Chris Willcox

Chris Willcox is Professor of Art in the Department of Art and Art History at Macalester College, where she has taught since 2000. Her practice spans painting, installation, and conceptual art, with a focus on landscape as both geographical and psychological space. She teaches all levels of Painting, including Figure, Mural Painting, Color Theory and Practice, and the Senior Studio Seminar.

Education:

• BFA, Ontario College of Art and Design, 1990
• BA, University of Guelph, 1992
• MFA, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, 1998

Willcox's research explores environmental vulnerability, human migration, and historical narratives through painterly investigations of landscape. Her work interrogates the psychological dimensions of place, often depicting abandoned structures and natural elements to examine humanity's relationship with the environment. She employs oil, acrylic, ink, and collage to create layered visual narratives that balance abstraction with symbolic representation, emphasizing atmospheric depth and emotional resonance through deliberate palette choices.

Her recent artistic output demonstrates a clear trajectory from environmental concerns in "The Beginning (Again)" series (2015-2025) to urgent migration themes in "Adrift" (2018). The 2025 work "Outside In (Oceanview)" continues her exploration of ecological fragility, while the 2018 "Adrift" series directly engages with the global refugee crisis through repurposed media imagery integrated with painted surfaces. Antarctic exploration narratives in "90° South" (2012) reveal her consistent interest in historical trauma and human endurance.

Scientific Awards:

• Howard Foundation Fellowship for "The Still Point" project
• Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant

Willcox has secured significant grant funding including a $30,000 Howard Foundation Fellowship supporting her environmental research. Her professional development includes residencies at Banff Arts Center, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and Vermont Studio Center. As an educator, she mentors students through studio courses and the Senior Studio Seminar, emphasizing technical mastery alongside conceptual development. Her exhibitions at institutions like the Minneapolis Institute of Arts demonstrate her regional prominence and thematic relevance to contemporary socio-ecological discourse.

Her studio practice integrates professional residencies with academic responsibilities, maintaining active exhibition schedules while developing new series that respond to evolving global challenges through the lens of contemporary painting.