MONALISA WHITAKER\

MonaLisa Whitaker, is a visual artist (photography and mixed media), mother, wife, sister, daughter and auntie, was born and raised in several neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Inglewood. Always a voracious reader and intrigued by history, art, culture and community, she was inspired to obtain a BA in Art History with a minor in Public Administration from California State University Dominguez Hills. This unusual combination informs both her identity and work.

She constructs artworks by combining alternative photographic techniques (image/emulsion transfers and printing onto material other than paper) with digital imaging and mixed media (seeds, beans, wood, pebbles, thread, feathers, etc.). By her application of uncommon perspectives and techniques, she strives to stimulate the viewer’s imagination and encourage introspection. Ultimately, she seeks to promote understanding and acknowledgement that we, as humans, nature and all living beings are interconnected, despite societal tendencies that emphasize the opposite. Currently, she is learning how to honor authentic voices by incorporating oral history as components of her personal work and larger community archival projects.

In addition to her creative life, she has been active in the nonprofit field including leading the now closed multidisciplinary arts nonprofit, Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA). She retired from ICA in 2017 and was instrumental in increasing access and visibility of the arts and artists, through programming and advocacy including passage of the City of Inglewood’s Percent for the Arts and work/live ordinances. She has lived and worked in Inglewood for more than thirty years.