BIO
Hrbacek received a BS from the University of Dayton, and an MS from Adelphi University, NY.  She studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute with painter Mary Lovelace O’Neal, later Head of the Dept of Art at UC Berkle, the Art Students League and the New York Academy of Art. Hrbacek has exhibited in the US and Internationally in China, Korea, Greece, France, Italy, Spain and in Canada, at the “Drawn Festival in a two-person exhibition, “Charcoal and Thread” at Elliot Lewis Gallery, Vancouver. In 1999 her human-tree drawing won Juror’s Prize, at the “American Drawing Biennial VI,” the Muscarelle Museum, VA, from Ann Philbin, The Drawing Center, NYC. In 2010 she participated in the Beijing Art Fair, China. “Life Before Life” curated by Norm Hinsey marked her fourth solo exhibit at CREON, NYC. In 2015 she exhibited in the Mykonos Biennial; four of her charcoal on paper drawings were included in “Whispers,” at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete in 2016. The Museum has acquired the drawings for their permanent collection. In 2016 her solo exhibition “Vital Connections,” curated by Paris Koh, opened to critical acclaim at Gallery D’Arte, Chelsea, NYC. Hrbacek participated in the Pusan Art Fair, South Korea in 2016. In 2016 she was awarded the Carole A. Feuerman Sculpture Foundation, ESKFF Foundation, The Helis Foundation, Financial Grant for artwork exhibited in “Mixing Medias” curated by Carole Feuerman at MANA CONTEMPORARY in Jersey City. The show “Whispers” traveled to the State Museum of Contemporary Art of Thessalonica, Greece in 2017. Also in 2017, Paris Koh Fine Arts, NYC presented Hrbacek’s solo exhibition entitled "The Painted Veil That Those Who Live Call Life." Hrbacek participated in a group show at the PRESIDENT'S GALLERY, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, entitled "Green Habitat," curated by Thalia Vrachopoulos, NYC.  In 2018 she exhibited at Ellarslie, The Trenton City Museum, and at the D & R Greenway Land Trust, Princeton, NJ.  Her work was included in a Satellite Art Basel Miami Beach exhibition in 2018. Hrbacek’s solo exhibition, “Human Nature: Pefka and Sycamore,” was presented at Elga Wimmer PCC, NYC in 2020. She participated in The Milan Art Fair, the Paris Art Fair, and the Brussels Art Fair, 2023. Her art was included in “Deep Diving,” “Crossroads,” and “White Noise,” 2023, group exhibitions held in Madrid at Monat Gallery. In May 2023 Paris Koh Fine Arts hosted Hrbacek’s solo painting show entitled, “Vanishing.”           Hrbacek is also an artist critic and a member of the International Association of Art Critics  (AICA) based in NYC. She writes for Whitehot Magazine, Artes Magazine, Cuture Catch, and New York Art Beat. Website:  www.maryhrbacek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryhrbacek_trees/

 

	Biography  2021                  When I was ten my family moved to Stockholm, Sweden where I developed a thirst for nature from the outdoor Swedish culture where biking, skiing, skating and riding horses are part of daily life. When we were transferred five years later to the US, life in the consumer culture was unbearable; there seemed to be nothing to do but go to shopping malls. The strain from the move seriously affected my family, who gave me no support. They never even spoke to me. I had to navigate life on my own. When I was fourteen years old I lost everything I loved. The angst this situation created flows into my work which helps to alleviate the emotional tension I hold from these traumas. I discovered my interest in art when I realized, while making tempera murals with my handicapped students, how I relish the tactile mark making experience of applying paint to a surface. This is related to the transcendental, spiritual bond to all creation and it’s mysterious meaning, a realization that spurred me to spend every weekend at the Phillips Collection and at the National Gallery in Washington, D. C. Some years later I moved to New York to study art full time. I especially wanted to learn to draw.  During the 1990’s I didn’t have studio so every day I walked in Riverside Park where I noticed the peeling bark and distinct patterns on the Sycamore trees. In 1997 I continued to draw in the park while I also took Life Drawing classes at the Art Students League. One day my vision changed. I noticed that the limbs and tree trunks resembled human limbs and anatomical features. After that time my art became focused on the human presence I perceived in certain trees. My close connection to nature was broken, but art helped me get it back. It is the refuge that sustains my life.

