Morgan Hobbs is an artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Hobbs studied historical and prehistoric archaeology in conjunction with her fine arts training. Now living in Philadelphia, these investigations take on new meaning and urgency, and through her art practice, Hobbs seeks a deeper understanding of the visions and symbols depicted around her.
Morgan Hobbs is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Central Missouri. In 2015, Hobbs co-founded AUTOMAT Gallery, an artist-run collective and gallery space based in Philadelphia. Hobbs has since curated and juried exhibitions at Moore College of Art & Design, Art on Avenue of the States, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, AUTOMAT and beyond. Hobbs is currently the Assistant Director at Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia.
Hobbs has shown her paintings and sculptures both regionally and nationally, including at Satellite Projects in Miami; 33 Orchard in the Lower East Side; Art Market Hamptons in Water Mill, NY; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, and Fleisher/Ollman Gallery in Philadelphia. She has presented her work and writing at Mount Gretna School of Art; Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX; Tyler School of Art at Temple University, Philadelphia; Pennsylvania College of Art and Design; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, Ogden, Utah; and more. In 2012 and 2020, she attended Vermont Studio Center as an Artist in Residence, and in 2020, she was awarded a Hemera Contemplative Fellowship. Hobbs is represented by VSOP Projects in New York and Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia.
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae | Updated January 2024
Full CV Available Upon Request
Selected Exhibitions
2024 TBD, Two-Person Exhibition with Sarah D’Ambrosio, The Front, New Orleans, LA
2024 Fortitude at 50: Five Resilient Decades at Gross McCleaf Gallery, (re)Focus 2024, Philadelphia, PA
2024 No Synthetic Colors, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia, PA, Curator: Hallie Ringle
2023 Solo Exhibition, Chronolith, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2023 Worry, Soft Machine Gallery, Allenton, PA, Curator: Elizabeth Johnson
2022 Solo Public Project, Worth & Weight, Art Market Hamptons with VSOP Projects, Water Mill, NY
2021 Solo Exhibition, Bell the Cat, VSOP Projects, Greenport, NY
2020 Knew Normal, AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2019 Insider Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Tuttleman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2018 I Kinda Live Where I Find Myself, Mercer County Community College, Mercer, NJ, Curator: Lucas Kelly
2017 Daydreams and Nightmares, VSOP Art + Design Projects, Greenport, Long Island, NY
2017 Homonym, Spillway Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2017 Very Special One-time Performance, VSOP Art + Design Projects, Greenport, Long Island, NY
2017 The Paraphernalia of Being, Rowan University Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ
2016 Person, Place or Thing, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2016 Three-Person Exhibition, Giants in the Corner and Other Anxious Tales, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2015 Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Gross McCleaf Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Curator: Evan Fugazzi
2015 And Many More, 33 Orchard Gallery, New York, NY, Curator: Jodi Throckmorton
2015 Woodmere's Annual Juried Show, Woodmere Museum, Philadelphia, PA, Juror: Steven and Billy Duffala
2015 Pop-Up Show, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum, Curator: Robert Cozzolino
2014 Woodmere's Annual Juried Show, Woodmere Museum, Philadelphia, PA, Juror: Sarah McEneaney
2013 Solo Exhibition, Rites of Passage - Craft Studio, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
2012 Pastel National 2012, Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, Kansas, Juror: Sally Strand
2011 Two-Person Exhibition, New Paintings by Morgan Hobbs and Josh Mauer, Primary Colors Gallery, Independence, MO
Abbreviated Curatorial Projects
2020 - 2024 Assistant Director of Gross McCleaf Gallery
2015 - 2021 Co-founding Member of AUTOMAT Curatorial Collective
2017 - 2020 School of Fine Arts Exhibition Committee at PAFA
2024 Fortitude at 50: Five Resilient Decades at Gross McCleaf Gallery, (re)Focus 2024, Philadelphia, PA, Co-Curator with Elizabeth Johnson
2022 Rare Visions and Restless Revelations, The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA, Juror
2022 Rittenhouse Art Show, Philadelphia, PA, Juror
2019 Being on a Seesaw, AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Curator
2018 Nothing Ever Happens on My Block, AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Co-curator with Sam Jones
2018 Material World, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art, Richard C. Von Hess Works on Paper Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Co-juror with Didier William
