embodied knowledge, acrylic, sand and enamel on canvas, 48″ x 36″, 2025

For her residency at BoxoPROJECTS, Kim Manfredi explored how her painting, physical practice, and inner life intersect within a conceptual framework— the social contracts embedded in Joshua Tree’s landscape.

Joshua Tree National Park is governed by rules and regulations designed to protect both the land and its visitors. But how do these regulations shape our experience? Who sets the rules, and how does art change within the boundaries of this structured, protected space? What are the rules that govern the property outside of the park and how are they negotiated?

Kim’s exploration was conducted through walking, a daily routine that takes her through private property into the domain of protected lands. Coming across a snake, the ever changing light conditions and the experience of varied desert surfaces all informed the paintings she made in the studio. Through walking, she discovered how place, perception, and social contracts weave together. They shaped her physical experience and creative process.

Several works from the exhibition are going on exhibition starting July 24, 2025 at Minnesota Art Project in San Francisco, organized by Slate Art.

Artist Bio
Kim Manfredi is an American artist who graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 1988. She later returned to MICA, studying under the guidance of Grace Hartigan and Joyce Kozloff, and earned an MFA in painting in 2009.

Following her MFA, Kim was represented by C. Grimaldis Gallery and attended residencies at RUC, Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, and Maryland Art Place. Most recently, she is presented a solo exhibition titled Lady Lazarus at Royale Projects in Los Angeles. Kim was also recently featured in Tutto a Tempo at the Camus Museum in Breno, Italy, and was awarded a full fellowship from the Torrance Art Museum to attend the Cycladic Arts Residency in Paros, Greece. Kim loves her local desert community and is a founder of the annual Desert Open Studios Tour.

Artist website: Kim Manfredi