Mockingbird Green: Music Icons Artwork

BIO Jen McNulty’s artistic career is diverse from a successful career in illustration, photography, traditional tiled mosaics and now 3D Photo Mosaics. But it all began in 1991 after graduating from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising & minor in Art History, then she continued her post-graduate journey to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design for illustration. In 1992, she moved back to Chicago and began to show her work. Her illustrations were published in over 30 national & independent publications, such as Crane’s Chicago Business, L.A. Reader, Austin Chronicle & San Francisco Bay Guardian. In the mid-90's, McNulty began working in advertising as an Art Buyer at prestigious Chicago agencies. In 1999, she moved to London, England, where her interest in mosaics was born. She saw this ancient art form everywhere. The notion of illustrating a story with tiles piqued her interest. McNulty was inspired to research the process and soon began merging her illustration background with mosaic tiles. After moving back to Chicago in 2002, McNulty continued with her mosaic work as well as exploring photography. In 2008, she worked with acclaimed photographer Liz Chilsen as her project manager. This relationship deepened her knowledge of photography and helped birth the idea of combining photography with mosaic tiles. In 2011, McNulty began creating her 3D Photo Mosaics and in 2013 she pursued galleries to exhibit her work and within 2 months had exhibited in 2 Chicago galleries, including Morpho Gallery where she was selected for their “Best Of Emerging Artists 2013” exhibition. Her “John Lennon: Peace” was selected for a national traveling exhibit for the “Peace Project” & was published in their coffee table book in 2013. She has exhibited widely, including Rockford Art Museum’s 73rd Midwestern Biennial, Bridgeport Art Center’s 2nd Annual Juried Art Competition, Woman Made Gallery’s 18th & 24th International Opens and Beverly Arts Center’s 45th Annual Art Comp where she received Best of Show in April 2022. McNulty was also selected by Oak Park Education Foundation to teach in their Art Start Program every year since 2014. She was also interviewed on VOP-TV about her career & artistic process, which aired June 2015.