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Aili Schmeltz

Senior Lecturer | Foundation

 

Education

  • 2021 Permaculture Design Certificate, Joshua Tree Foundation for Arts and Ecology, Joshua Tree, CA
  • 2014 Advanced Web & Interactive Design Certificate, University of California, Los Angeles Extension, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2003 Master of Fine Arts, Sculpture, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
  • 1997 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Printmaking and Painting, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
Aili Schmeltz Work
Aili Schmeltz Work Installation at Otis Gallery
Aili Schmeltz Work: Installation
Various artworks by Aili Schmeltz
Art sculpture installation by Aili Schmeltz

Bio and Affiliation

Aili Schmeltz is a Los Angeles based painter and sculptor who works with a range of materials including ceramic, wood, paint, and textiles. Her work is informed by environmental, philosophical, and architectural histories. Recent series of works include mixed media textile paintings that honor women who have furthered equality and justice in a wide range of communities, and a series of Cairn ceramic sculptures that utilize modular building and historic architectural languages to create futuristic monument/ relics.

Solo museum exhibitions include Espronceda Center for Art and Culture, Barcelona, Spain (2017); Tomorrowland at Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson, Arizona (2011); The Magic City at Locust Projects, Miami (2008); Gods Eye at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, Nebraska (2008); and Storm Tracking at Gardiner Art Gallery, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma (2008). Her work has been included in group museum exhibitions including Step and Repeat, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2025); Formation, Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, California (2024); Color. Theory. & B/W, Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida (2019); Shady Acres, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City (2019); and Interstitial, Pasadena Museum of California Art (2017), among others. A number of solo and group commercial gallery exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan have featured her work. Schmeltz has been awarded grants such as the Pollock Krasner Grant (2009), California Community Foundation Grant (2013), and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant (2011), and her work is held in an expanding list of private collections. Public collections include Stanford University (2026), Google (2023), and the US Department of State, Art in Embassies Program (2025). Schmeltz earned her MFA from the University of Arizona, a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.

Awards and Honors

Grants and Residencies

  • 2027 Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Artist in Residence, Snowmass Village, CO, Spring 2027 (forthcoming)
    • The Clay Studio, Guest Artist Residency, Philadelphia, PA, Spring 2027 (forthcoming)
    • City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Trailblazers Grant, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2026
    • Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center, Residency, Skælskør, Denmark
  • 2025
    • Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project, Residency, Loch Lomond, CA
    •  Otis College of Art and Design, Part Time Faculty Professional Development Grant, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2022
    • The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Residency and Windgate Scholar Grant, Helena, MT
  • 2021
    • Otis College of Art and Design, Part Time Faculty Professional Development Grant, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2019
    • Vermont Studio Center, Residency and Grant, Johnson, VT
  • 2017
    • Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia, Residency, Venice, Italy
    • Espronceda Center for Art and Culture, Residency, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2013
    • California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Arts, Grant, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2011
    • Foundation For Contemporary Arts, Grant, New York, NY
    • Center For Cultural Innovation, Creative Capacity Fund Grant, San Francisco, CA
    • Babayan Cultural House, Residency, Cappadocia, Turkey
  • 2010
    • Durfee Foundation, Grant, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2009
    • Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Grant, New York, NY
  • 2009
    • Takt Kunstprojektraum, Residency, Berlin, Germany
  • 2008
    • Bemis Center For Contemporary Arts, Residency, Omaha, NE
  • 2006
    • Arizona Commission of the Arts, Grant, Phoenix, AZ
  • 2005
    • Sculpture Space, Residency, Utica, NY

Exhibitions

Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2021 (forthcoming July) The Landing Gallery – Two person exhibition (alongside Anne Lindberg) – Los Angeles, CA
2020 Edward Cella Art + Architecture – Survival Strategies – Online Solo Exhibition on Artsy & gallery website
2020 Art Los Angeles Contemporary – with Edward Cella Art + Architecture – Two person exhibition (alongside Amir Zaki) – Los Angeles, CA
2019 Edward Cella Art + Architecture – A Future Perfect – Los Angeles, CA
2018 BKB Art + Design – Object/Window – Palm Springs, CA
2018 Jaus – Fixed Flux – Two person exhibition (alongside Jason Manley) – Los Angeles, CA
2017 Espronceda Center for Art and Culture – You’re A Tourist in My Town – Barcelona, Spain
2015 Eastside International – Time, Time, Form – Two person exhibition (alongside Ian Pines) – Curated by Manual History Machines – Los Angeles, CA
2013 Commonwealth & Council – site specific permanent Installation, Portal – Los Angeles, CA
2013 Project Room Gallery, Grand Central Art Center, California State University Fullerton – Crosscut - Santa Ana, CA
2013 Prescott College Art Gallery – Tomorrowland – Prescott, AZ
2011 Museum of Contemporary Art – Tomorrowland – Tucson, AZ
2010 Greenleaf Gallery, Whittier College – La Fuente de la Vida – Whittier, CA
2008 Locust Projects – The Magic City – Miami, FL
2008 Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts – Gods Eye – Omaha, NE
2008 Gardiner Art Gallery, Oklahoma State University – Storm Tracking – Stillwater, OK
2006 Tilt Gallery and Project Space – Comfort Food – Portland, OR

