Bio/CV
A former music industry attorney/executive and personal manager of performers, Sara Jane Boyers changed direction to write and create books and to photograph.
As a photographer, Boyers' work has been picked for exhibition in juried competitions and exhibited in galleries, including a two-person show based upon her Chinatowns project. Her photographs are in collections worldwide and available for editorial, illustration, cover art and stock.
Developing projects include several books based upon her photography including an illustrated book/traveling exhibition featuring Boyers' multi-year photographic project on North American Chinatowns, and a series on a kid photographer.
She is a member of Editorial Photographers and of the Los Angeles League of Photographers (LALOP) and most recently co-curated two exhibitions of the League in support of community efforts to restore an historic and cultural water recreation to two of Los Angeles' downtown parks, as well as a MOPLA-featured exhibition by LALOP as part of the centennial celebration of the historic Santa Monica Pier.
As a writer, Boyers' books have been critically acclaimed and her poetry published. Her first book, LIFE DOESN'T FRIGHTEN ME, the award-winning pairing of the wildly expressive artwork of Jean-Michel Basquiat with a stirring 1978 poem by Maya Angelou, was conceived and designed by Boyers more than a decade ago and recently called a "contemporary classic" by Publishers Weekly. In connection with the recent touring retrospective of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Boyers conducted artist workshops based upon LIFE at the invitation of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH).
Boyers is a contributor as both a writer and as a photographer to print journals and websites, makes keynotes and presents at schools, libraries, art and political organizations - from K-12, college and beyond - and maintains ongoing newsletter/blogs at SaraJaneBoyersAloud Blogspot, LALOPBlog , and TeenPowerPolitics.com, a popular resource on issues and events.
CV FOLLOWS:
PHOTOGRAPHIC
Spring 2011 Into the Chinatowns, Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica
July 2010: Summer Mixology, Creative Photography Workshop/Gallery, Los Angeles, a Presentation of the Photographic Arts Council & the Wallis Annenberg Department of Photography, LACMA (co-curator/photographer)
April 2010: An Intimate View of Southern California, GroupSC 2009, Minarc, Santa Monica
April 2010: MOPLA 2010 theme exhibition: 160/160 - Celebrating 160 years of Los Angeles through 160 Photographers., Space 15 Twenty, Los Angeles, CA
January 2010: GroupSC 2009, Multimedia Preview, Los Angeles Art Show, Los Angeles
March 2009, LALOP At The Pier, Santa Monica Pier Centennial Exhibition, A MOPLA event (co-curator/photographer)
November 2008, Indomitable Spirit Starlight Foundation, Los Angeles
May 2008, Silver Eye Center For Photography, Pittsburgh
December 2007: Chinatowns Storefront for Art & Architecture, New York City
December 2007: For the Love of It BC Space Gallery, Laguna, CA
November 2007: Without A Paddle Part 2 Downbeat Cafe/Gallery, Los Angeles (co-curator/photographer)
October 2007: Without A Paddle Part 1 Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe/Gallery, Los Angeles (co-curator/photographer)
January 2007: Members Who Take Pictures Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles
January 2006: Everyday LA: LALOP Photographers Metro Gallery, Los Angeles
Fall 2005, China: East/West rumba/art.design.decor, Santa Monica
June 2005: Pier Life Venice Arts/Venice Family Clinic, Venice, CA
Spring 2005: Visions of Venice 2005, Julia Dean Gallery, Venice, CA, juried exhibition
Fall 2004: Members Only, Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles
PHOTOGRAPHIC PUBLICATION
Rangefinder Magazine, March 2009
LA Weekly, Daily News, local news weeklies
Non-fiction & novels: Illustration & author portraits, recent:
Papik Family Surf, in "A SUBURBAN CITY," Crabtree Publishing, Canada 2010
"Samuel Freeman in HollyMascott," Catalogue, Blue McRight, no one you know, Samuel Freeman Gallery, Los Angeles 2009
WRITING, PRODUCTION, SPEAKING & PUBLICATION
LIFE DOESN'T FRIGHTEN ME Stewart, Tabor & Chang, New York. Poetry by Maya Angelou. Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Created & edited by Sara Jane Boyers.
A Publisher's Weekly "Best Book" of the Year, AIGA "50 Best Designed Books." NYPL Teen Reading List. ALA BBYA.
O BEAUTIFUL FOR SPACIOUS SKIES Chronicle Books, San Francisco.
Poetry by Katharine Lee Bates. Paintings by Wayne Thiebaud. Created & edited by Sara Jane Boyers
TEEN POWER POLITICS: MAKE YOURSELF HEARD, Written by Sara Jane Boyers. The Millbrook Press.
Bank Street Best Books. VOYA Non-Fiction Honor List. BBYA nominee. NYPL Best Books.
Publisher/Editor/Writer:
UPLIFTER PIONEER, a literary journal
Poet/Contributor: Miscellaneous Anthologies
Freelance Journalist, including:
"Protection for the Artist: The Alternatives" Copyright Law Symposium, Columbia University Press.
"Teens and Politics" Booklinks
"Voting 101" & "The Electoral College" 2000 ChickClick.com
Contributor: WRITERS IN THE KITCHEN, Ed., T. Gardella. Boyd Mills Press
Television Producer/Creator/Co-writer: Heroes, Critters & Pals, Wonderworks (PBS) (developed)
Creator/Writer/Owner:
sarajaneboyersisaloud.blogspot.com
lalopblog.blogspot.com
Youth Activism E-Newsletter
teenpowerpolitics.comSpeaker/Moderator: artist workshops, conferences & keynotes
COLLECTIONS
Los Angeles, CA:
Music & film industry collections
Contemporary Art and contemporary photography collections
Pittsburgh, PA: Noted private photography collection
New York: Italian Fashion & Tribeca contemporary art collections
Sundance, UT: private collection
Europe: A noted writer & several other collections.
EDUCATION
J.D., The Law Center, University of Southern California
First Prize, ASCAP Nathan Burkan Competition on Copyright Law at the Law Center.
National Fifth Prize, ASCAP Nathan Burkan nationwide law school competition.
B.A., Art History, University of California (Berkeley & UCLA)
CAREER HISTORY
Present: Sara Jane Boyers Photography/ Literary/ Productions, Santa Monica, CA
Book & Photography projects - exhibition & curatorial. Speaker/Moderator. Freelance journalism & content provider. Press writer, designer & art consultant for artists, authors, art business, non-profits.
Past 1: Sara Jane Boyers Management, Inc., Venice, CA
Personal career management for recording artists, musicians/composers, actors and entertainers.
Past 2: Music Industry attorney/executive, including MCA Records, Inc. (Department Head)
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY & WRITER AFFILIATIONS
Editorial Photographers
Los Angeles League of Photographers
Photographic Arts Council, LACMA
The Authors' Guild
PEN
SCBWI (Society of Childrens' Writers and Illustrators)