Morgan Hobbs is an artist from Kansas City, Missouri. She was raised in a guarded Evangelical community and homeschooled until 10th grade. Hobbs studied archaeology in conjunction with her fine arts training. 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. Recently living in Philadelphia, Hobbs investigated the interplay of cultural and political ideology through symbols and how when disconnected from their origins they can be redeployed in new contexts to convey new meanings and authority. Now she seeks a deeper understanding of paleolithic signs and proto-writing, combining these ancient marks with similar contemporary examples to create relationships through distant time.
Morgan Hobbs has shown her paintings and sculptures both regionally and nationally, including at Ortega y Gasset Projects in Brooklyn; The Front in New Orleans; Satellite Projects in Miami; 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 University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg; the National Conference for Undergraduate Research, Ogden, Utah; and more. In 2024, she was on the 10 Under 40 list for the University of Central Missouri Alumni Awards. 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' works are available at VSOP Projects in Greenport, New York and Werring Contemporary in Phoenixville, PA.
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 Millersville University, Millersville, PA; Mercer County Community College, Trenton, NJ; Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA; Art on Avenue of the States, Chester, PA; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; AUTOMAT Philadelphia, PA; and beyond. Hobbs was the Assistant Director at Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia from 2020 - 24 and now owns and operates Structure and Form Artist Services.
Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae | Updated Mar 25
Education
Master of Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), 2013 - 15
Philadelphia, PA, Thesis: Visual Memory, Imagination and Painting
Summer Drawing Marathon with Andrea Belag, New York Studio School, 2011
New York City, NY, Drawing with a Brush
Bachelor of Fine Arts, cum laude, University of Central Missouri, 2005 - 10
Warrensburg, MO, Painting Emphasis, minor: Anthropology
Selected Exhibitions
2025 forthcoming, Solo Exhibition, Cabin Contemporary, Appalachian Mountains of east central PA
2024 Painting Deconstructed, Ortega y Gasset Project, Brooklyn, NY
2024 Self Portrait Thinking About Art, VSOP Projects, Greenport, Long Island, NY
2024 Memos from the Ephemeral, Two-Person Exhibition with Brian David Dennis, Werring Contemporary, Phoenixville, PA
2024 Bulky Goods, 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
2023 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
2025 forthcoming TBD, Eckhardt Gallery, Millersville University, Lancaster, PA
2024 Mercer County Artists, The Gallery at Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ, Juror
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
Gross McCleaf Artist Interview Series on YouTube & Instagram, 2021 - 2024
“Fountainhead: Finding Source Material for Paintings and Sculptures”, Penn Studio School, 2024 - 25
“Professional Practices for Artists”, Dept of Art & Design, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO, 2025
“Brick by Brick”, Artist Talk, Werring Contemporary, Phoenixville, PA, 2024
“Professional Practices for Artists”, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 2024
“Websites and Art Writing”, Dept of Art & Design, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO, 2024
“Pricing Your Work”, Career Services, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2023
Visiting Artist & Critic, Haverford College, Department of Fine Arts, Haverford, PA, 2023
Convocation: A Conversation with Mickayel Thurin, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2022
Visiting Artist, Mt. Gretna School of Art, The Hall of Philosophy PA Chautauqua, 2022
Visiting Artist, Texas A&M International University College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Fine and Performing Arts, Laredo, TX, 2021
“Writing Proposals”, Career Services, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2021
“Artist-Run Projects + Curation”, Career Services, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2021
Visiting Artist, Summer Academy (virtual), PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2020
Artist-Run Spaces Panel with Tim Dowd, Alexis Granwell & Alex Paik, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2018
Art Safari to Philly Alternative Galleries, The Art Blog, Co-presenter with Sam Jones, 2017
Giants in the Corner Panel, Moderator: David Humphrey, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2016
“Visual Memory, Imagination and Painting”, MFA Thesis Presentation, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2015
“Painting the Self”, National Conference for Undergraduate Research, Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, 2012
Visiting Artist, Painting and Portfolio, Lee’s Summit West High School, Lee’s Summit, MO, 2011
Publications
“What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries in June”, The New York Times, Jillian Steinhauer, June 2024
“10 Art Shows to See in NYC This June”, Hyperallergic, Hakim Bishara, June 2024
“The enduring elasticity of painting”, Two Coats of Paint, Sharon Butler, June 2024
“Form, structure, community and weight, in ‘Pathways’ at AUTOMAT”, Alicia Link, Artblog, June 2024
“Nicole Parker and Morgan Hobbs at Gross McCleaf Gallery”, Ted Walsh, December 2023
“History Eats Itself”, Elizabeth Johnson - interview, November 2023
"Artist Morgan Hobbs, Bell the Cat, VSOP Projects", John Thornton - interview, October 2021
"PAFA Grads Boycott their Final Art Exhibition Over School's Stance on Black Lives Matter", Peter Crimmins, NPR - WHYY Philadelphia, September 2020,
"PAFA MFA Student Learns Business Skills While Pursuing Art", PAFA Blog, September 2017
“Exhibition at VSOP Links Daydreams and Nightmares”, Hampton Art Review, September 2017
"And Many More: PAFA Presents at 33 Orchard", Two Coats of Paint, July 2015
"List of Young Painters", Rembrandt’s Dog, July 2015
Vend Art Publication, February 2015
Vox Magazine, March 2013
Honors and Awards
Recipient, 10 Under 40 Alumni Recognition Award, University of Central Missouri, 2024
Recipient, Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant, Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, 2024
Recipient, Hemera Foundation Grant for Contemplative Practice, Fall 2019
Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT, Fall 2019
Director's Choice Award, Juror: Marge Horner, Abington Arts Center, Philadelphia, PA 2016
Linda Lee Alter Award, Juror: Linda Lee Alter, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA 2015
The Faculty Exhibition Award, Juror: The Graduate Faculty at PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2015
Winner - Fourth Wall, Jurors: Matthew Higgs, David Humphrey and Barbara Pollack, PAFA, 2014
Critic’s Choice Award - Woodmere Annual Juried Exhibition, Woodmere Museum of Art, 2014
Merit Scholarship, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA, 2013 - 15
Artist in Residence, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT, Fall 2012
“Figure It Out”- Honorable Mention, Craft Studio, University of Missouri, 2012
UCM Dept. of Art and Design Citation Awards Show- Honorable Mentions, 2010
Art Achievement Award- University of Central Missouri, 2010
Citation Awards Show- Second Place, 2009
Art Achievement Award- University of Central Missouri, 2009
UCM Dean’s List (6 semesters)
Missouri Governor’s Scholarship, University of Central Missouri, 2005
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 Affiliations
Affiliate Member, Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Kansas City, Missouri, 2024 - 2025
Artist, White Columns Artist Registry, New York, New York, 2024
Description: an online platform for emerging and under-recognized artists to share images and information about their respective practices
Member, Philadelphia Gallery Society (PhiGS), Philadelphia, PA, 2022 - 2024
Description: an association of gallery directors committed to fostering a thriving art scene by bring artists, galleries, collectors and enthusiasts together
Member, Philadelphia Sculptors, Philadelphia, PA 2023 - 2024
Description: a 501(c) 3 non-profit committed to expanding public awareness of the role and value of sculpture
within our culture through exhibitions, public forums, member services, and educational outreach
Professional Experience & Teaching
2024 - current Owner, Structure and Form Artist Services
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