"One says a prayer and then it is gone, but the trace of the prayer affects the person even though it is not apparent."
Megan Murphy's work uses historical events and locations to construct an understanding of how our contemporary selves and culture are informed by the subjectivity of recorded history, addressing global politics and man’s impact on the environment. These themes are emulated in her unique artistic practice which employs the combined elements of film/video, digital art, painting and the impression of the written word. Her painting process is one of addition and subtraction, functioning both physically and metaphorically to illuminate history through the reflection of time.
MEGAN MURPHY
EDUCATION
1992-1995
Master of Art in Theology. Mt. Angel Abbey, Saint Benedict, Oregon. Thesis: “The Burning Bush: An Aesthetics of Form, Morality, and Light.”
1988-1992
Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting. Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, Oregon.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016
Pilgrim, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
2011
A Quiet Normal Life, VOLTA NY, New York, NY
2010
Porcelain, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
2009
The Container Show, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Ketchum, ID.
Idaho, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2008
Paintings and Objects, Gilman Contemporary, Ketchum, ID.
The Things of Light, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
2007
Inheritance, Gilman Contemporary, Ketchum, ID.
2006
Paintings and Drawings, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
2005
Illuminations, Ochi, Ketchum, ID.
2004
Threshold, Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, In focus Exhibition, Spokane, WA.
Shock and Awe, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
Paintings and Drawings, Argazzi Art, Lakeville, CT.
2003
Crossing, Judith Wall Fine Art, New York, NY.
Night, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
2002
Between, Michelle Moore Projects, Seattle, WA.
2001
Flesh, Eyre / Moore Gallery, Seattle, WA.
2000
Wilderness, Ochi Fine Art, Ketchum, ID.
1999
Lineage, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR.
Presence, Absence, Reflection, Ester Claypool Gallery, Seattle, WA.
1998
Meditative Acts, The Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID.
Time and Perspective, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR.
1997
Dante’s Tears, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016
A Stand of Pine in a Tilled Field: 21 Years at PDX, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
Idaho Commission on the Arts, Fellowship Exhibit, Boise State University Visual Arts Center, Boise, ID
2015
Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellowship Exhibit: Prichard Art Gallery, Moscow, ID
Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellowship Traveling Exhibit: Willard Arts Center, Idaho Falls, ID
Let’s Get Lost, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
2014
Mountain, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
2013
Range, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
2011
Contemporary Northwest Art Awards, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
The New American Landscape, Kahnaway Art & Ecology, Washougal, WA
2010
Excessive Obsession, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Water, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID
Illiterature, curated by Mark Carter, University Art Gallery, California State University, Chico, CA
2009
Wes Mills and Megan Murphy, Saranac Art Projects, Spokane, WA
The Drawing Collection of Wes Mills, The Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT
Illiterature, A Project of the Santa Monica Art Studios, curated by Mark Carter, Santa Monica, CA
2007
true bearing, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR.
Group Exhibition, Agazzi Art, Lakeville, CT
Contextual, Form and Function, Chicago IL
2006
Sustaining Change on the American Farm, curated by Lee Musgrave, Maryhill Museum,
Goldendale, WA.
2004
Lewis and Clark Territory: Contemporary Artists Revisit Place, Race, and Memory, curated by Rock Hushka, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA.
