Meredith Mulhearn
Meredith Mulhearn was born in Sayre, PA, but grew up in a small town in New Jersey. Here, she began feverishly creating from the moment she could grasp a crayon. In fact, her pediatrician foretold Mulhearn’s future as an artist, based on her fine motor skills as a young child.
From here, Mulhearn pursued the arts, earning a BA in studio art with a minor in art history, from Wake Forest University and a MA from NYU in art therapy. Mulhearn’s time in New York City significantly influenced her focus on the natural world, as she struggled with its absence in the urban environment. In response, she engaged in intensive study of botanical illustration at the New York Botanical Garden.
In 2019, Mulhearn became a resident artist at RPAC Art Center & Academy, where she continues to practice. Mulhearn’s work is part of multiple private collections, including the Philoche Collection in New York City. She is an associate member of Artists for Conservation, the world’s leading artist group supporting the environment. Mulhearn is also an exhibiting artist at Rowayton Arts Center and an active member of the New Canaan Society for the Arts and the Ridgefield Guild of Artists. Her work has been selected for numerous juried shows. With a focus on philanthropy, she has participated in collaborative projects, such as the Bow Wow Art Dog initiative, that give back to the community.
Mulhearn’s work elucidates the tenuous relationship between man and nature. With a practice that merges conceptual and conservation art, her analytical bent emerged in response to a desperate and innate need to reconnect with the natural world. Mulhearn herself explains, “Nature has always spoken to me in quiet ways, but now I find there’s an inextricable link between me and the natural world that finds its voice in all my work.”
Exploring imminent environmental threats, Mulhearn’s work knows no boundaries. Driven by imperative, Mulhearn defines her work by subject matter and employs the most effective media to manifest her message. Mulhearn utilizes both traditional and unconventional media, bending each material to her will. The process for each piece is completely unique and often requires hours of specific training, research and experimentation to achieve the proper technique.
Vacillating between large and small scale, the viewer finds themself immersed, either through inundation or intimacy. Her work often communicates a subtle urgency, juxtaposed against nature’s seeming tranquility.
While her work is often suggestive, Mulhearn’s commitment to the cause is most certainly literal, her artwork directly supporting conservation initiatives. She blurs the line between art and philanthropy.
Meredith Mulhearn Artist Statement
Nature. Emotion. Connection. Community. My artistic passion resides within this framework. We are a community of one, bound to nature, yet living in its absence. Paradoxically, we are losing our emotional connection to the very thing that sustains us.
“Nature has always spoken to me in quiet ways, but now I find there’s an inextricable link between me and the natural world that finds its voice in all my work.”
As an artist, I believe in art for art’s sake. But as a member of humanity, I believe in art with purpose. As such, I use my work as a conduit for change and to foster awareness, particularly within the area of conservation. My art is my voice.
My art speaks to universal truths, but acknowledges the role of individual experience. It seeks to harness the power of community by inspiring others to take action. Driven by imperative, I employ the most effective media to manifest my message.
From here, the torch is passed, and the viewer must ask, “Have I lost my connection with nature? And how do I save what is sacred?”
Rhododendrons By William Ternes
Blue House, Bahamas By William Ternes
Bull Elephant By Clayton Liotta
