Mary Michael Shelley: Art of the Everyday

Mary Michael Shelley: Art of the Everyday

Mary Michael Shelley documents her life in wood and paint. Her artistic vision is inspired by the everyday world around her and includes portraits of her family, image metaphors for life lessons and feelings, and scenes of local diners, bars, shops, and farms in upstate New York. The works in this exhibition represent the evolution of Shelley’s carved and painted picture stories from 1973 to the present.

Shelley grew up on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in an area rich in tradition, antiques, history, and craft. After graduating from Cornell, Shelley was inspired to carve wood when her father made a painted woodcarving of her. She has spent over 50 years of her life making objects that will survive, tell stories, and bring pleasure. Her work is in numerous collections including the American Folk Art Museum, High Museum of Art, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Arkell Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, The Absolut Art Collection at the Spritmuseum, and the American Museum and Gardens in Bath, England.