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Biography

1957      Born in Perry, IA

              Lives and works in Champaign, IL

Education

2009     MFA California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)

1999      BFA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Solo Exhibitions

2022      Women Who Painted - McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL

2020      Women Who Painted - Artist of the Corridor, Public Arts Program, Urbana, IL​

              

Group Exhibitions

2025      This is Where I’m From, Sola Gallery, San Pedro, CA

2024       Parkland College Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Champaign, IL

2024       Under a Milk Moon, 2-person show, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

2023       Parkland College Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Champaign, IL

2022       Illini Past and Present, Illini Union, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2022       35th Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI

2021       Parkland College Art and Design Virtual Faculty Exhibition, Champaign, IL

2020      Parkland College Art and Design Virtual Faculty Exhibition, Champaign, IL

2019       Parkland College Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Champaign, IL

2018       1868 Collection Exhibition-Inaugural, Busey Wealth Management, Urbana, IL

2018       Illinois at 200, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2017       Around the Block, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2016       Parkland College 50th: Art & Design Alumni Exhibition, Giertz Gallery, Champaign, IL

2016       2nd Annual Urbana Art Exposition, Civic Center, Urbana, IL

2016       Boneyard Arts Festival, Art Coop Gallery, Champaign, IL

2015        Around the Block, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, Champaign, IL,

                curated by Aron Packer of Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago, IL

2013        Boneyard Arts Festival, Dandelion Vintage Clothing, Champaign-Urbana, IL

2010        Recent Paintings, Peters & Bach, Long Beach, CA

2009       Outer Place, Inner Space, MFA Thesis Exhibition, Gatov Gallery, CSULB

2008       Approaching Memory, The Loft, San Pedro, CA

2008       Paintings from the Permanent Collection, Parkland Art Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2008       CSULB Dept. of Art Graduate Student Exhibition, The Loft, San Pedro, CA      

2008       Insights, University Art Museum, CSULB

2006       Recent Paintings, High Cross Art Studios, Urbana, IL

2005       Boneyard Arts Festival, Champaign-Urbana, IL

2004       Boneyard Arts Festival, Champaign-Urbana, IL

2003       Boneyard Arts Festival, Champaign-Urbana, IL

2003       Recent Paintings, High Cross Art Studios, Urbana, IL

2002       Launch Celebration for the Champaign County Arts Council (2-person show), Champaign, IL

1999        The Scratch-n-Sniff Show, Grand Rapids, MI

1999        Growing up Post Modern, Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL

1999        12th Annual Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander,, WI

1999        ARC Regional VI Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

1999        Illini Union Art Gallery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL

Professional Experience

2023-present      Adjunct Instructor, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2017-present      Designer and Curator of Exhibitions, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

2012-present      Art Instructor, Parkland College Community Education

2021-24      Exhibitions Coordinator, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2009-20     Self-employed Painting Instructor, Champaign-Urbana and Irvine, CA (2009-2011)

2019-21      Adjunct Instructor, Painting I & II, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2011-14       Exhibitions Coordinator, Parkland Art Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2008           CSULB: Graduate Teaching Internship, 2-D Design & Foundation Color

2008           Studio Assistant, Painting II & Painting III, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

2007           Assistant to Gallery Director for Parks Exhibition Center, Idyllwild Arts Academy

                    (Summer Program), Idyllwild, CA

2007           CSULB: Graduate Teaching Internship, Foundation Painting

2005-06     Exhibitions Coordinator, Parkland Art Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

                  

Awards

2019       Grant Recipient, Urbana Arts Grants Program for Women Who Painted Exhibition

2017       Ace Award Nominee: Annual Arts, Culture and Education awards presented

                by the Champaign County Arts Council

2008       Marilyn Werby Memorial Thesis Exhibition Grant, CSULB

2008       Beverly G. Alpay Memorial Education Fund for the Visual Arts

1999       Juror’s Award, 12th Annual Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI

                (Juried by artist Christopher Brown)

 

Presentations/Critiques

2021       Juror, Youth Celebrate the Arts Competition, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College,

               Champaign, IL

2021       Virtual Faculty Lecture, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2021       Virtual Artist Talk, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2020       Virtual Artist Talk, Urbana Arts & Culture Program and The Urbana Free Library, Urbana, IL

2020       Guest Lecturer, P.E.O. International Women's Organization, Champaign, IL

2020       Juror, Champaign County Town and Country Amateur Art Exhibition, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

2019       Lecturer, Parkland College, Annual High School Art Seminar, Champaign, IL

2018       Juror, 62nd State Town and Country Amateur Art Exhibition, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

2018       Gallery Talk: Illinois at 200 Exhibition, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL

2017       Juror, Champaign County Town and Country Amateur Art Exhibition, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

2016       Juror, 60th State Town and Country Amateur Art Exhibition, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL

Published/Broadcast Interview

UPTV6 Interview for Artist of the Corridor Women Who Painted Exhibition, March 2020,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93WjSmvaYSg&feature=youtu.be

 

WEFT Radio: Interview by Cope Cumpston, Womyn Making Waves, March, 2020

 

You Tube: Interview by Sara Jones for Art Now - Episode #83. Produced by the Urbana Public Arts Program & Commission in collaboration with Urbana Public Television, 2017 City of Urbana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MboEasuRH4s

 

Bibliography

Debra Domal, "Meet Paula McCarty, the artist behind the new Women Who Painted series", Smile Politely - Champaign-Urbana's Culture Magazine, March 3, 2020,

http://www.smilepolitely.com/arts/meet_paula_mccarty_the_artist_behind_the_new_women_who_painted_series/

Cope Cumpston, "C-U steps up for Women's History Month", Smile Politely, Champaign-Urbana's Culture Magazine, March 2, 2020

http://www.smilepolitely.com/culture/c_u_steps_up_for_womens_history_month/

 

GLAMFA MFA Open Studios Catalog 2008, Fine Arts Roundtable

GLAMFA MFA Open Studios Catalog 2007, Fine Arts Roundtable

The Octopus, October 2000 (alternative newspaper, Champaign, IL)

Collections

Parkland College, Champaign, IL

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