Statement

Oh Blue Is a series of small papier måche´ sculptures that are political in a friendly way.

Curious Home consists of small sculptures. They could be doll houses or something more tragic. They are designed to be fooled with. Toys and mementos can be added and rearranged.

People You Know is a visual diary in which the style is innocent, the colors pretty and the characters pull each others hair from time to time.

War Stories began with the depiction of the emotional part of war memories of old people in Nebraska and Germany and of young people in Chicago, with emphasis on World Wars I and II and the Iraq War. Some of the works are made in an idiosyncratic intentionally-childlike style so that the difficult stories are not too horrible to look at. The series has evolved to include reports of refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

Beautiful Industry depicts the beautiful and poisonous heavy industry near Chicago and Detroit with collage and painting.

Soap Is A Noun has titles that are funny but serious.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2024

18. An Exhibition for Our Times. Woman Made Gallery. Chicago IL

2022

Curious Home. Epiphany Art Center. Chicago IL

2021

People You Know. 65 Grand. Chicago IL

2018

The Studio Sale. Chicago IL

2017

Old Women and Other Contenders. Center on Halsted. Chicago IL

Two Stories: Beautiful Industry/People You Know. Governors State University, University Park IL

2016

War Stories. Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago IL

2013

Beautiful Industry. South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend IN

2011

War Stories. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

2008

Lifescapes. Sherry Washington Gallery, Detroit MI

2006

Affairs of the Heart. North Central College Gallery, Naperville IL

2005

The Approach: New Works on Paper. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

2004

Art by Mary King. galley IN 46403, Gary IN

2003

Nose to Nose: A Survey of Human Interactions. Denise Bibro Fine Art New York NY

2000

Nature in the City. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

Girls Do It. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

The Road to Beauty. Park Gallery, Kalamazoo MI

1997

Landscapes / Peoplescapes. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

The Landscapes. Water Street Gallery, Saugatuck MI

1995

The Practice Mother. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

1992

Help Is Sought; Help Is Found. Kingscott Gallery, Kalamazoo MI

1991

Traveling On. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo MI

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024

What Then (?). boundary Gallery, Chicago Il (2 Person)

2021

Post-Rust Belt: Living Between Americas. Vestige Gallery, Pittsburgh PA

2020

Home. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

Art In The Time Of Quarantine. The Art Center Highland Park, Highland Park IL

Eros and Thanatos. Buckham Gallery, Flint MI

Women’s Works. Old Courthouse Gallery, Woodstock IL

Honoring Our Heroes. Estrada Garcia Gallery, Georgetown TX

2019

E Pluribus: Reflections on the Anniversary of 911. Oberlin Center for the Arts, Oberlin OH

Michigan Fine Arts Exhibition. BBAC, Birmingham MI

Art and Social Justice. Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend IN

2018

Woman Made Midwest Open. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

2017

E Pluribus: Reflections on 9/11. Silent Funny Gallery, Chicago IL

Michigan Fine Arts Exhibition, BBAC, Birmingham MI (Award)

2016

Art and Social Justice. Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend IN

2015

Embracing Unconventional Views of the World. The Art Center Highland Park, Highland Park IL

2012

Beautiful Industry. South Shore Arts, Crown Point IN (2-Person)

National Art Premiere. Elmhurst Artists’ Guild. Elmhurst IL (Award)

2010

Beautiful Industry. Beverly Arts Center, Chicago IL (2-Person)

Beautiful Industry. South Shore Arts, Hammond IN (2-Person)

War Stories/Troubled Spaces. Kimmel Harding Center For The Arts, Nebraska City NE (2-Person)

From The Center: Now! Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL (Juror: Lucy Lippard)

Texas National. SFA University, Nacogdoches TX (Juror: Judy Pfaff)

2009

Beautiful Industry. Kingscott Gallery, Kalamazoo MI (2-Person)

2007

Distinguished Alumni. Richmond Center, Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI (4-Person)

15th Anniversary Exhibition. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL (Invitational)

2006

Art and Social Justice. Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend IN

Curlyque: Four Chicago Women Artists. Beacon Street Gallery Chicago IL

2005

8th International Open. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

2004

Summer Invitational. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

2003

Texas National. Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches TK (Award. Juror: Ed Moses)

Women, Trauma & Visual Expression. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

