BIO
Seattle artist Cathy McClure's career was launched when her pivotal Zoetrope piece, Carnival of Life, earned the Seattle Art Museum's Betty Bowen Memorial Award the same year she received her MFA. Following this early recognition, she rapidly gained gallery representation and a solo exhibition at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Her practice, focused on the tension between ephemeral media and lasting form, has been honed through fellowships at Pilchuck Glass School, Les Frigos Paris, iolair Artist Residency, and the McColl Center for the Arts, broadening her dynamic study of medium and scope.
McClure's sculptures are featured in prestigious collections, including The White House, The Pace Collection, and the CCS Bard Collection. She has completed major public art commissions, such as the 2023 “A Place in the Woods” for the Seattle Convention Center Summit; in 2024, two pieces were acquired by Public Art at SEA Airport in Seattle. She also served a lengthy tenure (2016–2024) as the sole Artist Consultant for the Seattle Convention Center project, where she helped build the public art program featuring 60 artists. Other distinguished solo exhibitions include Art Basel Miami, Art Miami, the Bellevue Arts Museum, the Nassau County Museum, the Milton Hershey Museum, and the Louise Hopkins Center for the Arts.
CATHY MCCLURE
Born: Abilene, TX | Lives: Seattle, WA
Instagram: @catmcclure
Education
1997 M.F.A., Metals, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1995 B.F.A., Studio Art, Cum Laude, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Select Solo Exhibitions
2025 Cathy McClure – Wunderkammer, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2023 Cathy McClure - Unearth, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2021-2022 Cathy McClure: Re-Imagineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
2020 Cathy McClure - ReImagineer, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX
2017-2018 Dispossessed, Center for Contemporary Art, Seattle, WA
2015 The Art of Play, Sidney Museum, Port Orchard, WA
2014-2015 Revisionism, Method Gallery, Seattle, WA
2013 Mickey Hardwired, Moss Bureau, New York, NY
2011–2012 Midway, Traveling Exhibition (Bellevue Arts Museum, WA; Moss, Edelman Arts, New York, NY)
2010-2011 Curiosities, Traffic Art Space, New York, NY
2009-2010 Menagerie, Nassau County Museum, Roslyn Harbor, NY
2009 Remains, Moss, New York, NY
2007 Menagerie, Neuhoff/Edelman Gallery, New York, NY
2005 A Raucous Look at the Persistence of Vision, MUSA, Seattle, WA
2003 Meet George Jetson, Bumbershoot Music and Arts festival, Seattle, WA
1999 Team Works: New Kinetic Sculpture, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
1998 Carnival of Life, Meyerson & Nowinski, Seattle, WA
Select Group Exhibitions
2025 A Really Big Group Show!, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2025 Marfa Invitational, Selected Artist, Saint George Hall, Marfa, TX
2024 Fall 2024 Artist-in-Residence Showcase, McColl Center for the Arts, Charlotte, NC
2024 Weird Earth, Base Camp Studios, Seattle, WA 2023 Seattle Art Fair, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2023 Lab Test 2, 9th & Thomas, Seattle, WA
2023 XO23, Coliseum Theater, Seattle, WA
2017-2018 Sabbath, Dorothy Saxe Invitational, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
2016 Giant Steps, King Street Station, Seattle, WA
2016 Electrique, The Hollows, Williamsburg, NY
2012 MOSS: Dialogues Between Art & Design, Phillips de Pury & Company, New York, NY
2011 The Collage Show, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2011 Arthur, Moss, New York, NY
2011 Under a Full Moon, Moss, New York, NY
2008 The Toy Show, Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery, Manchester, CT
2001 Pop Mechanics, Milton Hershey Museum & Susquehanna Art Museum, PA
2000 Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum, WA
1994 New Statements in Sterling, Traveling Exhibition (Lever House, NYC; Frye Art Museum, Seattle)
Art Fair Participation
2023 Art on Paper, J Reinhart Gallery, New York, NY
2023 Art Market, J Reinhart Gallery, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
2023 Seattle Art Fair, Traver Gallery, Seattle, WA
2014 Pulse NY, Freight + Volume, New York, NY
2013 Art Southampton, Edelman Arts, The Hamptons, NY
2012 Art Miami, Edelman Arts, Miami, FL
2010 Art Basel Miami, Edelman Arts, Miami, FL
2009 Art Miami, Moss, Miami, FL
Select Public/Institutional Collections
The White House Permanent Collection, Washington, DC
Seattle Convention Center Permanent Collection, Seattle, WA
CCS Bard Permanent Collection, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Les Frigos Permanent Collection, Paris, FR
