the northern loon studio is the creative home of morgan murphy.
About
morgan murphy (she/her) is a chicago-based artist that uses layers of vibrant colors, bold contrasts, & dark lines in her cityscape & flowerscape paintings, community murals, abstract works, uplifting cards, & upcycled trinket jars. her works are bright, bold, and emotive.
originally from northern michigan, the artist is inspired by the call of the northern loon (a diver bird from her native region), which causes a moment of pause, reflective imagination, & hyper-awareness of her surroundings. she seeks to emulate that experience with creative work that accentuates the beauty in the mundane, showcases the whimsy in the everyday, critiques social inequities, &/or embeds emotions (like joy) in local signifiers of place & space.
on the map
her work has been featured in rostrum312’s group exhibit in roosevelt collection shops (chicago), gallery cafe - location 1 & 2 (chicago), jackson junge gallery (chicago), project onward at the bridgeport arts center (chicago), the 2021 National Association of Community and Restorative Justice - NACRJ - conference (chicago,), A.I.R. studio and gallery (glencoe, IL).
morgan has experience creating in chicago, northern michigan, bulgaria, the netherlands, spain, and in-between.
in the studio
the northern loon studio is located in a shared studio space near horner park in chicago.
the address is 4045 n. rockwell ave.
as a working studio for morgan & her studiomates, the studio is open for visits by appointment only.
in the future, morgan will host ‘open studio’ events. sign up for her newsletter to stay in the loop about it.
the reasons why
morgan creates…
frequently asked questions
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I took a few art classes in high school. Other than that, i am self-taught.
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yup!
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nope! I do frequent pop-ups in different stores, participate in art markets, & show larger pieces in curated exhibitions.
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my art is available for purchase at raw edge artisan boutique (lincoln square, wicker park, and michigan avenue locations), wolfbait (logan square), and online here on my site.
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yup!!! reach out and let’s chat.