For the past 35 years North Carolina sculptor and painter Mary-Ann Prack has captured the essence of what it is to be human in her figurative clay works.
On the surface her sculptures are colorful, sensuous and precise. She believes experiencing them reveals the spirit, energy and joy in which they were created.
The artist: Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Prack attended the University of Guelph, in Ontario, studying art history, sculpture and life drawing. She then moved to Florida to study interior design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
After graduating, she worked as an interior designer in south Florida. While there, she also studied ceramic sculpture at Florida Atlantic University.
Prack continued working as a designer but spent her free time creating ceramic sculpture, initially exhibiting at outdoor art festivals in south Florida.
In 1994 she moved to Jefferson, NC and set up a home studio, gallery and sculpture garden, where she continues to sculpt and paint full-time.
In the beginning: Prack grew up in a creative environment surrounded, not only by art, but artists, architects and engineers.
She watched her father design beautiful buildings utilizing architectural drawings and models. Prack was introduced to sculpting in clay when, as a child, she modeled for her mother.
“This part of my life continues to influence how I see the world, appreciate and respond to it,” she said.
The art & materials:
- Abstract figurative sculptures that range in size from two to nine feet in height ($900 to $12,000).
- Abstract, colorful, multilayered paintings ($275 to $8,000), from small works on paper to large acrylics on canvas (48 inches by 48 inches)
The process: She hand builds each sculpture with hollow slab construction – without armatures – using specially formulated clay that has a stone-like hardness, strength and consistency.
Unique studio visit: California philanthropist and art collector Helen Bing visited Prack’s studio in 2010. After doubling Prack’s asking price, Bing purchased a sculpture for the Stanford University Art Collection.
Big break: Representation at Raleigh Gallery in Florida, followed by her first solo exhibition in 1992. This was a turning point.
Since then, Prack has had gallery representation in USA and Canada with numerous exhibitions, awards, and placement in many private and corporate collections.
Honors: Many including:
- The Sasse Museum of Art, Pomona, CA , Art Talk + Catalog: ‘The Art of Mary-Ann Prack,’ 2021
- The Shape of Color, Solo Exhibition, Alamance Arts, Graham, NC (29 artworks) 2019
- The Shape of Color, Solo Exhibition, Maria V. Howard Arts, Rocky Mount, NC (52 sculptures, paintings + drawings) 2018
- Standing Still in the Abstract, Solo Exhibition, City Gallery at Waterfront Park, Charleston, SC (68 sculptures, paintings + drawings) 2014
- Standing Still in the Abstract, Solo Exhibition, ASU Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Boone, NC (53 sculptures, paintings + drawings) 2013
What’s new: Created three small-scale maquettes for three similar large-scale outdoor sculptures, the first to be completed this summer.
Where to buy:
- prackart.com
- The Haen Gallery, in Asheville and Brevard, NC (thehaengallery.com).
- Carlton Gallery, in Banner Elk, NC, (carltongallery.com)
Get social at:
- Facebook: Mary-Ann Prack
- Instagram: prack_art
