Bio —
Josh Stone is a Los Angeles–based artist and educator whose work moves between painting, sculpture, installation, and photographic intervention. His practice blends humor, conceptual clarity, and emotional literacy, drawing from a lineage that includes John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, and the open‑source ethos of contemporary social practice.
Stone’s work often begins with observation, the small, absurd, or overlooked gestures that reveal how people move through the world. He treats humor as a form of intelligence, using it as an entry point into deeper questions about perception, attention, and the stories we inherit without noticing. His performances and interventions frequently hinge on the moment of being seen: the passerby’s confusion, the too‑committed gesture, the joke that becomes the idea.
As an educator, Stone teaches drawing, painting, and ethnic studies in South Central Los Angeles, approaching teaching as an extension of his artistic practice. For him, both art and education are acts of attention. He treats them as ways for helping people see more clearly, think more critically, and wake up to the world around them.
Stone’s work has been included in exhibitions across Los Angeles, including Black Dragon Society, Monte Vista Projects (where he was a founding member), and Into Action. He has been featured in Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton and documented in contemporaneous writing on the LA art scene. His current long‑term project, Heritage Square, explores memory, displacement, and the architectural ghosts of Los Angeles through photographic sculpture and site‑responsive installation.
He holds a BFA and MFA from the California Institute of the Arts.
CV —
Education
MFA, Fine Art, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA (2005)
BFA, Fine Art, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA (2003)
Selected Projects
Panorama (2005)
155‑foot photographic installation presented in the round, situating viewers inside the dusk of the night before the 1992 uprising.
Uprisings (2007)
Series of site drawings and a guided performance tour tracing the locations of major Los Angeles uprisings.
Donuts (2009)
Performative photographic project aligning small handmade donuts with the monumental Randy’s donut; explores scale, humor, ritual, and personal mythology.
Heritage Square (2010–2026)
Long‑term photographic and research‑based project examining displaced Victorian houses and the politics of preservation, memory, and site.
Selected Exhibitions
Solo
History of Los Angeles Through Uprisings, Site‑specific performance, Los Angeles, CA (2008)
Panorama of South Central Los Angeles, April 28th, 1992, Mint Gallery, CalArts, Valencia, CA (2005)
Anthro‑Apology, Gallery D‑300, CalArts, Valencia, CA (2006)
Group
Now(n) person, place or thing, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Chicago, IL (2018)
The Haunted House Show, Los Angeles, CA (2009)
Designomite, Black Dragon Society, Los Angeles, CA (2007)
Royal Alumni, Enjoy Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand (2006)
Offering Up The “Other”, TCB Inc., Melbourne, Australia (2006)
Supersonic, LA Design Center, Los Angeles, CA (2005)
Shipping & Receiving, Armory Northwest, Pasadena, CA (2005)
Incognito, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA (2004)
Arboretum, Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2004)
Curated
First Kiss, Monte Vista Projects, Los Angeles, CA (2008) Inaugural exhibition launching Monte Vista Projects, an artist‑run space in Highland Park. As one of the founding members, co‑curated the exhibition with Noah Peffer, Candice Lin, Fiona Jack, and Ryan Tabor.
Shipping & Receiving, Armory Northwest, Pasadena, CA (2005) MFA exhibition co‑curated and co‑produced with Ginny Cook and Julie Orser.
Public Programs & Collaborations
Re:Fresh: CalArts Hip‑Hop Summit, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2003 Co‑curated and co‑produced with Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Matt Lucero. A student‑led summit exploring hip‑hop, performance, and interdisciplinary collaboration, funded by a $5,000 Dean’s Project Grant from Thomas Lawson.
MAKING: A Collaborative Reinvention of the Family Museum, LACMALab, LACMA West (Boone Children’s Gallery), Los Angeles, CA, 2002 Contributor / Participating Artist (Educational & Interactive Program)
Teaching & Pedagogy
Arts Educator, Nava College Preparatory Academy (LAUSD), 2019–present
Teaching visual art to high school students in a public‑school setting, with a focus on creative process, material exploration, and community‑based practice. Develop curriculum, guide portfolio development, and cultivate a studio environment grounded in experimentation, care, and critical thinking.
Graduate Teaching Assistant, California Institute of the Arts, 2005–2006
Co‑taught Foundation Seminar and Sculpture Studio with Martin Kersels; developed syllabi, led critiques, organized studio visits, and facilitated off‑site learning.
Educator, Side Street Projects: Alternate Routes, 2006–2007
Taught woodworking, design, and creative problem‑solving to children across Los Angeles on a mobile artist‑run platform.
Guest Lectures
Santa Monica Mentor Program, Santa Monica, CA (2005)
CalArts Foundation Seminar, Valencia, CA (2005)
Hamilton High School, Los Angeles, CA (2011)
Chaffey Community College, Rancho Cucamonga, CA (2011)
Press Coverage
Thornton, Sarah. Seven Days in the Art World. W. W. Norton, 2008. Documents Josh Stone as a participant in the CalArts critique seminar featured in the book’s chapter on art education.
Hollingsworth, Dennis. “Designomite at Black Dragon Society.” Contemporaneous blog coverage of the 2007 exhibition curated by Pentti Monkkonen, featuring Josh Stone as a participating artist.
Professional Awards (Residencies, Fellowships, Prizes)
Ahmanson Scholarship, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2002 Merit‑based scholarship awarded for artistic excellence
Friends of CalArts Scholarship, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2003 Competitive scholarship supporting outstanding student work
Dean’s Project Grant, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2003 $5,000 award supporting the creation and production of Re:Fresh, a student‑led hip‑hop summit at CalArts
Dean’s Curatorial Grant, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2004–2005 $10,000 award supporting the curation and production of Shipping & Receiving at Armory Northwest, Pasadena, CA
Georgia & Les Clark Scholarship, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA — 2004 Endowed merit scholarship awarded for artistic achievement
Professional Practice
Lifelong artist working across photography, painting, drawing, performance, and site‑based research, with a focus on Los Angeles history, myth‑making, and architectural memory.