Mera Foster Art

Mera Foster Exhibition and Award History, CV:

Education

Charles Wright Academy (2021-2025)

Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design — Dual-Degree Program (2025-2030)

Summer Art Intensives

Cornish College of the Arts—Seattle, WA.

2022 and 2023

New York University

2024

Washington State Fair Fine Art Show

Best in Show (2021)

Best in Painting Division (2021)

First Place Colored Pencil (2021)

First Place Oil Painting (2022)

First Place Oil Painting (2023)

First Place Colored Pencil (2023)

Best in Painting Division (2024)

First Place in Acrylic Painting (2024)

Best in Drawing Division (2024)

First Place in Colored Pencil Drawing (2024)

Best in Mixed Media Division (2024)

Third Place Landscape Photography (2024)

The Congressional Art Competition

First place winner in Washington’s 6th Congressional district.

Artwork currently hanging in the U.S. Capitol Building for a year-long exhibition. Featured on CityLine Tacoma TV for live interview (2024)

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards (2022-2024)

National Silver Medals in Painting and Mixed Media (x2)

Regional Honorable Mentions in Painting and Drawing/Illustration (x4)

Regional Silver Keys in Painting and Drawing/Illustration (x3)

Regional Gold Keys in Painting, Drawing/Illustration, Mixed Media, and Photography (x8)

Puget Sound Educational Service District High School Art Show

Regional Winner (2022)

Honorable Mention (2023)

Pierce County Choice Award (2024)

Central Washington University Scholarship Award (2024)

WA529 Art Contest First Place Winner (2022)

First place winner of local sidewalk chalk drawing competition (x3)

Merit Award at Grey Cube Art Gallery (2022)

Public Art

Winner of “Color it UP”! Traffic Box Wrap contest - art displayed on a public traffic box in Tacoma, WA. Featured on Pierce County TV. (since November 2023)

Exhibitions and Publications

Congressional Art Competition Exhibition - U.S. Capitol Building

Best In Show– Southern Tier Center for Emerging Artists- International Exhibition

The Holy Art Gallery- International Exhibition in London: “Cosmic”

-Celebrating Art- Blick Art Materials Publication (x3)

Merit Award from Celebrating Art Competition (x3)

LGBTQ+ Exhibition at Artco Framing and Gallery

Exhibition “Each Other” with Aplomb Portrait Gallery in Dover, NH

Featured on the cover of Teen Ink Magazine

Artist of the Month at Artist and Craftsman Supply in Tacoma, small gallery show (January 2025)

New York University Summer Art Intensive Gallery Show (2024)

Cornish College of the Arts Summer Art Intensive Gallery Shows (2022 and 2023)

Northern Kentucky University: An Open Conversation About Body Image and Theater- college newspaper article featuring my artwork “Waltz of the Measuring Tapes”

Art Judging Work

Worked on a juried panel with the City of Tacoma Arts Commission to select 15 local artists for a grant to create an original traffic box wrap design. Voted and advocated for artists' portfolios across several meetings. Reviewed over 300 artist portfolios. I worked on this panel with the members of the school Public Art Club I founded as the only youth jury.

Washington Youth Arts Leadership Program

September 2023- May 2024

-In a small cohort of young artists chosen by the Washington State Arts Commission to promote the state’s culture and art scenes.

-Attended and participated in monthly online meetings

-Key contributor to messaging in the official WAYAL Video and statement

-Attended Arts4All Coalition meetings in Seattle as a representative of young artists in Washington

-Worked to create social media content for the official Instagram of the Washington State Arts Commission. Interviewed local arts educators for posts, designed content, and advertised for upcoming arts events in the state.

-Worked with ArtsWA to prompt Governor Inslee to declare the month of May Arts Education Month.

Emcee of the OSPI Superintendent’s State Student Art Show

April 2024

-Scripted commentary and reflected and commented on the work of winning pieces

-Filmed at Thurston Community Media

Theater

Designed and created costumes and props for Charles Wright Academy’s theatre productions, which she has also acted in. Painted sets for school musicals in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years.

WRITTEN WORK

Until Death Do Us Part: Understanding The Unique Wifehoods of Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning in the New York School of Painting (13,927 words)

(Hoping to publish this thesis soon)

Non-Art Related and Miscellaneous

Intern at Harbor History Museum - (October 2024 - March 2025)

Worked on a local research project to compile accessible information on Gig Harbor’s historic properties and sites. Researched historical registers at the city, county, state, and national levels.

*recipient of a President’s Bronze Medal in Service (100+ hours in a year)

Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank Volunteer (December 2022-June 2024)

Served as a shopper for food bank visitors, conversing and helping them find items throughout their visit. Extensive filing, stocking shelves, taking in donations, cleaning the facility at closing.

Tacoma Art Museum Volunteer (December 2024-present)

Volunteer in the Department of Education and Community Involvement. Assists with community arts instruction and museum events in spare time.

Teaching Assistant at Rainbow Parrot Art (September 2022-November 2023)

Attended weekly after-school sessions for elementary-level art classes. Assisted young artists with different art projects and completed any necessary tasks for the instructor.

Charles Wright Academy Student Government

9th Grade - Class co-president-- Tasked with organizing three grade-level bonding activities throughout the year, attended student government and Student-Faculty Senate Meetings twice a week

10th Grade - Class co-president – All listed responsibilities of 9th grade co-leader, organized and ran weekly games for the student body for all-school assembly

11th Grade - ASB Head of Communications -- Was in charge of photography and posts on the official school student government Instagram page, recorded all notes at student government meetings, and typed and forwarded announcements from weekly all-school assemblies to the student body. Spent 2+ hours each Monday night scripting, planning, and organizing materials for thoroughly entertaining assembly games and activities.

12th Grade - ASB President - Organizes and heads all student government meetings, runs weekly all-school assemblies, and communicates often with school administration on the happenings of ASB meetings and needs of the student body. Still plans and runs thoroughly entertaining weekly assembly games.