Esther Murphy, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a visual artist working in large format photography, paper based sculpture, bookbinding, and watercolor painting. She started her studies in the visual arts as a sophomore in high school at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts where she discovered her love of photography. She went on to Loyola University New Orleans to continue her arts education. While a student at Loyola, she found interests outside of visual art in the areas of Philosophy, Linguistics, and Russian.
After traveling to Russia to study Russian and France to do a bit of work she decided to go to get her MFA at Washington University Saint Louis in hopes to teach photography at a University. She taught for several years after graduate school at Montana State University in Bozeman. The bug to explore the world returned and she spend 9 months in Frankfurt Germany where she made art in a small apartment. In 2015, she was an artist in residence and taught at Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, Or. Having insufficient funds to live on the west coast she returned to New Orleans where she had a solo exhibit of her work at Ten Gallery, an artist run space. In Summer of 2016 an opportunity arose to spend a year in China assisting in opening an art school.
Upon her return to the USA, she resided in New Orleans where she continued to make and exhibit her art. She moved to New York City in 2019 and quickly found herself immersed in the kitchen of the art world working at Ziello Frames, Downing Frames, and Lowy Frames and Restoration. She focused on hinging artwork and found she had a particular skill in this area.
She is currently based in Portland, Oregon where she maintains an active studio practice. She works at the Portland Art Museum as the picture framer, art hinger, and works with the conservation staff as an assistant. She freelances her hinging, matting, and framing skills. She is actively seeking teaching and exhibition opportunities in the PNW region.
For inquiries or questions please email me:
esther.murphy@gmail.com
After traveling to Russia to study Russian and France to do a bit of work she decided to go to get her MFA at Washington University Saint Louis in hopes to teach photography at a University. She taught for several years after graduate school at Montana State University in Bozeman. The bug to explore the world returned and she spend 9 months in Frankfurt Germany where she made art in a small apartment. In 2015, she was an artist in residence and taught at Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, Or. Having insufficient funds to live on the west coast she returned to New Orleans where she had a solo exhibit of her work at Ten Gallery, an artist run space. In Summer of 2016 an opportunity arose to spend a year in China assisting in opening an art school.
Upon her return to the USA, she resided in New Orleans where she continued to make and exhibit her art. She moved to New York City in 2019 and quickly found herself immersed in the kitchen of the art world working at Ziello Frames, Downing Frames, and Lowy Frames and Restoration. She focused on hinging artwork and found she had a particular skill in this area.
She is currently based in Portland, Oregon where she maintains an active studio practice. She works at the Portland Art Museum as the picture framer, art hinger, and works with the conservation staff as an assistant. She freelances her hinging, matting, and framing skills. She is actively seeking teaching and exhibition opportunities in the PNW region.
For inquiries or questions please email me:
esther.murphy@gmail.com
CV
Education
2009-2011 Washington University Saint Louis, MFA, Visual Art
2002-2006 Loyola University New Orleans, BFA, Studio Art
1999-2002 New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Orektikos, BrickRed Gallery, New Orleans, La
2017 我的 Rotten Mandarin, Open Studio, PhotoNOLA Festival of Photography
2016 Foreign Matter: A Narrative Account, Ten Gallery, New Orleans, La
2014 My Mirror, ARC Gallery, Chicago,Il
2012 Fixing Fixated Gaze, The Exit Gallery, Bozeman, Mt
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018 Sex, Death, Religion, and Guilt: Photography of Stan Strembicki and Alumni,
Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, Mo
Thirty New Orleans Artists, Second Story Gallery, New Orleans, La (2nd place Juror's Award)
LA Contemporary, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, La (juried)
Pop-Up 2018, Martine Chaisson Gallery, New Orleans, La
Works on/of Paper, BrickRed Gallery, New Orleans, La (juried)
2016 NOCCA Alumni Show, Kirshman Gallery, New Orleans, La
2013 Light, Space, Travel! The Philosopher’s Knoll, The Banff Centre (2 Person)
2012 Mentors, Diboll Galley, Loyola University New Orleans, La
2011 WTFMFA, Lemp Brewery, Saint Louis
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Kemper Museum, Saint Louis (catalogue)
2010 Parabola, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
1st Year MFA Show, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
2009 Indecisive Moment, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
Jeunes Talents, Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles (catalogue)
2008 Loyola Alumni Show, Dana Center Gallery, Loyola University, New Orleans
Odd Works, New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery (juried)
2007 5th Photographic Image Biennial Exhibition, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
(juried)
2006 Printer’s Devil, Austin Peay University
Made by Hand, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Artist Residencies
2015 Oregon College of Art and Craft, Fall Semester
2013 The Banff Center, October-November, 8 weeks
