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Artist Statement:
"Painting, for me, is like a
much needed breath of fresh
air. Something very necessary
for my health and happiness.
But also something that I love
sharing.
My paintings, to me, are like
my children, each and every
one, and I love knowing that
they are going into homes,
offices...
Further Information
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Artist Exhibitions:
Natural History Museum of Los
Angeles, CA
African American Cultural
Center, Charlotte, NC
The Chicago Art Institute, IL
Museum of African American
Art, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of African American
Art, Tampa, FL
Museum of Tolerance, Los
Angeles, CA
Musee des Duncan, Paris,
France...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
II Sisters Art Gallery, New
Haven, CT
Samuel's Gallery, Oakland, CA
The Ninth Life Art Gallery,
St. Thomas, USVI
Distinctive African American
Art, Salt Lake City, UT
Museum of African American
Art, Los Angeles, CA
Woodcuts Gallery, Nashville,
TN...
Further Information
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Artist Reviews:
Coming Soon!
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Collections:
Museum of African American
Art, Tampa, FL
Fisk University, Nashville, TN
The House of Seagram, New
York, NY
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.,
Attorney at Law, Los Angeles,
CA
Coca Cola USA, Atlanta, GA...
Further Information
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Commissions:
Coming Soon!
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Synthia Saintjames Biography:
| Biographical information for Synthia Saintjames can be found below. The artist may choose what information to display. Sometimes the artist chooses not to display personal information to the general public. |
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| Why Did You Become An Artist |
“In creating art
I get to share
my pure physical
and visual impressions
in various forms.
I’m simultaneously
rejuvenated both
spiritually and emotionally.
Art, for me, is a very precious gift
from above and within,
that I humbly receive
and gratefully nurture.”
Synthia SAINT JAMES
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| Your Personal Biography |
Synthia SAINT JAMES, international award winning artist and designer of the first United States Postal Stamp for the Kwanzaa holiday, has to date written and or illustrated 13 children’s picture books, 3 poetry and prose books, 4 children’s activity books, a cookbook, and a postcard book. She is the receipient of The Woman of the Year Award for the 26th Senate District, and she has garnered numerous other awards including a Parent’s Choice Silver Honor for her book Sunday, a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustrating Neeny Coming…Neeny Going, and an Oppenheim Gold Award for the book To Dinner For Dinner, which she illustrated.
Her architectural designs include a 150 foot ceramic tile mural for Ontario, California’s international airport, 6 - 9x4 foot elevator doors for a building in California’s State Capitol’s East End Complex, Sacramento, California, stained glass windows for the West Tampa Library in Tampa, Florida, and a 4x7 foot ceramic tile mural (inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem “On the Pulse of Morning”), commissioned by Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher LLP for Cowan Elementary School in Westchester, California. She was also commissioned to create the 3x6 foot painting that hangs in the Women's Center of Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California.
SAINT JAMES has completed numerous commissioned signature images for non-profit organizations including the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (which hangs at the Vulcan Station in Brooklyn, New York), Children’s Institute International, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the Harlem Book Fair, the United Way, and the National Education Association. She unveiled the poster that she created for the Center for Disease Control at the United Nations on World AIDS Day 2005, unveiled the original painting that she created for the Metropolitan AME Church (Harlem, NY) at the Schomburg in February 2006, and unveiled the 20th anniversary painting for the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. in June 2006..
Her paintings grace the covers of over 60 books, including Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale, Disappearing Acts, Mama, and the Japanese translation of How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Iyanla Vanzant’s Acts of Faith, Faith in the Valley and The Big Book of Faith.
In reviews her artwork has been described as “ebullient”, “bold”, “creates paintings that remind one of Matisse cutouts in their clear line and intense color” and “joyful”.
She was honored with the 2004 Woman of the Year Award in Education by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women and she is a proud receipient of The HistoryMakers Award. Fall of 2006 she received both the MOSTE Inspirational Women Award and the Samella Award for her artistry, and designed the 'We See You Award'. SAINT JAMES is also one of the women included in Dr. Cynthia Jacobs Carter’s National Geographic book, Africana Woman: Her Story Through Time.
She most recently completed signature paintings for the 10th anniversary of the African American Business Summit and the inaugurable painting for the Leimert Park Village Book Festival. On June 21, 2007 she was honored by the Home Depot Charitable Foundation with a tribute held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
She travels nationally for speaking engagements, exhibitions and unveilings.
