Mary Hanrahan

Vermont College of Fine Arts Assistant Director MFA in Graphic Design

Mary Hanrahan graduated from VCFA’s MFA in Graphic Design in October 2013 (in the first inaugural class). Since then, she’s been working assisting grad students coordinate and plan their exhibitions each Spring and Fall semesters for 10 years, first as an Alumnx Assistant, and later as the Exhibition Coordinator. Additionally, she has assisted in both the Graphic Design and Writing program as an interim administrative assistant.

VCFA

Her journey towards her MFA in Graphic Design at VCFA was deeply rewarding on many levels personally and professionally, and her love of the program and helping the directors, students, faculty and administration during each residency has been an immersive and a ‘full on’ learning experience for her. 

EDUCATION

Prior to graduating from Vermont College of Fine Arts in October 2013, she graduated with a BFA from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking, photography and art history. After graduating, she worked and studied at the Tamarind Institute of Fine Art Lithography as a technical assistant. She continued postgraduate classes at Colorado State University where she studied Advanced Design, Illustration and Typography. In 2019, she completed a month artist residency at the Burren College of Art in County Clare, Ireland with ten other educators. She plans another residency in 2023.

EXPERIENCE

Mary has had a full working history in all aspects of graphic design and communications, ranging from working for many universities:

• UNM Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM /  Exhibition Coordinator
• UNM HSC Prevention Research Center, ABQ, NM / Communications Specialist 
• University of Oregon at the Knight Law School, Eugene, OR / Communications Coordinator

currently, she lives and works in Northern, New Mexico with her web partner and husband, where they focus on supporting local businesses and non-profits with graphic design, social media and website development. 

Current clients include: Taos Land Trust, Amigos Bravos and Taos Arts Council. She also continues to be involved with the Harwood Museum of Art as a contract employee and volunteer. Past exhibitions she has worked on: Agnes Martin: Before the Grid, Mabel Dodge Luhan & Company: American Moderns and the West, Judy Chicago’s Birth Project, Long Environmentalism: Subhankar Banerjee, and Las Santeras: Images of Faith and Folklore. 

PERSONAL LIFE

She continues her MFA explorations making collages, drawing on teas bags and infusing them in beeswax and resin, and creating assemblages in the spirit of Jospeh Cornell. She travels back and forth to Ireland as much as she can now; hillwalking and visiting her relatives. Most of her recent influences have been learning the Irish language, and currently reading Irish Botanist, Robert Lloyd Praeger’s writings, and attending online lectures at the BurrenBeo Trust. Her favorite quote of late is, “The journey is the epiphany.” – Glen Hansard