Rhea Cutillo
is a contemporary American painter and academic focused on the human-nature relationship.
She is currently earning a M.L.A. at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and is a recent scholarship recipient for the Barnes-de Mazia Certificate program (The Barnes Foundation Museum, Philadelphia, PA). She holds various accreditations in plant medicine and herbalist studies, as well as her B.A. from Mills College (2011). In 2016, Cutillo became an internationally showing artist upon acceptance into the award- winning festival List í Ljósi in Seyðisfjörður, Iceland. In 2017, she served as a fellow for The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu, Beigou Village, Beijing, China. Her work is in private collections across the states, U.K., and Europe.
Her meditative paintings are expansions of space into the cerebral and immaterial realms, at the same time challenging narratives of our relationship to the wild. Her research goals focus on the importance of embodied knowledge to understand space and place and present ways forward as a collective to live in better stewardship with mama earth.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
M.L.A. 2027: Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA, Dean’s Merit Scholar
M.Des. 2027: Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
B.A. 2011: Mills College, Oakland, CA
C.E. 2021: Certificate of Online Study. The European Graduate School, Saas-Fee, Switzerland
C.E. 2018-21:. Barnes-de Mazia Certificate Program. The Barnes Foundation Museum, Philadelphia, PA
C.E. 2020:. Traditional Chinese Medicine Foundation Track, East West School of Planetary Herbology
C.E. 2017-19: Alchemical Herbalism, School of Evolutionary Herbalism, Medford, OR
Exhibitions
Solo:
2022: Inquiries Into Permanence. Pagus Gallery, Norristown, PA
2017: Jalien, The Art Brewery, Los Angeles, CA
2014: [Lack of] Being, Local 123 Cafe, Berkeley, CA
2013-14: [Lack of] Being, Hatch Gallery, Oakland, CA
2013: Drift Velocity, Lower Bottom Gallery, Oakland, CA
2011: Alice, Lower Bottom Gallery, Oakland, CA
Group:
2025: One Hundred Percent by Adam Moshayedi. Pop-Up on Western, Los Angeles, CA
2023: 11th Annual Chautauqua Juried Exhibition, Mount Gretna School of Art, PA
2023: SUBMERGED: A Changing Global Climate, Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia, PA
2023: Spring Regional Juried Exhibition, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
2023: Spring Invitational, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2021: Out of Isolation, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
2021: 34th September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, LA
2021: Short & Sweet, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2018: The Locals, Community Arts Phoenixville, PA
2018: The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, CA.
2016: List í Ljósi, Seydisfjördur, Iceland
2013: Exposure, Ceres Gallery, Chelsea New York, NY
2013: The Foundry, Berkeley, CA
2011: An Artist’s Dozen, Mills College Museum, Oakland, CA (Thesis)
2009 David Tudor’s Rainforest, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
2009: Annual Juried Show, Laband Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Installations:
2013-17: Color, Fernwood Resort, Big Sur, CA
2014-15: Glass + Thread, Local 123 Cafe, Berkeley, CA
2014: Dreamspun, Desert Hearts Festival, Apple Valley, CA
Residencies
2024: L’Appartamento Napoli, Naples, Italy
2023: Mount Gretna School of Art, Mt. Gretna, PA
2022: The Object Hotel, Bisbee, AZ
2017: Schoolhouse Fellowship at The Brickyard at Mutianyu, Beijing, China
2016: Fjúk Art Centre, Húsavik, Iceland
2012: Lower Bottom Gallery, Oakland, CA
Lectures/Teaching/Curating
2022: Art, Design, Climate Change: Catalysts for Reciprocity and Reconciliation. Lecture at Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA, as an event for the exhibition, Risky Beauty, curated by Dr. Cynthia Veloric.
2020-22: Teaching Artist at MLAC, PA. Original Courses: Skyscapes in Oil, Meditations and Art Making.
2015-16: Visual Director / Co-Founder of Dames Club, DTLA. A curated pop-up speakeasy with themed discussion.
2005-12. Counselor, Arts & Crafts Program Director. Camp Swatara, Bethel, PA.
2010-12: Co-Curator at LoBot Gallery Collective, West Oakland, CA.
2022: PXV MAG, Featured Artist, Time Capsule Issue #5, Interview by Emily Mullet.
2022: New American Paintings Magazine #158, Northeast Issue. Curated by Bill Powers.
2019: Inside Artists Issue #16
Honors & Awards
2023: 1st Place, Mt. Gretna School of Art 11th Annual, Chatauqua Hall of Philosophy, Mt. Gretna, PA
2023: Best in Show, Main Line Art Center Gallery, Haverford, PA
2022: Dean’s Merit Scholarship, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA
2020: Leroy E. Hoffberger Scholarship for Maryland Institute College of Art M.F.A. program
2019: Violette-de-Mazia Scholarship Award for the Barnes-de-Mazia Certificate Program.
2018: Honorable Mention, Fusion Art Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2017: Schoolhouse Fellowship Award, Beigou, Huairou, Beijing, China.
2009-11: Dean’s Scholarship, Mills College, Oakland, CA
2005: The Union League of Philadelphia Good Citizenship Award, Philadelphia, PA
Select Motion Picture
2018: Art Director - Face Swap (short film), David Gidali Productions, Los Angeles, CA
2017: Art Assistant - Underdog (music video), Banks/Harvest Records, Los Angeles, CA
2017: Production Designer + Wardrobe Designer - The Physicists (theatre), Fringe Festival, Los Angeles, CA
2013: Set Decorator - The Winning Formula (feature film), LFL Entertainment, Los Angeles, CA
2012: Videographer - Screw (music video), Wake/Proximal Records, Los Angeles, CA
2011: Production Designer - Bedazzled (short film), Yakora L.L.C., San Francisco, CA
2011: Property Master - I Believe in Unicorns (feature film), Animals on Parade L.L.C., NY, NY