Petropoulos was born in Los Angeles and received her B.A. in Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1974 and then her M.A. in Photography and Video, 1977, and her M.F.A. in Studio Art, 1979- both from UCLA. Petropoulos is represented by Rosamund Felsen Gallery in Santa Monica, California and is a professor at Otis College of Art and Design in the Graduate Fine Arts, Graduate Public Practice and Graduate Graphic Design departments.
"Trespassing: Houses X Artists," Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA, The Art Museum of the University of Houston, Houston, TX, 2004, and University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL, 2003.
"Structures of Knowledge," RAID Projects, Los Angeles, CA, 2001
"Urban Hymns," The Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Los Angeles, CA, 2000
"The Stroke: An Overview of Contemporary Painting," Exit Art, New York City, NY (1999-2012)
"Tangles," Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA, 1996
"Excavations," Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA, 1998
Public art
Renée Petropoulos has made public artworks in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Among her public art commissions are a large painted ceiling at the downtown Los Angeles Public Library and a series of sculptures in Culver City, a collaborative project for the Municipal Services Building in downtown Philadelphia, and medallions for the guideway Douglas St/Rosecrans Ave. station of the Metro Green Line in El Segundo, California.