2018 Love Letters to Earth: Marguerita Hagan, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art, Alumni Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Co-Curator with CJ Stahl
2018 DRIFT, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Art, Alumni Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Curator
2017 Annual Awards Exhibition, Art on Avenue of the States Gallery, Chester, PA, Juror
2017 Night Floats: Dave Pettengill, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Broad Street Studio, Philadelphia, PA, Curator
2017 Lost at the Dollar General, NoBA Artspace, Bala Cynwyd, PA, Curator
2017 Serious Play, AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Co-curator with AUTOMAT Collective
2016 Post-Apologetic, AUTOMAT Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Co-curator with Rebecca Sedehi
2015 Breakroom, Artist-Run at Satellite Projects, Miami Beach, FL, Co-curator with Jillian Schley
Selected Presentations
2021 - 2024 Gross McCleaf Artist Interview Series on YouTube & Instagram
2023 Career Services Workshop, “Pricing Your Work”, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2022 Convocation: A Conversation with Mickayel Thurin, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2022 Visiting Artist, The Hall of Philosophy PA Chautauqua, Mt. Gretna School of Art, Mount Gretna, PA
2021 Visiting Artist Talk, Department of Fine and Performing Arts, Texas A&M International University College of Arts and Sciences, Laredo, TX
2021 Career Services Workshop, “Writing Proposals”, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2021 Graduate Program, “Artist-Run Projects + Curation”, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2020 Visiting Artist, Summer Academy, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2018 Artist-Run Spaces Panel Discussion, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, with Tim Dowd, Alexis Granwell & Alex Paik
2017 Art Safari to Philly Alternative Galleries, The Art Blog, Co-presenter with Sam Jones
2016 Panel Discussion on Giants in the Corner, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Moderator: David Humphrey
2015 MFA Thesis Presentation, “Visual Memory, Imagination and Painting”, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2012 “Painting the Self”, National Conference for Undergraduate Research, Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery, Weber State University, Ogden, UT
2011 Visiting Artist Talk, Bob Klausing’s Painting and Portfolio Classes, Lee’s Summit West High School, Lee’s Summit, MO
Publications
2023 Ted Walsh - essay, December 2023, “Nicole Parker and Morgan Hobbs at Gross McCleaf Gallery”
2023 Elizabeth Johnson - interview, November 2023, “History Eats Itself”
2021 John Thornton - interview, October 2021, "Artist Morgan Hobbs, Bell the Cat, VSOP Projects"
2020 NPR - WHYY, September 2020, " PAFA Grads Boycott their Final Art Exhibition Over School's Stance on Black Lives Matter"
2017 PAFA Blog - interview, September 2017, "PAFA MFA Student Learns Business Skills While Pursuing Art"
2017 Hampton Art Review, September 2017, “Exhibition at VSOP Projects Links Daydreams and Nightmares”, Work pictured
2015 Two Coats of Paint, July 2015, "And Many More: PAFA Presents at 33 Orchard", Work pictured
2015 Rembrandt’s Dog, July 2015, "List of Young Painters", Work pictured
2015 Vend Art Publication, February 2015, Writing and work pictured
2013 Vox Magazine, March 2013, Work pictured
2012 National Conference of Undergraduate Research Visual Art Exhibition 2012, Work pictured
Honors and Awards
2019 Recipient, Hemera Foundation Grant for Contemplative Practice
2019 Artist in Residence (12/7/2019-12/20/2019), Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
2016 Director's Choice Award, Juror: Marge Horner, Director of Abington Arts Center
2015 Linda Lee Alter Award, Juror: Linda Lee Alter
2015 The Faculty Exhibition Award, Juror: The Graduate Faculty at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
2014 Winner - Fourth Wall, Jurors: Matthew Higgs, David Humphrey and Barbara Pollack
2014 Critic’s Choice Award - Woodmere Annual Juried Exhibition
2012 Artist in Residence (9/2/2012-9/15/2012), Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont
Collections
Woodmere Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Linda Lee Alter, Philadelphia, PA
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts School Collection, Philadelphia, PA
The Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
+ numerous private collections
Professional Experience & Teaching
2020 - 2024 Assistant Director, Gross McCleaf Gallery
2018 - 2020 Director of Student Services, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2015 - 2018 Resident Director and Student Life Coordinator, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2018 Professional Practices Instructor, Low-Res MFA program, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2015 - 2018 Foundations Experiences Instructor, BFA program, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
2015 - 2016 Painting and Drawing instructor, University City Arts League