Biography
Margaret Ann Withers is a New York self-taught artist originally from Texas. She has won numerous awards, including a 2016 Artist in Residence at The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), 2013/2015 resident fellowships to the Vermont Studio Center, a 2013 fellowship to the Millay Colony, and a 2013 USA Project Grant. She’s been in group exhibits at The Drawing Center Museum in New York, MarinMOCA in California and Attleboro Arts Museum in Massachusetts, and has also exhibited in Belgium, Australia, Germany, China and Russia. Her artwork is included in the collection of Truninger AG, Switzerland, and the Hammond Museum, NY.
Artist Statement
Originally from Texas, I grew up in the suburbs of Houston. I found my playgrounds in the abandoned subdivisions left empty after the inflation of the late '70s. My unsupervised childhood thrived in a deserted wasteland where I conjured up fantastical creatures and ridiculously dramatic stories. It was there that I realized I could create and control my own worlds.
Later, as an artist, I found I could escape into art by creating chaotic worlds filled with characters acting out stories I told to myself as I worked.
For me, landscapes are like living dramas, where symbols speak a secret language and characters bring narratives to life. My paintings often tackle themes like humor, chaos, and an elusive concept of "home." The houses I paint aren't just buildings—they're humans in disguise playing dress-up as houses. My sculptures are self-contained personified worlds or action figures created based on my internal stories.
You'll often find clusters of these symbolic houses in my work, whether they're forming little villages, floating on logs adrift in the ocean, dramatically tumbling out of cosmic chutes, or living on top of the ceramic creatures. The telephone poles symbolize the beautiful chaos of human communication.
I'm deeply interested in how people respond to chaos and the strange worlds that come from these interactions. While today's culture often puts materialism above everything else, I'm fascinated by the spiritual aspects of life—things like humor, anxiety, hope, chaos, and nature. To me, these are the most mysterious, intriguing, and inspiring parts of existence.
CV
Margaret Ann Withers (b. 1965, Austin, Texas)
Solo Exhibitions
2022 Someway, Somehow, Here We Are, At GSpot Contemporary, Houston, Tx
2021 Newport Curates, At the Sarah Langley Gallery, Hammetts Hotel, Newport, RI
2016 Adrift, G-Spot Contemporary Art Space, Houston, Texas
2015 Curious American Landscapes, Main Gallery at Port Washington Public Library
2013 One Mind’s Imagining into Another at Landau Gallery, Belmont, MA
2012 Painting the American Anti-Story,Arcilesi & Homberg Fine Art (AHA), Brooklyn, NY
2011 my pockets are full of you; Curator: Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art pop-up show, NY, NY
2010 feeling untethered I laid down my memories at Amos Eno Gallery, NY, NY
2006 ashy tongues whispering in smokey ears at Next Gallery, Denver, CO
Two Person Group Exhibition
2013 Striations at G Gallery, curated by Diane Barber, Houston, Texas
Five-Six Person Group Exhibitions
2023 In The Mix, The CAMP Gallery, Westport, CT
2017 The Plot Thickens, The Institute Library, New Haven, CT
2016 Something Else, The Painting Center, NY, NY
2014 La Bellone Fait Le Mur! Trésor Caché at La Bellone, Brussels, Belgium
2013 Abstraction at William Baczek Fine Art, Northampton, MA
2013 Connecting the Dots at ISE Cultural Foundation, curated by Lovina Purple NY, NY
Museum Group Exhibitions
2017 Inspirations, Hammond Museum & Japanese Garden, North Salem, NY
2015 36th Annual Exhibition, Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ
2014 National Fall Exhibition,selected by Betti-Sue Hertz, MarinMOCA, Novato, CA
2014 The Intuitionist curated by Lisa Sigal at The Drawing Center, NY, NY
2012 Remembering at Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA
Group Exhibitions
2023 It’s BravinLee’s Ceramic Show, Bravin Lee Programs, NY, NY
2023 Wide Open Summer, AHA Fine Art, NY, NY
2019 Ornament: Ho Hum All Ye Faithful #3, at BravinLee Programs, NY, NY
2019 Dream Again, Plaxall Gallery curated by Norma Hombergs, LIC, Queens, NYC
2017 Mythology at Ann Street Gallery curated by Virginia Walsh, Newburgh, NY
2017 Sanctuary Landscapes,Art&Lounge curator Glasshouse,Newark Airport, Newark, NJ
2016 The Warmth of Winter, at National Arts Club, NY, NY
2016 Surrealism at Spaightwood Gallery, Upton, MA
2016 Wide Open 7 at BWAC, juror Beth Saunders, Brooklyn, NY
2016 20th Anniversary Exhibition, at William Baczek Fine Art, Northampton, MA
2015 Big Small at The Drawing Rooms, Jersey City, NJ
2015 Summer Musings at Sergott Contemporary Art Alliance, Ranch Santa Fe, CA
2015 Black & White at BWAC, juror Christiane Paul, NY, NY
