Christina McCleary

Christina McCleary is a Baltimore-based sculptor and educator. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Christina is the second generation of McClearys to have an impact on Baltimore's cultural landscape. Her father, Tracy McCleary, was the band leader for the Royal Theater Orchestra and an acclaimed jazz musician and composer. Christina earned a B.F.A. at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1996 and later an M.F.A. at MICA's Rinehart School of Sculpture in 2004. She actively exhibits her work in solo and group shows throughout Maryland. Since 2000 she has been a member and resident at the artist cooperative, Artist Housing Inc., located in the heart of Baltimore City. Christina is an instructor and Ceramics Manager at the Columbia Art Center in Columbia, Maryland. She has also taught sculpture and 3-D design at Howard Community College and Towson University. Regarding her work, she states:

"My sculpture is an expression of all the thoughts, fears, judgments, and feelings that constantly drive me. My meditations on womanhood, femininity, and personal/cultural/racial history challenges the different and often opposing views of our past, present, and future condition. Thus, my art making stems from the deeply personal but remains abstract and broad enough to encourage viewer interpretation."