 

 

RESUME

MARY HRBACEK

    305 West 98 St. # 4A South, NY NY 10025    tel. 212.864.4524  c. 917.549.9945   email: maryhrbacek@gmail.com

                           

www.maryhrbacek.com                                   https://www.instagram.com/maryhrbacek_trees/

 

http://www.saatchiart.com/MaryHrbacek            

 

 

WORKS IN OTHER WEBSITES

Neo Images  

Saatchi Galleries

The Artist Network

 

2020       “Drawing Challenge, I and II,” JASON MCCOY GALLERY, NYC
2016       MANA CONTEMPORARY, “Mixing Medias,” Carole A. Feuerman Sculpture Foundation, ESKFF Foundation,
                 The Helis Foundation, Financial Grant for artwork exhibited in “Mixing Medias”
1999       MUSCARELLE MUSEUM, “American Drawing Biennial VI," College of William & Mary, VA,
                Curated by ANN PHILBIN, Director of THE DRAWING CENTER, NYC, JUROR'S PRIZE
1999       YOSEMITE MUSEUM GALLERY, "Yosemite Renaissance," YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CA
                   Traveled to 7 sites, Curated by OAKLAND MUSEUM, CA - HONORABLE MENTION

MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS

2017       STATE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF THESSALONICA, ‘WHISPERS,” Curated by M. Marangou,.Greece
2016       MUSEUM OF CONTEMPOARARY ART OF CRETE, “WHISPERS,” Curated by Maria Marangou.
2005       THE PARRISH ART MUSEUM, NY, Southampton, “39h Annual Exhibition,” Curated by Sara Nightingale,      
                  A. Budick, Critic Newsday, J. Brody, Editor, Print Collector's Newsletter, NY
2000      THE TRENTON CITY MUSEUM, NJ, “TAWA at Ellarslie,” Curated by Kristen Accola, Huntington Museum
                  of Art, PA
1999       THE TRENTON CITY MUSEUM Trenton, NJ, “Invitationals at Ellarslie ,“ Curated by Brian Peterson,
                  Michener Art Museum, PA
1999       THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM GALLERY, "Yosemite Renaissance,"
                   Yosemite National Park, CA, Curated by the OAKLAND MUSEUM, CA, Traveled to 7 sites
1999       THE MUSCARELLE MUSEUM, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA “American Drawing Biennial VI,”
                   Curated by Ann Philbin, Director of The Drawing Center, NYC

           Curated by JACK BEAL, NYC
1990       THE NATIONAL ACEDEMY OF DESIGN, NYC, “The 165th Annual Exhibition”

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023     PARIS KOH FINE ARTS, “Mary Hrbacek: Vanishing,” Recent Works, Fort Lee New Jersey, NJ
2020     ELGA WIMMER PCC, “Mary Hrbacek Human Nature: Pefka and Sycamore,” NYC
2017     PARIS KOH FINE ARTS, “The Painted Veil, that those who live call life: Mary Hrbacek, Curated by Paris Koh, NYC
2016     GALLERY D’ARTE, “Vital Connections, New Works by Mary Hrbacek,” Curated by Suechung Koh, Chelsea, NYC
             107 WEST, “World Trees,” Curated by Ben Goucheon, NYC
2015     CREON, “Life Before Life,” Curated by Norm Hinsey, NYC
2013     CREON, “Peopled Forest of My Mind,” Curated by Elga Wimmer, NYC
2011     CREON, “Entwined,” Curated by Richard Pasquarelli, NYC
2009     CREON, “Icons” Curated by Norm Hinsey NYC
2006     ROGER SMITH ARTS, “World Tree Series - Drawings” Curated by Matthew Semler, Dominick Lombardi, NYC
2002     PROGRESSIVE GALLERY AT THE WELL, NYC, Curated by Lucy Stylianou                                     
2001     FLORA DANICA GALERIE, NYC, "Metamorphoses" Curated by Fleur Boel
1999     TRENTON CITY MUSEUM, “Invitationals at Ellarslie “Curated by Brian Peterson, Michener Art Museum, PA
1992     POSITIVELY 104TH STREET, NYC, "Southwest Landscapes"
1989     ADELPHI MANHATTAN CENTER GALLERIES, Urban Center, NYC, “Landscapes," Curated by Dr. Elliot Pruzan

