Today we’re excited to be connecting with Meredith Pardue again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.
Meredith, always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a B.F.A. in Painting and Art History Minor in 1998 and earned an M.F.A. in Painting from Parsons School of Design in 2003.
My mentor, Pam Baker of Levee Gallery in Monroe, LA, was a former film and literature professor at NYU. She introduced me to the world of art galleries and gave me assigned readings and films, which we would discuss upon completion. Pam began selling my work while I completed my studies at SCAD. My first solo exhibition in 1998 at Café Metropole led to representation at Allyn Gallup Contemporary in Sarasota, FL, and Galerié Lumiére in Savannah, GA. SCAD began to collect my work during this time. and over the last twenty-five years has become my biggest collector. I lived in several cities between 1998-2001, showing my work in New York City, Portland, OR, and Austin, TX, before returning to Manhattan for graduate studies a few weeks before September 11.
In 2003 I took a teaching position at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and signed with Ann Connelly Fine Art, my first major gallery representation.
After my son, Julian, was born in 2005, I decided to pursue my career as a professional artist full-time, resigned from ULM in 2006, and converted my 1935 single car garage into a painting studio.
By 2011 my career had gained momentum, and my work was widely published and collected by institutions including BBVA Compass Bank, ExxonMobil Headquarters, J. Crew Corporate Headquarters, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruise Lines, Ritz Carlton, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Savannah College of Art + Design, SCAD FASH Museum, and SCAD Hong Kong. I am currently represented by five galleries across the United States and will have my 56th solo exhibition in April 2025 at Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston.
Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
I will speak first about my actual career. Since our last interview in 2020, I celebrated my 50th solo exhibition titled The Space Between Stars in 2022 at age 46. That moment felt moment felt surreal to me. The exhibition was in Houston at Laura Rathe Fine Art, and the gallery hosted an incredible dinner surrounded by the artwork in the show. Additionally, several new corporate collections and institutions acquired my work over the last five years.
The most exciting update on my studio practice is my return to my grassroots of painting. I’ve revisited the raw mark-making and looser brushwork from my breakout years between 1999-2013. It feels thrilling to reconnect with that part of myself and speak through what I’ve always felt is my internal, native language. This shift backward feels authentic and familiar, but also new and unchartered. It reminds me of the adage “You can never step in the same river twice.” I am uninhibited right now. And I like it.
On a personal level, my journey as a wife, mother, and daughter continues to evolve as my kids grow into the next phases of their lives. My oldest son is in college now, my youngest son is a high school senior, and my daughter is in second grade. Mike and I are helping my elderly parents deal with some health struggles and decisions. Being in the “sandwich years,” and trying to balance these roles with my art career is a challenge I navigate daily. But it’s a deeply fulfilling process that informs and shapes both my life and my work.
We also want to give folks a chance to get to know you a bit better so we’ve prepared a fun lightning round of questions. Ready?
- Favorite Movie: Mulholland Drive
- Favorite Book: Love in the Time of Cholera, War + Peace, Anna Karenina, Song of Solomon, The Incredible Lightness of Being, The Light Between Oceans.
- Favorite Band or Artist: Radiohead
- Sweet or Savory: Savory
- Mountains or Beach: Beach
- Favorite Sport (to watch): PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME WATCH THE SPORTS!!
- Favorite Sport (to play): I am not sporty, but I do love running and yoga.
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was a little girl. I realized when I grew up that I am way too emotional to handle that job.
- Favorite Childhood movie: The Wizard of Oz
- Favorite Breakfast Food: My special smoothie recipe!
What are you most excited about in the coming year?
I am no longer accepting commissions, which gives me a LOT more freedom to explore new ideas and materials. I feel like I can finally resume evolving as an artist.
Beyond that, there’s a major opportunity on the horizon. I can’t share details about this just yet, but I am very excited about it and hope it comes to life!
2025 is shaping up to be a year of growth, immersive creativity, and experimentation with new materials. I am grateful for every part of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.meredithpardue.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithpardue
- Twitter: https://x.com/meredithpardue
- Other: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_Pardue
Image Credits
Studio Image: © Christopher Durst
All Paintings: © Meredith Pardue Studio
