Biography
Donna M. Woods
Donna Woods is a California artist whose career spans over thirty-years. She has participated in a number of individual and group shows; and has been involved in the community working with at risk youth and adults, who are challenged by internal and external conditions. Throughout her career Ms. Woods has explored various forms of expressive arts and transpersonal forms of expression to stimulate her internal muse, which have carefully guided her through several career challenges.
Ms. Woods is currently a teaching fellow at Loyola Marymount University, her area of expertise is expressive art exploration to a group of graduate students. She is also an on-call art therapist for Alzheimer patients at Mission Lodge, which is celebrating its Centennial birthday in 2008.
In 2006 Donna moved to Nova Scotia, and opened Indigo Mood Expressive Arts Studio. As a registered Art and Marriage and Family Therapist. Donna recognizes the importance of nurturing hope; her studio was designed to provide a safe haven for individuals in the process of reconstructing a new self-image, while improving self-esteem through creativity. Donna’s goal was to promote growth and health in the community through the expressive arts.
In 2005, Ms. Woods received a Master of Arts, with a MFT certificate specializing in Art Therapy, from Loyola Marymount University.
Ms. Woods is also a co-founder and a executive board member of H.E.A.L., Inc. (Heritage Empowered Arts Legacy), which is a 501 C3 federal tax-exempt corporation. Heal provides creative leadership to Los Angeles ethnically diverse urban community in the preservation and presentation of their historical, cultural, and artistic legacies. Donna is also the owner of Imagiovation, which is a multicultural arts consulting entity, which utilizes the arts as a tool to help heal humanity.
Ms. Woods was a co-founder (of) and curator for Backstreet Galleries for seven years (1999 to 2005). As BackStreeTs curator, she implemented multi – ethnic programming and hosted several international arts exhibits.
Donna was represented by the prestigious Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in its Sales and Rental Gallery, as an emerging artist. It was a successful five - year contract that ended in 1999.
In 1992 Los Angeles experienced civil unrest. Mayor Tom Bradley formed a task force to select artisans to help in the rebuilding of community spirit. Donna was awarded a Los Angeles Recovery Grant, to teach Graffiti Taggers, fine art techniques. During that same period, Ms. Woods was contracted by Saint Elmo Village to teach inner city children mural design and development, as well as fine art painting.
Ms. Woods professional art career began with a paid internship, in 1978, at Rosie Grier’s graphics training program know as “Giant Step.”