alameda.

EXHIBITIONS
1984-2009 Continuous exhibitions of canvasworks, watercolors, drawings, photography throughout the San Francisco Bay Area including Pro Arts, CVA, San Mateo Arts Council, Capp Street, Somar, SOA Gallery. Multiple years conducting my own Open Studios. Works currently in Oakland Museum’s Rental Gallery. Watercolor work in State Senate exhibition chosen personally by Senator Don Perata to represent Alameda County.
Watercolor solo show in Alameda, CA Three large scale murals on display at the Pacific Pinball Exposition held at the Marin Co. Civic Center. Currently on display at the Lucky Juju gallery in Alameda.

SELECTED PRIZES, AWARDS & HONORS
1987-2009 California Arts Council recipient (for work with Renaissance of Papermaking). Winner of Oakland’s “OBA” award for individual artistic achievement. Two Oakland “Orchid” awards for “Giraphics” and “Lake Merritt” murals. Winner of East Bay Express newspapers Best of the Bay Area awards for SIX various years including 2002. Winner of Bay Guardian newspapers Best Award in the public art-mural category 1997. Nominated for Fleishhacker Foundations Eureka award 2002. Winner of 2004’s Master Muralist Award from Precita Eyes Mural Art Center.

LECTURES, DEMONSTRATIONS & WORKSHOPS
1986-2009 Over 100 slide lectures in public and private schools, churches, civic groups and retirement centers. Lecture topics include Los Tres Grandes, Public Art of the Bay Area, Mural Art of California, Techniques of Mural Painting, Watercolor and drawing. Workshops include subjects such as mural painting, watercolor and drawing. Ongoing private tutoring offered.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS: Periodicals and text
1984-2009 Various articles in over 400 newspaper and magazines including S.F BAY GUARDIAN, OAKLAND TRIBUNE, EASTBAY EXPRESS, S. F. CHRONICLE, SAN JOSE MERCURY, CONTRA COSTA TIMES, HAYWARD DAILY REVIEW, S.F. EXAMINER
1987 “Placemakers”, by Ronald Lee Fleming & Renata Von Tscharner. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers
1991/94/97 “San Francisco Murals”, by Tim Drescher, Pogo Press Inc.
1997 “Painting the Towns”. by Dunitz and Prigoff, RJD Press
2000 “Projekt: Friedensuniverstat, von der Kongrontation zur dialogishen Kultur”
2002 Artwork included in “Boom, the Sound of Eviction”, A film by Whispered Media of San Francisco

See more at: WWW.DANFONTES.COM

Last Updated: March 01, 2010

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