Sean McCarthy

Professor Sean McCarthy is an Associate Professor of Art at Lehman College, City University of New York, since 2014. He has taught studio art at Pratt Institute and New York Institute of Technology, and served as Department Chair from 2014–2019.

• BFA, University of Texas at Austin, 1998
• MFA, Yale University, 2001

His research and creative practice spans painting, drawing, printmaking, and comics/zines, often exploring the grotesque, surreal, and narrative structures. He has exhibited internationally at institutions like Fredericks & Freiser Gallery, Essex Flowers, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, with solo shows such as Living, Breathing (2022) and Bathers (2021), and group appearances including Blooms & Blights (2025) and Perennials: 10 Years of Essex Flowers (2023).

The 15 most recent works highlight themes in Studio Art (solo and collaborative), Contemporary Drawing, and Comics/Zines. His publications like The Novice series (2023) and The Novice's Guide to Meditation (2020) merge artistic practice with instructional narrative.

• NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Fiction (2024)
• Research Awards from the Research Foundation of CUNY (2025, 2023, 2022, 2013, 2012)

McCarthy curates exhibitions (e.g., No Longer, Not Yet, 2020) and serves on the editorial board of Glossator: Theory and Practice of the Commentary (since 2008). He has lectured at Yale University, RISD, and Fordham University, with a focus on the intersection of comics and fine art.