Megan Read

Megan (Mae) Elizabeth Read is an American figurative artist living and working in Charlottesville, Virginia. 
Largely self-taught, she began as a charcoal and pencil artist but now works almost exclusively in oil with pieces ranging from small still life to large scale figurative paintings, often featuring the female form. 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, Sotheby’s, 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. 

Exhibitions 
 

2025 XVIII Edition of the Contemporary Realist Art Exhibition, Exhibition Hall of the  Agrupación Artística Aragonesa, Zaragoza, Spain 

2024 National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society, Fall International Online Exhibition

2024 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artelibre Gallery, Auditorium-Escuela de las Artes de  Arroyomolinos, Madrid, Spain

2024 Twenty, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC

2024 International Guild of Realism, 2024 Fall Salon Online Exhibition

2024 Catharsis, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA

2024 20th Anniversary Show, Gallery 1261, Denver, CO

2024 Small Works 2024, Beinart Gallery, Brunswick VIC, Australia

2024 Five and Under, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY

2024 Kindred Spirits, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC

2024 25th Anniversary Exhibition of Artelibre Gallery, European Museum of  Modern Art, Barcelona, Spain

2023 Tight, Gallery 1261, Denver CO. USA

2023 Five and Under, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

2023 Almenara Art Prize 2023, International (Online)

2023 Self Portrait Prize 2023, Ruth Borchard Collection, International (Online) 
2023 Mujer, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA  

2023 LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA

2022 Sotheby's Contemporary Discoveries Auction, New York, NY. USA

2022 From Here To There, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

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

2022 Many Moons, Robert Lange Studios, Charleston, SC. USA

2022 Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA

2022 Group Exhibition, Gallery Red, Mallorca, Spain

2022 The Frame Remains the Same, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

2022 The New Romantics, Arcadia Contemporary, New York, NY. USA

2022 LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA

2021 Studio Exhibition, Solo Exhibition, Studio 211, Charlottesville, VA. USA

2021 Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA

2021 LA Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA. USA 
2021 ICONIC, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA  

2021 ModPortrait, European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, Spain

2021 ModPortrait, Bantierra Palace, Zaragoza, Spain

2021 Give me Some Skin, Sugarlift, New York City, NY. USA

2021 Women Painting, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain 
2021 International Guild of Realism Spring Salon, International (Online)

2021 Grand Opening Exhibition, Arcadia Contemporary, New York City, NY. USA

2020 WOMAN, James Baird Gallery, Newfoundland, Canada  

2020 5x5 Project, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA

2020 Painting the Figure Now, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA  
2020 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY. USA  
2020 Fast and Slow, Solo Exhibition, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA

2020 15th Annual IGOR Juried Exhibition, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC. USA  

2020 Allied Artists 107th Annual Juried Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY. USA *

2020 Art Renewal Center Salon, Sotheby’s, New York, NY. USA *

2020 American Women Artists Juried Online Show, USA. (Online)

2020 The Creator and The Muse, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA *

2020 The Razor’s Edge, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA. (Online)

2020 Woman Artists Group Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY. USA *

2020 Figuratively Speaking, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY. USA

2020 New City Arts and Haven Art Auction, Commonhouse, Charlottesville, VA. USA.

2019 The Art of the Nude, 33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL. USA

2019 29th Annual Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO. USA

2019 Annual Juried Exhibition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI. USA

2019 Painting the Figure Now 2019, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL. USA

2019 Painting Today, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain

2019 OBJECTify, Duo Exhibition, Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA. USA

2018 Out of Season, Solo Exhibition, Angelo, Charlottesville, VA. USA

2018 Recent Works In Oil, Solo Exhibition, McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA. USA

2018 New Members Show, McGuffey Art Center, Charlottesville, VA. USA 

* Moved Online due to COVID19 


Awards/Achievements 
 

2024 Award of Merit, National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society, Fall International Online Exhibition

2024 Finalist, “Figurative”, “Imaginative Realism”, Art Renewal Center Salon

2024 Finalist, Titian International Portrait Competition 
2023 Finalist in the Traditional Art Category, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

2023 Finalist in Figurative and Still Life, Almenara Art Prize

2023 Finalist, Ruth Borchard Collection Self Portrait Prize 
2022 Dual Category Award for “Escape Artist”, Art Renewal Center Salon

2022 Finalist in “Figurative”, “Imaginative Realism”, and “Animals”, Art Renewal Center Salon

2022 Finalist, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

2022 Da Vinci Visual Art Award, Global Velazquez Painting & Sculpture Award

2022 Finalist in “Figurative”, “Imaginative Realism”, “Portraiture”, and “Animals”, ARC Salon

2021 Semi-Finalist, Figurativas Competition

2021 Finalist, ModPortrait Competition

2021 Finalist in “Figurative”, International Guild of Realism Spring Salon

2021 Finalist in “Figurative” and “Imaginative Realism”, Art Renewal Center Salon

2020 Directors Choice Award, International Guild of Realism Juried Exhibition 
2020 Ambassador of the Week, Realism Today

2019 Honorable Mention, ANJE at Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art

2019 First place in “Imaginative Realism”, International Art Renewal Center Salon

2019 Honorable Mention in “Figurative”, International Art Renewal Center Salon 


Publications + Press

Megan Elizabeth Read, A Battle Of Self-Doubt And Bravery, Beautiful Bizarre, Issue 45 
Blooms for Us All, Fine Art Connoisseur, March/April 2024 
11 Questions About Requiem With Megan Elizabeth Read, Beautiful Bizarre, June 2023 
Drawing to See, Fine Arts Connoisseur, January/February 2023 
Cover and Featured artist, The Guide Artists, Issue 50, December 2021 
10 Contemporary Realists, American Art Collector, December 2021

A Created Reality: an Interview with Megan Elizabeth Read, BoldBrush, November 2021

Guia de Arte Leonardo, 2021

Cover and Featured artist, Artwalk Magazine, Fall/Winter 2021

Spotlight July, The Guide Artists, Issue 47, Summer 2021

Portraits of the Artists, 434, Spring 2021

Three to Watch, Fine Arts Connoisseur, February 2021 
Artelibre, Arte y Libertad XV, 2020

Artist Feature, Revista Ophelia, Issue 7, September 2020

Floral & Gardens Competition Finalist, International Artist, Issue #133 June / July 2020 
PoetsArtists ‘Razor’s Edge’ Online Exclusive, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, April 2020

Emerging Artists, American Art Collector, Issue 174, April 2020

20 Artists for 2020, Medium, December 2019

International Realism, 14th International ARC Salon Book, 2019

The Beauty of the Figure, American Art Collector, Issue 169, November 2019

Collector Focus, Poets and Artists, October 2019

GOSS183, Issue 107, October  2019

Poetsartists Abend Gallery 29th Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, 
October  2019

Fine Arts Connoisseur, Volume 16, Issue 5, October 2019

Personal Effects, C-ville Weekly, April 2019

Painting Today Catalog, MEAM, March 2019

Poetsartists Celebrates International Women’s Day With A New Exhibition, Beautiful Bizarre 
Magazine, February 2019

#100 Figurative Realism, Poets and Artists, Issue 100, November 2018

Real Connection: The extraordinary works of Megan Elizabeth Read, C-ville Weekly, May 2018

50 Great Figurative Works, Poets and Artists, Issue 89, November 2017

Podcasts 
 

Mae Read Uncut, 1Ep 254, John Dalton

Ep: 94 Mae Read, Art Grind

Affiliations

McGuffey Art Center

Poets and Artists

International Guild of Realism

American Women Artists (Associate with Distinction)

National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS)