Meg Lionel Murphy: Painting After PTSD From Domestic Violence

*Content warning - Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse*

Meg Lionel Murphy paints a dreamworld where suffering transforms femme bodies into a monstrous size, so that their pain must be seen, felt, and acknowledged. Murphy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, with three majors: Art, Art History, and English Literature. Additionally, Meg studied classical oil painting in Florence, Italy. After graduation, Meg worked as a children’s illustrator, co-founded the literary and art magazine, Paper Darts, and co-directed the arts and social justice non-profit, Pollen Midwest.  

A diagnosis of severe PTSD from domestic violence led Murphy to leave her career in publishing to focus on painting and healing. She moved back to her childhood home in rural Wisconsin where she started painting in her father’s junkyard, in a studio shack that was converted from an industrial cooler. As her art took off, she moved her studio to an old storefront—that was built as a church in the 1880s. 

Recent solo shows include “Traumatica Dramatica'' at The Untitled Space Gallery (New York), “Interior Violence” at CoExhibitions Gallery (Minneapolis), and solo booths with SPRING/BREAK Art Show (New York and Los Angeles). Recent group shows include “10 @ 10” at The Wisconsin Museum of Art, “Pleasure Garden'' at Laurie Shapiro Gallery (Los Angeles), and “In Her World” at Voltz Clarke (New York). Her painting has been acquired by the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Her artwork has been featured in a variety of publications including Hyperallergic, Bitch, Artnet News, and Forbes.

Domestic Violence Resources :

NO VISIBLE BRUISES - What We Don't Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) or 800-942-6908 (Español) (also available as web chat and text)  ⁠https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/⁠ To Find local shelters: ⁠https://www.domesticshelters.org/⁠ Women's Law Initiative: ⁠https://hotline.womenslaw.org/public⁠

Additional Resources can be found at The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website: ⁠https://ncadv.org/RESOURCES⁠ 

Domestic violence support groups can be found through Psychology Today: support groups: ⁠https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/groups⁠

Danger Assessment worksheet: ⁠⁠https://www.dangerassessment.org/DATools.aspx⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BetterHelp.com/TAC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠today and get 10% off your first month.

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Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@theartcareer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow Meg Lionel Murphy : ⁠⁠⁠⁠@meglionelmurphy⁠

Podcast host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emilymcelwreath_art⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music: Chase Johnson

Editing: ⁠⁠⁠@benjamin.galloway⁠