Founded by independent curator, Rita de Alencar Pinto in 2008, Vanity Projects first began as a pop-up, organizing itself in the homes and studios of visual artists, friends, and art aficionados. Vanity Projects quickly received offers to present at art fairs, fashion events, museums, and cultural institutions. In January 2013, MoMA PS1 invited Vanity Projects to do a three-month pop-up within the Confettisystems installation, held in the museum’s duplex.
It was at this time that Pinto developed the concept of the artist-in-residence program. Offering the top international nail artists the chance to engage and experience the exchange of technique and ideas, the program coincided with the salon’s brick and mortar debut in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in July 2013. Since then Vanity Projects has hosted over one hundred international nail artists in both the New York and Miami locations.
Since opening Vanity Projects has appeared in over 50 publications, including being named ‘Best of New York’ by both Allure and New York Magazines. In addition to editorial spreads, our artists have assisted and lead runways shows at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York and Miami Swim. Vanity Projects has been invited to participate in pop-ups at the Pulizer Foundation in St. Louis, The Brooklyn Museum, The Aldrich Museum, Los Angeles Contemporary Art Fair, NADA Miami Beach, Sculpture Center and the Aspen Museum of Art.
In April 2015, Vanity Projects opened its second location in Miami, Florida, and recently relocated to The Design District. In 2017 Vanity Projects partnered with Daata Editions a leading online video art platform. Daata Editions commission’s artist video, sound, poetry and web. Together we champion video art and hope to build new audiences.