CYDNEY PAYTON, lives and works in Monterey, California. She writes fiction, poetry, and essays on art and artists. Her curatorial practice centers on contemporary art and experimental architecture. In 2022, Payton founded MAZZY PRESS, a small editions press dedicated to collaborations of writers and artists. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival. In a previous career (1990-2009) Payton was a museum director and chief curator of contemporary art. Her career in the arts began with the founding of the Cydney Payton Gallery.
CURRENT PROJECTS
In The Long Window, Cydney Payton with Alan Scarritt. Poetry, MAZZY PRESS, Monterey, CA. Available at City Lights, San Francisco, CA
Patty Ortiz with George Emilio Sanchez: In the Land of the Conqueror, an artist book. Small Editions, Brooklyn, NY. Curator & Editor. Spring 2023
Don’t Look Away. Novel. Fiction. (forthcoming)
Martha Casanave: Girl Photographer, Editor. (forthcoming)
Martha Casanave: Picture Fabricator 1969-2018, Curator. June-August 2023, Center for Photographic Arts, Carmel, CA
Todd Cole: On the Language of Gardens. Brick, Concrete, Glass, Metal, Steel, Stone—Editor and Contributor (forthcoming)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2013 Unbuilt San Francisco: The View from Futures Past (co-curator, Benjamin Grant) featuring architects: John Bolles, Ernest Born, Mario Ciampi, Vernon DeMars, Lawrence Halprin, Legorreta & Legorreta, Daniel Libeskind, William Merchant, Willis Polk, Kenzo Tange, and Cathy Simon. California Historical Society and SPUR, San Francisco
2012 Temporary Structures (co-curator, Glen Helfand) featuring Pawel Althamer, Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt, David Gissen, Amy H. Ho, David Ireland, Paul Kos, Roy McMakin, Christian Nagler & Azin Seraj, Ben Peterson, Michael Robinson, Jonathan Runico, Mungo Thomson, Together We Can Defeat Capitalism. San Francisco Institute of Arts (SFAI), San Francisco
2011 The Thing Is To See: Selected Photo: Souvenirs of Daniel Buren 1968-1975 thethingistosee.com Steven Leiber Archives, San Francisco
2010 Yu-Cheng Chou: Because 64 Crayons Made in the USA. Superfrog Gallery, New People, San Francisco
2009 Rex Ray: Discolaria. MCA DENVER, Colorado
Damien Hirst: A Survey. MCA DEVER
The Legend of Bud Shark and His Indelible Ink. MCA DENVER
2008 Susanne Kühn: Recent Paintings. MCA DENVER
2007 Star Power: Museum as Body Electric featuring David Altmejd, Carlos Amorales, Candice Breitz, Rangi Kipa, Wangechi Mutu, Chris Ofili, and Collier Schorr. MCA DENVER
Erwin Redl: FADE, Denver. MCA DENVER (temporary—contemporary);
Creative Acts That Matter (Part III): The Peace Project. Roberto Behar & Rosario Marquardt/R&R Studios. MCA DENVER (temporary—contemporary)
2004 Over One Billion Served: Conceptual Photography from the People’s Republic of China (co-curator, Julie Seagraves, Asian Art Coordinating Council) featuring Zhao Bandi, Zhang Dali, Zhu Fadong, Liu Jin, Wang Jinsong, Sheng Qi, Wang Qingsong, Liu Wei, Wu Xiaojun, Wu Xiaojun, Bai Yiluo, and Liang Yue. MCA (Sakura Square)
2002 Archipelago: an Intimate Immensity (co-curator Ann Shostrom) featuring Suzanne Anker, Lillian Ball, John Bowman, Chuck Cave, Kim Dickey, Rebecca DiDomenico, Jim Dingilian, Drew Dominick, Ellen Driscoll, Mary Ehrin, Madeleine Hatz, Linda Herritt, Elana Herzog, Lisa Hoke, Stacy Levy, Terry Maker, Howard McCalebb, Burt Payne 3, Kate Petley, PLOT, Elizabeth Olbert, Helen O’Leary, Katie Holten, Julie Poitras Santos, Bruce Price, Chandler Romeo, Ann Shostrom, Peter Soriano, Sarah Schwartz, Yuken Teruya, Kim Turos, John Torreano, Sarah Vanderlip, and Jaeha Yoo. MCA DENVER
2000 Elbows & Tea Leaves: Front Range Women in the Visual Arts featuring Michelle Amota, Linda Herritt, Virginia Maitland, Sally Elliot, Maggie Gilboy, Betty Woodman, Barbara Shark, Carol Brown, Marilyn Duke, Celeste Rehm, June Julian, and Vidie Lange. BMOCA, Boulder, Colorado. Traveled to Durango Art Center, Colorado
1998 Multi-Nationals featuring Mónica Castillo, Pablo Vargas Lugo, Betsabeé Romero, Teresa Serrano, Melanie Smith, Eugenia Vargas. Co-‐‑Curator: Linda Herritt. BMOCA, Boulder
1996 Larry Bell: Sumer. BMOCA, Boulder. Traveled to The Harwood Museum, Taos, New Mexico
1995 Lynda Benglis: Chimera. Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Traveled to Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, The Harwood Museum, Taos, and University Gallery of Northern New Mexico, Raton, New Mexico
1990 Alan Scarritt: Untitled. Exhibition and performance. Payton Rule, Denver; Clark Richert: Non/Euclidean Walks. Payton Rule, Denver
1989 Arlene Shechet: Recent Drawings. Payton Rule
1988 The Nature of Things featuring Ellen Driscoll, Fischli & Weiss, David Humphreys, Alan Saret, Alan Scaritt, Sandy Skoglund. Cydney Payton Gallery, Denver
SELECTED WRITING
In The Long Window. Cydney Payton with Alan Scarritt. 2022. Poetry. MAZZY PRESS
Don’t Look Away. Fiction (forthcoming)
Sherry Wiggins: The Unknown Herione. Editor and Contributor
Mirror Image: Sherry Wiggins with Luis Branco. Catalogue essay
On Ribbons: A Landscape Sculpture, and the Future of Civic Art and Infrastructure. Book interview
A Way Beyond Enclosed Space: Ann Shostrom. Elizabeth Harris, New York City. Catalogue essay
Basement Theories: The Work of Susan Meyer and Jeff Starr. Valley Variety, Hudson, New York. Catalogue essay
A Common Task: Making Paper Giants: Ky Anderson, Meg Lipke, Vicki Sher, Proto Gallery, Hoboken, New York. Catalogue essay
The Thing Is To See: Selected Photo: Souvenirs of Daniel Buren 1968-1975. thethingistosee.com Steven Leiber Archives, San Francisco
Susanne Kühn: Recent Paintings. Contributor. Catalogue interview
The Legend of Bud Shark and His Indelible Ink. MCA DENVER. Catalogue Editor and Contributor
A Conversation with Sir David Adjaye, Adjaye & Associates, UK/NYC, Bad at Sports, Art Chicago—on-line and print version