Missy Dunaway is an interdisciplinary artist whose paintings reflect her research in the humanities. Currently, she is painting every bird cited by Shakespeare, a years-long pursuit through The Bard’s 38 plays to analyze the symbolic significance of 65 species. Follow her progress at birdsofshakespeare.com.
Missy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2010. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, a Folger Institute Fellowship, a New Student Scholarship to the Academy of Realist Art Boston, and traveled to Vietnam as a Four Seasons Envoy. A traveler at heart, she has attended numerous international artist-in-residence programs that provide the opportunity for extended visits and cultural immersion. Her illustrations are featured by Moleskine, Penguin Random House, and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She penned 21 articles for the Folger Shakespeare’s Library’s blog, Shakespeare & Beyond, in a monthly series called “The Birds of Shakespeare,” from April 2022 - December 2023.
Missy is represented by the Portland Art Gallery in her home state of Maine. Her first book, The Traveling Artist: A Visual Journal, was released in 2021 by G Editions.
GALLERY AFFILIATION
Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
EDUCATION
2019 Academy of Realist Art – 19th century French atelier practices
2010 Carnegie Mellon University – Bachelor’s of Humanities and Arts, Magna Cum Laude
2009 IES Abroad Program – Barcelona, Spain
2006 - 2009 Cape Cod School of Art – summer study, impressionism
AWARDS
2024 Folger Institute Micro Fellowship
2023 Maine Fulbright Award
2021 Folger Institute Research Fellowship
2020 Maine Arts Commission Award & Project Grant
2020 Awesome Foundation Grant, Boston Chapter
2019 New Student Scholarship, Academy of Realist Art, Boston, MA
2018 ArtPrize Educator Award, Western Michigan University
2014 John Anson Kittredge Educational Grant
2013 Fulbright Fellowship, Student Research Grant for Painting, Turkey
RESIDENCIES
2022 Olepangi Farm Art Residency, Kenya
2019 Envoy by Four Seasons, Hoi An, Vietnam
2017 Hrisey Old School Art Residency, Iceland
2016 Archipelago Art Residency in Korpo (AARK), Finland
2015 University of Utah’s Taft-Nicholson Center, Lakeview, MT, USA
2014 Café Tissardmine Artist Residency, Moroccan Sahara
2014 Babayan Culture House, Cappadocia, Turkey
2011 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT, USA
BOOKS
2021 The Traveling Artist: A Visual Journal by Missy Dunaway. G Editions, 2021.
2015 A World of Artist Journal Pages by Dawn Devries Sokol. Abrams, 2015. 298-299.
EXHIBITIONS
*Solo exhibitions
2024 Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor, ME
2023 *Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor, ME
Yarmouth Library, Yarmouth, ME
*Cumberland Club, Portland, ME
*Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
2022 *Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
2021 Moleskine at Showfields, Miami, FL
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
2019 Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
The Vendue and Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC
*Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
2018 Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME
ArtPrize, The Artist’s Studio, Grand Rapids, MI
Anonyme Zeichner, Gallery in Grains Park, Berlin, Germany
The Mix Gallery, Brunswick, ME
Merrymeeting Education Center, Topsham, ME
2015 *Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury, VT
South Molton Museum, Devon, UK
2014 Blue Rock School, Nyack, NY
Bonart Sanat Galerisi, Istanbul, Turkey
Staycation Museum, Berlin, Germany
Holy Coffee Café, Istanbul, Turkey
2013 *Holy Coffee Café, Istanbul, Turkey
Blue Rock School, Nyack, NY
Galerie Delikatessenhaus, Leipzig, Germany
Postscrypt Art Gallery, New York, NY
Galerie Nord, Berlin, Germany
Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC
2012 Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC
Edward Hopper House, Nyack, NY
Hans Weiss Newspace Gallery, New Haven, CT
440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Williamsburg Art and Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Chaney Gallery, Annapolis, MD
Edgewater Gallery, Middlebury, VT
Greenpoint Gallery, New York, NY
Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
2011 Blüetenweiss, Zurich, Switzerland
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
Lazarus Gallery, New Rochelle, NY
2010 Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
*Frame Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Frame Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
COMMISSIONS & COLLECTIONS
Moleskine
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra, FL
South Molton & District Museum, Devon, UK
Taft-Nicholson Center, Lakeview, MT
The Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
ILLUSTRATION
2021 Journey to the Edge of the Earth: True Adventure of Naval Officer Abhilash Tomy by Joeanna Rebello Fernandes. Penguin Random House India.
2020 The Meaning of India by Raja Rao. Penguin Random House India.
2020 Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Indian Way by Raja Rao. Penguin Random House India.
2020 The Other Side of the Divide by Sameer Arshad Khatlani. Penguin Random House India.
2018 How to be Human: Life Lessons from Buddy Hirani by Manjeet Hirani. Penguin Random House India.
2018 The Lamp is Lit by Ruskin Bond. Penguin Random House India.
2018 Friends in Small Towns by Ruskin Bond. Penguin Random House India.
2018 Scenes from a Writer’s Life by Ruskin Bond. Penguin Random House India.
2018 Notes from a Small Room by Ruskin Bond. Penguin Random House India.
2016 “On Contemplation.” ELSE Journal. Transart Institute, 2016. 96-100.
