John Baldessari (b. 1931, National City, CA; d. 2020, Los Angeles, CA) was one of the most significant American artists of the past century. An influential educator, he taught at the California Institute of the Arts (1970-1988) and the University of California at Los Angeles (1996-2007). Baldessari’s artwork has been featured in more than 200 solo exhibitions and in over 1,000 group exhibitions internationally. His numerous awards include the National Medal of Arts Award (2014), and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, awarded by La Biennale di Venezia (2009).