Biography
Elijah Pfotenhauer was born in Santa Cruz, California in 1980. He studied art and animation at Cal Arts, Valencia and Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz. His works have been shown at a variety of galleries in the greater Bay Area including: The Hide Gallery, The Mill, Mama Buzz, and 4th Street Triumph, with murals across California as well as in Europe and Asia. He currently lives in Santa Cruz at the Art Space Tannery Lofts, painting canvas, murals, and teaching art.
Elijah personally utilizes painting and visual arts to engage and uplift the community. He believes that through the Arts, the public can actively participate in the transformation of society. Through the creation of public works, the community can take pride in the area and engage in prevalent social issues. Elijah also believes that art is a tool to unite people across lines of age, race, gender and general socio economic background. The Arts open a new doorway for participants to engage in new and unknown opportunities.
RESUME
Education
2003-2005 California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA, Studies in Character animation in the School of
Film
1998-2002 Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, Studies in Studio Arts Studies
Murals
Teaching
2009 Energy Conservation, Youth Coalition of Santa Cruz, Main Branch of the Santa Cruz Library,
Santa Cruz, CA, sponsored by Youth Serve, The Santa Cruz Volunteer Center, and Flex Your
Power
2009 Working the fields through time, Rolling Hills Middle school, Watsonville, CA
2009 Women We Admire in Art, Dewitt Anderson School, Corralitos, CA
2008 Show Respect, Mac Quiddy Elementary School, Watsonville, CA, Sponsored by Safer
Schools and Healthy Students Organization
2008 Bookscape, Youth Coalition of Santa Cruz, Main Branch of the Santa Cruz Library, Santa Cruz, CA, sponsored by Youth Serve and Santa Cruz Volunteer Center
2007-present Renaissance High School, After School Mural Arts Program, La Selva, CA, sponsored by
Books not Bombs
- RHS Dragon, Mayan Calendar, Health Matters, Native Species
Personal
2010 Catalpa, Good Guys Bio-Diesel, Santa Cruz, CA
2009 Birds and Vines, Charly Hong Kong, Santa Cruz, CA
2009 Masks, Woody’s Café, Oakland, CA
2008 PollenNation, The Mill, Santa Cruz, CA*
2008 Tropical Retreat, Kennedy’s Irish Pub & Scooter Rental, San Francisco, CA
2007 Off The Vine, Teen Center, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
2007 Fire Mural, Santa Cruz Stoves, Santa Cruz, CA
2006 Buddha View, Buddha View Dive Resort, Kho Tao, Thailand
2004 Chocolate, Chocolates A La Carte, Los Angeles, CA
2001 Teens In Action, Santa Cruz Teen Center, Santa Cruz, CA*
2002-present Barrios Unidos, Santa Cruz, CA
- Print shop, Temple Installation, BU Productions
2000 Dancers, Motion Pacific, Santa Cruz, CA *
*Partially funded with a matching grant from Santa Cruz Redevelopment Agency
Employment
2002-present Artistic Director, Painted Ladder Graphics, Santa Cruz and greater Bay Area, CA
- Freelance Graphic Arts, Murals, Animation, Fine Art Paintings, Teaching
2007-present Artistic Enrichment Specialist, Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley United School Districts, Santa Cruz and Watsonville, CA
- Generate curriculum and after-school based art projects
- teach classes
- painting, fabrication and installation of murals
2004-2006 Graphic Artist/ Illustrator Intern, Fox Racing, Morgan Hill, CA
- Create artwork for apparel prints.
- Created unique and alternate logo designs.
- Developed patterns for textile/ print.
Fine Arts Exhibits
2008 Mama Buzz Gallery, First Friday Art Murmur, Oakland, CA
2008 Nocturnal Mockery, Arts Festival, Colorado Springs, CO
2008 Santa Cruz Stoves, Santa Cruz, CA
2007 4th Street Triumph, Marin, CA
2007 Hide Gallery, The Mill, Six Degrees Group Show, Santa Cruz, CA
2003 Full Support Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
Awards and Recognitions
2010 Santa Cruz Weekly, Profile, Cover Story
2009 KQED Radio, Community Artist Recognition, Challenges of Champions Exhibit, Oakland, CA
2008 KUSB Radio, Mural Class Interview, Art Studio with Kirby Scudder
2003 Santa Cruz Sentinel, Featured Artists, Local Arts Section
2002 Calabash Award for Artistic Achievement, Santa Cruz Cultural Council
Skills
Illustration, Photoshop CS4, Illustrator CS4, After Effects, Premier, Digital Cleanup and Preparation, Microsoft Word, Storyboard Arts, Character Design, Painter, Muralist
References
Available upon Request