Meghan Burke McGrath: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

October 11, 2023  |  Topics: featured artist

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The Natural Realm presents Meghan Burke McGrath, who is among 12 artists participating in a year-long residency program called ARTservancy, a collaboration between Gallery 224 in Port Washington and the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, River Revitalization Foundation, Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, Tall Pines Conservancy, and Lake Michigan Bird Observatory. The mission of ARTservancy is to promote the visionary work of both the artists and conservationists. Each artist has selected a preserve to spend time in and to engage with.

Artist Statement by Meghan Burke McGrath

The Urban Ecology Center of Riverside Park has been a family favorite of ours since we moved here from Chicago ten years ago. My kids and I have spent so much time hiking, sledding, day camps, field trips, nature classes, and birthday parties at the UEC. So when I was accepted into the Artist In Residence Program, ARTservancy, through Gallery224 in Port Washington, I knew the Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park would be the right location for me.

Tying this nature preserve to my artwork evolved over the year and has shown up in my subject manner. My artwork investigates the truth of memories. Through paintings and reimagining of family portraits, I aim to capture the truth and complexity of single memories. A photograph can trigger multitudes of memories, and the single memory that lingers can lead to another memory, and another, ending far from the original image. Family portraits freeze personalities and relationships, and this work dissects the characters and visually maps them back together, letting memory serve as a visual history. The photographs become metaphors for maps describing time, place, and linear movement.

In this series I am focusing on texture, color and repetitive shapes. Instead of focusing on just the pure emotion of memory, I am trying to capture more of the environment of each memory. How nature affected me as a child and my memories intertwined with my children’s. I still love using toxic moody colors, but I am focusing more on how nature is a part of me, my memories as a child and as a mother.

Gallery

Bio

I am best known for my large scale, colorful paintings on paper that express the search for memory. The paintings take on a woodblock, print-like appearance with two-inch white borders and layered images. Portraits and architectural imagery are juxtaposed to transcend the literal and capture the complexity of memory. Rather than nostalgia, memory serves as a visual history. The portraits become metaphors for maps describing time, place and linear movement.

I developed my interest in painting on paper during my graduate years at Colorado State University. For an independent study in printmaking, I made large scale prints of overlapping photos. These works were pivotal to my artistic path, and eventually led me away from working with oil on canvas to acrylic on paper.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, I grew up taking classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was there I began to discover self-expression through visual arts. I studied art at Northern Arizona University, earning a BFA in Painting and BS in Art Education. I completed my academic education with a MFA from Colorado State University in 2009.

I live in Shorewood, Wisconsin with my husband and two children, where I is currently an active artist in my community. I taught art K-12 in Chicago and Milwaukee, and at the College level at Colorado State University. I have been exhibited throughout the United States.

Website: meghanburkemcgrath.com

Instagram: @meghanburkemcgrathartist

Related stories:

The Milwaukee River Greenway: A Wealth of Nature in the Heart of the City

Haley Krob: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Holly Buchholz: Artist in Residence in The Milwaukee River Greenway

Chuck Stebelton: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Mauriah Donegan Kraker: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Marsha McDonald: Artist in Residence in Milwaukee River Greenway

Jayce Kolinski: Artist in Residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

Glenda Puhek: Artist in residence in the Milwaukee River Greenway

This is the latest in our series of featured artists, which is intended to showcase the work of photographers, artists, writers and other creative individuals in our community whose subjects or themes relate in some broad sense to nature, urban nature, people in nature, etc. To see a list of previously featured artists, click here. The work of the 2022-2023 ARTservancy artists in residence is currently being exhibited monthly at Gallery 224. To meet the other ARTservancy artists in residence, click here.

All images courtesy of the artist, except as noted. The featured photo at the top of Meghan Burke McGrath in Riverside Park is by Eddee Daniel.

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