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
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 Americs. 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
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)