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
 
2023     PARIS ART FAIR, Paris, France, MONAT GALLERY, Madrid, Spain
             MILAN ART FAIR, Milan, Italy, MONAT GALLERY, Madrid, Spain
             BRUSSELS ART FAIR, Brussels, Belgium, MONAT GALLERY, Madrid, Spain
             MONAT GALLERY, “White Noise,” Group Exhibition, Madrid, Spain
             MONAT GALLERY, “Deep Diving, “Group Exhibition, Madrid, Spain
             MONATGALLERY, “Crossroads,” Group Exhibition, Madrid, Spain
             LICHTUNDFIRE, “In It for The Long Haul,” Curated by Robert Curcio, NYC
2022     ORTUZAR PROJECTS, “Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids Benefit,” Tribeca, NYC
2019     BLUE HILL ART CENTER, “Portrayals, Imaged and Observed,” Curated by Barbara Sussman, Pearl River, NY
             BORTOLAMI GALLERY, “Postcards from the Edge,” Visual Aids Benefit, NYC
2018     ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH SATELLITE EXHIBITION, Curated by Laura Fong, Travels to cities 2019, Miami, FL
             D &R GREENWAY LAND TRUST, “Lovely as A Tree,” Curated by Diana Moore, Princeton, NJ
             ELLARSLIE, CITY MUSEUM OF TRENTON, “Pushing Forty,” Curated by Tricia Fagan, Brian Hill
                and Carolyn Stetson, Trenton, NJ
            THE HELLENIC INITIATIVE ANNUAL BENEFIT AUCTION, NYC
             PRESIDENT'S GALLERY, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, "Green Habitat," Curated by:
               Thalia Vrachopoulos, NY
             ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY, "Et Tu, Art Brute," Curated by Jamie Sterns, NYC
             SIDNEY MISHKIN GALLERY, "Baruch Small Works," Curated by Elizabeth Avedon and Richard Timperio, NYC
             SIDESHOW GALLERY, "The Greatest Show on Earth: Sideshow Nation VI, Curator Richard Timperio, Brklyn
2017     ANNA KUSTERA GALLERY, “A Call to Action,” Curated by Anna Kustera, Red Hook, Brkyn
             LAZY SUSAN GALLERY, “Points of View,” Curated by Jill Conner, Lower East Side, NYC
             GWANGHWAMUN INTERNATIONAL ART FESTIVAL, Seoul, Republic of Korea
             METRO PICTURES, “Postcards from the edge,” Visual Aids Benefit, NYC
             GALLERY d’ARTE, “Highlights,” Chelsea, NYC
             SIDESHOW, “Nation V, Thru the Rabbit Hole 2,” Curated by Rich Timperio, Williamsburg, Bryln
2016     BARUCH UNIVERSITY, “Small Works Baruch 2017.” Curator: Rich Timperio, NYC
             METRO PICTURES, Postcards from the Edge ,” Visual Aids Benefit,  Chelsea, NYC
             SIDESHOW, Nation V, Thru the Rabbit Hole 2, Curated by Rich Timperio, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
             PUSAN  CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR,  Curated by Suechung Koh, South Korea
             BARUCH, MISHKIN GALLERY, “Small Works Baruch,” Curated by Rich Timperio, NYC
             SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO, “18th Annual Postcards on the Edge,” Visual Aids Benefit, NYC
            SIDESHOW, “Through the Looking Glass,” Curated by Rich Timperio, Williamsburg, Brklyn, NYC
2015/16  MANA CONTEMPORARY, “Mixing Medias,” Curated by Carole Feuerman, Jersey City, NJ
             MUSEUM OF CONTEMPOARARY ART OF CRETE, “WHISPERS,” Curated by Maria Marangou.
             BLUE HILL & CULTURAL CENTER, “Ode to Earth,” Curated by Barbara Sussman, & Joanna Dickey, NY
 2015   MYKONOS BIENNIALE, Curated by Lydia Venieri, (NYC) Mykonos, Greece,             
