Ellen Cantor is a Southern California artist who uses the camera to reimagine the family photo album and objects that hold personal histories in order to explore the distillation and persistence of memory.
She received a BS from The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and continuedher education in Interior and Architectural Design at UCLA.
Her work has been featured in 17 solo exhibitions including dnj gallery, Santa Monica, CA, The Griffin Museum of Photography, The Center for Fine Art Photography, and The Spartanburg Museum of Art. She was a Critical Mass finalist in 2015 and 2016. Since 2016, she has participated in over 25 national and international group exhibitions which include the Italian Cultural Exchange in Naples, Italy.
Her photographs have been published in Harper’s Magazine, Muzee Magazine and SHUTR Magazine and online in Lenscratch, f-stopmagazine, fraction magazine, rfotofolio, Voyage LA Magazine, My Daily Photograph, Lightleaked, a photo editor, Float Online Magazine and Silvershotz.
Ellen is can be purchased at dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Susan Spiritus Gallery, Newport Beach, CA and Truth and Beauty Gallery, Vancouver, BC.
AWARDS
2019
www.peerspace.com "7 Best Fine Art Photographers in Los Angeles" August
Silver Medal Award, San Francisco Bay International Photo Show, Bokeh, Bokeh, Jurors: Elizabeth Avedon, Julie Grahame, Ann Jastrab, David Garnick, Peter Miller
2018
Silver Medal Award,San Francisco Bay International Photo Show, Jurors: Debra Klomp Ching, Aline Smithson, David Garnick
2016
Third Place, William J. McLaughlin Award for Photography, "21st Annual Art Exhibition at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital" Jurors: Stacie Brennan, Ernel Martinez, Lisa Murch
Photolucida Critical Mass 200
Honorable Mention, "Play" LAMAG Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles, CA; Juror: Scott Canty
Honorable Mention, Lightbox Photographic Gallery, Tribe Exhibit, 1938/1965; 1945/1970 from Family; Juror: Blue Mitchell
Director's Award, TPS 25 International Exhibit; Director: Amy Holmes George
2015
Julia Margaret Cameron Gala Award for Women Photographers; Juror: Laura Noble; Winner of Fine Art Competition
Review Santa Fe
Photolucida Critical Mass 200
Honorable Mention, Center for Fine Art Photography, Still Life Exhibit: Bouquet, Filled With Memories; Juror: Del Zogg
2014
Honorable Mention, Center for Fine Art Photography, Still Life Exhibit: Memories; Juror: Rebecca Senf
2013
1st prize Digital Expressions Category, Art Ability Exhibition, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Alice in Wonderland
2012
2nd Prize photography, 2012 Art Ability Exhibition, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, They Told Me I Had Scoliosis
Director’s Award, A Smith Gallery, Imagination: They Told Me I Had Scoliosis
2003
2nd prize winner, Show and Contemporary IV International Juried Art Exhibition, Betterphoto.com
1st prize, Small Treasures Juried Exhibition, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020-2021
Mimi and Her Purses, The Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, Curator: Paula Torgnarelli
VISUAL DNA...the language of photographs, dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
2019
Prior Pleasures, Orange Coast Community College, Costa Mesa, CA, Curator: Blade Gillissen
Development, dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
Prior Pleasures, Orange Coast Community College, Costa Mesa, CA
2018
Dichotomy, dnj gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
Prior Pleasures, West Hollywood Library, West Hollywood, CA, Curator: Michael Che
2017
Time and Memory: In Conversation, Malaga Cove Library Art Gallery, Palos Verdes Estates, Curator: Ketzie Diaz
Prior Pleasures, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO, Curator: Hamidah Glasgow
Prior Pleasures, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, Curator: Paula Tognarelli
Prior Pleasures, dnj gallery, Los Angeles, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
