About
Michael McGinley is an artist from Huntsville, Alabama, who enjoys working with themes of vehicles and nostalgia. He enjoys painting and drawing but dabbles in sculpture as well.
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Artist Statement
I am interested in the sense of Americana that surrounds us, whether we know it or not. In our everyday life there are what we see as distinctly American images, people, and objects. A decrepit truck barely rolling down the road, a car parked and rotting, or old discarded technology, they all carry the weight of the past. I can’t call them simpler times, but I am interested in the sense of nostalgia that these things bring to many people.
Nostalgia is a strong but complicated feeling, sometimes bittersweet, since life isn’t all smooth sailing. But when enough time passes we often look back at these old objects or scenes and smile. These kinds of things remain in many places in the United States, and I am fascinated by the quiet memories they represent. Dormant vehicles sit in fields, serenaded by the crickets and birds in the background. As the wind blows the weeds, I can’t help but imagine the stories held in the dents, rust, and worn out seats.
Why was it parked? Did Joe blow the motor by redlining it at a stoplight in ‘84?
Maybe Chuck slammed it into a culvert after a few too many drinks.
That inverted quarter panel could be from Bill’s overconfidence during the first month with a license.
Stories are embedded in old car parts, weather beaten vending machines, and even dogs lying on patchy lawns. I think of friends gathered to reflect on the past, or family backyard get-togethers. These are the scenes I go back to when my mind wanders while doing mundane tasks. Putting them on canvas gives a solid image to look back on, the peaceful scenes of days gone by, existing quietly in the background.
CV
EDUCATION
UAH BFA Painting and Drawing 2024
EXHIBITIONS
2024 Annual Juried Student Exhibition, Wilson Hall and Salmon Library Galleries, University
Of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (Juror Coe Lapossy)
2024 Keep on Truckin’, BFA Exit Show, Union Grove Gallery, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (Solo)
2024 The Porch, Collaborative Sculpture, University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, Huntsville, AL (Collaborative)
2023 Dirigibles, Public Art Exhibition, University of Alabama in Huntsville campus, Huntsville AL (Invitational)
2023 The Yellow Wallpaper, Public Art Exhibition, UAH Project Space, Lowe Mill, Huntsville, AL (Collaboration with students in Space and Place class)
2023 How I Spent My Summer Vacation
2023 Exquisite Corpse, Public Art Exhibition, Roberts Hall, Huntsville, AL (Collaboration with Tiffany Hawkins, Ben Hornyak, and Rain Lau)
2023 Annual Juried Student Exhibition, Wilson Hall and Salmon Library Galleries, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (Juror Laura Biasden)
2023 Harry J Vasolines Gallery for the Vertically Mobile, Guerilla Art Project, Wilson Hall, Huntsville, AL (Invitational)
2022 Annual Juried Student Exhibition, Wilson Hall Gallery, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (Juror Michael Dickens)
2021 Foundations Show, Wilson Hall Gallery, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL
AWARDS AND HONORS
2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement, College of Art, Art History, and Design
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL
2023 Dean's Award for painting, Annual Juried Student Exhibition, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (Juror Laura Biasden)
2020-2024 Presidents List
2020 Merit Scholarship
2019 UAH Expo, Best of Show Scholarship