Maddie McDougall

I am an artist, activist, and educator currently living and working in Springfield, Massachusetts. I have used my foundational skills as a painter and printmaker to expand my practice to encompass interdisciplinary formats including installation, fiber, photography, and sculpture.

I started selling original relief prints in 2020 and have raised a combined total of over $3,000 donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Reclaim Our Vote Campaign. My work is significantly influenced by social and political concepts, which has guided me to strive for an even more community-based practice.

My recent personal work investigates connections between mental illness and the concepts of shame attached to the female identity. This new body of work is also examining the ways in which our bodies remember trauma, and narratives revolving around surviving sexual assault. These themes intersect with the concept of healing, and navigating the nuances and politics found in the idea of healing in a consumerist world which functions to silence women.

Moving forward, I am beginning research on buried matriarchal narratives, intergenerational trauma, and what is lost when feminine voices are undervalued or misunderstood. This deliberately feminist work will culminate in a body of visual artwork inviting public interaction and overlap with organized actions aimed to influence political policy affecting the lives of women.  

I deeply value serving the Springfield community. Centering this in my artistic practice has driven me to produce work that is both affordable and created with the intention to generate social and political change. Ultimately,  I plan to establish a Springfield-based arts center focused on developing youth into leaders for social change. My interests in reforming museum establishments and access to the “art world” are the driving force to this goal. I envision that this organization will allow community members to become the curators of their world, and meaningful artwork can be produced and shared in a space functioning as both a respected museum and community center.

On the path to reaching this larger goal, I have begun to pursue opportunities for developing meaningful connections with other community leaders and building a reputation as an artist-educator outside of the traditional school setting. Since June of this year I have taught online courses in partnership with Make-It Springfield as well as a summer program for local teen artists in collaboration with the Springfield College Center for Civic Engagement.