Megan Roper
My art practice explores the concept of serendipitous encounters and the symphony of choices that lead us to each moment. In my current body of work I attempt to memorialize the fleeting emotions of circumstance through abstract patchwork wall-hangings. The combination of bold patterns and brightly colored textiles joined together evoke the powerful connection we form with textiles and memory. Every textile sourced for a piece was previously owned and has found its way to me through random circumstance. Whether I uncover a particular piece of fabric tucked away in a thrift store, or a friend donates their old clothing to me, the ‘energy’ of the former life lived-out in the textile remains. Each piece I create is named for the fleeting moments I am attempting to capture that occur in my life. I deconstruct the parts to re-stitch them together, alongside fragments of someone else’s history. For how can we exist today without the universal choices made in the past? The work begins centrally small and grows outward into organic forms. I allow for ripples, imperfections and bulbous shapes to emerge, mirroring the unpredictable path of coincidence..
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Megan Roper is a Queens-based textile artist who works with found fabrics. Megan is originally from Colorado, where she received her Bachelor of Art in Studio Art and Bachelor of Science in Advertising at the University of Colorado in 2012. Upon graduating, Megan joined Teach for America, where she taught 5th grade science in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and received her Masters in the Art of Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education in 2014. Megan continued teaching art at a middle school in East Harlem until 2018. In addition to her studio practice creating abstract patchwork wall hangings, Megan owns her own upcycled jewelry business, consults in art education, and volunteers at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Megan has exhibited in several Queens-based galleries and is a current fellow for the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Artist Inc. series.
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Teaching Portfolio Page
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Education
2014. Master in the Art of Teaching at Relay Graduate School of Education
2012. Bachelor of Art in Studio Art at University of Colorado at Boulder
2012. Bachelor of Science in Advertising at University of Colorado at Boulder
Exhibitions
2019. Creative Mosaic, The Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2019. Small Works, Alter Works Gallery, Astoria, NY
Fellowships
2019 - 2020 ARTWorks Inc. Seminar Fellow, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Queens, NY
Work Experience
2014 – 2018. Art Teacher, Harlem Village Academies, Harlem, NYC
2012 – 2014. Art & Science Teacher, Achievement First Crown Heights Middle School, Crown Heights, NYC
2012 – 2014. Corps Member, Teach for America, NYC, NY
Volunteer / Organization
2019-2020. Long Island City Artists (LIC-A), Long Island City, NY
2019. Carson Education Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
2019. Warm Up Series, MoMA PS1, Long Island City, NY
2019. The Privilege of Escape, Creative Time, Manhattan, NY
2019. Greenpoint Open Studios, Greenpoint, NY
2018. Bringing Down the Walls, Creative Time, Manhattan, NY