Artist Statement
Lily was born and raised in Northern Michigan and attributes much of her creative inspirations to the adventures of her childhood growing up on a small island there. It is an island sacred to its native people—a place where the spiritual and natural worlds seem to be separated only by a thin veil. This landscape formed her artistic identity and led her to a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan School of Art and Design where she graduated in 2012. Lily’s award-winning work has been in numerous juried exhibitions, invitationals, and permanent public displays. She is now a freelance painter in Lincoln Square, Chicago and her work explores concepts of the spiritual, the natural, and moments of their interaction.
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
University of Michigan School of Art and Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2012
Studio Art Centers International, Study Abroad, Florence, Italy 2010
EXHIBITIONS
2019 Mackinac Moments, Solo Exhibit, Mackinac Island Public Library, Mackinac Island, MI
2018 Arise, Solo Exhibit, Appellation, Chicago, IL
2016 State of the Art, McGarryBowen Chicago, IL
2016 Art Pop at 5438, Andersonville Arts Weekend, Chicago, IL
2015 Peaceful Mackinac, Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac Island, MI
2015 Puzzles, Riddles, and Enigmas, Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2014 Places of Mackinac, Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac Island, MI
2012 Artworks by Lily Porter and Kelly Dorman, Sunsets at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island, MI
2012 Mackinac’s Grand Hotel, Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac Island, MI
2012 Mackinac Island, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey, MI
2012 Synthesis, Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
2011 Mackinac Photography, Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac Island, MI
2011 International Exhibition, Slusser Gallery, MI
2010 Invitational Museum Opening, Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac Island, MI
2010 2D Student Art Show, Studio Art Centers International, Florence, Italy
2010 People and Place, Duderstadt Gallery, MI
2009 Collection Connection, Work Gallery, Ann Arbor, MI
FAIRS
2017 Andersonville Arts Week, Chicago, IL
2017 Crafters and Musicians, Chicago, IL
2017 Women Who Make, Lillstreet Loft, Chicago, IL
2016 Andersonville Arts Week, Chicago, IL
PUBLICATIONS
2017 Colorful Mackinac, Contributing Illustrator, Adult Coloring Book with Mackinac State Historic Parks and Mackinac Memories, LLC
2016 Water Beyond the Bridge, Cover Illustration, Novel by Susan Allen
2015 A Grand Adventure, Children’s Book Illustration, Text by Mary Jane Barnwell
2014 Goodnight, Mackinac Island, Children’s Book Illustration, Text by Mary Jane Barnwell
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fortino, Stephanie: “Paintings by Local Artist Bring Light, Water to Space”, Mackinac Island Town Crier, vol. 62, no. 20, September 2015, p. 15-16
Bennett, Macaela: “Artists Capture Places of Mackinac”, Mackinac Island Town Crier, vol. 61, no. 10, July 2014, p. 11-12
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Chippewa Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI
Mission Point Resort, Main Lobby, Mackinac Island, MI
Palmer Commons, Ann Arbor, MI
Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, Florence, Italy
TEACHING
2019 Workshop Instructor, Plein Air Oil Pastels, Watercolor Cafe, Mackinac Island, MI
2012 Workshop Instructor, Soft Pastels, Mackinac Arts Council, Mackinac Island, MI
2012 Assistant Instructor for Visually Impaired Children, Detroit Institute of Art
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2010 People and Place, Duderstadt Gallery, Co-Curator
AWARDS & GRANTS
2015 Peaceful Mackinac, Honorable Mention
2014 Places of Mackinac, 2nd Place
2012 The University of Michigan Integrative Project Grant
COMMUNITY
Board of Directors, Mackinac Arts Council, 2015-present