             LUHRING AUGUSTINE, “Postcards from The Edge,” Benefit, Chelsea, NYC
             SIDESHOW, “Circle the Wagons,” Curated by Richard Timperio, Brooklyn, NYC
             BARUCH COLLEGE, Mishkin Gallery, “Baruch Small Works,” Curated by Rich Timperio, NYC
2014     CHOSUNILBO MUSEUM, 22nd Seoul International Art Festival. Curated by Bosuk Lee, President 21St Century   
                 International Creative Artists Association, Seoul, Korea
             SEJONG CULTURAL CENTER MUSEUM AND STORY HALL, 10th GIAF, Seoul, Korea,. 
                Curated by Kyoo Seong Jeon, Art Professor, Mokpo National University, Korea             
             TABLA RASA GALLERY, “Intimate Forest,” Curated by Anders Knutsson and Audrey Frank Anastasi, NYC
             LUHRING AUGUSTINE, “Postcards from The Edge,” Benefit, Chelsea, NYC
             SIDESHOW, “Nation II, The Alamo,” Curated by Richard Timperio, Brooklyn, NYC
2013     TENRI INSTITUTE, “Covert Narratives,” Curated by Thalia Vrachopoulos, NYC
             SIDESHOW, “Nation,” Curated by Richard Timperio, Brooklyn NYC
             SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO., “Postcards from the Edge, Visual Aids Benefit, NYC
2012     KTC HOPE GALLERY, VIDA: “Voice for International Development and Adoption,” Benefit Auction,  
                 Kinderhook, NY
             AFP GALLERY, NYC, “Getting from Here to There: Images In and About Transition,” Curated by Robert Edelman.
             FRAN HILL GALLERY, Toronto, Canada, “In the End a Good Story Is All That Remains,”
                Curated by Edward Rubin, NYC
             SIDESHOW, “MIC:CHECK ,” (12th Annual Extravaganza), Curated by Richard Temperio, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
             CHEIM AND REID, NYC, “Postcards from the Edge,” Visual Aids Benefit
2011     PINK ART FAIR SEOUL 2011, Seoul, South Korea, CREON GALLERY, Curated by Grace Rim and
              Norm Hinsey, NYC
            SEOKJANG-RI ART MUSEUM, 2011KOREAN DMZ ART FESTIVAL, Outdoor Installation Art, Drawing Flags,
                South Korea, Curated by Soojung Hyun.
             THE NEW ART CENTER/CAN, NYC, “Canasta,” Curated by Serge Gregorian,
             SIDESHOW GALLERY, Brooklyn “It’s All Good/Apocalyse Now,” Curated by Richard Timperio, NYC
             CRG GALLERY, NYC,”Postcards from the Edge,” Visual Aids Benefit
2010     ELGA WIMMER GALLERY, NYC, BJORN RESSLE ART PROJECTS, “The 2010 Winter Salon: In Synthesis,”
                Curated by Bjorn Ressle, and Hee Yuen Chun   
             EXIT ART, NYC, “Fracking: Art and Activism Against the Drill.”  Curated by Lauren Rosati, Peggy Cyphers,
                Alice Zinnes, and Ruth Hardinger,
             ELLIOT LOUIS GALLERY, Vancouver, B.C., Two-Person Show, “Charcoal and Thread,”
                Curated by Lynn Ruscheinsky, Founder, Drawn Festival, Canada
             BEIJING ART FAIR, Beijing, China, Curated by the:artist:network Curatorial Pool, NYC
              SHORE INSTITUE FOR THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS, Long Branch, NJ,
                  “Nature Calls,” Curated by Dominick Lombardi
              FOUNTAIN ART FAIR, NYC Curated by Norm Hinsey, CREON GALLERY
              HEADBONES GALLERY Toronto, Canada, “Winter Slasher Salon,” Curated by Julie Oakes
              GALLERY H215, NYC “Homage to Ray Johnson, Mail Artist,” Curated by Peggy Cyphers
                              
