May 10 - May 31, 2025
Mary Jones’ paintings and drawings are filled with elongated figures that twist through layered compositions of collage, text fragments, and quirky perspectives. Her work carries a playful unpredictability and rich visual storytelling.
A native of Chicago, Jones has been making art for as long as she can remember. In her mind there is a relationship between walking, writing and drawing —each one a way to shape and share stories. The people she encounters on her walks often make their way into her art, along with bits of litter and texture collected from the streets, which she carefully incorporates into her layered backgrounds.
In her “Fabulist” series, stories unfold through a cast of imagined characters who navigate landscapes built from collage, pattern, memories and plans. These figures travel through their narratives in search of deeper truths. In Jones’ world, a drawing table is green, a house becomes a reflection of the self, and coffee cups provide fuel. When a catamount (a cougar, panther, mountain lion) is spotted in an urban environment, it becomes the evening news, and wild cats are common, and threatening as ghosts
In addition to receiving numerous awards for her art, Jones has illustrated several educational books. She holds a BFA from the University of Illinois and an MFA from Indiana University.