Megan (Mae) Elizabeth Read

Megan Elizabeth Read (b. 1982) is an American figurative artist living and working in Charlottesville, Virginia. Largely self-taught, she now works almost exclusively in oil with pieces ranging from small still life to large scale paintings mostly focusing on the female form. Mae grew up in rural Virginia where she spent most of her time exploring the fields and farmland around her home or drawing for hours on end, both of which were clearly formative. After living in Los Angeles in her early 20’s she returned to Virginia and after many years working in the tech field she finally began making space for drawing and painting again and this has since become her sole focus.

Since Mae began focusing on painting in 2017 her work has been exhibited internationally with galleries and museums including the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, Spain, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, WI, and Arcadia Contemporary, NYC. Her work is held in a number of collections, including the Bennett Collection of Women Realists and the permanent collection at the New Salem Museum, has been included in numerous publications, and has received a number of awards including 1st place for Imaginative Realism at the 2019 International Art Renewal Center Salon and Director’s Choice at the 2020 International Guild of Realism Juried Exhibition.

Get In Touch

Upcoming Exhibitions

  • 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artelibre Gallery, Auditorium-Escuela de las Artes de Arroyomolinos, Madrid, Spain
    October 1 – November 30
  • Twenty, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC
    November 1 – 28th
  • Small Works, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO
    November 21st – TBD

Previous Exhibitions

2024
  • 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artelibre Gallery, European Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain
    May 17 – September 15
  • Kindred Spirits, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC

    August 2nd – 25th

  • Five and Under, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY

    August 15th – September 8th

  • Small Works 2024, Beinart Gallery, Brunswick VIC, Australia
    August 18th – September 8th
  • 20th Anniversary Show, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO
    August 30th – September 17t    h
  • Catharsis, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA
    September 13 – October 7
2023
  • Tight, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO. USA
  • Five and Under, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

  • Almenara Art Prize 2023, International (Online)

  • Self Portrait Prize 2023, Ruth Borchard Collection, International (Online)

  • Mujer, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA

  • LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA

2022
  • Sotheby’s Contemporary Discoveries Auction, New York, NY. USA
  • From Here To There, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

  • Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA

  • Small Works 2022, Beinart Gallery, Brunswick VIC. Australia

  • Many Moons, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC. USA

  • Group Exhibition, Gallery Red, Mallorca, Spain

  • The Frame Remains the Same, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

  • The New Romantics, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

  • LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA
2021   
  • Studio Exhibition, Solo Exhibition, Studio 211, Charlottesville, VA. USA
  • Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA
  • LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA
  • ICONIC, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA 
  • ModPortrait, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain & Bantierra Palace, Zaragoza, Spain
  • Give me Some Skin, Sugarlift, New York City, NY. USA
  • Women Painting, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain
  • International Guild of Realism Spring Salon, International (Online)
  • Grand Opening Exhibition, Arcadia Contemporary, New York City, NY. USA
2020   
  • WOMAN, James Baird Gallery, Newfoundland, Canada 
  • 5×5 Project, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA
  • Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA 
  • 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY. USA 
  • Fast and Slow, Solo Exhibition, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA
  • 15th Annual IGOR Juried Exhibition, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC. USA 
  • Allied Artists 107th Annual Juried Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY. USA*
  • Art Renewal Center Salon, Sotheby’s, New York, NY. USA*
  • American Women Artists Juried Online Show, USA. (Online)
  • The Creator and The Muse, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA*
  • The Razor’s Edge, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA. (Online)
  • Woman Artists Group Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY. USA*
  • Figuratively Speaking, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY. USA
  • New City Arts and Haven Art Auction, Commonhouse, Charlottesville, VA. USA.
2019   
  • The Art of the Nude, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA
  • 29th Annual Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA
  • Annual Juried Exhibition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA
  • Painting the Figure Now 2019, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL. USA
  • Painting Today, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain
  • OBJECTify, Duo Exhibition, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA. USA
2018   
  • Out of Season, Solo Exhibition, Angelo, Charlottesville, VA. USA
  • Recent Works In Oil, Solo Exhibition, McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA. USA
  • New Members Show, McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA. USA

* Moved Online due to COVID19

Awards/Achievements

2024

  • Finalist, Titian International Art Competition

2023

  • Finalist in the Traditional Art Category, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

  • Finalist in Figurative and Still Life, Almenara Art Prize

  • Finalist, Ruth Borchard Collection Self Portrait Prize

2022

  • Dual Category Award for “Escape Artist”, Art Renewal Center Salon

  • Finalist, “Figurative”, “Imaginative Realism”, and “Animals”, Art Renewal Center Salon

  • Finalist, “Traditional Art” Category, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

  • Da Vinci Visual Art Award, Global Velazquez Painting & Sculpture Award

  • Finalist in “Figurative”, “Imaginative Realism”, “Portraiture”, and “Animals”, Art Renewal Center Salon

2021
  • Semi-Finalist, Figurativas Competition
  • Finalist, ModPortrait Competition
  • Finalist in “Figurative”, International Guild of Realism Spring Salon
  • Finalist in “Figurative” and “Imaginative Realism”, Art Renewal Center Salon
2020   
  • Directors Choice Award, International Guild of Realism Juried Exhibition
  • Ambassador of the Week, Realism Today
2019   
  • Honorable Mention, ANJE at Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art
  • First place in “Imaginative Realism”, International Art Renewal Center Salon
  • Honorable Mention in “Figurative”, International Art Renewal Center Salon

Podcasts

Publications + Press