 ART WRITER:   The M Mag     (former) M - New York Art World                Culturecatch.com
                               NY Arts Magazine  (former)                                                  Artesmagazine.com
                               D’Art International                                                                 Whitehotmagazine.com
                               Member: aica-usa The International Association of Art Critics

MY ART REVIEW PRESS       

2023      Thalia Vrachopoulos,” In Preserving Life Mary Hrbacek’s Trees,” Tusslemagazine.com, May 9, 2023
2020      Walter Idlewild, “Tree of Life,” www.languageandphilosophy.com  May 16, 2020
              Siba Kumar Das, “Artist of Metamorphosis,” culturecatch.com, January 29, 2020
              Jonathan Goodman, “Mary Hrbacek at Elga Wimmer PCC,” art511mag, February 17, 2020
2017      Bradley Rubenstein + Mary Hrbacek, “Little Q & A: Mary Hrbacek + Bradley Rubenstein,” November 7, 2017,
                       culturecatch.com   http://www.culturecatch.com/art/little-q-a-mary-hrbacek
               Walter Idlewild, “Staying Upright, “Mary Hrbacek: The painted Veil That Those Who Live Call Life,” at Paris Koh Fine Arts,
                      culturecatch.com May 16, 2017  http://culturecatch.com/art/mary-hrbacek2
               Richard Friswell, “New York Artist, Mary Hrbacek’s ‘Fierce Affection’ For a Miracle of Nature,” April 15, 2017 article in
                      Artestmagazine.com    http://www.artesmagazine.com/?p=21319
2015        Thalia Vrachopoulos, “Mary Hrbacek: The Tao of Trees,” Culture Catch.com  http://culturecatch.com/art/mary-hrbacek
                Faye Nwafor, “An Eco-Artist Grows in Manhattan,” The Spirit/Westsider, westsidespirit.com
                       http://www.westsidespirit.com/city-arts-news/20151112/an-uws-eco-artist               
                Jonathan Goodman, “The State of the Arboreal: Mary Hrbacek at Creon in New York City, d’Art Internaltional,
                     Spring/Summer 2015
2013        Ed Rubin, Interview, “Peopled Forest of My Mind, A Conversation With Mary Hrbacek,” NY Art Beat, 2013
                Ann Landi, Essay
2012        Jonathan Goodman, “The Subliminal Life of Trees,” Essay
                Afrika Brown, “The Secret Life of Trees,” F.A.M.E.NYCMAGAZINE.Com 2012/11/26
2011        Edward Rubin, “Mary Hrbacek’s Wounded Forests Touch the Human Heart,” Adobeairstream, April 13
                Edward Rubin, “Entwined: Into the Woods! In Search of a metaphor for the Human Condition,”
                     Artes Magazine, April 9
                Edward Rubin, “Mary Hrbacek at NY’s Creon Gallery: Entwined Depicts the Forest Primeval,”
                     Berkshire Fine Arts, April 15
               Robert C. Morgan, “Entwined:  Selected Paintings and Drawings by Mary Hrbacek,” Catalogue Essay
                John Mendelsohn,  “Entwined, Mary Hrbacek’s Paintings at Creon Gallery in New York City” dart International,  
                     Volume 12, number 2, p. 36
                Edward Rubin, “Entwined: Into the Woods!,” Dialog of Arts. Moscow,Summer
                Ed Edward Rubin, NY Museums, CURATOR’S CHOICE, “Mary Hrbacek at CREON GALLERY in New York City,”
                Gallery Gazeteer, April 2011
                Edward Rubin, “Entwined…Metaphor for the Human Condition,” Huma3.com, April 18, 2011.mht
                Edward Rubin, “Entwined: Into the Woods!...,” NY Arts Magazine, p. 144-145, Summer
2009        Dominick Lombardi, “Trees With Personality,” Culture Catch, May
                Dominick Lombardi, “Winter Salon, Works on Paper,” d’Art International, Winter
                Joel Simpson, “Winter Salon,” The M Magazine, February 2009
                Dominick Lombardi, “Vibrant and Varied Works on Paper,” CultureCatch, Jan.9
2006        Julie Oakes, “X-Country Selection,” Headbones Anthology, December.
                Chris Twomey, “Entwined,” Drawings, NY Arts Magazine. May/June.
                Chris Twomey, “A Place To Hang,” Review, Resolve Forty, On-line Magazine, December
2002        Korotkin, Joyce, Mary Elizabeth Hrbacek “Metamorphoses,” NY Arts Magazine, January
                Lily Faust, “Metamorphosis,” Catalogue Essay
1999        U.S. 1, Princeton, NJ, TAWA INVITATIONAL, Mary Person Hrbacek, “Close Call” reproduced, July
1998        Simone, Ashley, “Art Show Alive and Well at Muscarelle,” The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, December
1992        Bledsoe, Shari, “Drawings As Varied As Their Number,” The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg, April

EDUCATION:  M.S. Adelphi University, NYC, Magna Cum Laude
                            B.S. University of Dayton, OH
                            San Francisco Art Institute, CA, Painting
                            FIT, Certificate
                            The Art Students League of New York
                            The New York Academy of Art, New York

              

WORKS OWNED BY:

Paul and Kathleen Atkins, Don Brennan, John Butler, Gulsen Calik, Caroline and Laurie Cotter, Adrienne Choma and Bo Dziben, Stefan Eins, Tom Whalen and Dana English, Case White Law Firm, Malka Lubelsky Foundation, Ellen Fox, Greg Fox Jess Fox, Rosemary Gaffney, Oriol Guiterrez, Norm Hinsey, Micael Jacoff, Eva-Brita Jänefors, Al Kresch, Ann Landi, Val Landi, Sebastian Lemm, Frada Litman, Kim Manocherian,

Coco Masuda, Louise McCagg Dr. Peter and Elizabeth McCue, Richard Pasquarelli, Ron and Dierdre Pasquarelli, Valerie Pels, Roberta Newman, Barbara Nessim, Martha Niggerman, Anne Person, Everett Person, Roy Person, Ron Rangel, George Robertson, Judy Rosenblatt, Ed Rubin, Steve Scuro, Martha and Tom Sowers, Kurt Sung, Arisa Suda, Angela Vance, Mike Weiss, Colby Wong