About
Bio - CV
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Location:
Plymouth, MN Artist statement: My work is influenced by my experiences with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS). I was diagnosed with MS in 2010, at the age of fifteen. Due to my young age and the “invisible” nature of MS, I was often met with skepticism while talking about my illness. In response, my work visualizes how I navigate the world with MS, focusing on my relationship with healthcare, the physical evidence of my symptoms in MRI scans, and how I and others perceive the world when struggling with MS symptoms. Using art as a means of communication, I spread MS awareness and advocate for people with invisible illnesses. |
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Bio:
May Ling Kopecky is an artist based in Plymouth, Minnesota. She specializes in highly detailed, hyper-realistic drawings and paintings. Kopecky received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD). Her work has received multiple awards in exhibitions across the US. Kopecky was a grant recipient of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Fund in 2019. In 2021, Kopecky was awarded Second Place for the Kennedy Center VSA Emerging Young Artist Competition in Washington D.C., where she advocated for students with disabilities and accessibility in the arts. She has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings, the National MS Society’s Momentum magazine, the Star Tribune, and the Mayo Clinic News Network. Kopecky currently works in the Learning Center and Accessibility Services department at MCAD. Through her work, she strives to spread disability awareness and advocate for people with invisible illnesses. |
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Education:
2022 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:
2025:
Solo Exhibitions:
2024
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2025
2022 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:
2025:
- Honorable Mention, Class 1 – Painting/Mixed Media, 2025 Fine Arts Exhibition, Minnesota State Fair
- Second Place in Acrylic Painting, Arts North International
- Second Place, The Kennedy Center’s VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, Merge
- 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
Solo Exhibitions:
2024
- Daily Disruptions, Atwood Memorial Center, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
- To-Do List, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
- MS Awareness Week, Minnesota Center for Multiple Sclerosis/Infusion Associates, Plymouth, MN
- Recognition, Plymouth Community Center, Plymouth, MN
- Invisible Obstacles, Library Gallery, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2025
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Fall Members' Juried Exhibition, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- 2025 Fine Arts Exhibition, Minnesota State Fair, St Paul, MN
- Sensing the Unseen, Art Neureau, Online Exhibition
- Break Room, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Members' Spring Non-Juried Exhibition, Hopkins Art Center, Hopkins, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Community Center, Plymouth, MN
- The Art of Disability Justice Now, Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Community Center, Plymouth, MN
- Hopkin's Center for the Arts Spring Members Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Chronicles of the Chronic, Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
- Open Door XVIII, Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
- Curator, Lived Experience, Plymouth Community Center, Plymouth, MN
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Fall Members' Juried Exhibition, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members' Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Arts North International, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- Primavera, Plymouth Creek Center, Plymouth, MN
- Curator, Human, Gallery 148, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Merge, The Kennedy Center’s VSA Emerging Young Artists Program, Washington D.C., 2-year traveling exhibition (2022-2023)
- COHORTS – alone : together, University of Montana, Online exhibition
- MCAD MFA Fall Show, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
- Hopkins Center for the Arts Spring Members’ Show, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN
- 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
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