Meet Margaret Chiaro

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Margaret Chiaro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Margaret below.

Margaret, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My parents provided a loving and supportive home and taught me to value integrity, work ethic, kindness, and strength. They were both the first generation to attend college in their families and worked very hard to provide my brother and me the ability to explore different interests and encouraged us to pursue being our best self in anything we tried.

Work ethic is a value that was instilled in me from day one by my family. Whether it was house chores, helping others, school grades, or trying a hobby, my brother and I were taught by example that we should give it our all. I have had a job since I was 14 years old. I knew at a very young age how hard it was to make a decent living. I did not seriously consider pursuing art as a career until it came time to apply for college. Being an artist had always been my dream, but it seemed to be just that, a dream.

When it came time to applying and choosing a college, my amazing family believed in me enough to encourage my pursuit of a career in the arts. I went on to major in the arts and attain my cum laude BFA from the University of Arizona and then my MFA from the New York Academy of Art, while working a myriad of jobs along the way.

I am now a working artist and art instructor thanks to my work ethic, stubbornness, and pursuit of my dreams, which is all due to my amazing parents.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am Magical Realism oil painter. I use figurative painting to invite the viewer to enter a unique world or moment. I love duality and opposition, balance over symmetry, and the idea of shared energy. Spending hundreds of hours on a single piece, painting everything by hand in traditional techniques, I obsessively render my subjects, caught in moments when they are open and expressive. Through my chosen genre, Magical Realism, I fuse reality with imagination to create a visceral new “world” for the subject to dwell in and the viewer to observe.

I am currently working on a series called “Nephology” that depicts people living in cloudscapes. “Cloud 9” is a sub-series portraying the inner child. “Head in the Clouds”, another sub-series, dabbles in psychological metaphors.

My most recent exhibitions have been at Thinkspace Projects, MadKat Gallery, and Covet Gallery.

I am also an art instructor. My students range from age 11-70, are from all backgrounds and careers, and each have a unique perspective. I also have the honor of teaching for a non-profit, Studio ACE, where I provide private instruction for students awarded with the ArtStar Scholarship. My goal as a mentor is to provide every tool in the toolbox, help the individual find their artistic language, and to strengthen their voice. It is a pleasure and honor to help others find their creativity.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I return to the core values I was taught: integrity, work ethic, and kindness. I think these can be applied to any pursuit. Find the career you love. Pursue the things that make you happy and contribute to the community.

In my experience, life is beautiful and difficult. If you spend your time and energy on the things that bring you joy, you are likely to have more patience and fortitude during the tough times. I do not feel that I have any wisdom or grand philosophy on life that would apply to anyone but myself. However, for me, my dream career path, trying to always be kind to others, and working hard, have been good choices.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

As far as collaborators, I am seeking spaces and people that might enjoy exhibiting my work. My goal in the next few years is to share my entire Nephology collection in one space. It continues to grow in scope and number. I have a grand vision that I would love the opportunity to see come to life.

If anyone wants to discuss possible installation/exhibition opportunities, I can be reached through my website (www.margaretchiaro.com) and email (machiaroart@yahoo.com).

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Studio Portrait Photos by
PRISCILLA IEZZI PHOTOGRAPHY

Artwork Photographed by
MARGARET CHIARO

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