BerdsCarnival (Maraya G Lopez)
BerdsCarnival (Maraya G Lopez) is a multi-disciplinary artist in New York. Born in Lubbock, Texas. Group exhibitions and projects include The Painting Center, A.I.R. Gallery 2017 Biennial, Flux Factory, Kunst Werke (KW) Gallery and the Whitney Museum of Art with Occupy Museums, The Six Foot Platform in Dumbo, in 2021, and the Long Island Museum of Art in 2023. BerdsCarnival has developed an autonomous mode of working where they act as curator, artist, and exhibitionist for public projects that they call “strategies”. These projects entail fundraising and finding alternative spaces. In 2015, the artist spent the summer working out of a carnival game trailer at Coney Island where they launched the Magic Machine 2015 D.I.Y. artist residency. Collaborative projects include What’s Not There with artist Ryan Compton, and the Occupy Museums Collective.
They have also exhibited at The Met Museum at the Met Museum Workers biennial exhibitions.
BerdsCarnival is a security guard at The Met Museum and a teaching artist for Art yard BKLYN.
EDUCATION
2008-10 MFA Painting/Sculpture, Pratt Institute - Brooklyn, NY
2003-07 BFA Painting, University of Texas Arlington - Arlington, TX
CURRENT
2024 What’s Not There, with Ryan Compton and Reciprocal Communiqué, Zine publication, NYC
D.I.Y. & SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015 Magic Machine Artist Residency, Game trailer behind Eldorado Bumper Cars (Bump Your Ass Off), Coney Island, NY
2014 The Debt Doll Project , Streets of NYC, NYC
2012 Free Pussy!!, New York City Subways, NYC
2010 Berd’s Carnival: 2010 Graduate Thesis Exhibition, Steuben West Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 SOMOS/WE ARE: Latinx Artists of Long Island, Long Island Museum, NY
2022 Osmosis, Art Cake, Brooklyn, NY
2022 Shooting Freaks, Live at the Archway (Gallery), DUMBO BID, Brooklyn, NY
2021 No Color Game, Six Foot Platform, DUMBO BID, Brooklyn, NY
2017 5th Avenue SAW (Fool’s Paradise), with Maura Falfan, Long’s Wine storefront, Bay Ridge, NY
2017 A.I.R. Gallery’s 12th Biennial Exhibition, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2016 Pratt Institute Alumni 2016 Exhibition, Pratt Institute. Brooklyn, NY
2013 Working it Out, The Painting Center, NYC
GROUP EXHIBTIONS
2022 Towards a Brave New World, with Art Yard Bklyn, The Gallery at 180 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
2022 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Employee Art Exhibit, The Met Museum, NY
2022 Your Flowers Are So Lovely, They Have Made Me Well Again, Rocco´s Tacos, Brooklyn, NY
2022 More Art of Coney Island, BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
2021 Ribcage, The Grackle Art Gallery, Ft. Worth, TX
2019 Met Museum Staff Show, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
2018 Fallen Heroin, El Barrio’s Art Space PS109, NYC
2018 MUAW SHOW! (Museum Union Art Show), El Barrio’s Art Space PS109, NYC
2018 Fire and Fury, Resonator Art Space, Norman, OK
2017 STATE PROPERTY, with Yasmeen Abdallah, Bronx Art Space, Bronx, NY
2017 Self Storage, Flux Factory, Long Island City, NY
2017 Whitney Biennial 2017, with Occupy Museums, Whitney Museum of Art, NYC
2017 With Something, K and P Gallery, NYC
2016 A.I.R. Gallery’s 2016 Annual Postcard Exhibition , A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2015 Debtfair, with Occupy Museums, Art League Houston, Houston, TX
2015 Spring Benefit 2015, Momenta Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2015 The Metropolitan Museum of Art Employee Art Exhibit, NYC
2015 Through the Rabbit Hole, Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014 Generations IX, A.I.R Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2013 DebtFair Artist Meetup, with Occupy Museums, Abrons Arts Center, NY
2012 7th Berlin Biennial , with Occupy Museums, Kunst Werke Gallery (KW), Berlin, Germany
2010 Creativity Test, with Marilyn Jolly, Gallery 76102, Arlington, TX
AWARDS & GRANTS
2021 Residency - Six Foot Platform, Dumbo BID
2020 Grant - West Collection, Emergency Grant, Emergency Fund for Visual Artists
2010 Nomination - Dedalus Foundation Nominee for MFA Fellowship
2009 Award - Merit Scholarship, Pratt Institute
PUBLICATIONS
2015 Debt Doll Project, EPOCH WEEKEND by Epoch Times
2012 Printed Matter Art and Activist Zine Series, with Occupy Museums), NYC
2012 Swipe Magazine 3rd Edition, NYC
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS
2018 Indiegogo - Coney Island to El Barrio, Fallen Heroin
2015 Indiegogo - Coney Island Magic Machine Artist Residency
ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVORS
2018 Pop-up Coney Island In Artist Residency Program
OTHER
2018 Wonder Wheel mural, HBO Series, The Deuce, episode 2: There’s An Art to This, clip is at 20:25
BerdsCarnival, 2022 “Ticket” pin by Erin Mathewson