Select Private/Corporate Collections
Guy and Nora Barron, West Bloomfield, MI
Asher and Michelle Edelman, Glion, CH
Murray Moss and Franklin Getchell, Hamden, CT
The Pace Collection, Dallas, TX
Josh Rechnitz, New York, NY
Barbara and Donald Tober, New York, NY
Select Public Art Commissions & Acquisitions
2024 Acquisition, Public Art at SEA International Airport, Seattle, WA
2024 Acquisition, Public Art at SEA International Airport, Seattle, WA
2018–2023 Public Artwork Commission, Seattle Convention Center Summit, Seattle, WA
Select Awards and Grants
2024 Fellowship Stipend, McColl Center for the Arts, Charlotte, NC
2021 & 2020 Exhibition Honoraria, TTU & LHUCA Solo Exhibitions, Lubbock, TX
2018 Fellowship Stipend, Pilchuck School of Glass, Stanwood, WA
2014 Artist Trust Fellowship, Seattle, WA 2009 Merit Award, Poncho Invitational, Seattle, WA
2000 Best in Show & People’s Choice Award, Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum, WA
1997 Betty Bowen Memorial Award, Grand Prize Recipient, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA
1996 Marsh Scholarship, School of Art, University of Washington, WA
1995 Gonzales Scholarship, School of Art, University of Washington, WA
1994 North American Juried Student Exhibition Award, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Portland, OR
1994 Friends of Arrowmont Scholarship, Arrowmont School of Art, TN
Select Residencies
2024 Artist in Residence, McColl Center for the Arts, Charlotte, NC
2024 Pilot Program – Invited Artist in Residence, iolair, Orcas Island, WA
2021 Artist in Residence, Vashon Artist Residency, Vashon, WA
2018 Artist in Residence, Pilchuck School of Glass, Stanwood, WA
2010 Artist in Residence, Traffic Art Space, New York, NY
1999 Artist in Residence, Les Frigos, Paris, France
Select Professional Service
2017–2024 Artist Consultant, Seattle Convention Center Expansion Project, Seattle, WA
2020–2025 Public Artist Roster, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA
2015–2026 Public Artist Roster, Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA
2020 Guest Speaker Texas Metals Symposium, Lubbock, TX
2015 Guest Speaker Texas Metals Symposium, Lubbock, TX
2002 Youth Exhibition Curator, Outside the Box, Downtown YMCA, Seattle, WA
1995 Teaching Assistantship, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN
Select Bibliography / Press
2024 Manitach, Amanda. "A Look at the Art History of SEA," Public Display Art, November 23.
2023 Costello, Lindsey. "One Really Great Thing to Do...Cathy McClure," The Stranger, September.
2023 Davis, Brangien. "A playful barrage of collage at Seattle arts spaces," Crosscut, September 14.
2023 Vansynghel, Margo. "Seattle’s New Convention Center Features $7.75M in Local Art," Crosscut, January 25.
2020 Staff writer. "Cathy McClure: Reimagineer at LHUCA," Glasstire, Texas, October 24.
2019 Wynkoop, Gena. "Artist of the Week: Cathy McClure," KOMO, Seattle Refined, March 23.
2018 Moss, Murray/Getchell, Franklin. Please Do Not Touch, Rizzoli, April 10.
2018 Flock, T.S. "Art in Focus: Cathy McClure’s “State of the Union” at CoCA," Vanguard, January 4.
2017 Boutiette, Isabel. "Cathy McClure dissects toys in Dispossessed," Seattle Met, November 11.
2014 Frohne, Lauren. "Robotic Art Reveals Beauty Beneath Toys," Seattle Times, December 5.
2014 Smith, LaVendrick. "How Seattle Artist Cathy McClure Makes Metal Art," Seattle Times, Dec 5.
2013 Hutson, Laura. "Studio Visit, Cathy McClure," Nashville Scene, March 26.
2011 Graves, Jen. "Robots Are People Too: Cathy McClure's Midway," The Stranger, August 2.
2012 Staff Writer. "Cathy McClure," Artnet News International, May 15.
2012 Moss, Murray. Dialogues Between Art & Design, Phillips, Auction Catalog, October 16.
2012 Zara, Janelle. "Murray Moss: Unconventional Wisdom Fueling Phillips Auction," Art Info, Oct 21.
2012 Wilson, Elizabeth. "St. Sebastian 1530-2011 at Edelman Arts," Art News, April.
2011 Clemans, Gayle. "Cathy McClure's 'Midway' at BAM," Seattle Times, July 28.
2010 Metcalf, Bruce. "Remains: Cathy McClure," Metalsmith Magazine, Vol. 30, No. 3.
2009 Staff Writer. "Cathy McClure's Menagerie," Design Milk, November 21.
2009 Vilades, Pilar. "Now Showing/Stuffed Animals, Cuddly No More," New York Times, Nov 18.
2009 Sanchez, Marisa. Betty Bowen Award Thirty Years, Exhibition Catalog, Pages 48-49.
2008 Kobasa, Stephen. "Playing For Real-Reconsidering childhood things," Hartford Advocate, Feb 28.
2007 Haden-Guest, Anthony. Cathy McClure – Menagerie, Exhibition Catalog, Neuhoff/Edelman Gallery, November.
2007 Baker, R. C. "Best In Show – Cathy McClure Menagerie," Village Voice, November 20.
1998 Updike, Robin. "McClure’s Magic Circus Intricate Installation by Young Artist," Seattle Times, March 12.