Mia ‘Mimi’ Pinheiro

Mimi Pinheiro is an Azorean-American artist, curator, and cultural organizer working across painting, performance, and site-specific installation. Her multidisciplinary practice explores ornament, absurdism, and devotion to the handmade—reviving traditional techniques through a contemporary lens. Mimi’s formative education took place in Mexico City, where she apprenticed for two years with painter José “Pepe” Barbosa of the collective Grupo Suma and collaborated with artists from El Quinto Piso.

Now based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Mimi maintains a studio at the Kilburn Mill, where she continues her work in painting, sculpture, and live arts. She is the co-founder of Site Specific Happenings (SSH), a shape-shifting arts and recreation project that transforms unconventional or underutilized public spaces into platforms for creative exchange. Through SSH, she curated and produced Salad Days (2025), a major multidisciplinary exhibition staged in the greenhouses of Allen Haskell Public Gardens that brought together over 20 regional artists, community partners, and educators.

In addition to her studio and curatorial work, Mimi provides creative direction, content management, and visual storytelling support for artists and galleries—bridging the gap between conceptual vision and public engagement. Her projects often merge humor, ornamentation, and spatial reimagination to cultivate dialogue between art, architecture, and community.

Mimi has exhibited and performed in galleries and museums across Mexico City, Berlin, Los Angeles, and New England. Her works are available for collection through Mooni (Mexico City) and Merchant House (New Orleans).