Andrea McKenna grew up in the northern part of New Jersey with New York City always in the backdrop. After graduating from The School of Visual Arts, she briefly pursued a career in Illustration which lasted all of minutes following her first acceptance into a small gallery show in New Hope, Pennsylvania. This inspired her ever-present desire to paint and showcase her art. McKenna's work has been shown in many exhibits around Long Island, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
The evolution of her work became an exciting journey as she began to create large scale installations, incorporating found objects and nontraditional materials in her practice. It wasn't until recently that she discovered her work was becoming a bigger idea than the singular thoughts that created each piece. Andrea's painted figures are often rooted in the spiritual realm, positioned in between death and the afterlife. Dan Payton of Eonta Space in Jersey City has described her work as: "revealing a cool, ethereal interest in a spiritual world that we travel to when life is extinguished. Almost devoid of color, they are meditations on identity, loss and the beyond, another dimension entirely".
Work life led Andrea to become an interior Faux Finisher. After moving to Jersey City in 1999, she formed her own business: Videre Decorative Arts.
From March 2014 to September 2017, she co-founded and operated The Raven Gallery and Boutique with close friend, Javiera Rodriguez, located in downtown Jersey City, which gave the local community a place to show and sell their work, as well as connect with their peers. Additionally, Andrea's involvement as a volunteer for the Jersey City Gallery Space and Performance Venue Art House Productions, introduced her to the world of set design, where she worked on several productions. In 2018, she was asked to curate for Art House's gallery and now serves as the Gallery Director. Currently, Andrea resides in North Jersey with her husband.
CV
2018 - Present Gallery Director for Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2014 – 2017 Co-Owner/Operator of The Raven Gallery & Boutique, Jersey City, NJ
2008 - Present Sole Proprietor of Videre Decorative Arts
2003 – 2008 Freelance Decorative Painter / Faux Finisher
1999 – 2003 Decorative Painter / Faux Finisher at Spec Fin Designs, Mahwah, NJ
EDUCATION
2014 Rising Tide Business Academy, Spring Semester
1988 - 1992 School of Visual Arts, New York City, BFA in Illustration
RESIDENCIES
Spring 2021 ESKFF - Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation at Mana Contemporary, NJ
EVENTS
Flea Market Flip - 2019 - Winner of Episode 21, Season 13
Fall 2012 / Spring 2013 / Fall 2013: "Once Upon a Market” (co created) A two - day pop up event featuring local artists.
ART INSTALLATION
2018 “The Sewing Room”, Atlantic Highlands Arts Council, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
2015 Art Walk - "Doll Dreams", Art Factory, Paterson NJ
2014 “American Sections” – Mural in lobby of 187 Washington Ave., Nutley, NJ
2014 Art Walk - “Bird Dreams”, Art Factory, Paterson, NJ
SET DESIGN
2017 - 20 Lead Designer for Snow Ball Gala, Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2018 Set Designer for "Not Medea", Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2018 Set Designer for "Cabaret", St Peter's University, Jersey City, NJ
2017 Set Designer for "The Drowsy Chaperone", St. Peter's University, Jersey City, NJ
2016 Set Designer for "The Handless Maiden", Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2016 Set Designer for "The Addams Family", at The Historic Loews Theater, Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2015 Set Designer for "James & the Giant Peach", Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2015 Set Designer for "What Lurks", St Peter's University, Jersey City, NJ
2015 Set Designer for "House of Atreus", Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
2012 -16 Assistant Designer for Snow Ball Gala, Art House Productions, Jersey City, NJ
