Born: 1961 County Wexford, Ireland Studio: State College, PA & Leitrim, Ireland http://www.portraitsincreativity.com/helen-oleary
EDUCATION
1994
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
1989
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, M.F.A.
1987
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, B.F.A.
1982-4
National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
David and Co, Brooklyn, NY
2021
Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco
2019
Sala Uno, Safe House, Rome, Italy
2018
University of Maine Museum, Safe House, Bangor, Maine
2016
Lesley Heller Gallery, Home is a foreign Country, New York
2016
The MAC, Belfast, The Shelf Life of Facts, The MAC, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2015
Galerie Eulenspiegal, Basel, Switzerland (Helen O’ Leary and Hanibal Srouji)
2013
Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
2012
Lesley Heller Gallery, NY Delicate Negotiations
2012
Wexford Art Centre, Wexford Opera, Wexford, Ireland Refusal
2011
The Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle, Ireland, The shape of disappointment
2010
The Custom House Quay Gallery, Wesport, Co. Mayo, Grand
2009
Colemanburke Gallery, where things settle, NY, NY
2008
Culturel Irlandais, Paris, FR where things settle
2006
Beverly Art Centre, Chicago, Things you do
2006
Oklahoma State University something for nothing
2005
University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
2004
The Dock, Leitrim, Ireland
2004
VCA, Melbourne, Australia
2002
Sanskriti Foundation, New Dehli, In India, with Katie Holten
1999
Monaghan Musuem of Art, Monaghan, Ireland In India
1995
Linnenhall, Castlebar, Co.Mayo the way things are
1993
Michael Gold Gallery, New York
1993
Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago
1991
Zoller Lieberman Gallery, Chicago
1989
Zoller Lieberman Gallery, Chicago
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021
Newbridge House, Dublin, Ireland, Guest, curated by Marysia Wieckiewicz Carroll
Marklay Fine Art, Chhelsea, NY curated by Fran Shalom
Rutgers,Camden, NJ
__________, Wuppertal and Berlin, Germany, Here/There, curated by Anya Von Gosslyn
Life on Mars, Brooklyn, curated by Michael David, Artists: Helen O’Leary, Judy Pfaff, Brenda Goodman and Sheila Pree
Kathry Markel Gallery, New York, NY
S3A exhibition (online), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), State College, PA, Care, Water, Shelter, Food, Cost
2020
Miami Art Fair, Gibbons and Nicholas, Miami, Florida
2019
Cinque Mostre, The American Academy in Rome, Italy
Unforeseeable thereness, Stanek Gallery, Philadelphia
Dance with me, curated by kyle Staver, Zurcher Gallery, NY
2018
OZIO, Taylor Gallery, Dublin with Janet Mullarney and Natalie Maier
Assembled, Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, Artists: Julia Couzens, Cornelia Shulz and Helen O' Leary.
2017
IMMA Dublin, Ireland, Hennessy Award Exhibition
Becoming American, Gallery E, curated by Fionn Meade and Mary Coyne
2016
Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nasty Women, Pallas Studios, Dublin, Ireland
American Academy of Arts and Letters, Invitational Spring Show NY
Contemporary Art Centre, Building with a view, experiments in architecture New Orleans
2015
The Marmite Prize shortlist exhibition, Block 336, London, UK
Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Family Ties, 500x Gallery, Texas curated by Julie Torres
Momenta Art Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014
When Dreams become Promises, UP Down Gallery, Kent, UK curated by Cedric Christie
2013
Taylor Gallery, Dublin, Ireland Lacuna
IAC, NY with Vona Groake, Irene Butler and Eva O’ Leary, Muddle Kingdom
Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, Ireland, Numberless dreams
2012
Catherine Hammond Gallery, Ireland
Amid a space Between, SFMOMA Artist Gallery, San Francisco
Galerie Eulenspiegel, Basel, Switzerland
2010
The Nature of things, Galerie le Petit Port, Leiden, The Netherlands
2009
Sydney SNO Contemporary Art, Australia, Sydney
Non-Objective, curated my Mark Joyce, Traveling to Leiden, The Netherlands
2008
Waddingford Art Centre, Philadelphia, PA, 60 x 60
2007
Cead in China, Travelling exhibition starting in Gallery 411, Shanghai
2006
Feast, Hub Galleries, PSU, curated by John Bowman
2005
Artist as Traveler, King House, Boyle, Ireland
Dialogue and diversity, Palmer Museum of Art, Penn State University
Leabhar Mor na Gaeilge, Ulster Museum, Belfast
Trunk Show, Sirius Art Centre, Cobh, Ireland
Trunk Show, White Chapel, Women ’s Library, London
2004
Scott Pfaffman Gallery, NY, NY Urgent
Zoller Gallery, In the year of an election, Penn State University, PA
National Gallery of Ireland Self Portrait Collect, Limerick , Ireland
2003
Abnext, Southbend Regional Museum of Art, Southbend, Indiana
Allegheny College, PA, USA,
Drawing the Wall Plot with Katie Holten, Butler Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland
Glascow Museum of Art, Leabhar Mor na Gaeilge, Glascow,Scotland
2002
Heggarty Museum of Contemporary Art, Milwaukee,
Museum Of Contemporary Art, Denver, Archipelgo, curated by Ann Shostrum
2001
Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Lavitt Gallery, Ballinglen Fellows, Cork, Ireland
2000
Stad aan Zee, Ostende Municipal Museum, Belgium June 12-July 28
SVA,Palmer Museum of Art, State College, PA
Ostende Municipal Museum, Belgium, Sept 9th-Nov 10th
Hosfstra University Gallery, New York
Michael Gold Gallery, New York
Art of the State, Paper Works, travelling show Carrigfergus Castle, Orchard Gallery, National Photographic Archive, South Tipperary Arts Centre (catalogue)
National Institute of Art, Manchester, New Hamshire
1998
Works on Paper, Michael Gold Gallery, New York
David Beitzel, Skowhegan Show, NewYork
1997
RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin
1996
Limerick City Gallery, Limerick, Ireland
Art Space, New Haven, Connecticut; curated by Bill Arning
Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
1995
Gallery 450, New York
COLLABORATIONS
2016
DIY Museum, Jersey City with Dan Harris
2012
Muddle Kingdom with Vona Groake and Eva O’ Leary, Irish Art Centre, NY
2000-2006
PLOT with Katie Holten, multiple venues
2006
Kite Festival, Gujarat India with Sarah Schwartz and Mark Ballora
2005
New Potatoes with Paul Chidester and Coracle Press
AWARDS
2020-23
Civitella Ranieri Fellowship, Italy
2018-19
Rome Prize, American Academy in Rome
Hennessy Purchase Prize, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Dublin, Ireland
2017
Yaddo, NY, USA
2016
Golden Paints, Fellowship, New Berlin, NY
American Academy of Arts and Letters, Purchase Prize
Mac Dowell Fellowship, New Hampshire
Bogliasco Fellowship, Genoa, Italy
2015
Culture Ireland Grant, Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin, Ireland
Joan Mitchell Inaugural Artist in Residence, New Orleans, LA
2011-2012
Art Swatch Hotel, Shanghai, China
Penn State Scholars Medal, Penn State University
2010-2011
John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
2010
Culturel Irlandaise, Fellowship/residency
2009
College of Arts and Architecture, research award, PSU
2008
Unraveling Development, Curated by Joe lee, Public money award
2001
Sileage, Commisions Project,Commisions project, Irish Arts Council
2000
Joan Mitchell Award for painting and sculpture
1997
Ballinglen Artist Foundation
1996
Pollock-Krasner Award
1994
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, scholarship
1991
Community Arts Assistance Grant, Chicago, Illinois
1989
Pollock-Krasner Award
1986-89
Tuition Remission, Art Institute of Chicago
BIOBLIOGRAPY
2018
Hill, Robin, Assembled, But Not Resembling at Patricia Sweetow, Tow Coats of Paint, Oct. 2018
Dunne, Aidan, Art in Focus, Irish Times, Sept. 29, 2018
Dunne, Aidan, The Importance of Idleness and Interaction, The Irish Times, Oct. 9, 2018
McCoy, Ann, Helen O’Leary: Home is a Foreign Country, The Brooklyn Rail (online), June, 5, 2018.
________, Hennessy Art Fund 2018: Helen O'Leary on 'Dissembling Painting, RTE (online), May 29, 2018.
________, Hennessy reveals four artists selected for Art Fund at IMMA, Buzz.ie (online), May 11, 2018.
Cotter, Holland. “0 Galleries to Visit Now on the Lower East Side, The New York Times, 26 April 26, 2018: C16
Yaniv, Etty. Helen O’Leary: No Place for Certainty, Art Spiel (online) April 25, 2018.
Burns, Emily, Interview with Helen O’Leary, Maake Magazine (online) 6 March 2018.
2017
Eckhardt-Kohler, William, Helen O’Leary at The Irish Art Center, Huffington Post (online) Dec. 6, 2017.
Pinkington, Alison, Texture of a Medium, The Visual Artists’ News Sheet (online), Aug. 31, 2017
2014
Butler, Sharon, Ideas and Influences: Helen O’Leary, Two Coats of Paint (online),
Oct. 12, 2014
2013
Baume, Sarah, Helen O’Leary Irregular Activity, Catherine Hammond Gallery, Visual Arts News Sheet (online), 2013
1993
McCraken, David, New O’Leary Works Strike Dynamic Balance, Chicago Tribune, June 18, 1993