Kija Lucas
kija [at] kijalucas [dot] com
EDUCATION
MFA, Studio Art
Mills College, Oakland, CA, 2010
BFA, Photography
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA, 2005
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Hidden Histories, Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, CA
2024 The Enchanted Garden, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
2023 Kija Lucas at The Guardhouse, presented by FOR-SITE, Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco, CA
2022 A Taxonomy of Belonging, SF Camerawork, San Francisco, CA
Still, Life, Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence, Brisbane, CA
2021 The Museum of Sentimental Taxonomy, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
2020 The Museum of Sentimental Taxonomy, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
Collections from Sundown, Handwerker Gallery, Ithaca, NY
2017 Collections from Sundown, Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto, CA
Sentimental Taxonomy, Random Parts, Oakland, CA
2015 Collections from Sundown, Three30Forty, Oakland, CA
2014 PROJECT, Pro Arts Window and SAHA, Oakland, CA
In Search of Home, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 To Bright Disturbances, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA
What We Hold On To, Black Cube Gallery, Denver, CO
2024 Anniversary Show, Lucas Artists Residency, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
What Remains, Slide Space 123, Mills College, Oakland, CA
2023 Forms of Knowing, Lufrano Intercultural Gallery, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Heritage Threads, Upstart Modern, Sausalito, CA
Natural Discourse, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa, CA
2022 Actual Size! Photography at Life Scale, International Center for Photography, New York, NY
Transparency & Opacity, Saint Joseph's Art Foundation, San Francisco, CA
When Light Becomes Form, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
2021 What They Call Us, 24Views.org
2020 Don't Shoot, Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco, CA
2019 Fugitive Material, Anglim Gilbert Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Vanguard Revisited: Poetic Politics and Black Futures, Walter and McBean Galleries, San Francisco Art Institute, San.
Francisco,CA
Ancestral Journeys, Euphrat Museum, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
2018 Silence Out Loud, Museum of Northern California Art 3.9 Collective , Chico, CA
What We Don't Realize When We See Things, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
2017 ReCollected: Photography and The Archive, Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
PsychoBotanica, Artemis Gallery, San Francisco, CA
With Liberty and Justice for Some, Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles; San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery &
Berkeley Art Center, CA
Altered States: Marijuana in California, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
2015 Botanica Poetica, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
Botanica, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Mooncakes, Churros, and Cherry Pie, Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino, CA
2014 (Im)material, Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, CA
International Center for Photography, New York, NY
California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2025 San Francisco Arts Monthly, Anh-Minh Le
Variable West, Northern California Art Picks, Melika Sebihi
Midbrow Oakland, Agustín Maes
2024 Entanglements, Nanette Wylde
2023 Nob Hill Gazette, Claire Frost
SF Examiner, Max Blue
SF Chronicle Datebook, Tony Bravo
Hyperallergic, Natasha Boas
2022 SF Examiner, Max Blue
KQED, Sarah Hotchkiss
2020 KQED, Roula Seikaly
Vice Magazine, Jon Feinstein
2017 Humble Arts Foundation, Roula Seikaly
2016 Hyperallergic, Dorothy R. Santos
Art Journal, Amy Cancelmo
East Bay Express, Sarah Burke
SELECTED LECTURES, PANELS, AND WORKSHOPS
2026 Photography Workshop, Bellisario College of Communications, Penn State University, State College PA
2025 In Conversation with Banu Subramanium and Marthine Satris, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco, CA
Jane Green Conversation with Makeda Best and Damien McDuffy, Mills College, Oakland, CA
Women's History Month Speaker, Foothill College Art Department Los Altos Hills, CA(online)
2024 Palo Alto Art Center in Conversation with Alexis Madrigal and Nanosh Lucas, moderated by Lisa Ellsworth, Palo Alto, CA
2022 International Center of Photography, Panel Discussion with Laura Letinsky and Taunya Marcuse, New York, NY (online)
2020 International Center of Photography, in Conversation with David Campany, New York, NY (online)
Museum of the African Diaspora in Conversation with Elena Gross, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS, AND RESIDENCIES
2024 Lucas Artist Fellow, Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga, CA
2023 Creative Work Fund Grant for Enchanted Garden, Palo Alto Art Center
2022 Peter S. Reed Foundation
Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence, Brisbane, CA
San Francisco Arts Commission, SFAC Artist Grant
2020 Nancy Graves Foundation
2019 San Francisco Arts Commission, Individual Artist Commission
2017 de Young Artist Residency, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Photography Instructor
Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
April 2025–Present
Beginning Photography, Hybrid in-person and Asynchronous
Lecturer
California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA
August 2024–Present
Beginning Digital Photography
Advanced Photography and Social Justice
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Northeastern University, Oakland, CA
August 2024–Present
Beginning Digital Photography
Advanced Photography
Senior Seminar
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Mills College / Mills College at Northeastern, Oakland, CA
August 2020–2024
Senior Seminar
Beginning Black and White Photography
Beginning Digital Photography
Advanced Photography
Fall 2010–Spring 2011
Introduction to Black and White Photography
Lecturer
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
August–December 2023
Visiting Artist, MFA Program
Introduction to Darkroom Photography
Photography Instructor
De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
Winter 2020–Spring 2022
Photoshop for Photographers
Fall 2013–Fall 2014
Beginning Black and White Photography
Introduction to Digital Photography
Introduction to Visual Expression
Head Faculty Photo/Media Instructor
The Oxbow School Summer Program, Napa, CA
Summer 2014, Summer 2015
Collaborated with leadership team on staff training and team building; supported faculty with lesson planning; managed studio budgets and supervised faculty and teaching assistants
Photo/Media Instructor
The Oxbow School Summer Program, Napa, CA
Summer 2013
Taught digital media and photography to teens; led approximately 20 students in final projects and exhibition preparation
Teaching Assistant
Mills College, Oakland, CA
August 2009–May 2010
Introduction to Photography
Advanced Photography
Senior Seminar
Photography Instructor
Out of Site (Youth Art Exchange), San Francisco, CA
January 2007–June 2008
Introduction to Black and White Photography
CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
Curator of The Arts
California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA
September 2022–April 2024
Curated 9 solo exhibitions and 1 group exhibition; co-curated 4 solo exhibitions; planned and executed all aspects of exhibitions and event programming including opening events, installations, curatorial statements, artist talks and panels, social media
Curator and Programs Manager
The Growlery, San Francisco, CA
January 2018–April 2020
Worked with 40+ resident, exhibiting, and visiting artists; managed PR, social media, applications, and jury selection; provided house management and artist support during residencies; curated and managed exhibitions, including many artists' first solo exhibitions
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Education Programs Manager
Root Division, San Francisco, CA
June 2010–February 2013
Created programming; trained and placed volunteer art teachers in adult and youth education; expanded and tripled adult education program offerings; assisted with multiple fundraisers and revenue-generating events
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE & AFFILIATIONS
Grant Panelist
San Francisco Arts Commission, 2025 Grant Cycle, San Francisco Artist Grant
Reviewed, discussed, and scored applications
Curatorial Council Member
Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
2018–2020
Participated in monthly committee meetings; curated exhibition with artists from the Bay Area, Dallas, and New York City; served on grant panel
Collective Member
3.9 Art Collective, San Francisco, CA
2018–2020
Collaborated with collective members to organize exhibitions and events