EDUCATION
2017 | MFA, University of Illinois Chicago
2009 | BFA, University of North Carolina at Asheville
RELEVANT APPOINTMENTS
2017 - PRESENT | Directing Owner of GnarWare Workshop: Ceramics Studio and School, Chicago, IL
2018 SPRING | Curator and Coordinator of Student Programs’ Exhibition, CAPE/ATLAS Program, Chicago, IL
2017 SUMMER | ACRE Residency, Ceramics Studio Manager, Steuben, WI
2016 SUMMER | ACRE Residency, Ceramics Studio Manager, Steuben, WI
2016 FALL | UIC, Graduate Photography Lab Technician, Chicago IL
2013 - 2015 | ACRE Projects, Curatorial Fellow, Chicago, IL
2012 - 2015 | Susanin’s Auctions, Consignment Services, Research, and Documentation (Art Research Specialist), Chicago, IL
2009 - 2012 | Roxaboxen Exhibitions and Studio Co-op, Co-Founder and Curatorial Director - Chicago, IL
PRESS
2018 | Ground Floor - Hyde Park Art Center
EXHIBITIONS
2022
FOR EACH OTHER – Group Show, Gallery 400 at UIC, Chicago, IL
MONSTRARE - Solo Show, Belong Gallery, Chicago, IL
LIGHTHOUSE WORKS: TEN ARTISTS TEN YEARS - Group Show, The Ordinance, Fishers Island, NY
2021
TENDER TO THE BONE – Group Show, Curated by Elizabeth Lalley, Goldfinch Gallery, Chicago, IL
THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR – Group Show, Curated by Erin Nixon, Chicago Art Department, Chicago, IL
SOCIAL RECESSION – Annual NCECA Group show curated by Shannon Rae Stratton, Weston Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
UNHEEDING – Solo Show, Goldfinch Gallery, Chicago, IL
2020
NADA CHICAGO GALLERY OPEN – Group show, 062 Gallery, Chicago, IL
COMPRISED OF – Solo Show, 062 Gallery, Chicago, IL
THE LONG GOODBYE – Group Show, Selected Works (Jesse Malmed Project), Chicago, IL
2019
IN CONVERSATION – Group Show, Chicago Art Department, Chicago, IL
2018
LOCAL COMFORT – Group Show, LVL3, Chicago, IL
GROUND FLOOR BIENNIAL – Group Show, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
TWIST THE SPINE – Group Show, Curated by Third Object, Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
HANDLES EXPENDITURE – Solo Project (Window), Sector 2337, Chicago, IL
2017
FIGURED OUT! BODILY FORM IN CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS – Group Show, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL
THE PEN – Solo Show, Riverside Art Center Flex Gallery, Riverside, IL
UNFURNISHED – Group Show, Curated by Erin Hayden, DEMO PROJECTS, Springfield, IL
LADIES NIGHT IN LASCAUX – Dual Show, ExGirlfriend, Berlin, Germany
BODY + CAMERA FESTIVAL, Group Screening, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
LADIES NIGHT IN LASCAUX – Dual Show, Roots and Culture, Chicago, IL
ADAPTATIONS FOR THE UNDERSTUDY– Group Show, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
SIMPLE PLEASURES – Group Show, Curated by Iris Bernblum, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
RITUAL – Group Show, Second Floor Rear Festival, Curated by COLLABO, Chicago, IL
2016
CRATCHES FOR SOME NEW NOISE – Roots and Culture Window, Chicago, IL
2015
THE GREAT GOOD PLACE (FENCE) – Group Show, Curated by Ron Ewert, Threewalls, Chicago, IL
IF ONLY A GLIMPSE – Collaborative installation with Soo Shin, Outhaus, Champaign Urbana, IL
THE HEIGHT BELOW – Dual Show, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL
2014
PARTITIONS – Dual Show, Logan Square Comfort Station, Chicago, IL
2013
RELIQUARY – Dual Show, University of Saint Francis Rialto City Center Gallery, Joliet, IL
OUT THERE – Group Show, Columbia College Arcade Gallery, Chicago, IL
RESIDUUM - Group Show, (Scene) Metrospace, Group Show, Lansing, MI
WAX / WANE – Solo Show, 106 Gallery, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
2012
PSAD: PROGRAM, SUFFER, ABSTAIN, DEPROGRAM –Group Show, Curated by Albert Stabler, President’s Gallery, Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL
2011
WAX / WANE – Solo Show, Acre Projects, Chicago, IL
SELECTED PERFORMANCES
2020
PO BOX Movie Night – Group Screening, PO BOX Collective, Chicago, IL
“Whistle In Place”- Performance, Part of “The World’s Worst Book Release,” Lumpen Radio Twitch TV
Siblings Whistle – Selected Works, Chicago, IL
2018