SAINT JAMES, a self-taught artist, credits the creator and her ancestry (which includes African American, Native American, Haitian and German Jew) for her artistic gifts.
Synthia SAINT JAMES AWARDS (Partial List):
2008'Woman of the Year'
California State 26th District
2007
"A Tribute to Synthia SAINT JAMES"
The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation
2006
"MOSTE Inspirational Woman"
Motivating Our Students Through Experience
"The Samella Award"
Center for the Arts of the African Diaspora
2004
“Woman of the Year” (Education)
Los Angeles County
Commission for Women
“The HistoryMakers Award”
2002
“Ebony Excellence:Women of Vision”
Mu Beta Omega Chapter AKAs
“Sisters Award”
National Alumni Association Spelman
2001 “Greensboro, NC Key to the City”
African American Atelier Gallery
“The Arts Council Award”
California Afro-American Museum
“Oppenheim Gold Award”
(for the book To Dinner For Dinner)
2000
“Literary & Visual Arts Award”
115 Anniversary Second Baptist Church
“Talent Award”
Los Angeles Chapter of the Links
1999
“NAPPA Gold Award”
1998
“Women of Vision Award”
Black Women Lawyers
1997
“Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award”
(for the book Neeny Coming Neeny Going)
“UNICEF Greeting Card Award”
“AT&T Entrepreneur of the Year”
Black Women of Achievement &
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
“Treasure of Los Angeles”
“YWCA Silver Achievement Award”
1996
“Parents Choice Silver Honor”
Synthia SAINT JAMES COLLECTORS (Partial Listing):
Coca Cola USA
Essence Communications
The House of Seagram Glendale Memorial Hospital
Johnnie L. COCHRAN, Jr.
Alice WALKER
Gibson, Dunn, &Crutcher Tavis SMILEY
The Riordan Foundation Yolanda KING
Lloyd COTSEN Glynn TURMAN
Monterey Blues Festival Richard PRYOR
Earl GALES Carl GORDON
Jenifer LEWIS Charles FULLER
Paula KELLY Randy CRAWFORD
Brenda RUSSELL Dawnn LEWIS
EXHIBITIONS (Partial Listing):
International Small Graphic Art
Stockholm, SWEDEN
Musee des Duncans Paris, FRANCE
Cosmopolitan Artists Seoul, KOREA
Salon Int'l Quebec, CANADA
Natural History Museum
Los Angeles, CA
National Museum Women in the Arts Washington, DC
The Society of Illustrators
New York, NY
The Museum of Tolerance
Los Angeles, CA
Museum African American Art Los Angeles, CA
Afro-American Cultural Center Charlotte, NC
Disney Studios Burbank, CA
University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
Hilton Corporate Headquarters Beverly Hills, CA
Inner City Cultural Center
Los Angeles, CA
PERIODICAL INTERVIEWS (Partial Listing):
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times Magazine
Essence Magazine Excel
Upscale
AboutTime
Celebrity Magazine
Black Issues Book Review
United Parenting Publications
Synthia SAINT JAMES COMMISSIONS (Partial Listing):
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Ceramic Tile Design
West Tampa Public Library Stained Glass Designs
California’s State Capitol
East End Complex Elevator Door Designs
Ontario (CA) International Airport Ceramic Tile Designs
Glendale Memorial Hospital Original Painting
Coca Cola USA Original Painting
United States Postal Service
Kwanzaa Stamp Design
100 Black Men of America, Inc. Original Painting
100 Black Men of Orange County Original Painting
Children’s Institute International
Original Paintings
The Girl Scouts USA
Original Painting
Dance Africa America
Original Paintings
American Library Association Original Painting
Essence Communications Original Painting
Maybelline, Kayser-Roth
Original Painting
The National Bar Association Original Painting
The House of Seagram
Original Painting
The Mark Taper Forum
Original Painting
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
Original Painting
TELEVISION SHOWS WITH ARTWORK (Partial Listing):
ARMY WIVES, Just Jordan, THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW, In The House, MOESHA, Martin, HANGING WITH MR.COOPER, A Different World, (Mention of artwork in) FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION - COLLEGE TOURNAMENT.
TELEVISION INTERVIEWS (Partial Listing):
LIVING WITH SOUL, Making It, THE KWANZAA STORY,
FOX TV News, ABC TV News, KTLA News, PAX-TV, BET
Shop, SCREEN SCENE, Life & Times.
