Maria Park

Maria Park is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP). She has been a faculty member since 2006 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013. Park is also recognized for her leadership, having served as Director of AAP Exhibitions from 2017 to 2019 and as a Faculty Fellow at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.

• Education: M.F.A. in Painting, San Francisco Art Institute (2003)
• Education: B.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Art, San Francisco Art Institute (1995)

Maria Park’s research and artistic practice explore how technology shapes human perception, presence, and agency within a media-saturated society. Her work spans serial paintings, site-specific installations, and public art projects, often engaging with themes of spatial transposition, visual representation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has a strong focus on drawing as research and painting in dialogue with film and digital media.

Her recent publications and artworks, including the collaborative project Training Setting, reflect a sustained engagement with the intersection of art, architecture, and critical theory. These works demonstrate a trajectory focused on material experimentation (e.g., acrylic reverse-painted on Plexiglas), spatial intervention, and conceptual inquiry into technological mediation.

Notable scientific awards and honors include:

• Joan Mitchell Foundation M.F.A. Grant Award (2003)
• Korea Arts Foundation of America Award (2002)
• San Francisco Foundation Murphy Fine Arts Fellowship (2002)
• Cornell University Watts Prize for Faculty Excellence (2008)
• John Hartell Award for Distinguished Teaching (2011)
• Atkinson Center Rapid Response Fund (2016)

Park has advised and collaborated on numerous interdisciplinary projects, including public art commissions such as the Central Subway Chinatown Station in San Francisco and the Oculi pavilion on Governors Island. She has received competitive grants and fellowships throughout her career, supporting both creative research and pedagogical innovation. Her curatorial work at AAP includes exhibitions featuring Beverly Semmes, Doug Hall, and Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, among others.

Maria Park is actively involved in research labs and initiatives at Cornell, particularly through her affiliation with the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. She has participated in interdisciplinary teams, such as the collaboration with Austin + Mergold and other faculty on the City of Dreams Pavilion, reflecting her engagement with sustainable design and public space.