Tweet Tweet – Collaboration with Yixuan Pan, Fishers Island School, Fishers Island, NY
2017
Whistle Hang Out – Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
2016
A Song an Hour- curated by Chris Reeves, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
PDF Objects: Singing exercise – Performance curated by Jesse Malmed, Mana Contemporary, Chicago, IL
2015
Whistle Hang Out - Brian’s Farm – Oxford, NC
Whistle Hang Out - South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Whistle Hang Out – Banff Centre, Banff, Canada
HONORS + AWARDS
2023
Marion Kryczka Excellence in Teaching Award, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
3Arts Award Nomination, Chicago IL
2021
Chicago Architectural Biennial Programming Fellowship, Chicago, IL
Chicago Artist Run Spaces Fund, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2018
Artist in Residence Fellowship, Light House Works, Fishers Island, NY
2017 - 2018
Field Trip, Field Guide, Field Notes Research Fellowship, Arts, Science and Culture Initiative, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Fall Artist in Residence, Oxbow, Saugatuck, MI
School of Art and Art History Teaching Fellowship – University of Illinois at Chicago
2016
School of Art and Art History Teaching Fellowship – University of Illinois at Chicago
2015
Artist in Residence, 8550 OHIO, Chesterhill, Ohio
Artist in Residence, BAiR Late Winter Intensive Program, The Banff Centre, Banff, Canada
2013
Summer Artist in Residence, High Concept Laboratories, Chicago, IL
2012
Community Arts Assistance Program Cultural Grant – Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, Chicago, IL
2011
Artist in Residence, ACRE, Steuben, WI
Community Arts Assistance Program Cultural Grant – Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, Chicago, IL
Individual Artist Project Grant – Illinois Arts Council, IL
2009
Associate Artist Residency with Master Artist Rineke Dijkstra, Atlantic Center For the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL
Joan Mitchell Fellowship, Sponsored through Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL
2008
Ogilville Excellence in Art Endowed Scholarship, University of North Carolina at Asheville
2007
Ryan Patrick Jones Excellence in Photography Award, University of the North Carolina at Asheville
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2023
“Chicago’s Creative Spaces: GnarWare Workshop,” Vocalo Radio, Chicago IL, Decemeber 19.
2022
Lighthouse Works: 10 Artists 10 Years Catalogue
2021
“Interview on “This is what we know so far,” Jesse Malmed, Bad at Sports Podcast, Lumpen Radio, Chicago IL, September 24.
“Among Lively Things,” Pia Singh, NewCity Magazine, February 17.
2020
“Review: Liz McCarthy at 062,” Elizabeth Lalley, Sixty Inches from the Center, October 22.
“Liz McCarthy and Chris Reeves In Conversation,” Webinar interview, NADA Chicago Gallery Open, October 1.
2018
"Twist the Spine," Mousse Magazine, June 2018
“Liz McCarthy Gets a Handle of Things,” KT Hawbaker, Chicago Tribune, May 10.
“Intimate Justice: Liz McCarthy,” Nicole Lane, Sixty Inches From The Center Blog, January 28.
2017
“Prehistoric Club Life at the Beginning of the World,” Alan Smart, Berlin Art Link, July 6.
“Breakout Artists of 2017: Chicago’s Next Generation of Image Makers,” Chris Reeves, NewCity Magazine, May.
“Collectivity, Collaborations, and Objects (and Whistles): Interview with Liz McCarthy,” Andrew Finegold, Art Lies Magazine, Winter.
“Simple Pleasures’ at Heaven Gallery,” Elizabeth Lalley, Chicago Artist Writers, March 17.
2015
“Artist of the Week: Liz McCarthy,” Uribe, Vincent, LVL3 Gallery Blog, June.
“Eye Exam: Authority, Affirmations, and Other Nomenclature,” Matt Morris, NewCity Magazine, February 19.
2014
“Artists Overwrite the Self in ‘Program/Suffer/Abstain/Deprogram’,” Sam Worley, Chicago Reader, June 12.
“Black Magic Women,” Claire Withycombe, Chicago Weekly, May 10. Chicagoweekly.net
2011
“Artist Feature: Liz McCarthy.” Lynette Miranda, Make Space. www.makespace.net
“Roxaboxen Exhibitions: Community community community.” Thea Liberty Nichols, Art 21 Magazine, August 9. blog.art21.org