Mary Sauer

Painter Mary Sauer was born in Greenville, Kentucky in 1986. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States including over a dozen shows in New York City alone.

Mary is a 2014 recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for traditional figure painting and winner of the 2014 Director’s Award and Purchase Prize at the Springville Museum of Art’s 2014 Spring Salon. Mary's art is influenced by nineteenth century painting including John Singer Sargent, the Pre-Raphealites, and the French Academics, as well as contemporary realist academic painting and fashion photography. Her philosophy is to combine the nineteenth century techniques of painting with more modern conceptual ideas, especially regarding how we present ourselves to the world psychologically.

Her work has been featured on the cover of American Art Collector Magazine, in the annual "21 Under 31" feature in Southwest Art Magazine, and in feature articles in both International Artist Magazine and the April 2014 issue of The Artists Magazine. Her painting, 'Anna' was awarded Best in Show at the 2012 Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition, for which she was again a finalist in 2013.

Her education includes a BFA in Illustration from Brigham Young University in 2009, further studies at The Art Students League of New York and The Grand Central Academy of Art, and an MFA in Painting and Drawing from The University of Utah. For two years she apprenticed in the studio of master painter William Whitaker. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Brigham Young University teaching advanced life drawing, Utah Valley University teaching head drawing, and at the University of Utah teaching painting. Her work is in a number of permanent collections including those of the Springville Museum of Art and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

She is represented by Meyer Gallery in Park City, UT and Sloane Merrill Gallery in Boston, MA and currently resides near Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband David and dachshund Cocoa.

EXHIBITIONS

2018

• "Remnants" Solo Exhibition, Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT

2017

• Solo Exhibition, Sloane Merrill Gallery, Boston, MA
• Spring Salon Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• "Art of the Portrait Exhibition" PSOA Annual Conference, Atlanta GA

2016

• "Stillness" Solo Exhibition, Anthony's Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
• Spring Salon Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• "Art of the Portrait Exhibition" PSOA Annual Conference, Washington D.C.

2015

• "50th Anniversary Show" Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT
• Spring Salon Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• "30th Spiritual and Religious Art of Utah" Springville Museum of Art

2014

• Pressure of Perfection, Solo Show Alvin Gittins Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• Spring Salon Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• MFA Interim Show, Alvin Gittins Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

2013

• Winter Showcase Photo Collective, Salt Lake City, UT
• Art of the Portrait Exhibition PSOA Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
• Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• Artists of Utah, 35 Under 35, Finch Lane Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT
• Public Display of Awarkness Alvin Gittins Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

2012

• Religious Show, Springville Museum of Art, Springville, UT
• The 27th Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Agora Gallery, NY, NY
• Backlash: On Women’s Basic Rights and Freedoms, SOHO20 Gallery Chelsea, NY
• Stop & Staring II, Gallery Ho, New York, NY
• Wish You Were Here A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY
• NoMAA Grantees exhibition NoMAA Gallery, New York, NY
• Art of the Portrait Exhibition, PSOA Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA
• 10th National Juried Show Ceres Gallery, NY, NY
• Women in the Heights, Group Show, NoMAA Gallery, NY, NY
• Collector’s Choice, Group Show, Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura, CA

2011

• Small Works, Group Show, NYC City Hall, NY, NY
• “Emergence” Group Show, Blooming Arts Festival, NY, NY
• Look Up, NoMAA Art Auction, Moet Hennessey Building, NY, NY
• Single Fare 2: Please Swipe Again, Group Show, Sloan Fine Art, NY, NY
• Women in the Heights, Group Show, NoMAA Gallery, NY, NY

2010

• Team Work, Group Show, Alan Nederpelt Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
• BYU Alumni Show, B.F. Larson Gallery, Provo, UT

AWARDS

2017

• Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
• Portrait Society of America International Competition, 5th Place Painting

2016

• Portrait Society of America International Competition, Award of Exceptional Merit

2015

• Art Renewal Center Finalist
• 1st Place, Springville Museum of Art, Spring Salon
• Winner, Utrecht Mother's Day Art Competition

2014

• Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
• Director’s Award, Springville Museum of Art
• Purchase Award, Springville Museum of Art
• Gospel Vision of the Arts Scholarship
• Workshop Scholarship for the Center for Academic Study and Naturalist Painting

2013

• Posey Foundation Scholarship
• Portrait Society of America International Competition, Award of Exceptional Merit
• The Artists Magazine: Full Page Ad

2012

• Best of Show, Portrait Society of America International Competition
• Silver Brushes LTD. Brush Sponsorship
• Finalist, Agora Gallery 27th International Fine Art Competition
• 21 Under 31, Southwest Art Magazine
• Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance Grant Recipient, NY, NY

2009

• Jim Wilcox Scholarship, Wilcox Gallery Jackson Hole, WY
• Juror’s Choice Award, 2009 BYU Annual Student Show
• 1st Prize Best Gesture, 3rd Prize overall, BYU Life Drawing Show

PUBLICATIONS

2017

• "Mary Sauer: Modern Interpretations" American Art Collector, November, 2017
• "Face-to-Face" International Artist Magazine, February, 2017

2016

• “The Enduring Appeal of Youth” Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, November/December, 2016
• "Beyond Skin Deep" Western Art & Architecture Magazine, August/September, 2016

2015

• The Moth Magazine Winter 2015
• 2015 Art Renewal Center Salon Catalogue

2014

• “A Contemporary Mirror” the Artist’s Magazine April 2014
• Catalogue Cover for The Springville Museum of Art’s 2014 Spring Salon

2013

• "Mary Sauer: Painterly Style with a Contemporary Vibe” International Artist Magazine January 2013

2012

• Magazine Cover, American Art Collector August 2012
• “21 Under 31”, Southwest Art September 2012
• “Art of the Portrait: 14th Annual Award Winners Showcase” International
• Artist Magazine September 2012