About Donna Morin
Donna Morin (b.1939) is a Southern California-based artist working in painting, printmaking, and collage. Her work is deeply rooted in abstraction, inspired by the ethereal qualities of water, light, and air—elements that, for Morin, evoke a sense of spirituality and healing. Her large-scale canvases capture the sun-drenched hues and vibrant energy of the Southern California landscape, transforming her environment into a meditation on form. Working with bold color and pure geometric shapes—particularly the square, which she uses both as a format and balancing motif representing the corners of the universe—Morin creates compositions that reflect her artistic lineage in the groundbreaking work of early 20th-century Modernists such as Kasimir Malevich and Henri Matisse. She also draws inspiration from the stylized patterns found in mid-century interior design from the 1920s through 1940s. "My soul is in geometry," Morin says.
More recently, she has embraced chance-based processes and is exploring dark ink paintings with gestural strokes. Drawing inspiration from biomorphic patterns of nature, this new body of work is reminiscent of Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell's ink work, as well as the monochromatic minimalism of Pierre Soulages.
Morin studied at Cal State San Bernardino and received her MFA from Claremont University. She taught Fine Art and Art History at various California colleges and, since retiring from teaching, continues to work in her home studio. Morin's work has been exhibited extensively, including at the Ontario Art Museum, Robert V. Fullerton Art Museum, San Bernardino, L.A. Municipal Art Gallery, and the Riverside Art Museum.
Inside the Studio of Donna Morin
“My soul is in geometry.”
— Donna Morin
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
The Art Depot Gallery, City Hall, Fontana, CA (Curated by E. Torres)
2021
Ontario Airport Showcase, Ontario, CA (Selected by Ontario Art Museum)
2019
FLORA, FEATHERS & FINS, Studio C, Claremont, CA
2018
Part: Counterpart, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA (Curated by Todd Wingate)
2016
Studio C, Claremont, A Month of Summers, Loma Linda Civic Center, Loma Linda, CA
A Month of Summers, Drayson Center, Loma Linda, CA
2009
Clara and Allen Gresham Gallery, San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, CA
2004
San Bernardino Valley College Gallery, San Bernardino, CA
1994
The Enigmatic Garden, Brandstater Gallery, La Sierra University, Riverside, CA
1988
Claremont University Art Gallery, Claremont, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Riverside Art Museum Members Exhibit (Curated by Lisa Henry)
2024
Women and History, Riverside Community Arts Association, Riverside, CA
Postmarked: PS, Claremont Phillips Gallery (Curated by Anne Seltzer)
2023
Old Broads Invitational, The Little Gallery, San Bernardino, CA
Loma Linda Community Art Exhibition (1st Place)
2022
Legacy: Professor Emeritus Don Woodford, California State University, San Bernardino, CA
Old Broads Exhibition, Chaffey Art Museum, Ontario, CA
2021
Riverside Art Museum Members Show
Old Broads Invitational, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2019
All Media 2019, Irvine Fine Arts (Juror: Constance Mallinson)
Metamorphosis, Artists Council, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Desert, CA
Female Artists: Past and Present, IEMA
Paintings from the Interior, UC Riverside ARTS/California Museum of
Photography (Curated by Andi Campangnone)
2018
Women Who Impress, Chaffey Community Art Museum, Ontario, CA
2017
California Open, Tag Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (Juror: Scott Canty)
Abstraction to Minimalism, LRC Gallery, Crafton Hills College, Yucaipa, CA
2015
Drought, Riverside Art Museum
2014
Paperless, Ontario Art Museum (Curated by Denise Kraemer)
Sighted Visions, San Bernardino Valley College (Curated by Sant Khalsa)
2013
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
2012
Modern Self-Portrait, MSJC, San Jacinto, CA (Curated by Leslie Paprocki)
2000-2009
Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel, CA
Andrew Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Long Beach Exhibition: Works on Paper, Long Beach, CA (Juror: J. Hugo)
1976-1999
Kohn Turner Gallery: Get Back, Los Angeles, CA
New American Talent 8, Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Austin, TX
SELECTED PRESS
Articles
2018
Two New Exhibits, Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, September 5, 2018
2016
RIVERSIDE: 52 Laura Lucas, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, July 17, 2016
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: PAINTER TEACHER DONNA MORIN, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, Patrick Brien / Riverside Arts Council, February 18, 2016
2015
MUSEUM’S DROUGHT EXHIBIT UNLEASHES FLOOD OF CREATIVITY, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA, Laurie Lucas, September 21, 2015
2014
SECOND CHANCE AT AN ARTFUL LIFE, Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot / LA Times, David Hansen, May 16, 2014
BUDDHA DIARIES, Peter Clothier, January 3, 2014
Videos & Interviews
2020
Virtual Studio Conversation: Mami Takahashi with Claire Browne and Donna Morin, November 1, 2020 Watch
2018
Part Counterpart, Eric Minh Swenson Watch
2011
Conversation with Daniel Foster and Donna Morin, Video by Denis La Bine, April 3, 2011
2010
Artist Dives into the Deep End, The Press-Enterprise, Daniel Foster, March 3, 2010 (Podcast)
AWARDS & HONORS
2019
52 Project Invited Panel Speaker, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2015
Judge, 42nd Annual Loma Linda Fine Arts Festival, Loma Linda, CA
2013
Juror, National Orange Show Art Exhibition, San Bernardino, CA
2001
The Forum, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
1993
Gold Award, Art of California Discovery Awards (Works on Paper)
1992
Painting Fellowship, California Arts Council
PUBLICATIONS
Women’s Art in OC, by Mali Pouyabahar, June 2014. Published in Blurb.
Donna Morin: Yesterday - Today, exhibition catalog, San Bernardino Valley College, 2016. Self-published.
Donna Morin: Triad, exhibition catalog, San Bernardino Valley College, Jan 12–30, 2009. Essays by Daniel Foster and Louis Fox. Self-published.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Main Library
Riverside City Hall
Riverside Mayor’s Office
San Bernardino Superior Court Collection
San Bernardino Valley College Library Collection
City of Riverside Library Collection
City of Riverside City Manager’s Office
Adopt-a-Highway Maintenance Corp., Santa Ana, CA
Sasse Inland Empire Museum of Art
EDUCATION
1988
M.F.A., Painting, Claremont University, Claremont, CA
1984
B.A., Painting, California State University, San Bernardino, CA
1957
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
2022, 2021, 2018, 2017
Crown Point Press Summer Workshops
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1988-2012
San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, CA
1994
California State University, San Bernardino, CA
La Sierra University, Riverside, CA
1989
Crafton Hills College, Yucaipa, CA
1987-1988
Teaching Assistant to Roland Reiss, Claremont University, Claremont, CA
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2013-2015
DM Studio, Laguna Beach, CA