2003
Crossroads: New Art From the Northwest, curated by Michael Klein, Microsoft Collection, CoCA,
Seattle, WA
2001
Urban Glass Biennial, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
Idaho Triennial, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
Group Exhibition, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
Grace, The Art Gym, Marylhurst University, Marylhurst, OR
The Glass Canvas, The Heller Gallery, New York, NY
2000
Idaho Fellowship Exhibition, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
1999
The Conscious Line, Anne Reed Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
1998
Works on Paper, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
A Common Denominator, Anne Reed Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
Idaho Triennial, The Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
AWARDS
2014
Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellowship
2011
Contemporary Northwest Art Award, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
Grace Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, CA
Lemelson Foundation, Incline Village, NV
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma WA
Wood River Medical Center, Ketchum, ID
Yale Art Museum Collection, New Haven, CT
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Jana Paley, Philadelphia, PA
Jeri Waxenburg, Sun Valley, ID
Richard and Judy Smooke, Sun Valley, ID
The Carr Collection, New York, NY
Dolly Lemelson, Portland, OR
Werner Kramarsky, New York, NY
Philip Isles, New York, NY
Geoff Isles, New York, NY
Tom and Charolle Unger, Sun Valley, ID
Driek Zirinsky, Boise, ID
Judith Wall, New York, NY
Scott and Carol Glenn, Sun Valley, ID
Sophie Craighead, Jackson, WY
Dave and Mari Clack, Spokane, WA
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
2010 - 2012
Director, Sun Valley Ski and Heritage Museum
2004 - 2009
Founder and president of Artocracy.org, a business dedicated to supporting visual artists through the sale of digital multiples
2002 - Present
Founder and president of The Pink Shamrock Foundation
1996 - 2001
Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Ketchum, ID; Educational Coordinator (1996 - 1998), Visual Arts Coordinator (1998 - 1999), Visual Arts Director (2000, 2001)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2014
Oland, Dana. “Meet the Idaho Commission on the Arts 2014 Fellows.” IdahoStatesman.com, June 9th, 2014.
2012
Waterfield, Ryan. “Center Stage: The Mirror - Obscured.” Sun Valley Property News, August 9th, 2012.
2011
Oland, Dana. “Sun Valley’s Megan Murphy is up for a Northwest Art Prize.” IdahoStatesman.com, March 25, 2011.
2010
“Art shows and news: megan murphy’s porcelain at PDX CONTEMPORARY ART!” redefine, Jan 6, 2010.
“First Thursday Pick: Megan Murphy.” PORT, January 5, 2010.
2008
Gallivan, Joseph. “Megan Murphy PDX CONTEMPORARY ART.” ARTnews, September 2008.
“Paintings: Megan Murphy.” High Desert Journal, Issue 8, Fall 2008.
Pierce, Kingston J. “Book Review.” Washington CEO Magazine, July 2008.
Row, D.K. “Artocracy wins People’s Voice Webby.” The Oregonian, May 16, 2008.
Row, D.K. “Murphy’s Artocracy goes ‘Webby’.” The Oregonian, April 18, 2008.
2007
Plasse, Sabin Dana. “Resurrecting the Past to Correct the Present.” Idaho Mountain
Express, July 6, 2007.
2006
Row, D.K. “Shows of Note.” The Oregonian. December 2006.
Blake, Victoria. “Digital Art for the Masses.” The Oregonian, June 2, 2006.
Ruiz, Rebecca. “Art Informer.” Good Magazine, January/February 2006.
2005
New American Paintings Pacific Coast Edition.
Hackett, Regina. “Art Appreciation Log On and Print Out Art that’s Good.” Seattle Post Intelligencer, January 12, 2005.
Allan, Lois. Catalog Text for Illuminations, Ochi, Ketchum, ID.
2004
Schnoor, Chris. “Nine Notables.” Idaho Arts Quarterly, Summer 2004.
Murphy, Megan. “Shows of Note.” The Oregonian. August 27, 2004.
2003
Henderson, Harvest. “Taking a Mirror to the Practice of Negation.” The Oregonian, April 4, 2003.
2002
Frank, Peter. Between Heaven and a Hard Place. Catalog Text for Between at Michelle Moore Projects, Seattle, WA. September 2002.
1999
Raymond, Camela. “Lines of Descent: An Exploration of Female Images in the Bible.”
The Oregonian, December 15th, 1999.
1998
Bauer, Marilyn. “Contemplating the Divine.” Mountain Express, December 16th, 1998.
Gragg, Randy “The Incredible Lightness of Meaning: Artists Mary Henry and Megan Murphy manipulate simplicity to convey complex messages.” The Oregonian, Feb 13, 1998.
Row, DK. “Odes and Meditations.” The Willamette Week, February 11, 1998.
1995
Francis, Kevin. “State of the Art.” Willamette Week, August 18, 1995.
1992
Gragg, Randy. “Artist Knocks on Heavens Door.” The Oregonian, January 14, 1992.
Hutton, Jean. “Mortal Conflicts.” Reflex, Vol. 6, No. 5, September/October 1992.
Gragg, Randy. “Interpretations Intersect in Signs of the Cross.” The Oregonian, July 10, 1992.