Mario Pikus

Mario Pikus, painter and sculptor, won his first Art Award at age 8 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. By his teen years, he was participating in group shows and painting commissioned murals. At age 20, Mario traveled to New York City to meet the only living Paris-of-the-20’s artist, the renowned Cubist sculptor, Jacques Lipchitz. Lipchitz believed Mario to be an artistic genius, and became his mentor. Lipchitz compared Mario to the expressionist painter Chaim Soutine. Through Lipchitz, Mario met his most significant collectors, Lester Avnet and William Mazer.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, while living in studios in Soho and Tribeca in New York City, Mario became an activist in fighting for the legal rights of artists to both work and live in their loft spaces. He was responsible for case law and legislation that protected thousands of artists in their lofts. This protracted struggle for the artists’ homes resulted in one of Mario’s largest exhibitions held in Soho, entitled “Pictures of an Eviction”. Mario has completed many commissioned artworks for private collectors and celebrities, including a portrait of New Orleans musician Al Hirt, and the Belmont Triple Crown winning horse "High Schemes" for Joseph Morrissey.

In 198...

RECENT SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2015-2017 El Paseo Art in Public Places - Palm Desert, CA
2015 Rebecca Fine Art Gallery, Cathedral City, CA
2014 Leslie Jean Porter Gallery, Cathedral City, CA
2013 Creare Fine Art Gallery, El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA
2012 Best of Show Award - Palm Springs 13th Juried Art Show, Palm Springs, CA
2012 Exhibition - “Three” - City of Palm Desert Community Gallery, CA
2012 Installation/Unveiling of Sculpture - Agnes Pelton Society - Sculpture Garden, CA
2011 Exhibition - Pop-Up Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2011 Exhibition of Drawing Series: Bob Hope Golf Classic, Hotel Zoso, Palm Springs, CA
2010 Featured Sculptor, Cabot Pueblo Museum – Earth Day -DHS, CA
2010 One Man Show, David Blank Gallery – Palm Desert, CA
2009 Selected Artist – Lambert Concert, Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage, CA
2009 Best of Show Award - ACE – Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
2008 Exhibition - Rancho Mirage Public Library, Rancho Mirage, CA
2007 Project “Translate” – Rancho Mirage, CA
2006 Desert in Manhattan, Tribeca, N.Y.C.
2004 Make It a Better World, Palm Springs, CA
2004 Art in the Park, Palm Springs, C