About the Artist

Elizabeth Washburn is a painter, art director, and educator whose practice explores the intersections of art, history, and human expression. Based in San Diego, she has exhibited her paintings in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Oceanside Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, and Canon Gallery. Her work engages with both the technical lineage and emotional resonance of image-making, reflecting a deep understanding of art’s evolving visual languages from the Renaissance to contemporary practice.

As Founder and Art Director of Combat Arts San Diego, Washburn leads public mural projects, curates exhibitions, and develops trauma-informed arts programming for veterans and system-engaged youth. She teaches at the Timken Museum of Art and UC San Diego Extension, where her courses combine formal analysis, art history, and aesthetic critique. 

Elizabeth has exhibited her artwork in museums throughout Southern California including: Museum of Contemporary Art, Long Beach Museum of Art, Oceanside Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, and several art galleries including: Canon Gallery in Carlsbad, CA, Sue Greenwood Fine Art in Laguna Beach, CA, Leopold Gallery in Kansas City, MO and Cobalt Gallery in San Diego, CA.

In an effort to broaden her artistic efforts for the community, Elizabeth, in 2010, founded and is the executive director of a nonprofit art organization Combat Arts San Diego (www.CombatArtsSD.org). With Combat Arts San Diego, Elizabeth uses art to help system-engaged youth and wounded veterans to manage trauma through art making. Using art as a therapeutic tool to heal, learn, and communicate, Elizabeth provides opportunities for teens and vets to meaningfully engage with the arts.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Laguna College of Art and Design in Laguna Beach, CA and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA.