Co-Curator, Unraveling Narratives
June 6 – July 25, 2026
Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
As we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this exhibition gathers a dynamic array of artists engaging fiber in expansive and unexpected ways. The artists reveal stories through image, form and material to express the interconnected fabric of who we are at this moment in time and the deep layers of history that sit beneath the surface.
This exhibition resists the notion of history as a singular narrative. Instead, Unraveling Narratives offers a constellation of perspectives, honoring the distinct voices of each artist as they approach questions of history, identity, belonging and the stories of nations and people.
Exhibiting Artists:
Alicia Piller
Arturo Alonzo Sandoval
Cyrena Nouzille
James Bassler
Leah Mata Fragua
Linda Ekstrom
Lorenzo Hurtado Segovia
Lydia Tjioe Hall
Michael Rohde
Michelle Robinson
Terri Friedman
Weshoyot Alvitre
See www.studiochannelislands.org/unraveling-narratives
Image: Linda Ekstrom, Day is Done
www.lindaekstrom.com
Co-Curator, Transmission
May 3 – June 28, 2025
Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
The Mountain Fire tore through the City of Camarillo on November 6, 2024. The fire destroyed over 243 structures and forever changed the lives of hundreds of families. The level of loss was catastrophic with many people losing all that they owned.
In April of 2025, Studio Channel Islands opened an exhibition by Robin Wallace titled Transformed. This exhibition presented objects salvaged from her family home and from neighbors’ homes destroyed by the fire. These objects were transformed by the blistering heat, twisted and charred by the fire, their surfaces blackened and disintegrated.
These transformed objects, removed from the context of destruction, became compelling found artworks. Curators Elana Kundell and Peter Tyas selected a small group of artists and curators to help make meaning of the objects and the impact of these fires. Each participant was invited to extend an invitation to two other artists. The exhibit expanded through a network of personal connections in reflective conversations, a sprouting of ideas amongst collaborators that mirrored the natural processes of growth and renewal which emerge after a fire.
This project is rooted in an exploration of creation and transmission of memories, whether that be the personal history imbued in objects destroyed by the fire or patterns of life utterly altered on that day. The title for the project, Transmission, was selected to draw attention to these processes of passing an idea, an object or inspiration from one person to the next, and sharing the messages that lie within these objects–reflecting on how community becomes the net for resilience, perseverance and creativity.
See www.studiochannelislands.org/transmission
Image: niku kashef, into the cosmos I
shadowmaker series
unique print: cyanotype (ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide) on watercolor paper, ash, metals, earth, precious emulsion, iron oxide
2025, Palisades Fire
www.nikukashefstudio.com
“Share-A-Wall” Initiative: PUSH AND PULL
Fatemeh Burnes, Founder and Curator
Artists: Elana Kundell, Janet Neuwalder, Carol Shaw-Sutton
June 8 – June 29, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 8, 7 – 9 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, June 29, 7 – 9 pm
Viewings by Appointment. Please email ekundell@gmail.com
515 Gallery at the Bendix
1206 Maple Avenue, #515, Los Angeles, CA
“Sharing is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, spanning from essentials like food to the intangible realm of ideas. The ‘Share-A-Wall’ initiative embodies this ethos by actively promoting the arts and humanities. It encourages supporters to amplify lesser-seen artwork, granting wider visibility and a broader audience to the voices of many artists. Through various platforms and spaces, ‘Share-A-Wall’ upholds a longstanding tradition of inclusivity and accessibility, demonstrating that anyone, with just one wall, can catalyze meaningful change.
The inaugural exhibition of ‘Share-A-Wall,’ titled ‘PUSH AND PULL,’ showcases three visual artists who share commonalities and differences in their practices. These artists—Elana Kundell, Janet Neuwalder and Carol Shaw-Sutton—have supported each other’s work throughout the years and have developed an ongoing conversation. Despite residing outside the mainstream art communities of Los Angeles, their exchange enriches the cultural landscape of our city and allows diverse communities to engage with artwork that may be geographically distant from their own experience.”
—Fatemeh Burnes
Curator, DIS CONNECTION
April 1 – May 27, 2023
Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
An exhibition featuring eight contemporary artists whose work brings powerful and poetic resonance to the topic of forced displacement. The show included several large-scale artworks in an inspiring array of materials and artistic practices.
Featured Artists: Alicia Piller, Arezoo Bharthania, Fatemeh Burnes, Janet Neuwalder, Maria Adela Diaz, Marthe Aponte, Nurit Avesar and Sigrid Orlet
Catalog available.
Read more, view a beautiful video by LA Art Documents and enjoy the reviews by Dr. Betty Ann Brown and Genie Davis HERE.
Curator, Displacement and Resilience
April 2022
Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
The exhibition explored how artists are transforming the trauma and generational impacts of displacement through their diverse creative practices.
Organizer, Shelter Art Fundraiser for people of Ukraine
May 2022
Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
The Shelter Art Fundraiser featured over 140 artworks donated by artists locally and across the country. Together, we raised over $9200 for Doctors Without Borders, World Central Kitchen and International Rescue Committee.
Commission by the Ventura Music Festival & New West Symphony
On occasion of Joshua Bell in Concert
November 2019
My grandfather was a concert and studio violinist who played under Toscanini for the NBC Symphony Orchestra. It was a joy to honor his memory in these two violins that I painted, inspired by two pieces of music performed by the great violinist, Joshua Bell.
Commission by the New West Symphony
Uranus, the Magician from Holst’s The Planets
Spring 2015
I was one of nine artists selected to create an artwork that was projected on a 50 foot screen behind a full orchestra for the 100th year anniversary concert performance of Holst’s the Planets.
Not a C.A.R. project for Contemporary Art Ruhr
in conjunction with Gallery 825 in Los Angeles
2011
Commission by the Ventura Music Festival
2008
The piece was inspired by Jeff Buckley’s rendition of Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing.”