In Other Words, Spartanburg Museum of Art, Spartanburg, South Carolina; Curator: Ashleigh Payne
Prior Pleasures, Palos Verdes Central Library, Curator: Ketzie Diaz
2016
Unorthodox Anatomy, Hoyt Gallery at USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Ted Meyer
2015
Prior Pleasures, Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Martha De Perez
Unorthodox Anatomy, Gallery 339, San Pedro, CA; Curator: Lauren Kilgore
2010
Dichotomy/Perception, Bergamont Station Cafe Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2009
Dichotomy, Studio 339, San Pedro, CA; Curator: Lauren Kilgore
2004
Beyond Vision, The Loft, San Pedro, CA
2003
Light and Motion, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA
Color and Motion, Menzie International, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
Member's Juried Show, Center for Photographic Art,, Curator: Susan Burnstine
Beginnings With No Endings: Hope and Optimism, Jewish Artists Iniative, Juror: Molly Schulman
Summer Show, Palos Verdes Art Center, Juror: Marisa Caichiolo
Visual DNA, The Language of Photographs, Bokh, Bokeh, San FRancisco Week of Photography, Curator: David Garrick
2020
LAAA OPEN SHOW, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825, Juror: Shana Nys Dambrot
Aurora, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825
Plain, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825
"Words and Art" Los Angeles Art Association
"Non Sequitur" Los Angeles Art Association
“Sex. Love and Addiction” Jewish Women’s Theater at the Braid, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
Summer Show” Palos Verdes Art Center, Juror: Nina Zak Laddon
“JAI Challenge” USC Hillel, Curator: JAI Board
Keeping the Faith: An Artistic Celebration of Judaism, Paso Robles, CA Curator: Ellen November
2019
Forgotten, SE Center of Photography, Greenville, SC, Juror: Jeff Rich
Palos Verdes Members Winter Show, Palos Verdes Arrt Center, Juror: David Parsons,
COY,Los Angeles Art Association/825, Los Angeles, CA, Juror: Phyllis Hofberg
3rd Annual Photography Exhibit, LA ArtCore, Brewery Annex, Los Angeles; Jurors: Aline Smithson, Sarah Hadley, Sara Lee
Jerusalem Biennale, USC Hillel, Los Angeles, Curator: Sagi Rafael
Palos Verdes Summer Member Show, Palos Verdes Art Center, Juror: Neil Gaiman
Traditions and Connections, Santa Clarita Arts, Santa Clarita, CA
“San Francisco Bay International Photography Competition, Bokeh Bokeh Photo, Jurors: Elizabeth Avedon, Julie Grahame, Ann Jastrab, David Garnick, Peter Miller
“25th Member Exhibition,” Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, Juror: Julie Grahame
“Circles and Squares” Rick Wester Fine Arts, Inc., New York, New York, Curator: Rick Wester
Los Angeles Center of Photography Fine Art Exhibition, Los Angeles, Juror: Susan Spiritus
PHOTOVILLE, Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles, CA, Juror: Aline Smithson
Center For Photographic Art Members’ 2019 Juried Exhibition, Carmel, CA; Jurors: Connie and Jerry Rosenthal, Rfotofolio
2018
Los Angeles Art Association 2018 Open Show, LAAA/Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA; Juror: Cynthia Corbett, Director, The Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London
What’s New 2? dnj Gallery, Santa Monica, CA; Curator, Pamela Schoenberg
What's New?, dnj gallery, Santa Monica, CA, Curator: Pamela Schoenberg
CA 101 2018; Redondo Beach, CA Curator: Nina Zak Laddon
Don’t Shoot Me Down! Shock Boxx Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA, Curator: Peggyy Zask
Not Always So, The Loft Studios and Art Gallery, San Pedro, Juror: Scott Canty
Bunk, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825, Juror; Alix Sloan, Sloan Fine Art
Flashpoints: A Collective Response, MuzeuMM, Los Angeles, Curator: Georgia Freedman Harvey and Anne Hromadka
Bread and Salt, Hillel, USC, Los Angeles, Curator: Georgia Freedman-Harvey
Fresh, SBC/SOLA Gallery, Los Angeles, Curator: Fatemeh Burnes and Peter Frank
Not Always So, The Loft Studios and Art Gallery, San Pedro, Juror: Scott Canty
2017
