Maureen O'Hara Pesta is a graduate of St. Mary's College at Notre Dame, Ind., where she studied with Norman Laliberte. Her career has encompassed both fine and commercial art, including graphic design and illustration for books and periodicals.

She has worked on commercial projects as varied as creating window designs for major department stores around the country, drawing newspaper cartoons and courtroom trial sketches, and painting the "Cool Bus" ~ an old schoolbus converted for promotional use by a radio station.

Her fine art has appeared in numerous solo and group shows, and she has received honors in major juried shows at the national, regional, and state levels. Her paintings have hung in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, and the National Arts Club and Salmagundi Club in New York City. In 2002 she participated in an exhibit in Tokyo, Japan, memorializing the victims of Sept. 11, 2001.


"Goodbye"

Among her collectors are international corporations as well as regional institutions. Her work was featured in the November 1997 and June 1998 issues of American Artist Magazine.

She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America; other memberships include Indiana Heritage Arts, the Indiana Artists Club, the Hoosier Salon, the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, and the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts.

Working primarily in pastel, she creates studio and plein air work, utilizing a French easel for on-site studies and paintings. She has traveled in the U.S., Europe, and Asia with easel and supplies.

Her studio and gallery adjoin the Jackson-Washington State Forest in southern Indiana.




Naturally Inspired ~ Silent Auction and Exhibit

Maureen O'Hara Pesta was one of fifteen artists selected to create a painting at the Indianapolis Zoo "Naturally Inspired" paint-out on Saturday, May 2. Completed paintings are on exhibit through August 27 in the Schaeffer Rotunda at the White River Gardens in downtown Indianapolis.

A reception and silent auction is planned for  August 27. Information about reserving a place at the reception is available at IndianapolisZoo.com.


Nature Awakens Creativity ~
Central Indiana Land Trust Exhibition

Maureen O'Hara Pesta has been invited to participate in the "Nature Awakens Creativity" project sponsored by the Central Indiana Land Trust, headquartered in Indianapolis. An exhibition will be included as a part of the Indianapolis Spirit and Place Festival, planned for November 2009.

Artwork will be on display at the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple from October 1 through November 30.



"A New Day"

Art Auction ~ Southern Indiana Center for the Arts

Original artwork for the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts limited-edition poster, "A New Day," by Maureen O'Hara Pesta (shown above), will be auctioned off at the annual Artful Affair fundraising event, planned for Friday, Sept. 11. The Center is located in Seymour, Ind. For further information and reservations for the event or to purchase a poster call (812) 522-2278.


Summer Solstice '09 ~ Castle Gallery

Castle Gallery's Summer Solstice '09 show, which runs through Aug. 29, includes work by Maureen O'Hara Pesta among other gallery artists. The gallery is located in a historic Romanesque mansion in Fort Wayne, Ind. Hours are Tues. through Fri. 11 - 6, and Sat. 11-4. Find more information and images of artwork for sale at CastleGallery.com.


First Fridays Special Hours ~ Kellar Mahaney Gallery

Kellar Mahaney Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in Zionsville, Ind., will be open late during First Fridays '09 planned for Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, and Dec. 4.   Maureen O'Hara Pesta is among artists represented by the gallery. Regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment.

The gallery is located at 270 S. Main St., next to the Friendly Tavern. Find more information at KellarMahaney.com.


Honors-Program Arts Expedition ~ Purdue University

In mid-2009, Geraldine Friedman conducted a Purdue honors-program class expedition to the Starve Hollow Recreation Area and to the studio of Maureen O'Hara Pesta.

An interpretive hike by a State Forest naturalist, together with the studio visit, offered students two perspectives on a natural site in the state of Indiana ~ one from the conservationist/naturalist point of view, and another from the artistic point of view. The artist discussed and briefly demonstrated plein air painting at her studio-gallery, which is located in Starve Hollow in Jackson County, Ind.





Contact the artist for information about upcoming workshops or individual instruction.







JessePesta.com ~ black-and-white photography.

AbigailPesta.com ~ editor and writer in NYC.

ButterNoParsnips.com ~ short stories and fine art.