I make large oil paintings on canvas, and objects of plaster and stoneware as installation, to create an environment saturated in color.
The largeness of the paintings complements the energy and motion of the brush strokes, and the objects sometimes attract attention by their intensity of color, and by flashing, shaking, turning, smoking and making noise.
The ulterior motive is to create wonder and a sensualist aesthetic, and to unbalance the viewer to set them off guard.
I make large paintings of the shock of light in motion, of figures at play and work; and sculptures of warnings in the forms of mock danger cones.
The paintings and the sculptures are in attention-grabbing colors, but we have grown accustomed to fluorescent red and yellow-green, and it doesn’t alert us.
Our lives have daily distractions and we can’t quite grasp the power and velocity of long-term threats like apocalyptic weather or the giant sublime, of natural forces greater than us that we can’t control, or human behavior that drags our evolution backwards.
Alexa Lady MacRady is a New York painter whose first solo show, at Galerie J et J Donguy Paris 1985 curated by Olivier Renaud Clement, was paired with an East Village NYC solo at Dash & Dash Gallery. Solos followed at Smith College, New York University Broadway Windows, University Massachusetts Amherst, Long Island University and Puzzle Ring Factory Tokyo. Larry Rivers and Helen Harrison, curator of the annual Eight Artists Guild Hall Museum exhibitions, awarded her eleven foot painting Straight, No Chaser the First Purchase for inclusion in the Republic National Bank Collection. Two-person at Real Art Ways with Jenny Holzer, three-person at Connecticut College 1991.
Museum group shows include New Britain Museum of American Art NorEaster 2024, Black Mountain College Museum 2023, Provincetown Art Association Museum 2013, Parrish Museum curated by Werner Kramarsky. Biennials include Jack Shainman The Field, Everson Museum Biennial curated by John Perrault, Sao Paolo Biennial curated by Berta Sichel.
Awards include a NEA New England Foundation Arts in painting 1995; MassMoCA 2018, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council 2013, CT Commission Arts awardee 2010 and 2002, Virginia Center Creative Arts 2015, Michael Clark Co UK performances in the Whitney Biennial 2012 and NEA NYU Manhattan digital project.
MFA Hunter College CUNY 1990. School of Visual Arts NY Milton Glaser 1982. BFA Syracuse University VPA including year abroad at Sir John Cass School of Art London UK.
Alexa Lady MacRady
Born 1960 Speedway Indiana
MFA 1990 Hunter College CUNY painting
1982 School Visual Arts Milton Glaser Master Workshop
BFA Syracuse University School of Art
Sir John Cass School of Art, London UK, sculpture
Hartford Art School All State year in Secondary level
Awards and Residencies
2024 Gantner Achievement Award, Essex Art Association CT
2015 Virginia Center for Creative Arts residency, Amherst VA
2013 LMCC Lower Manhattan Cultural Council - Creative Capital ASI Art Summer Institute
2012 Whitney Biennial 2012, Michael Clark UK Dance Company residency, performer
2010 Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Individual Artist grant for Installation
2002 Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Individual Artist grant for Painting
2002 Connecticut Association of Elementary Principals, Community art circle installation
1994-5 NEA New England Foundation for the Arts, Individual Artist grant for Painting
1988 Guild Hall museum, Eight Artists, East Hampton NY. First purchase award by Larry Rivers
1986-7 William Steeple Davis Trust, Orient Long Island NY full year residency
1984 Pratt institute Manhattan Graphics Center, printmaking residency
1981,2,3 NEA New York University Digital Manhattan project, Martin Nizenholtz
Selected Solos