1997 Shakespeare Festival, Drew University, Madison, NJ
1997 The Wonder”, Lincoln Center Theater at Fordham University, New York City, NY
CURATORIAL
Spring 2018 - present Art House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
Spring 2013 – 2017 Gia Gelato Café – Quarterly Art Exhibitions
Spring 2012 Digable Art Festival – Monroe Center, Hoboken, NJ
PUBLICATIONS /
2020 EverythingJerseyCity.com Blog interview for "Commit to Memory" at Eonta Space, Jersey City, NJ
2020 Jersey Journal interview for "Commit to Memory" exhibit at Eonta Space, Jersey City, NJ
2020 JC Times online review of "Commit to Memory" exhibit at Eonta Space, Jersey City, NJ
2019 News 12 coverage for the December JC Fridays exhibit at Art House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2019 News 12 coverage for the curation of "Pride: Raids to Parade" exhibit at Art House Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2019 "Jersey Journal" Interview for "Pride: Raids to Parades" Exhibit, Jersey City, NJ
2017 "Megazine", Artist Feature, Online Publication
2017 River View Observer, Hudson County, NJ
2016 Beautiful Bizzare Magazine, Online
2014 / 2016 River View Observer, Hudson County, NJ
2014 / 2012 / 2013 The Jersey Journal, Jersey City, NJ
1998 “Enterprise Pilot”, Oyster Bay, Long Island
1996 “Present Tense: Writing and art by Young Women”, CALYX Books, 20th Anniversary
1995 The Star Ledger, New Jersey
1994 The Exhibitioner”, New York City Gallery Publication, Fall and Summer editions
GALLERY TALKS & SLIDE LECTURES
1998 Slide Lecture & Presentation at Dr. Stella Russell’s Studio, Oyster Bay, NY
1997 Franklin Lakes Presbyterian Church Gallery, NJ, Q&A “Unleashed” Exhibit
1997 Night Gallery Café, New York City, Live painting presentation August & September
RADIO / TV INTERVIEWS
2019 News 12, "Pride: From Raids to Parades" Curator spot
1998 “Art in the World” Series, WHPC 90.3 FM, Long Island, NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 "The Banished Immortals", Broadfoot & Broadfoot, Boonton, NJ
2017 "Learning to Be Lost", LITM, Jersey City, NJ
2015 "Blood Work", LITM, Jersey City, NJ
2013 “Urban Abstraction”, Gia Gelato & Café, Jersey City, NJ
2012 “Numina”, Grassroots, Jersey City, NJ
1999 “Primal Guardians”, Limelight, New York City, NY
1997 “Unleashed”, Presbyterian Church of Franklin Lakes, Franklin Lakes, NJ
1997 “Primal Guardians”, Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
1995 “Mask Confusion”, Lena DiGangi Gallery, West Paterson, NJ
1994 “Exit Soul”, Sea Cliff Gallery, Long Island, NY
TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2020 "Commit to Memory: The Precipice of Extinction", Eonta Space, Jersey City, NJ
2014 "Obscure Passages", 313 Gallery. Jersey City, NJ
2013 “Minimalist Abstracts”, Wade Maxx Gallery, Upper Montclair, NJ
2013 “Double Vision”, Sawadee, Jersey City, NJ
2012 “Admitted”, Mary Benson Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2011 “Pattern & Patina”, Skyclad Gallery, Boonton, NJ
JURIED EXHIBITONS
1995 “Works on Paper”, National, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1994 “The Exibitioner”, National, Sea Cliff Gallery, Long Island, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 "Under The Influence", Village West Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2015 "Woman Up", Conception Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2015 "Brink", Conception Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2015 Cathedral Arts Festival, Jersey City, NJ
2014 Kaya Arts, New York City, NY
2014 “Brink”, Conception Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2013 “Andrea Who”, LITM, Jersey City, NJ
2013 Cathedral Arts Festival, Gallery at Van Vorst Church, Jersey City, NJ
2012 “Heavenly Bodies”, Skyclad Gallery, Boonton, NJ
2008 “Glimpse into the Creative”, La Galerie dub el Event, New Vernon, NJ
1998 “20 Artists”, Lena DiGangi Gallery, Totowa, NJ
1994 “Divine Visions”, Sea Cliff Gallery, Long Island, NY
1992 “Illustrators”, SVA Galleries, School of Visual Arts, New York City, NY