About Inja Cho
Inja Cho is a Korean-American artist who has been working in Kalamazoo, Michigan, since 2008. She moved to Michigan from South Korea to attend school in 1990 and lived in Ann Arbor working as a teacher in a private schools and graphic artist in a major pharmaceutical company. She studied fine art in painting at Western Michigan University graduating magna cum laude.
She also studied painting and art history at the Studio Art Center International (SACI) in Florence, Italy – a study abroad program through Western Michigan University as well as painting and drawing at the Art Students League in New York, NY. She accepted a residency at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center in Solomons, Maryland, in 2012. She is an active member of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and the College Art Association.
Her creativity and enthusiasm is not limited to her painting. Inja is a passionate teacher of children, singing and playing piano and guitar to inspire and elicit their inner worlds.
Inja’s art is in corporate and private collections including Western Michigan University’s President’s office, Michigan Dentists Office, Crescendo Music Academy, Hi-Tech Dental Laboratories, Inc. and Liberty Steel Company. Her works can also be found in overseas collections including Sam-Yook Kindergarten, South Korea, Chung-Won Chinese Language Institute, South Korea, and Jo-Jo inc., Tokyo, Japan, and private collections.
You can contact Inja at injachoart@gmail.com.
Education
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting Emphasis), Magna Cum Laude – Western Michigan University Frostic School of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI
- Renaissance Art History, Painting – Studio Arts College International (SACI), Florence, Italy
- Painting, Drawing – Art Students League of New York, New York, NY
Honors and Awards
- 2009 Enrichment Grant – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
- 2009 Angie Gayman Carmer Art Scholarship – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
- 2009 Robert and Eleanor DeVries Awards for Annual Student Juried Exhibition – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
- 2009 Purchase Award, Michiana Annual Juried Art Competition – The Box Factory, St. Joseph, MI
- 2008 Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
- 2008-2009 Dean’s List – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
- 2007 Dean’s List – Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 2007 University Scholarship and Community College Scholarship – Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
- 2006 Dean’s List – Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1998 Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society – Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1987-1990 Dean’s List – Seo-Kang University, Kwang-Ju, South Korea
- 1987-1990 University Scholarships and honor graduated – Seo- Kang University, Kwang-Ju, South Korea
Artist Residency
- 2019 City of Gwangju, South Korea International Artist Residency – Participating countries: United States, France, and Russia
- 2013 Asian Artist Residency, Dae-dong Cultural Foundation, Gwangju, South Korea – Participating countries: S. Korea, India, China, Macao, Nepal, Thailand, and Taiwan
- 2012 AnnMarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate) – The Living Gallery Program, Dowell, MD
Professional Experiences
- 2009 – Present: Freelance artist, Inja Cho Fine Art
- 2012: Mentorship, Mindi K. Bagnall – Registrar of Exhibitions, Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University; Curator of the WMU University Art Collection, MKB Art Studio – Kalamazoo, MI
- 2005-Present: Korean Interpreter / Translator: International Translating Bureau – Southfield, MI
- 2002-06: Document Specialist / Paralegal, Patent Legal Dept., Pfizer Global Research & Development – Ann Arbor, MI
- 1999-02: Document Specialist / Graphics Specialist, Regulatory Affairs Dept., Pfizer Global Research & Development – Ann Arbor, MI
- 1995-1996: Special Education Private Tutor for a child with autism – Ann Arbor, MI
- 1991-1995: Head Teacher, Concord Kindergarten – Ann Arbor, MI
Professional Affiliation and Membership
- Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo – Kalamazoo, MI
- College Art Association
- Chicago Artists Coalition – Chicago, IL
- The Guild of Artists & Artisans – Ann Arbor, MI