2009 Southern Connecticut State University
2001 State Capital Hartford, Connecticut Commission on the Arts, curator Jennifer Aniskovich
1989 Islip Museum, Dowling College, Long Island
1989 Long Island University Southampton
1988 New York University Broadway Windows Political Circles
1987 Smith College. Northampton MA
1987 University of Massachusetts Amherst
1987 Real Art Ways, Hartford CT Jenny Holzer, McCrady Axon
1987 Carl Warnecke Architectures Windows, NYC
1987 Galerie Art Mania, Annemasse FR
1986 Dash & Dash Gallery. East Village NY Everafter
1985 Galerie J & J Donguy. Paris Heaven and Hell Curator Olivier Renaud-Clement
1983 Calpis corporation, Puzzle Ring Factory. Tokyo Japan
1981 Les Enfants du Paradis Under the Water Tower Installations for Andy Warhol
Selected Group Exhibition
2024 New Britain Museum of American Art Nor’Easter Kate Menconeri, Chief Curator Thomas Cole National Historic Site
Lyme Art Association CT Abstract Curator Deborah Dancy
Essex Art Association CT Surreal Curator Declan Anders
2023 Black Mountain College Museum, Asheville NC BMC/MX Exhibition Translation In Motion Curator Abraham Cruzvillegas
Lyme Art Association Expanding Visions Curator Cary Smith
2022 JHorton at Willoughbys Coffee, Madison CT
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, Sill Gallery Old Lyme CT
2021 Artspace New Haven, Curator Lisa Dent
Odetta Digital, Artsy.net Essential Works Curator Ellen Hackl Fagan
Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, Mystic Transformations Curator Brian Flinn
PS Gallery, Litchfield CT
Odetta Digital, Artsy.net Page-Turner Curator Ellen Hackl Fagan
2020 Equity Gallery, New York. Curators Prishka Juszka, Luciana Solano, Paul D’Agostino
Equity Gallery, New York. The Center Cannot Hold as an artist and as a curator
Odetta Digital, Artsy.net Sea Change Inaugural Curator, Ellen Hackl Fagan
Odetta Digital, Artsy.net Pandemic Proof Curator Ellen Hackl Fagan
2019 Space Gallery St Barth. New York ‘Art She Says’ Curator Julie Wynn
Artspace New Haven Chromaphillia Curator Shannon Blewein, Sara Fritchey
2018 bG Gallery Bergamot Station, Santa Monica LA CA
Five Points Gallery, Torrington CT ‘Presence: Encounters with the Figure’ Curator Ann Finholt
Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan CT. ‘New Members’ Curator Jeffrey Mueller
River Street Gallery, Fair Haven CT ‘In Praise of Color’ Curator Liz Pagano
Artspace New Haven, 2018 Flatfile Collection ‘Folded: New Acquisitions’ Curator Lisa Rosenthal
Artspace New Haven City Wide Open Studios, curator Helen Kauder
2017 CUNY Queens College Museum. ‘Fabric of Cultures’ Curator Eugenia Paulicelli
Silvermine Arts Center, New Canaan CT. Curator Erik Ben Kiki, EBK Gallery Hartford
Spectrum Gallery, ‘Abstract Nature’ Centerbrook CT
Guilford Art Center, Curator Amy Kurtz Lansing, Florence Griswold Museum CT
2016 Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven
Call for Bushwick, finalist
2015 Victory Hall Drawing Rooms, Jersey City NJ Curators James Pustorino, Anne Trauben
New Haven Lawn Club, CT Lady MacCrady and Katie Kindilien
2014 Field Projects, Chelsea NYC Curator Deborah Brown
Victory Hall Drawing Rooms, Jersey City. The Big Small Show 2014. Anne Trauben, J Pustorino
2013 The Institute Library, New Haven ‘Crossing the Line: Drawings’ Curator Stephen Kobasa
Provincetown Art Association Museum, Group Exhibition
Westport Art Center, Curator Helen Klisser During
2012 Radio City Music Hall, Michael Clark Company UK, Jarvis Cocker Pulp, performer
Connecticut Commission on the Awardees, Hartford Phoenix headquarters, Group show
Provincetown Art Association Museum, group
2011 Westport Arts Center CT ‘Love’ curator David Kiehl, Whitney Museum
Connecticut Commission on the Arts Awardees, McCrady Axon & Norma Minkowitz
2009 Bradley International Airport Terminal A. ‘Oil Drum Art ‘ Curator Power Boothe
