Mainly Mozart Artist-in-Residence

2025/2026: Joel Anderson

Joel Anderson

Artist-in-Residence 2025/2026

Mainly Mozart, in partnership with The Art of Autism, has named award winning artist and autism activist Joel Anderson Artist-in-Residence for the 2025 and 2026 Mainly Mozart Seasons.

A globally exhibited visual artist from Fallbrook, Anderson brings a powerful new dimension to the festival through his composer-inspired works. Diagnosed with autism at age three, Anderson’s art has been featured from Asia, Africa and throughout the Americas.

For the Residency, Joel Has Created a Suite of Pop-Style Classical Composer-Themed Art

Creating for this year original works focused on 2025 Festival featured composers: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Saint Saens, Chopin, Bach and, of course…Mozart.

Anderson is an author, illustrator, international speaker, philanthropist, and award-winning artist whose creative expressions span painting, digital media, animation, and video production. Living with synesthesia and autism, Anderson draws inspiration from the interplay of his senses. “When I hear music, the notes have color,” he explains. Known for his vibrant and unconventional techniques, Anderson specializes in portraiture, striving to capture the soul of his subjects.

His art has achieved global acclaim, with works exhibited in prestigious museums and galleries, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, where his work has hung alongside that of artists such as Jackson Pollock and others; the Chiba City Museum of Art; The National Art Center in Tokyo; the Oceanside Museum of Art in California; Soho Digital Art Gallery in New York City; and The California Museum. His participation in international group shows spans countries such as China, Peru, Japan, Canada, and Armenia.

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