ART IN EMBASSIES:
Caracas, VENEZUELA, Gagnoa, GHANA, Abidjan, COTE D'IVOIRE
Synthia SAINT JAMES SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
(Partial Listing):
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, Baltimore, MD
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
BARNARD COLLEGE, New York, NY
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY, Blacksburg, VA
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, Cleveland, OH
Tennessee Association of School Librarians, Nashville, TN
FIRST PEOPLES FUND, Santa Fe, NM
Toyota USA, Torrance, CA
GREENSBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY, Greensboro, NC
Bennett College, Greensboro, NC
CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE, San Pablo, CA
Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA
BLACK HERITAGE ART EXHIBIT, Baltimore, MD
Los Angeles Valley College, Van Nuys, CA
THE BALTIMORE BOOK FESTIVAL, Baltimore, MD
The Buckley School, Sherman Oaks, CA
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, Washington, DC
Orange County Reading Association, Fountain Valley, CA
NEUTROGENA CORPORATE OFFICES, Los Angeles, CA
Black Women’s Network, Los Angeles, CA
PHENOMINAL PHEMALES, Phoenix, AZ
Winston-Salem State University, Diggs Gallery, W.S., NC
INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION, S.D., CA
University of Redlands, Redlands, CA
TENNESEE MIDDLE STATE UNIVERSITY, Nashville, TN
California School Library Association, Pasadena, CA
CALIFORNIA ARTS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Palm Springs, CA
Japanese American Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM, Los Angeles, CA
Rancho Santiago College, Orange, CA
UNIVERSITY OF OHIO, ATHENS, OH
The Wesley School, N. Hollywood, CA
Synthia SAINT JAMES BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHILDRENS BOOKS:
Gershator/Saint James. Tukama Tootles the Flute, New York,
NY: Orchard Books, 1994.
Chapman/Saint James. Snow on Snow on Snow, New York,
NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1994.
Saint James, Synthia. The Gifts of Kwanzaa, Morton Grove,
IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1994.
Saint James, Synthia. Sunday, Morton Grove, IL: Albert
Whitman & Company, 1996.
Myers/Saint James. How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World,
New York, NY: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1996.
English/Saint James. Neeny Coming…Neeny Going, Mahwah,
NJ: Bridgewater Books, 1996.
Gershator/Saint James. Greetings, Sun, New York, NY: DK
INK, 1998.
Barnwell/Saint James. No Mirrors in My Nana’s House, San
Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books, 1998.
Williams/Saint James. Girls Together, San Diego, CA:
Harcourt Brace Children’s Books, 1999.
Hull/Saint James. “Happy Happy Kwanzaa”, Los Angeles, CA:
BrassHeart Music, Synthia Saint James Music, 1999.
Nikola-Lisa/Saint James. Hallelujah! : A Christmas Story, New
York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000.
Mollel/Saint James. To Dinner, For Dinner, New York, NY:
Holiday House, 2000.
Hull/Saint James. Alphabet Affirmations, Los Angeles, CA: Kids
Creative Classics, 2000.
Saint James, Synthia. It’s Kwanzaa Time, New York, NY: Little
Simon/Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Hull/Saint James. Peace In Our Land, Los Angeles, CA: Kids
Creative Classics, 2002.
Sneve/Saint James. Enduring Wisdom, New York, NY: Holiday
House, 2003.
Hull/Saint James. Dream A World, Los Angeles, CA: Kids Creative
Classics, 2004.
Saint James, Synthia. A story in The Milestones Project by Dr. Richard
& Michele Steckel, Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press, 2004.
ADULT BOOKS:
Johnson/Saint James. Mother’s Love, White Plains, NY: Peter
Pauper Press, 1996.
Saint James, Synthia. Girlfriends, White Plains, NY: Peter
Pauper Press, 1997.
Saint James, Synthia. Can I Touch You: Love Poems &
Affirmations, Newark, NJ: Music Quest, 1997.
Saint James, Synthia. Creative Fixings From The Kitchen:
Favorite Multicultural Recipes, Port Chester, NY: Persnickety
Press, 1998.
Saint James, Synthia. Forward to Who’s Who Among Afri-
Can Americans-13th Edition, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group,
2000.
Saint James, Synthia. Essay in How to Make Black America
Better by Tavis Smiley, New York, NY: Doubleday Books,
2001.
Saint James, Synthia. Synthia Saint James: A Book of Postcards,
San Francisco, CA: Pomegranate, 2004.
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