2008 Artspace New Haven ‘1,000 Dresses’ Curator Denise Markonish, Linda Lindroth
Real Art Ways Hartford CT ‘Real Party’ Curator Will Wilkins
2006 Erickson Davis Gallery, Centerbrook CT
2005 Erickson Davis Gallery, Centerbrook CT
2002 Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme CT ‘Nature Conservancy’ Curator Christian Brezhneff
1993 John Slade Ely House, New Haven CT ‘Connecticut Invitational III: Curator’s Choice’
1991 Connecticut College John Dilg, McCrady Axon, Nicolas Pogony
1990 Parrish Museum. Southampton NY Curator Werner Kramarsky
1988 Guild Hall Museum. East Hampton NY Eight Artists Curator Helen Harrison
Benton Gallery, Bridgehampton LI NY. Arlene Bujese, Director
1987 East Hampton Center for Contemporary Art, LI NY. ‘Images on Paper’ Curator Jennifer Cross
Room Service Gallery, Cyrille Putman, 57th st NYC with Olivier Renaud Clement
1986 Cre-Ange Dance Company. Curator Olivier Renaud Clement, Paris
The Field, New York. Curator Jack Shainman
1985 Galerie Beau Lezard, Paris. Promesses: MacEwen, Mareval, MacCrady, Kohlhofer
1984 Everson Museum, Syracuse NY ‘1984 Biennial’ Curator John Perrault
1983 17th Annual Biennial of Sao Paulo. Brazil Curator Berta Sichel
1982 Washington Street Cafe, New York. LA Eyewear. Curator Andy Warhol
Selected Collections
Arches Paper Company, Arches Vosges France
Bill Arning, Houston and Kinderhook NY
Basil Alkazzi. London. Monte Carlo Monaco
Michael Clark, Michael Clark Company London UK
Elaine deKooning. Easthampton NY
Dame Siobhan Davis, Second Stride Dance, London UK
Jean-Pierre Fenez, Jean Vinay Architects. Marrakesh
Greater Hartford Arts Council CT
Island Avenue School. Madison CT
Medtronic Inc. New Haven CT
Sarah Moon. Paris
Republic National Bank of New York. NYC
Springfield Museum of Art OH, Basil Alkazzi bequest
Barry Wallenstein. NYC
Andy Warhol. NYC
Kim Adams Mark Depman. New Haven CT
Steven Ames. Old Lyme CT
Nancy Berger. CT
Larry Bograd. Denver
Connie Vick, Barry Buckland PhD NYC
Edmund Caddy III Bath England UK
Caroline Chandler. CT
Tim & Michiko Clorite. NY, RI
Pamela Davis Cook. Colorado
Peter and Jennifer Cowie. Guilford CT
Professor Horst Denkler. Amherst MA
Katy Dobbs. NYC and Redding CT
Michelle Dubé. Hudson NY
Ellen Hackl Fagan. Greenwich and NYC
Robert Falls. NYC and DC
Virginia Friedman. Sag Harbor LI NY
Amy Frey, Michael Schuster. West Hartford CT
Virginia Foster. Guilford CTJason and MK Gobleck. Madison CT and RI
Yvonne Goldsmith, art dealer, Weston CT
Amy Madigan, Ed Harris. Los Angeles
Glenne Headley. LA
Beth Henley. LA
Bob Howsam Jr. Cincinnatti
David Kaplan. NY
Konrad Kaczmarek. New Haven
Sheila and Len Kaczmarek. Guilford CT
Franz Hupscher. Paris
Guy Jaconelli. Madison CT
Hanni Kaufmann, West New York NJ
Jill and David Kay CT
Bruce Lundberg MD Guilford CT
Barbara MacLaurin. Paris
Christina Maile, Paris Mohassel. NYC
Anne McRory. Fairfield CT
Kenneth Miller. NYC
Fred Newman. NYC and Redding CT
Peggy and James Nordgren. Madison CT
Michael O’Neill, Wainscott LI and NYC
NYManabu Ogawa. Tokyo
Claudia Paluel-Marmont, Paris
Jean-Louis Pinte, Paris
Alex Province, Province Brothers Importers CT
Bill Pullman. LA
Puzzle Ring Factory. Tokyo
David Ricereto. Lido Key FL
Sandy Ruoff. Guilford CT
Arlys and Mark Raymond Esq, Miami
Peter Russo DMD, Branford CT
Karen and Ray Seligson. Guilford CT
Hoskins Smith, Bethany, Stonington CT and FL
Alan Starr Esq, New York
Gerri Stokes-Watstein. Palm Springs CA
Kim Stroud, Director Greater Hartford Academy Arts Hartford CT
Frances Taylor, Keith Costa Madison CT
Silvie Turner RA, Steven Drews, Somerset England
Stephanie White. Vancouver Island BC, Calgary, CAN
Lisa Wolkow. Madison CT
Selected Bibliography
*Allan Appel, New Haven Independent, Arts. McCrady Lights Up Feb 3, 2015
*Jeanine Baron, La Croix, Paris. Decembre 3, 1985. page 21
*Francoise Bataillon, Art Press, Paris. Fevrier1986.
*Jean Pascal Billaud, Cite Magazine International Paris. Novembre 1985
Phyllis Braff, The New York Times May 22, 1988. page 26
*Phyllis Braff, The New York Times July 6, 1988. Page 18
Bob Colacello, Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up. Harper Collins 1990. p xi
*Creative Time New York. Time Capsule. A Concise Encyclopedia by Women Artists. 1995
*Eugenia Paulicelli, Queens College CUNY. http://thefabricofcultures.com/foc-object/bonsoir-lb-danger-0539/
*Katy Dobbs, Andy Warhol’s Interview , May 1981. pages 61-62
Pat Hackett, The Andy Warhol Diaries, Warner 1989. pages 357, 372, 379, 436.
*Bernard Hanson. The Hartford Courant, cover Arts section. February 8, 1987
*Baird Jones, The East Village Eye, NY. “Andy Warhol: Then and Now” page 15a
*Karin Lipson, Newsday, July 22, 1988. page 31
*Dinah Prince The Daily News New York. 8 January 1986. p 31
Jude Schwendenden, Hartford Courant, 25 March 1993
*Rose Slivka The East Hampton Star NY. 3 December 1987
*Joe Tracey The Hartford Courant Sunday Magazine CT. 4 June 1978. cover story + pp 1-7
*Elisabeth Vedrenne Decoration International Paris. Novembre 1985
*Interior Magazine TokyoJapan. May 1983. pp 123-124
The New York Times Magazine. In support of Elizabeth Murray. 5 May 1991 p26
The New York Times Sunday. 14 Nov 2004
*Studio Voice Tokyo Japan. May 1983
Publication *art reproductions included
*On Site Review. Canada journal architecture urbanism 41, 2022. Infrastructure p 41 Streetwork red etchings
*On Site Review. Canada journal architecture urbanism 37, 2021. Drawing 2021 pp 21, 36
*On Site Review. Canada journal architecture urbanism 28, 2012. Sound Cover front, Cover back
*Friday Night Painters catalogue, Guilford CT 2003
*Helen Harrison. Guild Hall Museum Eight Artists 1988. pages 4-5
*Hunter College, The First Decade, page 5 McCrady Axon
*Baird Jones, Mark Kostabi and the East Village Scene 1983-1987, Matteo Editore 2002, p 102
*Werner Kramarsky. Elaine Benson Gallery. 1988 p2
*Claudia Paluel-Marmont. Galerie J & J Donguy Paris Lady McCrady 1985
*Stephen Peacock, When All Else Fails, Art Works page and artwork #12, 1986
*Barry Wallenstein The Roller Coaster Kid and other poems. Crowell. New York 1982
I am honored to have been mentored by Elaine deKooning, Sol Lewitt, Valerie Jaudon NA, Dan Rice, Friedl Dzubas, Andy Warhol, Audrey Flack, Robert Gwathmey, Vincent Longo, Henry Geldzahler, Judith Rothschild
and to have studied with Rosalind Krauss, Maurice Berger, Robert Morris, Andrea Blum, Susan Crile,
Milton Glaser, Robert Swain, Larry Bakke, Robert Goodnough, Jack Youngerman
Follow @alexa_lady_macrady on Instagram