Biography
MaryEllen Hackett is an artist and park ranger. In 2010, She graduated from Adelphi University with a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking. Her artwork has been shown nationally. Hackett has received artist in residence positions at Joshua Tree National Park, CA, the Vermont Studio Center, Weir Farm National Historic Site, CT, and Fire Island National Seashore, NY. In 2016 MaryEllen was given the title of Centennial Artist Ambassador from Weir Farm National Historic Site for the National Park Service Centennial. In 2019 she was included in the book "She Explores" written by Gale Straub and published by Chronicle Books. Currently she is based out of the Sierra Mountains.
Artist Statement
There is a chance a person may never return to a place once passed through but they may find it evoked by another structure, path, or landscape in the future.
My work is based on different interests in preservation and place, influenced by both my artistic background and my work as a ranger. As a ranger my job is to “preserve and protect” the landscape from immediate harm. Living and working in a landscape, learning its history, and having my own experiences in it, lends itself to finding particulars (e.g., bridges, trails, trees, rocks, structures) to have both an increased personal importance and interest in their preservation. My artwork allows me to collect and remove the image of my subject from its location, keeping it for others and myself.
My artistic process begins with paintings and drawings done from life. I complete most, if not all, of the painting on scene. Additional prints and paintings made in the studio follow much of the structure of my observations, while allowing for focus on particular subjects that resonate after leaving the field.
Education
2010 B.F.A. in Studio Art, Painting and Printmaking, Summa Cum Laude, Adelphi University, N.Y.
2007 New York Studio School Summer Marathon with Linda Darling and Joe Santore, New York Studio School, New York
Selected Exhibitions/Bibliography
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2010
Residencies
2015
2014
2013
Honors, Awards, Curatorial Projects
2020 $500 Monetary Award, Yosemite Rennaissance, CA
2019 Featured Profile in She Explores, writetn by Gale Straub, published by Chronicle Books
2016 Centennial Artist Ambassador, Weir Farm NHS, National Park Service, USA
2013 Artist /Writer Grant, Vermont Studio Center, VT
2012 Honorable Mention, Paint the Parks, El Dorado, KS
2010 Monetary Award for Achievement in Fine Arts, Adelphi University, New York
2009 Curator: Donald Hendricks; Painting and Paper Castings, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Bibliography
Adventure Journal Feature
She Explores Feature
Howl Often Feature
MaryEllen Hackett is an artist and park ranger. In 2010, She graduated from Adelphi University with a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking. Her artwork has been shown nationally. Hackett has received artist in residence positions at Joshua Tree National Park, CA, the Vermont Studio Center, Weir Farm National Historic Site, CT, and Fire Island National Seashore, NY. In 2016 MaryEllen was given the title of Centennial Artist Ambassador from Weir Farm National Historic Site for the National Park Service Centennial. In 2019 she was included in the book "She Explores" written by Gale Straub and published by Chronicle Books. Currently she is based out of the Sierra Mountains.
Artist Statement
There is a chance a person may never return to a place once passed through but they may find it evoked by another structure, path, or landscape in the future.
My work is based on different interests in preservation and place, influenced by both my artistic background and my work as a ranger. As a ranger my job is to “preserve and protect” the landscape from immediate harm. Living and working in a landscape, learning its history, and having my own experiences in it, lends itself to finding particulars (e.g., bridges, trails, trees, rocks, structures) to have both an increased personal importance and interest in their preservation. My artwork allows me to collect and remove the image of my subject from its location, keeping it for others and myself.
My artistic process begins with paintings and drawings done from life. I complete most, if not all, of the painting on scene. Additional prints and paintings made in the studio follow much of the structure of my observations, while allowing for focus on particular subjects that resonate after leaving the field.
Education
2010 B.F.A. in Studio Art, Painting and Printmaking, Summa Cum Laude, Adelphi University, N.Y.
2007 New York Studio School Summer Marathon with Linda Darling and Joe Santore, New York Studio School, New York
Selected Exhibitions/Bibliography
2020
- Medium as Muse, Nassau County Museum of Art, NY
- Yosemite Renaissance, Yosemite Museum, CA (Award winner)
2019
- Plein Air from Weir Farm, G and B Cultural Center, Wilton, CT
- The Great Outdoors, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, CA
- Flat Rate Contemporary 2, NY
- Stocked Artist at the Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite, CA
- She Explores, By Gale Straub, Published by Chronicle Books
2018
- Jekyll Island Art Association Juried Show, Jekyll Island, GA (Second Place)
- Home, Maker's Magazine, Canada
2017
- Yosemite Renaissance, Yosemite Museum, CA
2016
- Small Wonders, Maryland Federation of Art, MD
- Our Nation's Splendor, St Joseph's College, NY
- National Parks, Ferry Terminal, Patchogue, NY
- Art in America, Curated by Julie Torres, Presbyterian College, South Carolina
- Juried Alumni Show, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
2015
- Art in America, Curated by Julie Torres for Artist Run, The Satellite Show Miami, FL
- American Landscapes, Curated by John Morrell, Maryland Federation of Art, MD
- Late Summer, Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite, CA
- Artists on Site, Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton, CT
- Juried Alumni Show, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
2014
- Sprouting, Grouping, Attending, Discovering, MarxHausen Gallery, Seward, NE
- Identity of Place, Omni Gallery, Hempstead, NY
- Parallax Views; New Views of an Icon, Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite, CA
- MaryEllen Hackett, Works from Weir, Wilton Library, Wilton, CT
- Winter Invitational, 9 East Gallery, Huntington, NY
- Mail Art: Memory, Richmond Art Gallery, British Columbia
2013
- On the Horizon; Contemporary Landscapes, curated by Kellyann Monaghan. Adelphi University, NY
- Work featured in Impeachable Journal of art and writing
- Single Fare 3, RH Gallery, NY, NY
2012
- Paint America juried exhibition, honorable mention, El Dorado, KS
- Juried Alumni Show, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
2010
- Fire Island National Seashore Juried Exhibition, Fire Island NS, New York
- BFA Senior Fine Art Exhibition, University Center Gallery, Garden City, New York
Residencies
2015
- Weir Farm National Historic Site, CT. Appointed Ambassador Artist for 2016 National Park Service Centennial
2014
- Fire Island National Seashore, NY
- Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton, CT
2013
- Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
- Work/ Study, Center For Book Arts, NYC
- Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Honors, Awards, Curatorial Projects
2020 $500 Monetary Award, Yosemite Rennaissance, CA
2019 Featured Profile in She Explores, writetn by Gale Straub, published by Chronicle Books
2016 Centennial Artist Ambassador, Weir Farm NHS, National Park Service, USA
2013 Artist /Writer Grant, Vermont Studio Center, VT
2012 Honorable Mention, Paint the Parks, El Dorado, KS
2010 Monetary Award for Achievement in Fine Arts, Adelphi University, New York
2009 Curator: Donald Hendricks; Painting and Paper Castings, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Bibliography
Adventure Journal Feature
She Explores Feature
Howl Often Feature