Glenn Kaino is known internationally for his expansive vision and activist-minded practice, which encompasses painting, sculpture, installation, performance, monumental public art, theatrical production, and feature film. Examining a wide range of political, social, and environmental issues in his work, Kaino takes a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to art-making. His work brings together systems of knowledge, forms of production, and people that do not normally have a chance to connect, and often involves long-term partnerships with a diverse array of visionary collaborators.

Glenn is a conceptual artist, but also an experienced entrepreneur and Emmy-Award winning creator who has led major digital brands such as the Oprah Winfrey Network, Napster, and Universal Music Group/Farmclub. He has had exhibitions at museums around the world, including the High Museum of Atlanta, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, alongside being selected by the U.S Department of State to represent the United States in the 13th Cairo Biennale. He most recently co-directed With Drawn Arms, a film about his collaboration with activist/athlete Tommie Smith on Starz, and produced both the off-broadway and film version of In & Of Itself that is now a special on Hulu.

A stalwart supporter of the arts community, Glenn co-founded the seminal artist-run space Deep River in 1997 and played a crucial role in establishing and developing arts nonprofits like LAXART, Mistake Room, and, of course, Active Cultures––the first cultural organization dedicated to the intersections of art and food. On our five year anniversary, Active Cultures continues to be inspired by our co-founder’s vision and impact in Los Angeles, and no less by his rhizomatic practice, where in any media and within any system, his work is distinguished by his obsessive investment in technical virtuosity, functionality, and purpose not only to imagine–but make visible and enact–new futures for art and culture.