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021 Ladies' Room – Garden – Curated by Annie Wharton – Los Angeles, CA
2020 Thomas Lavin Showroom at the Pacific Design Center – Between Worlds – Curated by Edward Cella – Los Angeles, CA
2020 AMP Art Gallery, Los Angeles Mission College – Surroundings – Sylmar, CA
2019 Sarasota Art Museum – Color. Theory. & B/W – Sarasota, FL
2019 Odd Ark LA – A Store Show – Los Angeles, CA
2018 Edward Cella Art + Architecture – Vernacular Environments Part II – Los Angeles, CA
2018 Fellows of Contemporary Art – SPACE + LAND – Curated by Chelsea Dean – Los Angeles, CA
2018 Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles – Bodies of a Different Mass – Los Angeles
2019 Utah Museum of Contemporary Art – Shady Acres – Salt Lake City, UT
2019 Boxo Projects – Joshua Treenial – Joshua Tree, CA

Publications

  • Buhe, Elizabeth "Changing Form" essay, Steiner, Rochelle "Aili Schmeltz: Markings" essay in Aili Schmeltz: Nothing Created, Nothing Destroyed monograph, Grafiche Veneziane, March 2026
  • Chase, Abbey, Carroll, Emily and Sperber, Irene. "Ceramic Highlights: Untitled Art 2025" Museum of Ceramic Art New York, December 11, 2025
  • Roth, David M. "Aili Schmeltz at Johansson Projects", Square Cylinder, April 23, 2024.
  • Staff Report. "Abstract Alchemy; Two High Desert artists use abstraction to explore real change", Palm Springs Life, March 29, 2022.
  • Biller, Steven. "This is How Art Heals", Palm Springs Life, April 6, 2021.
  • Massé, Marie-Madeleine. "L'Art du fil (The Art of Thread)", book, Éditions Alternatives, October 15, 2020.
  • New American Paintings, Pacific Coast Edition #139, curated by Nancy Lim, January 2019.
  • Zeiba, Drew. "Artist Explores Ideology of California’s Built Environment", The Architects Newspaper, May 22, 2019.
  • Nys Dambot, Shana."Paradise:: Parallax in the High Desert at the Joshua Treenial", LA Weekly, April 9, 2019.
  • Cheng, Scarlet. "Coming: Joshua Treenial 2019", Artillery, April 11, 2019.
  • DiMichele, David."Skulpturengarten; Infinitely Malleable Sculptural Practices", Artillery, October 25, 2018.
  • Gipe, Lawrence. "Aili Schmeltz and Jason Manley at Jaus", Art and Cake, July 22, 2018.
  • Drouet, Laura and Lacrouts Olivier."Los Angeles. The 'Vernacular Environment' exhibition explores the meandres of space", Domus, July 6, 2018.
  • Biller, Steven. "Vive La Résistance; A High Desert exhibition is an artistic response to the border wall", Palm Springs Life, April 30, 2018.
  • Scharkey, Kristin. "Make Art, Make Home", Desert Magazine, March, 2018.
  • Stevens, Anise. "Pasadena Museum of California Art: Interstitial", Artillery, July 26, 2017.
  • Burks, Megan. "Desert Love, The Original Tiny Homes, and Joan Didion’s West", Range Podcast: Stories of the New American West, July 11, 2017.
  • Frank, Peter. "Pasadena Museum of California Art: Interstitial, Craft and Folk Art Museum: Material as Metaphor", Fabrik, June 19, 2017.