Open Show 2017, Los Angeles Art Association, Juror: Anna Katz, Assistant Curator MOCA
South Bay Focus 2017, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA, Curator: Emily Gonzalez-Jarrett
The Creative Portrait, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, Juror: Ann Jastrab
Celebrating the Creative Process, PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT, Juror: Kat Kiernan
Ambiguous Realities, ART1307 Cultural Institution, Napoli – Italy, Curator: Cynthia Penna
Personal Vacations, LAAA Gallery 825, Los Angeles, CA, Juror: Chris Davies
Phenomena, Neutra Gallery,Glendale, CA, Southern California Womans Caucus For Art
Neighborhood Girls + Feminine Group Show, Hive Galery, Los Angeles, CA, Curator: Ellen Schinderman
Cut It Out, Art Share, Los Angeles, CA, Jurors: Shana Nys Dambrot, Heidi Johnson, and Rick Robinson
FRESH, SBC: SOLA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Jurors: Fatemeh Burnes and Peter Frank
WATERSHED, Jerusalem Biennale, Jerusalem, Israel, Curators: Anne Hromadka and Georgia Freedman Harvey
Ambiguous Realities, Italian Cultural Exchange, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825, Los Angeles; Curator: Cynthia Penna
2016
Size Matters, Medium Festival of Photography, Low Gallery, San Diego, CA; Juror: Allie Haeusslein, Diretor Pier 24, San Francisco, CA
Ayeka, Valley Beth Sholom, Encino, CA, Curator: Anne Hromadka
Art Ability, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Malvern, PA
Cob Gallery: 10 Castle Street, Dorset, UK; Curator: Cassie Beadle; Director: Victoria Williams
“PLAY” 2016 Open Call at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles, Juror: Scott Canty
The Curated Fridge, Yorgos Efthymiadis, Director, Curator: Paula Torgnarelli, Director, Griffin Museum of Photography
CA101, Redondo Beach Art Group, Redondo Beach, Curator: Nina Zak Laddon
First Annual Fine Art Exhibit, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Los Angeles, Juror: Hamidah Glasgow, Director, The Center for Fine Art Photography,
The Lives of Books, Dina Mitrani Gallery, Miami, FL, Curator: Dina Mitrani
TPS 25: The International Competition, Texas Photographic Society, Alpine TX, Juror: Rixon Reed, Director, Photo-Eye, Santa Fe, NM
Tribe, Lightbox Photographic Gallery, Astoria, OR, Juror: Blue Mitchell, founder One Twelve Publishing; Honorable Mention
2016 Open Juried Exhibition, Vermont Center for Photography, Brattleboro, VT, Juror: Paula Torgnarelli, Director, Griffin Museum of Photography
2015
Scarred For Life: Remnants of Trauma into Objects of Beauty, Virginia Teach Carillon School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, Curator: Ted Meyer
2nd Annual Open Call Juried Exhibition, Peter Miller Fine Art, Providence, RI, Juror: Paula Torgnarelli, Director, Griffin Museum of Photography
Keepsakes, Davis Orton Gallery, Portfolio "I Can OnlyRemember What I Don't Forget," Hudson, NY, Curator: Karen Davis
Still Life, Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO, Juror: Del Zogg
Jerusalem Biennale 2015, Jerusalem, Israel, Jurors: Anne Hromadka and Georgia Freedman-Harvey
Los Angeles/Jerusalem Biennale 2015, Hillel USC, Los Angeles, CA, Jurors: AnneHromadka and Georgia Freedman-Harvey
CA 101, Redondo Beach Art Group; Redondo Beach, CA; Curator: Nina Zak Laddon
Review Santa Fe, CENTER, Santa Fe, NM,
Bound and Unbound III,University Libraries, University of South Dakota; Vermillion, SD; Juror: Sandra Brooke
Photo Independent, Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Julia Dean and Sarah Hadley
small time, Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825; Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Chris McCall
Common Goods, Visual Arts Exchange, Raleigh, NC, Jurors: Jonathan Brilliant, Joyce Watkins, Matt McConnell
Marvelous Things: The Art of Still Life, PhotoPlace, Middlebury, Vt., Juror: Aline Smithson
Beyond Words, Contemporary Book Art, Foothill Gallery, Golden CO, Juror: Alicia Bailey
The Art of Our Consumption, Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO, Juror: Roscoe Wilson
2014
Visual Mixtape, Los Angeles Center for Photography, Los Angeles, CA
