About
Bio - CV
Blog Post about Art and MS
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Location:
Plymouth, MN Artist statement: I use art as a tool to visualize my thoughts. Recently, my work has been influenced by my experience with pediatric-onset Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I study my photographs and mentally edit them as I paint or draw, creating images that reflect how I was feeling or what I was thinking about at the time. Through these realistic visual narratives I explore themes of transition, stability, and comfort. I am currently working on three projects that reflect my relationship with healthcare and explore the physical evidence of my disease: a "Living with MS" series based on photographs I've taken in medical spaces; a "Symptom" series of paintings and drawings that visualize my MS symptoms; and a "Self-Portrait" series of my MRI scans recreated with gouache. My goal is to spread MS awareness and advocate for people with "invisible" illnesses. |
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Bio:
May Ling Kopecky currently lives in Plymouth, Minnesota. She specializes in highly detailed, hyper-realistic drawings and paintings. After developing multiple sclerosis at the age of thirteen (diagnosed at fifteen), she began to use art as another form of language to express her ideas. Kopecky received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, graduating with High Distinction. She is currently pursuing her Master of Fine Arts Degree at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Kopecky was a grant recipient of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) Next Step Fund in 2019, and was awarded the MFA Trustees Scholarship at MCAD. She has received multiple awards for her work, and has been an art instructor for both adults and children. She is currently a teaching assistant at Artistic Moments and MCAD. In addition to her visual arts practice, Kopecky is also a musician, and has completed the MMTA level 10 piano performance and level 4 theory (2002 version) exams, passing both with distinction. She plays multiple instruments, writing compositions for solo piano and a variety of ensembles. |
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CV:
May Ling Kopecky
b. 1994
Education:
2022 (expected) Master of Fine Arts, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2018 Bachelor of Fine Arts, High Distinction, 3.93 GPA, University of Minnesota
Awards and Honors:
2021
Exhibitions:
2021
Teaching Experience:
2020 - present, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
2018 - 2021, Teaching Assistant, West Suburban Summer School, Maple Grove, MN
Relevant Experience
2018 - present, Secretary of the Plymouth Arts Council, Plymouth, MN
2020, Selection Panelist, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council - Equity Response Fund, St. Paul, MN
2020, Selection Panelist, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council - Next Step Fund, St. Paul, MN
b. 1994
Education:
2022 (expected) Master of Fine Arts, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2018 Bachelor of Fine Arts, High Distinction, 3.93 GPA, University of Minnesota
Awards and Honors:
2021
- Best of Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Exhibition
- Second Place in Acrylic Painting, Arts North International
- Best of Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts Fall Members' Juried Exhibition
- Award of Excellence, Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Show
- MCAD MFA Trustees Scholarship
- GOLDEN Artist Colors Award, Arts North International
- Second Place, National Juried Exhibition - NorthStar Watermedia Society
- Grant Recipient, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council - Next Step Fund
- Award of Excellence, Primavera Art Show
- Award of Excellence, Primavera Art Show
- Best Painting, CLA Student Board Art Gallery
- Primavera Award, Primavera Art Show
- Banner Contest – Second Place, Primavera Art Show
Exhibitions:
2021
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Mid-Program Exhibition, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Arts North International, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Open Door 16, Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, Online exhibition
- Foot in the Door, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN, Online exhibition
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Fall Members' Juried Exhibition, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- MCAD MFA Fall Show, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Here, There & Elsewhere: Exploring the Idea of Place, Visionary Art Collective, Online exhibition
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Juried Floral Art Exhibition, Studio Pintura, Minneapolis, MN
- Arts & Influence, Coffman Art Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
- Arts North International, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Small Works, Depot Gallery, Red Wing, MN
- National Juried Exhibition - NorthStar Watermedia Society, Lakeville Area Arts Center, Lakeville, MN
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Fall Members' Juried Exhibition, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- 6x6x2019 - The International Small Art Phenomenon, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Greetings From, Squirrel Haus Arts, Minneapolis, MN
- Spitting Image, Eagan Art House, Eagan, MN
- Justice Train Pop-up Show, St. Paul, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Arts Quarter Festival, Regis Center for Art, Minneapolis, MN
- Minnesota State Fair's Fine Arts Exhibition, Fine Arts Center, St. Paul, MN
- www.mit.edu/~ruchill/lazycurator.submit.html, Katherine E. Nash Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Board of Regents Showcase, McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis, MN
- The Chicken Feet Artist Collective’s Chicken Feet Art Show, Outdoor exhibition, Minneapolis, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- CLA Student Board Art Gallery, Coffman Memorial Union, Minneapolis, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Skyline Art Crawl, Maple Grove, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Skyline Art Crawl, Maple Grove, MN
Teaching Experience:
2020 - present, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Fall 2020, Introduction to Art and Design History I
- Spring 2021, Experience Anatomy
- Fall 2021, Sophomore Seminar
2018 - 2021, Teaching Assistant, West Suburban Summer School, Maple Grove, MN
Relevant Experience
2018 - present, Secretary of the Plymouth Arts Council, Plymouth, MN
2020, Selection Panelist, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council - Equity Response Fund, St. Paul, MN
2020, Selection Panelist, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council - Next Step Fund, St. Paul, MN
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