The Addison was incredibly fortunate to host painter Sue McNally as Edward E. Elson Artist-in-Residence earlier this year.
For over 30 years McNally has traveled the United States visiting sites both rural and remote. Captivated by the vastness and diversity of the land and fascinated by the ways in which the geography of each state shapes the culture and experience of that place, she began in 2010 to create This Land Is My Land, a series of large paintings representing each of the 50 states. Visitors have been mesmerized by her painting Maroon Bells, CO, a new addition to the Addison’s collection that was included in the exhibition Free Association: New Acquisitions in Context, on view during her residency. Contributing to a long tradition of American landscape painting, this monumental work is a testament to the timeless lure of nature’s beauty and the American West in particular.
Through December, January, and March, McNally filled the Addison’s Visiting Artist Studio with new work and welcomed visits from classes and groups including:
- A wide variety of Phillips Academy art courses
- Andover’s SHED Forest Kindergarten, both in their outdoor classroom and in the studio
- A class from North Andover’s Brooks School focused on Winter in New England
- Lowell High School’s Outdoor Adventure Club
- Adult artists from Carlisle Council on Aging and Human Services
McNally also hosted programming both for Phillips Academy audiences and for the off-campus public:
- During the Nature Walk and Art Workshop, attendees studied local trails to gather inspiration and detail for artmaking back at the museum.
- A pizza lunch and studio tour brought members of Phillips Academy’s Addison Club to the Visiting Artist Studio for exploration and conversation.
- The Afternoon Art Break Studio Visit for Phillips Academy staff and faculty gave employees a break and some inspiration during the workday.
- During the Wine Down Wednesday Open Studio Session, the community was invited to join McNally in the Visiting Artist Studio to get a sneak peek at what she’s been working on and experiment with materials.
- Alongside the Addison Community Ambassadors, McNally hosted the Addison Late ‘til 8 public evening hours and drop-in artmaking.
But perhaps the most visible impact of McNally’s visit is the new mural located at the Addison’s exit from the Museum Learning Center into Phillips Academy’s Elson Art Center.
Meeting weekly over three months with McNally, Phillips Academy students Daryn Burnette ’26 and Lucille Heyd ’26 explored their local landscape, distilled their observations, and combined the shapes, colors, and patterns of their home states of Massachusetts and Florida into their own dynamic mural composition. The bright color palette and bold lines take inspiration from McNally’s vibrant abstracted landscape paintings.
The mural also was the subject of an article in the local newspaper the Andover Townsman.
The Addison’s Edward E. Elson Artist-in-Residence program plays a significant role in the museum’s exhibition and education programming, energetically supporting contemporary art by bringing established and emerging artists to campus. Every year, artists are invited to produce new work in the Visiting Artist Studio, exhibit in the galleries, give public talks, collaborate with students, and/or lead discussions with students from Phillips Academy and surrounding communities. Residencies range in duration from a few days to a series of short visits, to several months. The Addison residency program began in 1946 with Charles Sheeler and continued informally until 1982 when it was endowed through the generosity of Phillips Academy alumnus Edward E. Elson, class of 1952.
Cover image: Sue McNally and SHED Forest Kindergarten students work on a large drawing together