Professional Accomplishments and Exhibitions

Select Solo Exhibitions

  • 2025 The Landing Gallery, Untitled Art Miami Beach, Miami, FL
  • 2024 Johansson Projects, Light Echoes, Oakland, CA
  • 2021 The Landing Gallery, Evenfall, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2021 Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Sewn Constructions, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2020 Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Survival Strategies, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2019 Edward Cella Art + Architecture,A Future Perfect, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2018 BKB Art + Design, Object/Window, Palm Springs, CA
  • 2017 Espronceda Center for Art and Culture, You’re A Tourist in My Town, Barcelona, Spain
  • 2013 Commonwealth & Council, Portal, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2013 Grand Central Art Center, Crosscut, California State University Fullerton, Santa Ana, CA
  • 2013 Prescott College Art Gallery, Tomorrowland, Prescott, AZ
  • 2011 Museum of Contemporary Art, Tomorrowland, Tucson, AZ

Select Group Exhibitions

  • 2026
    • The Feel, Pattern Parade as part of LA Design Weekend, Los Angeles, CA
    • The Landing Gallery, 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition Part 2: 21st Century Contemporary Program, Los Angeles, CA
    • High Desert Art Fair with Boxo Projects, Book release/signing and group presentation, Pioneertown, CA
  • 2025
    • Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Step and Repeat, curated by Nancy Meyer and John Weston, Los Angeles, CA *catalogue
    • Hollywood Vintage Estate, Material World, curated by Brooke Hodge, Palm Springs, CA
    • Felix Art Fair, La Ayuda Network Fire Relief Benefit, Los Angeles, CA
    • Pio Pico, Fridge LA, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2024
    • Museum of Art and History, Formation, Lancaster, CA
  • 2023
    • The Landing Gallery, Painted, Fired Clay, Los Angeles, CA
    • Vama Gallery, This Archipelago, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, CA
    • California Governor's Mansion, Eureka! Creativity in the Golden State, Sacramento, CA, *catalogue
    • Sarah Brook Gallery, Earth Room, curated by Clay CA and Blumenfield Projects, Los Angeles, CA
    • Tamarisk Country Club, Art at Tamarisk, curated by Rochelle Steiner, Rancho Mirage, CA
    • Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Transcendent Voices, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2022
    • Haines Gallery, Social Abstraction, San Francisco, CA
    • Johansson Projects, Receiver, Two person with Katy Stone, Oakland, CA
    • Boxo Projects, Experiments in Transformation, Two person with Edie Fake, Joshua Tree, CA
    • Archie Bray Foundation Warehouse Gallery, Resident Artists Exhibition, Helena, MT
    • Ortega y Gasset Projects, Flat File 2022, Brooklyn, NY
    • The Brand Library and Art Center, Mapping the Sublime, Glendale, CA
    • The Ekru Project, Shifting Instinct, curated by Kevin Umana, Kansas City, MO
  • 2021
    • Luis De Jesus, The Barnsdall Art Park Olive Grove Restoration Initiative Exhibition, Los Angeles, CA
    • Ladies' Room, Garden, curated by Annie Wharton, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2020
    • AMP Art Gallery, Surroundings, Los Angeles Mission College, Sylmar, CA
    • Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Two person with Amir Zaki, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2019
    • Sarasota Art Museum, Color. Theory. & B/W, Sarasota, FL
    • Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Shady Acres, Salt Lake City, UT
    • Boxo Projects, Joshua Treenial, Joshua Tree, CA
  • 2018
    • Jaus, Fixed Flux, Two person with Jason Manley, Los Angeles, CA
    • Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Vernacular Environments Part II, Los Angeles, CA
    • Fellows of Contemporary Art, SPACE + LAND, curated by Chelsea Dean, Los Angeles, CA
    • BKB Art and Design, Outline, curated by Brian Bosworth, Palm Springs, CA
    • Odd Ark LA, An Art Den, with Barker Hanger, a project by artist Hayley Barker, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2017
    • Pasadena Museum of California Art, Interstitial, curated by John O’Brien, Pasadena, CA

Clients and Employment History

Commission Projects

  • 2027
    • Rockstad Foundation, Disc Portal, permanent outdoor sculpture commission, Bismark, ND (forthcoming)
  • 2023
    • Google Headquarters, CA Women paintings, Mountain View, CA
  • 2021
    • Atlanta Beltline, Disc Portal, public art sculpture project, Atlanta, GA
  • 2021
    • Boxo Projects, Disc Portal, permanent outdoor sculpture commission, Joshua Tree, CA
  • 2019
    • Oracle, Sculptural installation project, Redwood City, CA
  • 2017
    • Facebook, Sculptural installation project for the World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland
  • 2015
    • Google, Sculptural installation project for the Google Analytic Conference, San Francisco, CA
    • Merck, Sculptural installation project, San Francisco, CA

Select Collections

  • Stanford University
  • Art in Embassies Program, U.S Department of State, U.S. Consulate General, Mérida, Yucatán Mexico
  • Google Headquarters
  • Hermes Collection
  • Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts
  • Bemis Center for Contemporary Art
  • Espronceda Center for Art and Culture
  • Boxo Projects
  • Meta Headquarters
  • JPMorgan
  • Sculpture Space
  • Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia