(b. 1963, Rochester, New York)
Education
Columbia University, Art Studio and Art Pedagogy, MA, New York, NY 1995
Printmaking and curating under the direction of Robert Blanton and Bruce Porter with and for the following artists: Willem de Kooning, Barbara Kruger, Robert Motherwell, James Rosenquist, and Frank Stella, New York, NY 1987–1989
Rhode Island School of Design, Painting, BFA, Providence, RI 1986
Selected Solo and small-group Exhibitions and Projects
2023 Vassar, The Palmer Gallery, Imploding Meaning, curated by Monica Church, Poughkeepsie, NY
2021 Gibson Contemporary, From The Drawer – OnLine – Margaret Pettee Olsen + Chris Coffin, New York, NY
2018 808 Projects, Relay: Paintings by Margaret Pettee Olsen, exhibition extended into 2019, curated by art historian Stephanie Grilli, Denver, CO
2017 Gallery EOSS, Cypher, Paintings by Margaret Pettee Olsen, Providence, RI
2015 Gallery EEOS, File Not Found, Margaret Pettee Olsen + Brian Kane, two solo exhibitions guest-curated by Alexander Castro, Providence, RI
2013 Summit, M Pettee Olsen Projection Installation pop-up, Rochester, NY
2010 The University of Central Florida, Center for Emerging Media, Studio Art and the Computer Gallery, Occlusions, recent work by Margaret Pettee Olsen, Invited by E Brady Robinson, Orlando, FL
2007 TMA, Margaret Pettee Olsen – New Paintings project, Avon, CT
2005 Project for McGrath&Braun, Denver, CO
2003 Public Installation, Art in the Environment Project with Margaret Pettee Olsen, sponsored by Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Indian Hills, CO,
2000 A Million Summer Mornings, Paintings for Poetry Project, published in Los Angeles, CA
1997 In-site Paintings Project, by M Pettee Olsen, published in Los Angeles, CA
1994 Macy Gallery, Columbia University, Dis-Covering Re-presentation – Recent Paintings by Margaret Pettee Olsen, New York, NY
1992 Established Oberon Press, NYC, in collaboration with master printer William M. Olsen, in TriBeCa — New York, NY
1986 Rhode Island School of Design, Passages – An Installation, Grant funded by the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Selected Group Exhibitions and Projects
2023 Macy Gallery, Columbia University, Connectivity, curated by Jun Gao, New York, NY
2022 The Coral Door – East Village, Elemental Fictions, curated by Jessica Nissen and Lowell Boyers, New York, NY
2021 Gibson Contemporary. Best of the Season – A Virtual Exhibition, New York, NY
2021 M. David&Co. Abstraction Now – A Virtual Exhibition, Selections From the Yellow Chair Salon, curated by Michael David, Brooklyn, NY with the Truro Center for the Arts, Cape Cod, MA
2021 Macy Gallery, Columbia University, Celebrating Bridges, curated by Dr. Razia Sadik, New York, NY
2019 The Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities, Colorado Abstract +10, curated by Collin Parson, Arvada, CO
2019 William Havu Gallery, Women In Abstraction, Denver, CO
2019 Macy Gallery, Columbia University, Coming Home, curated by Radiah Harper, New York, NY
2018 Goodwin Fine Art, Confluence, Denver, CO
2018 The Emmanuel Gallery concurrent with 808 Projects, Made In Colorado, Project leads, Olga Viso, and Cameron Keith Gainer, Denver, CO
2016 Center for Visual Art, Metropolitan State University, Colorado Women in Abstraction, curated by Michael Paglia, Denver, CO
2013 A Gallery Santa Fe, RISD New Mexico Exhibition, curated by Nathaniel Hesse, Santa Fe, NM
2013 BMOCA + DBG, CSArt, curated by David Dadone, Executive Director + Chief Curator of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and Lisa M W Eldred, Director of Exhibitions, Art and Interpretation, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver CO
2012 Core, Abstract, curated by Dean Sobel, Director of the Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO
2011 Metropolitan Pavilion, Chaucer’s Madonna Project, for Patrick J Hamilton, New York, NY
2011 The St. Julien, New Artists New Work, curated by Trudi Horowitz and Susan Knickle, Boulder, CO
2009 McGrath & Braun, Falling Away Project, for Robinson Waters & O’Dorisio PC Public Art Collection, Denver, CO
2008 Spark Gallery, Supporting Show, Denver, CO
2004 Parmalee, Arts in the Environment Project, sponsored by SCFD, Indian Hills, CO
1999 Pettee Olsen begins studies on Transformative Experiences, concerns examined at Columbia University now drivers in their work
1997 Travels American southwest, the first studio in Denver established
1995 Travels Japan, For In-Site Project, published in Los Angeles, CA
1995 Columbia University, TC, Printmaking in America Project, New York, NY
1994 Columbia University, Spring, Macy Gallery, curated by Mary Hafelli, New York, NY
1993 Independent Artists Biennial, Brooklyn, NY
1992 Oberon Press, NYC, Founding director/curator, TriBeCa, New York, NY
Presentations, Lectures + Arts Advocacy
2017-
Present T\LT WEST, ongoing round table Invitational; “Curators, Collectors, & the shaping of Art History”. Courtenay Finn, Curator of the Aspen Art Museum, prompter, and others.
