P A U L A M c C A R T Y
Biography
Born in Perry, IA
Lives in Champaign, IL
Education
2009 MFA California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)
1999 BFA University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Solo and Two Person Exhibitions
2024 Under a Milk Moon, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL
2022 Women Who Painted - McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL
2020 Women Who Painted - Artist of the Corridor, Public Arts Program, Urbana, IL
2002 Launch Celebration Champaign County Arts Council, Champaign, IL
Group Exhibitions
2026 Art is Travel Collective, TRYST Art Fair, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2026 Illinois All-State Exhibition, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL, juror Misa Jeffereis
2025 This is Where I’m From, Sola Gallery, San Pedro, CA
2022 Illini Past and Present, Illini Union, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2022 35th Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI
2018 1868 Collection Inaugural Exhibition - Busey Wealth Management, Urbana, IL
2018 Illinois at 200, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2017 Around the Block, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2016 Parkland College 50th: Art & Design Alumni Exhibition, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2015 Around the Block, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL, juror Aron Packer, Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago, IL
2010 Recent Paintings, Peters & Bach, Long Beach, CA
2008 Approaching Memory, The Loft, San Pedro, CA
2008 Paintings from the Permanent Collection, Parkland Art Gallery, 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
1999 The Scratch-n-Sniff Show, Grand Rapids, MI
1999 Growing up Post Modern, Illinois State University, Bloomington, IL, curator Barry Blinderman
1999 12th Annual Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI
1999 ARC Regional VI Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL
Professional Experience
2017-present Designer and Curator of Exhibitions, Springer Cultural Center, Champaign, IL
2012-present Painting Instructor, Parkland College non-credit courses
2023-25. Adjunct Art Instructor, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2021-24 Exhibitions Coordinator, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2019-21 Adjunct Art Instructor, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2009-20 Self-employed Painting Instructor, Champaign-Urbana and Irvine, CA (2009-2011)
2011-14 Exhibitions Coordinator, Parkland Art Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2008 Graduate Teaching Internship, 2-D Design & Foundation Color, CSULB
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
2026 Illinois Arts Council FY26 Creative Accelerator Fund Grant
2019 Grant Recipient, Urbana Arts Grants Program for Women Who Painted Exhibition
2017 Ace Award Nominee: Annual Arts, Culture and Education awards, 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 (Juror 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 Gallery Talk: Illinois at 200 Exhibition, Giertz Gallery, Parkland College, Champaign, IL
2018 Juror, 62nd State Town and Country Amateur Art Exhibitions, Springer Cultural Center, 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,
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