BIO (CalArts MFA, EA 2012)

Short bio submitted for my application to the MFA Experimental Animation program at CalArts for fall of 2012.


In December of 1982 Mary Patchell was born on an Army base in ElPaso, TX. As an Army brat she moved around a lot, which created an ease with the temporary nature of life. In the summer of 1997, Mary visited her grandparents at Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony, an opera festival they were the groundskeepers for. Showing interest and ability, Mary was taken under wing of the Wig Master. She found a sort of sanctuary there and propelled herself into the backstage theater world. In 2003, after studying at the Aveda Institute Chicago, Mary earned her Illinois Cosmetology License. She then went on to receive her B.A. in Theater (Directing) from Columbia College Chicago. Mary became an active member of the Chicago theatre community: stage managing, directing, hairdressing, wig making, and providing specialty make-up, millinery, and other fine art services. After college Mary dove in as the Wig maker’s Apprentice at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre where she worked to refine her craftsmanship hair by hair. While theatre was her creative birth place, Mary longed to create in a more permanent medium. In 2009, she suffered from a back injury that forced her out of work for over a year. It was during that time period that Mary truly realized herself as a visual artist. Because she was not able to move very much she had to allow the art to move for her. She used the time to paint as much as possible, teach herself how to draw, and educate herself in the field of animation. She was determined to turn this traumatizing event into something productive; to channel the pain into something potentially beautiful and expressive. It was during that time that it became blaringly obvious that all of her passions were finally converging, and that her artistic subconscious would find a home in stop motion animation.