Artist Bio, Resume & Up-Coming Shows!

Artist Statement: “Art is joyful to me…!”

Mary currently resides in Birmingham, Al. She received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama.

Alabama native, Mary Bryan, cannot remember when she wasn’t drawing or painting.

She is a self-taught artist who has done, literally, thousands of sketches, drawings and paintings and enjoys working mostly in acrylics, watercolor, pen & ink, and colored pencil.

Mary enjoys doing ‘fanciful’ art… bringing her visions to canvas…Though much of her art is a mixture of realistic and impressionistic, some of her pen and ink drawings have the look of fine photography…

Mary states, “I see ‘art’, everywhere…! I find my inspiration in the daily joy of being an artist…from the exotic places I’ve visited, and the mundane...and, especially, from the joy of being an inveterate ‘people watcher’…!”

In addition to her family, Mary’s two loves and passions for the last 20 years have been her vocation as a teacher in the Mt. Brook School System, and a love for running.

In her chosen profession as a teacher, Mary has won awards such as the Heart Association’s “Teacher of the Year” award.

Mary has competed with award winning times in 22 marathons, including completing the Boston, Chicago, and New York Marathons. Her passion for running, in conjunction with her talent for design, has resulted in her being asked to design the event posters for the prestigious Mercedes Marathon and the Mercedes Kids Marathon for 4 of the last 5 years, and, for 2008.

Publications: Mary’s art has appeared in such venues as the Birmingham News,the Birmingham Magazine, Sunshine Artist Magazine and on Billboards . A feature story about Mary and her art appeared in the “Over the Mountain Journal”.

Charity Events: Mary’s work is often sought after for city-wide, fund-raising events. Since Mary lost her husband to cancer, in 2003, Mary’s mission has been to help stop cancer and she has raised thousands of dollars for cancer research by donating her art to events that support that cause, such as the “UAB Breast Cancer Research Tee Party” and ‘Camp Smile-A-Mile” for children with cancer.

Not content with supporting just cancer research, Mary has contributed her work numerous times to events such as the “Birmingham Aids Outreach Valentine Dine’ charity auctions. Mary’s donated art appeared with that of world wide celebrities such as Madonna, Bono and Courtney Cox.

RESUME

2008-6-5-4, 2003--Designed Official Mercedes Marathon Poster

2008-7-6-5-4-- Request to design Plate for ‘Valentine Dine” (Mary has responded to this request for four years), supporting AIDS research.

2008-7-6-5-4-- Request to donate art to Birmingham Aids Outreach “Arty Party” (Mary has responded to this request for four years).

2008-6-5--Request to donate art to support “Camp Smile-a-Mile” (For children with Cancer)

2006-- Request to donate art to “UAB Breast Cancer Research Tee Party”.

2005-2004--Request to design chairs for “Chair-i-ty”, to support Cystic Fibrosis.

PUBLICATIONS

2006--Article chronicling Mary’s art appeared in “Over the Mountain Journal.”

2006—Mary’s Art appeared in “Birmingham Magazine” advertising Mercedes Kid’s Marathon.

2005—Mary’s art appeared in Birmingham News advertising Mercedes Kid’s Marathon.

2007 JURIED EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS

Aug’ 2007— Birmingham, Al., Featured Artist—“Art at the Ross Bridge Fresh Market”
Sept’ 2007-- Birmingham, Al., Featured Artist—“Art at the Ross Bridge Fresh Market”
Sept’ 2007—Birmingham, Al, “Birmingham Art Walk”
Sept’ 2007—Daphne, Al, “Daphne Jubilee Festival”
Oct’ 2007—Fairhope, Al., “Grand Festival of Art By the Bay”
Oct’ 2007— Birmingham, Al, “Art & Music on the Green”
Nov’’ 2007— Foley, Al., “7th Ann. Heritage harbor Days”
Nov’’ 2007— Kissimmee, Fl., “41st Annual Osceola Art Festival” (One of Mary’s images was selected to promote this Festival, appearing on thousands of T-shirts, and, on multiple billboards in Kissimmee.)

2008 JURIED EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS

Feb’ 2008—Birmingham, Al., Featured Artist, “Mercedes Marathon Expo”
Mar’ 2008—Fairhope, Al., “36th Annual Outdoor Art Show”
Mar’ 2008—Huntsville, Al., “NEACA Craft Show”
May 2008,-Foley, Al., “Art in the Park”
Sept’ 2008—Daphne, Al., “20th Annual Jubilee Festival”
Sept’ 2008—Birmingham, Al., “Artwalk 2008”
Oct’ 2008—Gulf Shores, Al., “37th Annual National Shrimp Fine Art Festival”
Oct’ 2008—Ross Bridge, Al., “Art & Music on the Greene”
Nov’ 2008—Foley, Al., “Heritage Harbor Days”

2010 UP-COMING SHOWS & FESTIVALS

Feb’, 2010—Birmingham, Al., "Mercedes Marathon Expo" Poster Signing and Running Art Sale
Mar’ 19-21, 2010—Fairhope, Al., “38th Annual Outdoor Art Show”
April’ 17-18, 2010—Cullman, Al., “Bloomin Festival Arts and Crafts Fair”