2015 Summer 2015 pt 1 at William Baczek Fine Art, Northampton, MA
2015 Spring into Art at Sergott Contemporary Art Alliance, Ranch Santa Fe, CA
2015 All Good Things at Arcilesi & Homberg Fine Art (AHA), New York, NY
2014 Déjà vu, NoOSphere Gallery, curated by ArtForProgress, NY, NY
2014 SelfPublished, Cohn Drennan Contemporary, curated by Lanny Quarles, Dallas, TX
2014 Home, Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, curated by Ginny Butera, Morristown, NJ
2014 Shifting Alterity:Otherness in our Social Landscape,Skylight Gallery,curator:Vida Sabbaghi,NY, NY
2014 Annual Landscape Exhibition, William Baczek Fine Art, Northampton, MA
2014 AS | Orchard, curated by Jill Conner at Orchard 33, NY, NY
2014 Layers, curated by Aimee Hertog at City Without Walls, Newark, NJ
2014 balls to the wall at Arcilesi & Homberg Fine Art (AHA), Brooklyn, NY
2014 Viewpoints, selected by Sue Scott at Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ
2014 Wide Open 5 at BWAC, juror Paulina Pobocha, Brooklyn, NY
2014 The Democracy of Drawing at AirSpace Projects, Sydney, Australia
2014 Other Worlds at Skylight Gallery, curated by Jill Slaymaker, NY, NY
2013 Salon at Jeffrey Leder Gallery, LIC, Queens, NY
2013 AS | AP DUMBO group show at 111 Front St., Curated by Jill Conner, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Summer Camp at Cohn Drennan Contemporary, Dallas, Texas
2013 Unhinged at Pierogi Gallery, NY, NY
2013 bigger is not always better at Arcilesi & Homberg Fine Art (AHA), Brooklyn, NY
2013 Summer Group Show at William Baczek Fine Art, Northampton, MA
2013 A Time in Arcadia at Curious Matter, Jersey City, NJ
2013 AS Boom and Bloom at The Phatory, curated by Jill Conner, NY, NY
2013 Wide Open 4 at BWAC, juror Carrie Springer, Brooklyn, NY
2013 Gallery 263 Group Show at Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
2013 Das Wird Sich Alles Finden at Arts Collinwood, Cleveland, Ohio
2013 Stuck Pop-Up Show by Arcilesi and Homberg Fine Art, curator Ariel Herman NY, NY
2013 AS Pop-up Show at Studio of La Thoreiel Badenhausen, curator Jill Conner NY, NY
2012 Das Wird Sich Alles Finden at Bloc Project Space, Sheffield, UK
2012 Recess at Arcilesi & Homberg Fine Art (AHA), Brooklyn, NY
2012 Color at BWAC, juror Brooke Kamin Rapaport,Brooklyn, NY
2012 Works on Paper at Jeffrey Leder Gallery, NY, NY
2012 Annual Competition at SAAC, juror Manuela Well-Off-Man, El Dorado, AK
2012 Wide Open 3, juror Charlotte Kotik at BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
2012 WannA Piece?, Curator: Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art pop-up show, NY, NY
2011 Sorry 4 the Wait, Curator: Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art pop-up show, NY, NY
2011 Glimpses Beyond, Curator: Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art pop-up show, NY, NY
2011 110°: 2011 Summer Group Show at Cohn Drennan Contemporary, Dallas, TX
2011 Identity Shift:Migration, Identity & Longing, Curator:Francesca Arcilesi, NY,NY
2011 Wide Open 2, juror Nathan Trotman at BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
2011 In Vivid Color at Gallery M, Vienna, Austria
2011 Better by the Dozen at BAU, Beacon, NY
2011 Natural Selection 2.0 at DSU, Madison, South Dakota
2010 Confluences of Culture VI at Walter Wickiser Gallery, NY, NY
2010 Crossroads/Seven Acts at Amos Eno Gallery, NY, NY
2009 Confluences of Culture IV at Walter Wickiser Gallery, NY, NY
2009 Exhibit 0/1 at 25-Kadr Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2006 Open Show at Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2006 Group Open Exhibit at Next Gallery, Denver, CO
2003 Scene/Unscene 03 at Runnels Gallery, ENMU Portales, NM
2003 Black & White at Art Center at Fuller Lodge Los Alamos, NM
Fairs
2024 Fall - The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
2023 Spring and Fall edition -The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, NY
2022 Spring Break Art Fair with CAMP Gallery Miami, FL
2021 ArtFair14C, Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ
2021 Summer, The Other Art Fair, New York, NY
2019 Spring and Fall, The Other Art Fair, New York, NY
2018 Spring and Fall, The Other Art Fair, New York, NY
2017 Spring and Fall, The Other Art Fair, New York, NY
2017 Art on Paper, flatfiles with Arcilesi|Homberg Fine Art, NY, NY
2017 Art-Rooms London, London, UK
2016 Accessible Art Fair, New York, NY
2015 Aqua Miami, with Arcilesi|Homberg Fine Art, Miami, FL
2015 Cambridge Art Fair, respresented by David Alexander - GAT, Cambridge, England
2015 Art Southamptons, represented by Sergott Contemporary Art, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
2015 Art Hamptons, Sergott Contemporary Art Alliance, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
2015 Select Art Fair NYC, Twist Collective, NY, NY
