About

ABOUT THE ARTIST

John Kraft is an American mixed media artist born in Los Angeles. After graduating with degrees in both Mechanical and Marine Engineering, John decided to pursue an artistic path. He developed a style and visual vocabulary punctuated by bright colors and whimsical themes. He was selected as a featured artist by Apple in 2001, and his art has been included in Better Homes and Gardens, The Artful Home and Modern Painters. He has received coverage by the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, 7x7 and MacWorld UK. 

In both 2010 and 2018 John was selected to create a large heart for Hearts in SF, which benefits the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation (SFGHF). The heart John created in 2018 was featured on the cover of the February issue of Where Magazine and purchased by Genentech.

John has participated in the Amsterdam based Project eARTh, and his work has been featured in live auctions for the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, Art for AIDS, and ArtSpan. John's art can be found in the permanent collections of Genentech, Facebook, Kaiser Permanente, Autodesk, and Imagery Estate Winery. John was also invited to create a large 30 foot by 7 foot mural at the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. He is a member of the Red Umbrellas Fine Artists Group and has served on the Marin Open Studios board of directors. 

In addition to his visual art, John is a lifelong musician and singer/songwriter and has worked with members of the Grammy award winning band TRAIN. You can learn more about John's original music here.

For the last several years, John has also performed with regional theaters, including roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Sound of Music, and – most recently – as the Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical.

In 2024, John launched Coastal Access, which includes a collection of clothing and accessories inspired by the floral patterns in his Secret Gardens collection. 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS

Kaiser Permanente, Permanent Collection, Fremont, CA 2024
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2024
Providence St. Mary Medical Center, Permanent Collection, Apple Valley, CA 2024
Red Umbrellas Fine Artists, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2024
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2023
Artists for Lahaina – Benefit Art Auction – 2023
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2023
Spanning the Gate, Group Exhibition, Sausalito Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA 2023
181 Fremont LLC, Permanent Collection, San Francisco, CA 2023
Kaleidoscope National Juried Exhibition, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2023
Abstract San Francisco Juried Group Exhibition - Artfuse, San Francisco, CA 2023
ArtSpan Juried Benefit Art Auction - 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2023
Red Umbrellas Fine Artists, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2023
Private Collection, Lake City, AR 2023
Private Collection, Battleground, WA 2023
Kaiser Permanente - Permanent Collection, Sacramento, CA 2022
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2022
ArtSpan Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2022
Kaiser Permanente, Permanent Collection, Sacramento, CA 2022
Red Umbrellas Fine Artists, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2022
Arc Gallery, 48 Pillars - Group Show, San Francisco, CA 2022
Private Collection, Nashville, TN 2021
Private Collection, Mercer Island, WA 2021
Kaiser Permanente, Permanent Collection, Oakland, CA 2020
Facebook, Permanent Collection, San Francisco, CA 2019
El Camino Health, Permanent Collection, Mountain View, CA 2019
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2019
Sofie Contemporary, Calistoga, CA 2019
NorthBay Healthcare, Permanent Collection, Santa Rosa, CA 2019
StartUp Art Fair, San Francisco, CA 2019
Kaiser, Permanent Collection, Petaluma, CA 2019
Sofie Contemporary, Calistoga, CA 2018
Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA 2018
Arc Gallery, FourSquared Juried Group Show, San Francisco, CA 2018
Salesforce Transit Center, Large Mural, San Francisco, CA 2018
Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair, Bellevue, WA 2018
Imagery Estate Winery, Permanent Collection, Sonoma, CA 2018
John Muir Health | UCSF Health: Berkeley OPC, Permanent Collection, Berkeley, CA 2018
Stanford, Permanent Collection, San Francisco, CA 2018
Norton Factory Studios (Guest Artist), Oakland, CA 2018
StartUp Art Fair, San Francisco, CA 2018
Genentech, San Francisco Heart, Permanent Collection, 2018
Kaiser, Permanent Collection, Santa Rosa, CA 2018
MOS Gallery, Group Exhibition, Corte Madera, CA 2018
Art Builds Bridges, ArtSpan Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2018
Red Umbrellas, Juried Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2018
AT&T Park, Hearts in SF, San Francisco, CA 2018
StartUp Art Fair, Los Angeles, CA 2018 
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2017
Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA 2017
Studio Gallery, Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2017
Red Umbrellas, Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2017
Back to the Picture, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2017
Norton Factory Studios, Group Exhibition, Oakland, CA 2017
Arc Gallery, Summer of Love Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2017
MOS Gallery, Group Exhibition, Corte Madera, CA 2017 
SOMArts, ArtSpan Art Bridge [Live Auction], San Francisco, CA 2017
Terra Gallery, Art of Fire [Live Auction], San Francisco, CA  2017
Oyster Point, Corporate Group Exhibition, South San Francisco, CA 2017
Misho Gallery, JustDiggit Project eARTh Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA  2017
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA  2017
Arc Gallery, Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA  2017
Google, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2016
Autodesk, Group Exhibition, San Rafael, CA 2016
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco 2016
SOMArts, ArtLaunch Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2016
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco 2016
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2016
Pacific Art League Gallery, Art of Love Juried Group Exhibition Palo Alto, CA 2016
Arc Gallery, Juried Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2016
Town's End, Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2016
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2015
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2015
Autodesk, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2015
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2015
SOMArts, ArtLaunch Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2015
Town's End, Solo Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2015
ArtSpan Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2015
IMVU Headquarters, Solo Exhibition, Mountain View, CA 2015
Ask.com, Group Exhibition, Oakland, CA 2015
Slate Contemporary, Small Works, Oakland, CA 2014
Arc Gallery, SF Open Studios, San Francisco, CA 2014
SOMArts, ArtLaunch Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2014
Art for AIDS Benefit Art Auction - San Francisco 2014
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2014
Intel Corporation, Group Exhibition, Santa Clara, CA 2014 
Town’s End, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2014
SOMArts, ArtSpan Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2014
Etcetera, Solo Show, San Francisco, CA November 2014
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2013
Misho Gallery, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2013
ArtSpan Open Studios Exhibition at SOMArts, San Francisco, CA 2013
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2013
UCSF Medical Center Serenity Invitational, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2013
Arc Gallery, Juried Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2013
SOMArts, ArtLaunch Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2012
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2012
SF Travel HQ, San Francisco, CA December, 2012
SF International Arts Festival, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2012
CITY ART Gallery, Exhibitions, San Francisco, 2012
Spring Open Studios, Arc Studios & Gallery, San Francisco, March 2012
Hotel Triton, Solo Show, San Francisco, CA 2011
SOMArts, Visual Aid's Art Auction, San Francisco, CA, 2011
111 Minna Gallery, Benefit Auction for SF Children's Art Center, San Francisco, CA 2011
Art for AIDS, Juried Benefit Art Auction, San Francisco, CA 2011
Sutter Pacific, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2011
UCSF Medical Center, Serenity Spring Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2011
Arc Gallery, Juried Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2011
SF Chronicle, Hub SOMA Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2011
Zinfandel Art Festival, Featured Artist, San Francisco, CA 2011
CITY ART Gallery, Group Exhibitions, San Francisco, CA 2010
Visual Aid Exhibition & Fundraiser, SOMArts, San Francisco, CA 2010
Heroes & Hearts – Large Heart, SF General Hospital Foundation, San Francisco, CA 2010
Barber Lounge - SOMA, Group Exhibition, San Francisco, CA 2010
Artist Xchange Gallery, Best in Show, Group Show, San Francisco, CA 2010
111 Minna Gallery, Art Auction & Benefit, San Francisco, CA 2009
Durban-Segnini Gallery, Step by Step Group Exhibition, Miami, FL 2008
Intel Corporation, Group Exhibition, Corporate Headquarters, Santa Clara, CA 2008 

PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS

10 Can't Miss Artists at StartUp Art Fair
Hearts in SF (7x7 Magazine)
Cover Feature (Where Magazine)
Academy of Art Interview
Art and Arias (Marin Arts & Culture Magazine)
John Kraft Charts Artistic Course (CMA Magazine)
John Kraft - Artiste Fabuleux (More & More Paris)
California Artist Reaches Out to Students Who Studied Him (Sun)
Flying Dolphins Celebrate Ocean's Seven Swimmer (PR Web)
SF Open Studios Featured Artist (Huffington Post)
Honoring Heart & Soul, Heroes & Hearts (San Francisco Chronicle)
Art and Arias - (Marin Arts and Culture Magazine)
America's Cup Makes San Francisco Artist Dream in Color (PR Web)
John Kraft - Left & Right Brain Maestro (DP Magazine)
SF Heroes & Hearts Featured Heart (Where Magazine)
Creativity on the Course - Art at the San Francisco Marathon 
Artist John Kraft  (Interviewfest) 
Heart-works: SF General Hospital Foundation (SF Gate)
John Kraft’s Virtual Opening Reception at Intel  (Art History, about.com)
John Kraft Extends Reach of Intel Exhibition Via YouTube, Facebook, and Google – (Reuters)
Featured Artist Interview (The Artist’s Reality)
A Playful Balance, Featured Artist (Better Homes & Gardens)
Google Helps Emerging Artists Go Global (PR Newswire)
Apple’s Featured Artist Programme (MacWorld UK)
Artist You Should Know – John Kraft (Art History, about.com)
Lombard Street – Cover Page Feature (SF Apartment Magazine)
Apple Selects John Kraft as Featured Artist (Bloomberg)

EDUCATION

B.S. Mechanical Engineering (CMA)
B.S. Marine Engineering (CMA)