about

Mia Kaplan is an interdisciplinary artist from Southeast Louisiana. For years, Kaplan has been observing and documenting the natural wildlife refuges near her home in Lacombe, Louisiana. The bayous, marshes, swamps, and pine forests where she grew up remain her primary sources of inspiration as a medium through which she addresses more personal and abstract views about the potential of transformation, deconstruction, and reconstruction. She studied Drawing and Printmaking at the Memphis College of Art and went on to study Architecture and Historic Preservation at Tulane University. The combination of her passions, which span across fields of drawing, painting, printmaking, assemblage, sculpture, textiles, curation, architectural design, and historic preservation result in a multi-faceted body of work that encompasses Kaplan’s ever-evolving practice.

Kaplan has exhibited her work nationally in galleries, museums, and public places. Her work has been regarded and included in many programs and publications including Artforum, Food & Wine, Fitness Magazine, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, Modern Farmer, Country Roads Magazine, TNT’s “Claws”, PBS’s “Art Rocks”, WGNO’s “News with a Twist”, and The Louisiana Review, among others.

In 2014, Kaplan created "Life on Paper", a workshop series for ages 9 - 15, to accomplish the goal of making mentorship-based learning free to young artists in her hometown. By partnering with Northlake Nature Center, a 400-acre natural reserve, students and Kaplan discuss what it means to create a drawing, where to begin, and learn a variety of techniques in observational drawing, paper making, and collage. The program is still in operation as the "Open Air Studio" which focuses solely on drawing from observation, and now allows adults to participate for a small fee (young artists are still free). To register a student (class size is limited), please contact rue@northlakenature.org. [Please note: The program is currently postponed due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19.]

Download Curriculum Vitae

MORE STORIES:

"LA landscapes come to life with Lacombe artist's latest exhibition" by Sarah Bonnette, Times Picayune, August 2016 http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2016/08/latest_exhibition_by_lacombe_a.html

"Artist mixing colors of Tennessee River with sites and scents of New Orleans in latest River Gallery exhibit" by Susan Pierce, Times Free Press, June 2016 http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/life/entertainment/story/2016/jun/05/insideout-river-gallery-features-works-mikapl/369008/

"Summer Brunch" written and styled by Valorie Hart, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles. Summer 2016 http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Homes-Lifestyles/Summer-2016/Summer-Brunch/

"Painter and sculptor Mia Kaplan Wants You To Watch Her Work In The Bluff View Sculpture Garden" by Richard Winham, WUTC. June 2016 http://wutc.org/post/painter-and-sculptor-mia-kaplan-wants-you-watch-her-work-bluff-view-sculpture-garden#stream/0

"Artist Mia Kaplan Sculpture Painting Time-Lapse" by Ole Miss News. April 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEmfHoXE8Ns&feature=youtu.be

"Mia Kaplan’s Swamp Flower re-blooms at UM Museum" by Austin Hille, The DM Online. April 2016 https://thedmonline.com/publish-immediatley-mia-kaplans-swamp-flower-re-blooms-um-museum-ag/

"Artist to Paint Outdoor Sculpture at UM Museum" by Kirsten McGill, Ole Miss News. April 2016 http://news.olemiss.edu/artist-paint-outdoor-sculpture-um-museum/

"Artist Mia Kaplan creates art from nature's inspirations" by Sarah Bonnette, Times Picayune. July 2015 http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2015/07/artist_mia_kaplan_creates_art.html

"Park(ing) Day miniature public parks on Julia Street during Art for Art's Sake" by Doug MacCash, for Nola.com http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2014/10/parking_day_miniature_public_p.html

"Poydras Street Sculptures on Parade" by Deepak Saini, for WGNO's "News With a Twist". http://wgno.com/2014/10/02/poydras-street-sculptures-on-parade/

"Gjurasic Factor: Find Your Pen Pal" by Alexandra Gjurasic, for PYRAGRAPH, September 2013 http://www.pyragraph.com/2013/09/gjurasic-factor-find-your-pen-pal/

"Making Her Garden Grow" by Fred Cohn, for NOLAwoman. March 21, 2012 http://nolawoman.com/articles/spotlight/arts/187/

"Sculpture For New Orleans is a plus for Poydras Street" by Doug MacCash, for the Times Picayune http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2013/03/sculpture_for_new_orleans_is_a.html

"There's Something About Mia" by Julia Reed, for Fetch Magazine. http://www.fetchmagbytaigan.com/art/theres-something-about-mia/

http://www.nola.com/community/st-tammany/index.ssf/2011/11/art_east_artistic_inspirations.html
 

ARTICLES WRITTEN BY MIA:

"The Myth and the Mentor", for PYRAGRAPH, April 2015 http://www.pyragraph.com/2015/04/the-myth-and-the-mentor/

"How to Inventory Artwork", for PYRAGRAPH, April 2014 http://www.pyragraph.com/2014/04/how-to-inventory-artwork/

"Gallerist vs. Artist: What I learned about the art world by pretending to be a gallery director" for PYRAGRAPH, January 2014 http://www.pyragraph.com/2014/01/what-i-learned-pretending-gallery-director/

"Beyond the Canvas: How my issues turned into a dress" for PYRAGRAPH, March 2014 http://www.pyragraph.com/2014/03/making-your-work-accessible/

"Why I Teach Young People to Draw" for PYRAGRAPH, December 2013 http://www.pyragraph.com/2013/12/why-i-teach-young-people-to-draw/