About
Priyanka Parmanand is an abstract painter known for layered, color-saturated florals and expressive figurative works on paper. Her paintings are held in private collections, have been shown in solo and group exhibitions, and have been selected for public art programs including the City of Renton Arts Commission's utility box project and the Pianos in the Parks initiative.
Priyanka is equally known as a leader in the arts. She served as President of Women Painters of Washington from 2024 to 2026, and before that as Vice President, and has been on its board since 2020. Founded in 1930, it is one of the oldest professional organizations for women artists in the United States.
Her career pairs a painter's eye with large-scale event and marketing leadership. She leads marketing and special events at the King County Library System (KCLS), including its gala. Before that, as Director of Event Operations at Bellevue Arts Museum, she led the BAM Arts Fair, one of the largest art festivals in the Pacific Northwest, held since 1947 with more than 300 artists and part of a Bellevue arts weekend that draws about 150,000 visitors.
She is also the founder of Crimson Canvas Arts, an arts education company that has brought art programs to schools, community centers, senior centers and city recreation programs, and she leads creative workshops for corporate teams.
Artist statement
The complexity and boldness of abstraction has always spoken to me. I paint in acrylic, mostly with palette knives and my bare hands, and texture and surface are at the center of every piece.
I work in a simple, spontaneous way, moving loosely across the canvas and making bold marks, letting vibrant colors push and pull against each other until the painting resolves. What I love most is the journey toward the unpredictable. That sense of discovery is what keeps me painting.
Flowers are at the heart of my work. To me they are a symbol of hope: comforting, healing and quietly joyful. I want each painting to carry that energy into the room it lives in.
Leadership
- 2025 to present
Marketing and Special Events Lead, King County Library System (KCLS)
Leads marketing and special events, including the KCLS gala and large-scale public programs, working with senior leadership on event strategy, sponsors and communications.
- 2024 to 2026
President, Women Painters of Washington
Led the board of one of the oldest professional women artists' organizations in the country. Under her leadership the organization produced more than 20 events reaching over 10,000 attendees and grew its online audience and sales.
- 2022 to 2025
Director of Event Operations, Bellevue Arts Museum
Led event strategy and operations for the museum, including exhibition launches, leadership events and press conferences, and the BAM Arts Fair: more than 300 artists and part of a Bellevue arts weekend drawing about 150,000 visitors.
- 2022 to 2024
Vice President, Women Painters of Washington
- 2020 to present
Board Member, Women Painters of Washington
Founder, Crimson Canvas Arts
An arts education company bringing art programs to schools, community centers, senior centers and city recreation programs.
Crimson Canvas Arts
Priyanka founded Crimson Canvas Arts to give young people a place to learn quality art and experience the joy of making it. What began with a few students at her kitchen table grew into classes and workshops at more than ten schools and community centers, art programs offered through city summer camps and weekly classes, programs for seniors, and a teen art club. When in-person classes paused in 2020, she built an online program so students could keep making art.
Workshops for teams
Priyanka leads guided painting workshops for corporate teams, in person and virtually, designed for people who have never held a palette knife. Past clients include Amazon.