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Hopper Visiting Artist Talk and Exhibition

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, through Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, noon–4 p.m.

Jacki Headley University Art Gallery, Arts & Humanities

Free

Guest artist Catherine Mackey's exhibition A Consistent Line of Inquiry is on view through February 20th at the Jacki Headley University Arts Gallery on the first floor of the Arts & Humanities building. The artist will give a public talk on Thu. Feb. 20, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in Performing Arts Center room 134. A closing reception will follow in the University Art Gallery. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4 PM, and Thursday's until 8 PM.

The exhibition and talk are generously supported by David and Shari Maxson Hopper. Both events are free and open to the public. People who anticipate needing special accommodations or who have questions about physical access may call 530-898-5331 in advance of the event.

Artist's Biography

Mackey started her working life in the UK, practicing and teaching interior architecture. Her move to the US in the late nineties was the catalyst for a gradual transition into the world of fine art, something she had dreamed of since childhood. Her creative focus turned away from highly designed spaces and toward an appreciation of the overlooked beauty found in less visible parts of our cities.

A self-taught artist, she acknowledges the important influence her past career has on her work to this day, embedding in her a deep fascination with the built environment and the emotional power of space.


Much of Mackey's work depicts pragmatic architecture—- buildings designed with practicality and flexibility in mind. She explores the demise and abandonment of structures no longer suited for today's industries, and searches for the accidental moments of beauty caused by their neglect and decay. These moments can vary: from the surface texture of a rusty sea wall and the architectural scars of building alterations, to the spaces created by demolition, and the slow collapse of buildings, as seen in her recent work with agricultural barns.

Mackey lives in San Francisco and works from her studio in a converted mayonnaise factory in the Mission District. She has had solo shows in New York, Dallas, LA, and San Francisco, and her work can be found in homes across the US, Europe, and Australia and China.

Contact Eileen Macdonald - emacdonald1@csuchico.edu (530) 898-5331