Born in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1954
Lives in Sausalito, California
Education
1977-1978San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco
1975–1976Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
1973–1974Worcester Museum School, Worcester, MA
1971–1973Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
Associations
2012Visiting Faculty, Interdisciplinary Studies, Graduate Division, San Francisco Art Institute
Science Advisor, Revive & Restore, Long Now FoundationResearch Associate of the Library and the Department
of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Sciences
2006–presentResearch Associate, Department of Aquatic Biology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
2005Visiting Summer Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VAResearch Associate of the Library
and the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Sciences
One-Person Exhibitions
2013David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA
2011“NOVA,” Feature Inc., New York
2008“NOVA (New Species): Paintings by Isabella Kirkland,” Toledo Art Museum, Toledo OH
“Taxa: Paintings by Isabella Kirkland,” National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
2006“Biodiversity: Order, Consumption & Man,” Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID
2005Feature Inc., New York
2003Feature Inc., New York
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013“POP: Politics of Place,” Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara
“The Animals Look Back at Us,” Byrdcliffe Kleinert/James Center for the Arts, Woodstock, NY;
Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY(catalogue)
2012“Punt,” Feature Inc., New York
“Tending toward the Untamed: Artists Respond to the Wild Garden,” Wave Hill Glyndor Gallery, Bronx, NY
“Nature’s Toolbox: Biodiversity, Art, and Invention,” Field Museum, Chicago; The Leonardo, Salt Lake City, UT
(2013); Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University, KS (2013)
2011“Global Flora: Botanical Imagery and Exploration,” Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College,
Wellesley, MA
2009“NeoRococo Show,” Shore Institute of Contemporary Arts, Long Branch, NJ
2008“Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord between Nature and Society,” Tucson Museum of Art (catalog)
2007“Painting as Fact – Fact as Fiction,” de Pury & Luxembourg, Zurich; curated by Robert Nickas
2006“The Way of All Flesh,” BravinLee Productions, New York
2005“ECO: Art About the Environment,” Fine Arts Gallery, San Francisco State University,
San Francisco
2004“Continuities: Themes from the Fine Art Collection Reflected in Recent Northern California Art,”
Richard L. Nelson Gallery, University of California, Davis, CA
“Natural Histories: Realism Revisited,” Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Scottsdale, AZ
2002“Isabella Kirkland and Michael St. John,” Feature Inc., New York
2001“The Metal Party by Josiah McElheny; Preserve by Ellen Gallagher; Taxa by Isabella Kirkland,”
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
2000“Beauty on the Wing: The Double Lives of Butterflies,” Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge, MA
“6th Anniversary Group Exhibition,” Heritage Fine Arts, San Jose, CA
1999“Natural World Observed 1999,” Bedford Gallery, Dean Lescher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA
1995“Animals and Artists,” Joan Robuck Gallery, Lafayette, CA
1992“Still Lives,” Zen Hospice Guest House, San Francisco
1991“Erotic Drawings,” ArtSpace, San Francisco
“LOCOmotion,” ArtSpace, San Francisco
“Isabella Kirkland and Chris Force,” The Living Room, San Francisco
1990“The Dirty Show,” The Living Room, San Francisco
1989“Nepotism,” Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY
1987“Perdurabo,” Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
1986“Night of Fog,” Cat Club, New York
1985“Payola,” MO David Gallery, New York
1984“Pandora’s Box: SFAI Annual,” New Langton Arts, San Francisco
1983“Sacred Artifacts, Objects of Devotion,” Alternative Museum, New York
“Micronic Obsessions,” Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
1980“Micronic Problems,” 80 Langton Street Gallery, San Francisco
“Untitled” (two-person show), Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco, CA
Selected Bibliography
2013“De-Extinction,” studio360.org, 19 July >link
2012Zygote Quarterly, no. 3, Fall, 28–33 (reproductions) >link
deCreeft, Donna Maria. “Wave Hill: Artists Respond to the Wild Garden,” Artezine, July >link
2011Johnson, Ken. Review, New York Times, 10 June >link
2010Kyoto Journal, no. 75 (reproduction) >link
2009Revkin, Andrew. “Dot Earth” blog, New York Times, 13 December >link
2008Phillips, Anna Lena. “Ars Scientifica,” American Scientist, May–June 205–206
Pollick, Steve. “250 New Plants, Animals at Art Museum,” Toledo Blade, 7 September >link
2007Revkin, Andrew. “Permanent Art, Evanescent Life,” “Dot Earth” blog, New York Times, 1 November (interview)
>link
2006Ames, Michael. “Going, Going, Almost Gone,” Idaho Mountain Express, 15 February, C1
Bossick, Karen. “‘Gone,’ ‘Back’ and ‘Nova,’” Wood River Journal, 15 February, B2
2004Nilsen, Richard. “How Real Can It Get?,” Arizona Republic, 30 May, E:1, 10 (reproduction)
Tropiano, Dolores. “Natural World Show,” Scottsdale Republic, September (reproduction)
2002Nickas, Bob. “Best of 2002: Top Ten,” Artforum, December, 116–117
2001Bonetti, David. “Three Artists Who Grapple with History,” San Francisco Chronicle, 20 November, D1
2000Brand, Stewart. “Whole Earth Covers,” Whole Earth, Fall, 58–59
Publications, Portfolios, Projects
2013Speaker, opening for “Nature’s Toolbox,” Ulrich Museum, Wichita,KS
Panelist and speaker, Dayton Art Institute, OH
Speaker, Science Illustration Certificate Program, California State University, Monterey Bay, CA
Speaker, TEDxDeExtinction, conference convened by Revive and Restore with the support of TED and in
partnership with the National Geographic Society, Washington DC
Discussion with Stewart Brand, David Brower Center, 7 March; in conjunction with the Long Now Foundation
2012Kirkland, Isabella. Forward, Tiffany Bozic: Drawn by Instinct, Ginko Press, Berkeley, CA
2011“NOVA,” limited-edition suite of prints, published by Feature Inc., New York
Exit Art 2011 print portfolio (with Walton Ford, Charles Juhasz-Alvarado, Robert Kushner, Enoc Perez,
and Alexis Rockman)
Speaker, “Biodiversity in Four Dimensions” symposium, Stanford University, 8 April
2010Presenter, “NightLife” series, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
2009Presenter, International Conference on Biodiversity Informatics, London
2008Presenter, Bioneers annual conference, San Rafael, CA
“TAXA,” limited-edition suite of prints, published by Feature Inc., New York
Taxa, monograph with texts by Edward O. Wilson and Susan Emerling, published by Feature Inc., New York
National Academies Press seasonal book catalog (reproductions of artwork)
2007Presenter, TED conference, Monterrey, CA
2006Art in Action: Nature, Creativity, and Our Collective Future, Earth Aware Editions, San Rafael, CA
(reproduction of artwork)
Merckling, Catherine. Éco-Art (Strasbourg: Université Marc Bloch) (reproduction of artwork)
Call of Life: Facing the Mass Extinction (reproductions of artwork) >link
2005Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Summer, 67, 72, 76 (reproductions of artwork)
American Butterflies 13: no. 1 (Spring), 44–45 (reproduction and artist’s statement)
2003Grand Street, no. 71 (Spring), Grand Street Press, New York, 92–96 (portfolio)
2002Wilson, Edward O. The Future of Life (New York: Knopf) (cover art)
2000Whole Earth, Fall (front and back cover art)
Grants
2004Individual Artist Grant, George Sugarman Foundation
2004Individual Artist Grant, Marin Arts Council