PRESENTATIONS
Audubon Page-Turning Event, Bowdoin College Library, 3 May 2024
”The Birds of Shakespeare,” Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon Chapter, 23 April 2024
”The Birds of Shakespeare,” The Wendell Gilley Museum, 10 December 2023
”The Birds of Shakespeare,” The Cumberland Club, 16 August 2023
”About Shakespeare’s Birds,” Portland Art Gallery, 9 December 2022
”About Shakespeare’s Birds,” Portland Art Gallery, 7 April 2022
Artist Talk at the Taft-Nicholson Center, Lakeview MT, 6 August 2015
“Traditional Anatolian Weaving Practices,” Turkish Fulbright Conference, Antalya, Turkey, 29 May 2014
“Panel Lecture: Artist as Entrepreneur,” Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, 24 April 2012
“Creative Journalism,” Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, 23 April 2012
Series of 3 Slide Lectures, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT, October - December 2011
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Instructor of 5 video tutorials on Creativebug.com
Independent group and private instruction, 2018 - present
Instructor of Painting, Continuum for Creativity, Westbrook, ME 2018 - 2019
Instructor of Drawing and Painting, Merrymeeting Adult Education, Brunswick, ME 2018 - 2019
Instructor of Drawing, Centre St Arts Gallery, Bath, ME 2018
Instructor of Painting, Wells-Ogunquit Adult Education, Wells, ME 2018
SELECTED PRESS
· Painting the Bard’s Birds, Carnegie Mellon University, 20 August 2024
· Podcast feature: Radio Maine Episode #78, 17 Aug 2022
· Missy Dunaway, Art Matters, 1 April 2022
· Podcast feature: Radio Maine Episode #02, 21 Mar 2021
· The 29 Best Books of 2021, Self Magazine, 30 Nov 2021.
· Maine artist puts out book of paintings from her travels, Portland Press Herald, 24 May 2021.
· MyMoleskine News Feature: Missy Dunaway, Moleskine, 15 May 2021.
· Missy Dunaway on Narrative Pictures, CPVA Philosophy and Visual Arts, April 2021.
· How Artist Missy H. Dunaway Painted Her Way Around The World, Jetset Times, April 6 2020.
· ENVOY by Four Seasons: Missy Dunaway’s Journey Through Hoi An, Four Seasons Press Room, 11 July 2019.
· Memory Artist, Four Seasons Magazine, Issue 2 of 2019. Print.
· Q&A with Missy Dunaway, Off The Wall, 1 April 2019.
· ENVOY by Four Seasons: First Collaboration of 2019 Announced, Four Seasons Press Room, 28 Feb 2019.
· All About Book Publishing, 8 Oct 2018.
· “How to Respect Islam While Visiting Istanbul.” Passion Passport, 21 Sept 2018.
· “How to Kickstart Your Creativity at Home and on The Road.” Passion Passport, 11 Sept 2018.
· “Missy Dunaway and the Worldwide Travel Sketchbook.” Passion Passport, 14 May 2018.
· Featured Artist on Little River online literary magazine, Spring 2018.
· “Art Tools of Missy Dunaway.” Parka Blogs, 4 April 2016.
· "Le monde vu par Missy H. Dunaway." La Presse, 18 Mar 2016.
· "Paesaggi disegnati su una Moleskine." Il Post, 28 Feb 2016.
· "Geschilderde Reisherinneringen in een Notitieboekje." Paradijsvogels Magazine, 23 Feb 2016.
· "De viatge amb la Moleskine." Catorze.cat, 23 Feb 2016.
· “Take a Peek Inside a Painter's Travel Journal.” Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb 2016.
· "Painted Moleskine Journals Should Be Your Next DIY Project." Wanderluxe Magazine, 23 Feb 2016.
· "Traveling artist paints breathtaking scenes in her notebooks." Mashable, 18 Feb 2016.
· "A Moment with Missy Dunaway." Edgewater Gallery, 6 Feb 2015.
· “Kentile Floors Sign Inspires T-shirt, Nails, Body Art.” Wall Street Journal, 27 June 2014.
· “Missy Dunaway ile Tanışın!” UniverZete, 14 April 2014.
· “Artist Paints Kilim Designs Through Research & Imagination,” Today’s Zaman, 11 Dec 2013.
· Featured Artist of Scene 360 Illusion Online Art Magazine, 4 Dec 2013.
· “Feathers in Her Cap,” Carnegie Mellon University Today, 1 Aug 2013.
· “Alumni Personifies CMU’s Interdisciplinary Culture,” Carnegie Mellon University Website, 26 Feb 2013.
· “Artist Paints Feathers Mentioned in Shakespeare,” National Audubon Society, 2 Jan 2013.
· “Journal Fresh: Missy Dunaway,” CreateMixedMedia.com, 19 July 2011.
· Cover design and featured painter, Dossier: Carnegie Mellon’s Art and Literature Magazine, Fall 2009.