2002

Roles and Identity. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

2001

Small Scale. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY

Curator’s Choice. Around The Coyote, Chicago IL

Chicago Women Artists. Judith Racht Gallery On Lake Chicago IL

1999

2nd International Open. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

1998

Happy Scenes / Roadside Treasures. Clare Spitler Works of Art Ann Arbor MI (2-Person)

Botanicals II. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Flint MI (Award)

Three Degrees of Abstraction. Arts Council Gallery, Kalamazoo MI (3-Person)

62nd Annual Midyear Exhibition. The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown OH (Jurors: Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt)

1997

Fourth Annual Small Works Invitational. Blue Mountain Gallery, New York NY

New Works by Gallery Artists. Gruen Galleries, Chicago IL

1996

The Lyrical, the Expressionist and the Poetic. Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York NY (Juror: Michael Walls)

Rutgers National 96 Works on/of Paper. Camden NJ (Jurors: Leon Golub, Ann Philbin)

Art and Social Justice. Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend IN (Award)

Out of Solitude. Michigan Gallery, Detroit MI

1995

Maximum Capacity. Art Initiatives’ Salon ’95, New York NY (Award)

Urban Landscape. Gruen Galleries, Chicago IL

1994

Michigan Fine Arts Competition. BBAC, Birmingham MI (Juror: Ellen Phelan. Award)

Encounters. Cary Gallery, Rochester MI (2-Person)

Going Too Far. Clare Spitler Works of Art, Ann Arbor MI (2-Person)

Mass Exposure. Art Initiatives’ Salon ’94, New York NY (Award)

National ’94 Small Works Exhibition. Schoharie County Arts Council, Cobbleskill NY (Juror: Jerry Saltz)

1993

Mary King / James Stauber. Gruen Galleries, Chicago IL (2-Person)

1992

Her Art Works. Women’s Caucus for Art, Art Center, South Bend IN (Juror: Lynda Benglis)

Define: Family. Woman Made Gallery, Chicago IL

Works on Paper. Trial Balloon, New York, NY (2-Person)

1991

First Annual Michigan Artists Invitational. O.K. Harris Works of Art, Birmingham MI

Art and Social Justice. Colfax Cultural Center, South Bend IN (Award)

Work by American and European Artists. Laurie Bery, New York NY

1990

Art in the Nineties. Detroit Focus Gallery, Detroit MI (Juror: Faith Ringgold)

Selected Collections

Anderson Fine Arts Center, Anderson, Indiana

The Art Center, Battle Creek, Michigan

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan

Carnegie Center for the Arts, Three Rivers, Michigan

Michigan Education Association

South Bend Museum of Art

Western Michigan University

Selected Bibliography

Lori Waxmann. Chicago Tribune (Chicago IL) January 11, 2017

Evan Gillespie, South Bend Tribune (South Bend IN) April 4 2013

Sam Worley, Chicago Reader (Chicago IL) September 29, 2011

Julia Thiel, Chicago Reader (Chicago IL) August 19, 2010

Tony Adler, Chicago Reader (Chicago IL) September 9, 2005 (Critic’s Choice)

Andrea Harris, Woman Made News (Chicago IL) Summer 2004

Grace Glueck, The New York Times (New York NY) February 21, 2003

Chicago IL, Woman Made Gallery. Her Mark Calendar 2003. Chicago 2002

Ulysses Smith, Chicago Reader (Chicago IL) January 18, 2002

Chicago IL, Woman Made Gallery. Woman Made Calendar 2000. Chicago 1999

Amy Sult, Kalamazoo Gazette (Kalamazoo MI) August 8, 1999

Cover Magazine (New York NY) March, 1998

The New York Times (New York NY ) January 18, 1998

The Villager (New York NY) January 7, 1998

Camden, New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Rutgers National Works On/Of Paper. Exhibition catalog. Camden 1996

John Carlos Cantu, Ann Arbor News (Ann Arbor MI) July 10, 1994

Marsha Miro, Detroit Free Press (Detroit MI) May 1, 1994

Grants & Residencies

2012

4-Week Residency. Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT

2010

3-Week Residency. Kimmel Nelson Harding Center for the Arts, Nebraska City NE

2008

4-Week Residency. Kimmel Nelson Harding Center for the Arts, Nebraska City NE

1998

Emerging Artist Grant. Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo MI

1997

Artistic Development Grant. Education for The Arts, Kalamazoo County MI

Education

BFA. The University of Chicago (Graduated with honors)

MA. Western Michigan University (Graduated with honors)

Advanced Painting Institute, 1997. The Art Institute of Chicago (Merit Scholarship)

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