Still Life, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO; Juror: Dr. Rebecca Senf
Yeosu International Art Festival and 5th International Biennale, Artsonje Center, Seoul,Korea; Curator: Sun-jung Kim
All Themes Considered, South Bay Contemporary, Rolling Hills Estates, CA; Juror: Scott Canty
CA101 2014, South Gallery, Redondo Beach, CA; Curator: Nina Zak Laddon
Center Forward 2014, Center For Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO; Curator: Hamidah Glasglow, Director
First Annual Members’ Show, Los Angeles Center for Photography, Los Angeles, CA ; Juror: Paul Kopeikin
Prior Pleasures, HaleARTS Space, Santa Monica, CA; Curator: Michael Hale
Abracadabra, Myth, Magic & Monsters, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Anne Hromadka
Alternate Realities II, Arena Gallery, Santa Monica Art Studios, Santa Monica, CA; Curator: Aline Smithson
2013
Alternate Realities, Los Angeles Center for Photography, Los Angeles, CA; Curator: Aline Smithson
In Motion, South Bay Lexus, Torrance, CA; Curator: Max Presneill, Curator Torrance Art Museum
South Bay Focus, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA; Curator: James MacDevitt, Curator Cerritos College
Art Ability, 2013, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Malvern, PA; Coordinator: Rachel McCay
Curiouser and Curiouser, Photographic Dreams and Fiction, Photoplace Gallery, Middlebury, VT; Curator: Blue Mitchell, Editor Diffusion Magazine
Annual Juried Show, Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura, CA; Curator: Sylvia White
The Photographic Self, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL; Curator: Carla Williams
Petite Works, Gallery 825 Annex, Bergamont Station, LA, CA
White Planes, Gallery 825, LA, CA
Spectra ’04, Silvermine Guild Arts Center, New Canaan, CT, Juror: Barbara Hitchcock, Curator and Cultural Affairs Director, Polaroid Corporation
10th Annual National Juried Photo Competition, Texas Artists Museum, Port Arthur, TX; Juror: Brandon Gouthier
On Site at the Gate 2004, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA; Juror: Meg Linton
National Juried Art Show, Farmington Museum, Farmington, NM; Juror: Christopher Cook;Curator, Sioux City Art Center
Texas National, 2004 Exhibition, Nacogdoches, TX; Juror: Ed Moses
2003
4 Women, 4 Visions II, Malaga Cove Library, Palos Verdes Estates, Palos Verdes, CA
Made In America, Second City Council, Long Beach, CA; July; Juror: Darlene de Angelo,Curator Huntington Beach Art Center
America, Second City Council, Long Beach, CA; Juror: Wesley Jessup, Executive Director,Pasadena Museum of California Art
On Site at the Gate 2003, Angels Gate Annual All-Media, San Pedro, CA
All California Juried Exhibition, San Pedro, CA; Juror: Jay Belloli, Director of Gallery Programs, Armory Center for the Arts
Hats Off, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA; Curator: Scott Canty
Open National Exhibit, Long Beach Arts, Long Beach, CA; Juror: Suzanne Muchnic, Art writer, Los Angeles Times
Women’s Festival of the Arts, The Second City Council, Long Beach, CA; Juror: Ruth Weisberg, Dean of Fine Arts, USC
New Photography Exhibition, LA County Fair, Pomona, CA; Juror: Paul Bielenberg, Steve Thomas, Curator of Collections, UCR/Cal Museum of Photography; Sheila Pinkel, Pomona College, Jack Butler, Cal State LA
2002
New Photography Exhibition, LA County Fair, Pomona, CA; Juror: Mark Johnston, Artist, Anne Lyden, Asst. Curator, J Paul Getty, LA, Victor Raphael, Artist, Lary Wiese
Small Treasures Juried Exhibition, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA; Juror: Michelle DePuy Leavitt
2001
Four Women, Four Visions, Malaga Cove Library, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
All Media Juried Exhibition, Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA; Juror: Joni Gordon, Director Newspace Gallery, Los Angeles
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PRESS
2020
Professional Photographer Magazine, Photo Series Celebrates Hardbound Books, March, Editor: Amanda Arnold