Mary Hardy
Shifting Perception
Community Art Gallery
Second Floor of City of Biloxi Center for Ceramics
A while back I thought I wanted to make a body of work commenting on the ugliness of our socio-political
state. The old children’s rhyme “Sticks and Stones…” kept echoing in my head.
I found that it did me no service to dwell on the meanness, anger, disrespect and cruelty happening all around us.
While those concerns/issues which affect me still, are somewhat in the work, they are mostly buried. I thought about sticks instead of being used to harm can be a metaphor for propping up, holding up and lifting up. Rocks in turn, weighted to the ground, can serve as metaphors to hold down and keep things
in place.
I came to the realization that my love of forests, mountains, streams, trees and rocks, were what I NEEDED to focus on. Those things and places in nature that bring me solace and peace and hope, that
come from my sacred places.
Bio
Mary Hardy is a mixed media artist living and working on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.Hardy’s education includes a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from the University of South Alabama both in Art Education and a very long list (which continues to be added to) of workshops taken throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
Her work has been shown in solo exhibits as well as prestigious juried and invitational exhibitions at the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Carol Robinson Gallery New Orleans Louisiana, South Arkansas Art Center, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Lauren Rogers Museum, Meridian Museum of Art, University of Mississippi, Tougaloo College, Mississippi College, Museum of the MS Delta, Lois Lambert Gallery Santa Monica, CA, William Carey University, Fischer Gallery Jackson, Mississippi.
Her work has been recognized with grants, fellowships and residencies such as a Fellowship from Anderson Ranch Colorado, and a Mississippi Arts Commission Visual Arts Fellowship Award based on the merit of her work. The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain awarded her a 4-month Artist Residency in 2017.
She was chosen as one of two artists to receive the “2005 Artist of the Year” given by the MS Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for the state of Mississippi.
Hardy’s 27 year teaching career culminated in retirement with her final position as Instructor of Drawing and Painting AND Art Gallery Director for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. During her teaching tenure, she received the
H.E.A.D.W.A.E. award (Higher Education Award Day/ Working For Academic Excellence) given by the MS State Legislature, as well as the MS Humanities Teacher’s Award for Jackson County Campus, MS Gulf Coast Community
College.
She has continued her passion for teaching by conducting workshops at various venues though out the state and has occasionally taught private lessons.
Hardy also served as Curator for the Duckett Gallery at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center for Arts and Education in Ocean Springs, Mississippi for three years.
As well as creating art, teaching and curating, Hardy has served as juror for regional and national art competitions. Mary Hardy’s work is represented by Carol Robinson Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana
Her work and additional information may be found on the Carol Robinson Gallery website, on Instagram at maryhardyart and on her website www.maryhardystudio.com
