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Bio
I was born and raised mostly in California but have lived all over the country. I received a BFA in painting from Michigan State University. I started a family in 2000 in Virginia and my solo practice went dormant with subsequent moves to Texas, Maryland and Kentucky. In 2014, after a move to Minnesota, I restarted my solo career. My studio practice is in combination with my Community Engagement practice. In order to better work with the community I pursued a graduate degree; I finished my Master's in Education at Hamline University in December 2022. A public art project I started in 2021, the smallärt gallery, has expanded to three installed locally. The 3 mini-galleries in Rochester focuses on women and BIPOC artists. All of the Artists is another website I developed that is a diverse index of contemporary MN artists, and resources. My community engagement practice centers mostly with community resource schools in Rochester, some rural outreach and continuing work with IMAA, Intercultural Mutual Assistance Association. My practice is about 80% educating and 20% solo practice. Primarily I write grants to fund work with local community schools. Community schools are designated to support students that have lower socioeconomic populations. They provide food, clothing, laundry facilities etc. and have staff dedicated to facilitating enrichment opportunities from the community; they support and help make my grants feasible. My passion is for teaching and using art to empower students and adults. The solo work is important to process some of my own ideas and have some quiet restorative time before delving back into community work. Community is rewarding in many ways but I have found that making my own work helps balance me emotionally. Statement about solo practice work The way birds make a community; one filled with the visual richness of imperfection, connectivity, protection and acceptance is remarkable. I am drawn to these particular bird phenomena as a way to make sense of my own surroundings. My life has been marked by a series of losses that have shaped me in a way I could not control. I recreate these natural occurrences in an idealized way; no predators and no death. I mix up habitats and anthropomorphize behaviors to present a narrative of what I wish I could be a part of and as a way to heal and rewrite my own history. Focusing on these particular phenomena allows me to artificially generate outcomes that were not available in my own life. Murmurations, or big swarms of starlings, form as a way of sharing warmth, information, and providing protection. Birds flying also manifest the ultimate ideal of letting go; of grief, of loss, of wanting a community that no longer exists or maybe recognizing it never existed at all. The methodical way that I make each bird mimics the process I have utilized to approach my feelings. l begin with lumps of clay and transform it into something with movement, color, and texture then release the piece. This repetitive practice allows me to process and alter my emotions and rewrite history. My version of swirling birds emerges as an expression of joy, joy that the birds feel protected and exhilaration by flying in this collective, chaotic way. Contact [email protected] on Instagram @marybethmagyar for the smallärt gallery @smallartgallerymn or visit www.mnsag.com |
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M.c. Gender produced this mini documentary about my community engagement work
December 2023 I won the Mayor's Medal of Honor for Arts/Cultural Achievement
read the article here.
Tatyana Kurepina made a short film about my work and why I work with the students I do:
If you want to hear more about my journey Click here to listen to my podcast
"On resurfacing and restarting an art career after your kids are grown with Mary Beth Magyar"
"On resurfacing and restarting an art career after your kids are grown with Mary Beth Magyar"