2014 Scope NYC, represented by C. Emerson Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL
2014 Fountain Art Fair, represented by Arcilesi|Homberg Fine Art, NY, NY
2014/2013/2012/2011 Aqua Miami, William Baczek Fine Arts, Northampton, MA
2014/13/12/11 Brussels Accessible Art Fair, Brussels, Belgium
2013 Scope Miami, represented by C. Emerson Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL
2013 Affordable Art Fair, Seattle, represented by C. Emerson Fine Arts
2013/12 Fountain New York, represented by Arcilesi | Homberg Fine Art, NY, NY
2013/2012 DUMBO Art Festival, NY, Arcilesi | Homberg Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY
2012 Affordable Art Fair, NY, Galerie Juliane Hundertmark, Berlin, Germany
2012 Fountain New York, represented by Art for Progress NY, NY
2011 Fountain Miami, represented by Francesca Arcilesi Fine Art, Miami, FL
2011 Berliner-Liste 2011, B-74, Berlin, Germany
2011 Beijing Contemporary Art Fair, represented by Gallery M Beijing, China
2011 Verge Art Fair, Amos Eno Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, NY
Benefit Group Exhibitions
2013 Issue Project Room Art Lottery Fund Raiser, curator Stephen Maine, NY, NY
2014/13/11 Spring Benefit and Auction for the Learning School, NY, NY
2012 Nurture Art Benefit at Charles Bank Gallery, NY, NY
2012 BWYLove2012 Rema Hort Mann Foundation at The Hole NYC, NY, NY
2011 BWYLove2011 Rema Hort Mann Foundation at Marianne Boesky Gallery, NY, NY
2010 May Day Power to the People group show at Feature, Inc., NY, NY
Public Art Installations
2014 NYC Poetry Festival, installation of the Transliteration Project, Governors Island, NYC
2014 ArtPrize; Grand Rapids, MI
2014 On the Table,coordinated with The Drawing Center at GreenPoint Library, Brooklyn, NY
2003 Finderskeepers Art Project Texas-19 paintings, one story - you find it you keep it
Publications/Interviews
New York Lifestyle Magazine, New Artist put the A into Big Apple, August, 2016 Print edition
New England Review, cover art, Volume 37, Number 1, 2016
Poets & Artist Magazine, 50 memorable painters for 2015 selected by art critic, John Seed
Interview with curator & artist Grant Creegan of Edinburgh, UK. November, 2015, http://www.moma.co.uk/margaret-withers-interview/
Curve Art & Architecture Magazine, On the Radar, 2015 June Print Ed (United Arab Emirates)
Alexandria Quarterly, Online March 2015 and Anthology Print Ed. 1 (May 2015)
Library as Incubator Project, March 2015 featured Artist & Writer for Curious, USA
San Francisco Peace and Hope, Ch 6, Inaugural Print Edition ISBN 978-0-9862829-0-4
New England Review, cover art, Volume 35, Number 4, 2015
ARTiculAction, Biennial Edition, Interview, Feb 2015
Drawing Papers 116, The Intuitionist, Edward Hallum Tuck Publication, 2014, New York,NY
Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 27 (selected by: Carl Beltz)
The United States Transliteration Project, Blurb Press/Apple Ebook, ISBN1320050026
The Artist Catalogue, Summer 2014, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2014
Interview,Critic Michael K. Corbin, 2014, artbookguy.com/margaret-withers-in-progress_778.html
Underground Books, Dec/Jan Featured Artist, 2013
The Traveling Poet, December Featured Artist, 2013
Lunch Ticket, Antioch University, Featured Portfolio,Winter/Spring 2014
New York Optimist, Featured Artist, November 2013
New England Review, cover art, Volume 34, Number 2, 2013
The Artist Catalogue, Summer 2013, Volume 2, Issue 2, 2013
Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 17 Spring 2012 (selected by: Trevor Richardson)
Studio Visit Magazine, Volume 16 Fall 2011 (selected by: Curator Ian Berry)
New American Paintings Northeastern ed. #92 (selected by: MoMA Curator Laura Hoptman)
Residencies and Awards
2016 Artist in Residence, The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA)
2015 Artist Grant Vermont Studio Residency
2014 BWAC, Best in Show, Gold, Awarded by curator Paulina Pobocha of MoMA
2013 USA Project Grant for “one mind’s imaging into another”, New York
2013 Fellowship, Millay Colony for the Arts, Austerlitz NY
2013 Artist Grant Vermont Studio Residency
2012 Art Kudos International - ‘Award of Distinction’ judged by David Cohen of ArtCritical
2012 SAAC; Best in Show, awarded by Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man
2012 BWAC; Best Watercolor, awarded by Curator Brooke Kamin Rapaport
Collections
Hammond Museum & Japanese Garden, North Salem, NY
Truninger AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Education
BA, English Literature, 2003, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Flat Files/Viewing Programs
2012-2014 The Drawing Center Viewing Program, New York, NY
2012-present Pierogi Gallery FlatFiles, Brooklyn, NY
Gallery Representation
CAMP Gallery, Miami, FL
AHA Fine Art, New York, NY