Kristine Schomaker is a multidisciplinary artist, art historian, publisher, and mentor whose work fearlessly examines society's obsession with beauty standards and their impact on identity, particularly for women. Based at the Brewery artist complex in Los Angeles, Schomaker has spent over two decades creating deeply personal, conceptual work that challenges viewers to reconsider cultural perceptions of self-worth and physical appearance.
Born with an early fascination for art—sparked by her grandparents' Norman Rockwell coffee table books and a Rembrandt print in their home—Schomaker's artistic path crystallized during her first art history class in 1996. She earned her BA in Art History in 2003 and MA in Studio Art in 2010, both from California State University Northridge, where she studied under notable professors Betty Ann Brown and Samantha Fields.
As a self-described "conceptualist and surrealist autobiographer," Schomaker's practice centers on her ongoing project "Perceive Me," which addresses the construction of self in relation to society's perception of beauty. Her work is intensely personal, drawing from her experiences as a plus-size woman with an eating disorder and her battle with kidney cancer. Through painting, photography, performance, digital animation, and installation, she explores themes of body image, gender identity, and the societal privileging of women's physical beauty over intellect and character.
Schomaker's innovative approach includes working in virtual worlds like Second Life, where she created an avatar named Gracie Kendal to explore digital identity and community. This exploration of online personas allowed her to blur the lines between digital and physical reality, questioning commonly held assumptions about stereotypes and marginalization. Her "1000+ Avatars Project" and performances like "The Bald and the Beautiful"—where she had her head shaved as a statement against beauty standards—demonstrate her commitment to using her own body and identity as artistic material.
As much as she is known for her artistic practice, Schomaker has become equally recognized as a passionate advocate, mentor, and educator who has fundamentally shaped the Los Angeles art landscape. Her commitment to supporting other artists extends far beyond her own studio, positioning her as a vital cheerleader for underrepresented voices in the art world.
In 2014, she founded Shoebox PR (later Shoebox Arts) as a comprehensive support network that provides mentorship, resources, and community-building for artists navigating the complexities of the art world. This initiative reflects her deep belief in supporting artists by building communities of like-minded people who can share resources and bring ideas to fruition. Her educational background and leadership experience—including serving as president of both the Art History Students Association and the Painting Guild during her university years—prepared her well for this advocacy role.
Schomaker's most significant contribution to arts advocacy came with the 2016 launch of Art and Cake, a contemporary LA art magazine that has become a vital platform for amplifying voices typically overlooked by mainstream media. Her vision was clear: to use her art history background to draw attention to artists and spaces that deserved recognition. Under the umbrella of her nonprofit January Arts, founded in 2018, Art and Cake has published over 1,881 articles, fundamentally changing how the diverse Los Angeles art community is documented and celebrated.
Her commitment to education runs deep, having taught art history at Antelope Valley College and Pasadena City College, formed artist collectives, and organized numerous exhibitions throughout Southern California. She has served in leadership roles including social media coordinator for the Los Angeles Art Association and communications manager and president for the CSUN Arts Alumni Association. As a former president, marketing and social media manager of the Brewery Artwalk Association, she helped elevate one of LA's most important artist communities.
Schomaker has exhibited extensively since the late 1990s, with recent solo exhibitions including "Perceive Me" at Mesa College Art Gallery (2023), Museum of Art and History Lancaster (2021), and "Plus" at Ark Gallery (2018). Her work has been featured in group shows at prestigious venues including UCLA, USC, the San Diego Art Institute, and the Torrance Art Museum.
Her artistic process often involves ritualistic cutting and reconstruction—fragmenting previous works, personal items, and even her own hair to create new narratives about transformation and self-awareness. This practice of deconstruction and rebuilding mirrors her broader philosophical approach to examining how identity is formed, challenged, and reformed in contemporary society.
Through her multifaceted roles as mentor, advocate, and educator, combined with her fearless personal artistic practice, Kristine Schomaker has created a unique legacy in the art world. She doesn't simply make art about community and support—she actively builds the infrastructure that allows other artists to thrive. Her approach recognizes that meaningful change in the art world requires both powerful artistic statements and practical advocacy work. Whether through her magazine's spotlight on emerging artists, her mentorship programs, or her teaching, Schomaker consistently uses her platform to elevate others while continuing to challenge audiences to look beyond surface appearances and consider the complex realities of living authentically in an image-obsessed world.