2017-
2020 Conversations Series, Invited to a sustained discussion of contemporary art issues. Stephanie Grilli, Ph.D., Yale, independent art historian, co-curator of Taos Contemporary, and advisory board member, prompter, Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO
2016 Guest Instructor, Boulder School of Fine Art, Boulder, CO
2016 Artist panel, “Colorado Women In Abstraction”, moderated by arts writer Michael Paglia, Center for Visual Art, Denver, CO
2015 Artist speaker, “File Not Found – Brian Kane and Margaret Pettee Olsen”, Gallery EOSS, Providence, RI
2013 Artist speaker, “CSART”, Invited and sponsored by The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and The Denver Botanic Gardens.
2004 Artist panel discussion, “Art in the Environment, Artist-In-Residence”, sponsored by Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Indian Hills, CO
1995 Instructor, Creative Workshop, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, NY
1994 Guest instructor, for Masters candidates, Art & Art Education department, Columbia University, T.C., New York, NY
Bibliography
2019 Paglia, Michael, Review, Six Women take Separate Paths to an Impressive Show at Havu, Westword, (A Village Voice publication, Denver and surrounding) July 3
2018 Paglia, Michael, Review: The Reality of Abstraction at 808 Projects, Relay: Margaret Pettee Olsen, Westword, (A Village Voice publication, Denver and surrounding) Nov 14th
2016 Lee, Elizabeth, “Cipher”, Art New England, November 1
2015 Rinaldi, Ray, “Colorado Women In Abstraction Cuts Across History”, The Denver Post, August 12
2015 Froyd, Susan, “Colorado Women In Abstraction”, Westword, (A Village Voice publication, Denver and surrounding), July 1
2015 Castro, Alexander, “File Not Found, Margaret Pettee Olsen + Brian Kane”, The Providence Journal, November 3
2013 Lewis, Shanna “CSArt Colorado”, Colorado Matters, Buying a share of Art, May 23
2012 Bewkes, Stacey, “More Style…”, Quintessence, Living Well with Style and Substance-blog, April 302011 Hamilton, Patrick J, “Artfully Gifted Friends…”, Ask Patrick, December 16
2009 Michael Paglia, “Supporting Show”, Spark Gallery, Denver, CO, July 22
2004 Staff, “Arts In the Environment”, Canyon Courier, November 2
Margaret Pettee Olsen has been collected both nationally and internationally. Below is a list of selected private collections.
Selected Collections
The Rhode Island School of Design
Ann Benson Reidy + Associates
The private Collection of Jina Brenneman
Robinson Waters & O’Dorisio Public Art Collection
The Private Collection of Mark Kostabi
The Private Collection of Martin Johnson
The David and Annette Raddock Collection
The Private Collection of Jina Brenneman
The Private Collection of Dominic Sekich
Ralph Nagel of the Nagel Hall Art Collection
The Private Collection of Tom Kacvinsky
And other collections internationally
Grants Awards and Fellowships
Ucross Foundation Fellow – Spring 2019
Honors at Rhode Island School of Design:
The Rhode Island School of Design, Illustration Department Heads, David Porter, and David Niles, cite the artist as inspiration for the development of interdisciplinary and inter-departmental study at RISD for the first time, Providence, RI – 1984
RISD Artist Grant, Passages, an installation between RISD proper and the RISD Museum – 1986
The artist has also taught on an ad hoc basis at Columbia University, Art + Art Education Department, Masters’ degree candidates, The University of Rochester’s MAG Visual Arts Workshop, and as an independent arts educator in Brooklyn, NY on an award-winning museum installation with first-generation young Americans.