Awards
2008 Jeunes Talents, Travel Award,
New Orleans French Consulate and Office of Tourism in Antibes, France
Teaching Experience
Spring 2018 Photography Teacher for New Orleans Museum of Art
Everyday New Orleans Project (part of the Changing Course Exhibition)
Fall 2017 Guest Lecturer, Loyola University New Orleans, Photography II
Guest Instructor of Photography, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
2016-2017 4D Instructor, YMM Art International College Prep School, Shenzhen, China
Spring 2016 Artist Lecture, New Orleans Center for Creative Art
Artist Lecture, Loyola University New Orleans
Fall 2015 Artist Lecture, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Instructor of Record, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Digital Photography I: PHOT 203,
2011-2014 Adjunct Instructor, Montana State University, School of Film and Photography
Experimental Photography: PHOT 374
Senior Production: PHOT 499
Portraiture: PHOT 371
Advanced Color: PHOT 350
Understanding Photography: PHOT 113RA
Production Seminar: Nighttime Narratives: PHOT 401
2009-2011 Instructor of Record, Washington University in Saint Louis-
Intro to Digital Photography and the Lighting Studio: A46 ARCH 408E
Fine Arts Industry Experience
2023-Present Ground State, Portland Or
Art Services for Artists, Owner
2022-Present Portland Art Museum, Portland, Or
Conservation Technician
2021-Present Lukes Frame Shop, Portland, Or
Art Hinger and Conservation Consultant
2020-2024 Downing Frames, Brooklyn, NY
Art hinger
2019-2021 Gerlach/Ziello inc., Brooklyn, NY
Art Hinger and Frame Fitter
2019 Lowy Frame and Restoration, New York City, NY
Frame Fitter
2017-2019 Michel Varisco Studio, New Orleans, La
Studio Assistant
2004-2009 The Darkroom: New Orleans Center for Photographic Arts, New Orleans, La
Black and White Lab manager, Gallery Assistant, Picture framer
Education
2009-2011 Washington University Saint Louis, MFA, Visual Art
2002-2006 Loyola University New Orleans, BFA, Studio Art
1999-2002 New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Orektikos, BrickRed Gallery, New Orleans, La
2017 我的 Rotten Mandarin, Open Studio, PhotoNOLA Festival of Photography
2016 Foreign Matter: A Narrative Account, Ten Gallery, New Orleans, La
2014 My Mirror, ARC Gallery, Chicago,Il
2012 Fixing Fixated Gaze, The Exit Gallery, Bozeman, Mt
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018 Sex, Death, Religion, and Guilt: Photography of Stan Strembicki and Alumni,
Des Lee Gallery, St. Louis, Mo
Thirty New Orleans Artists, Second Story Gallery, New Orleans, La (2nd place Juror's Award)
LA Contemporary, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, La (juried)
Pop-Up 2018, Martine Chaisson Gallery, New Orleans, La
Works on/of Paper, BrickRed Gallery, New Orleans, La (juried)
2016 NOCCA Alumni Show, Kirshman Gallery, New Orleans, La
2013 Light, Space, Travel! The Philosopher’s Knoll, The Banff Centre (2 Person)
2012 Mentors, Diboll Galley, Loyola University New Orleans, La
2011 WTFMFA, Lemp Brewery, Saint Louis
MFA Thesis Exhibition, Kemper Museum, Saint Louis (catalogue)
2010 Parabola, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
1st Year MFA Show, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
2009 Indecisive Moment, Des Lee Gallery, Saint Louis
Jeunes Talents, Louis Stern Gallery, Los Angeles (catalogue)
2008 Loyola Alumni Show, Dana Center Gallery, Loyola University, New Orleans
Odd Works, New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery (juried)
2007 5th Photographic Image Biennial Exhibition, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
(juried)
2006 Printer’s Devil, Austin Peay University
Made by Hand, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Artist Residencies
2015 Oregon College of Art and Craft, Fall Semester
2013 The Banff Center, October-November, 8 weeks
Awards
2008 Jeunes Talents, Travel Award,
New Orleans French Consulate and Office of Tourism in Antibes, France
Teaching Experience
Spring 2018 Photography Teacher for New Orleans Museum of Art
Everyday New Orleans Project (part of the Changing Course Exhibition)
Fall 2017 Guest Lecturer, Loyola University New Orleans, Photography II
Guest Instructor of Photography, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
2016-2017 4D Instructor, YMM Art International College Prep School, Shenzhen, China
Spring 2016 Artist Lecture, New Orleans Center for Creative Art
Artist Lecture, Loyola University New Orleans
Fall 2015 Artist Lecture, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Instructor of Record, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Digital Photography I: PHOT 203,
2011-2014 Adjunct Instructor, Montana State University, School of Film and Photography
Experimental Photography: PHOT 374
Senior Production: PHOT 499
Portraiture: PHOT 371
Advanced Color: PHOT 350
Understanding Photography: PHOT 113RA
Production Seminar: Nighttime Narratives: PHOT 401
2009-2011 Instructor of Record, Washington University in Saint Louis-
Intro to Digital Photography and the Lighting Studio: A46 ARCH 408E
Fine Arts Industry Experience
2023-Present Ground State, Portland Or
Art Services for Artists, Owner
2022-Present Portland Art Museum, Portland, Or
Conservation Technician
2021-Present Lukes Frame Shop, Portland, Or
Art Hinger and Conservation Consultant
2020-2024 Downing Frames, Brooklyn, NY
Art hinger
2019-2021 Gerlach/Ziello inc., Brooklyn, NY
Art Hinger and Frame Fitter
2019 Lowy Frame and Restoration, New York City, NY
Frame Fitter
2017-2019 Michel Varisco Studio, New Orleans, La
Studio Assistant
2004-2009 The Darkroom: New Orleans Center for Photographic Arts, New Orleans, La
Black and White Lab manager, Gallery Assistant, Picture framer