Education
Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL M.S. in Art and Design Education 2021 & M.F.A Sculpture 2024
Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL B.F.A Painting December 2012
Professional Experience
July 2023- Present Curator and Owner Sit/Stay Gallery and Limited Time Only Gallery
November 2021- Present Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Recruitment Coordinator and Foundations Instructor
April 2022- Present The Elgin Group Elgin, IL Artist Coordinator
August 2019- Present Atrocious Poets Woodstock, IL Visual Arts Coordinator
September 2019- July 2021 Creative Arts Inc Crystal Lake, IL Instructor
June 2018- September 2019 Rockford Art Museum Rockford, IL Education & Engagement Manager
June 2015- Present Side Street Art Studio Elgin, IL Art Educator
June 2015-Present Janelle Rae Art & Design Union, IL Freelance Designer, Muralist & Curator
Residencies
2021 Spring Bird West Dundee, IL
2019 Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH
Internships & Volunteer Projects
August 2015- June 2017 McHenry County Historical Society Union, IL Collections Assistant Volunteer Project
February 2013- July 2013 Connie Noyes Chicago, IL Collection Management Assistant Intern
April 2012- September 2012 FM* Gallery Chicago, IL Gallery Assistant Intern
August 2011- December 2012 NIU Art Museum DeKalb, IL Museum Assistant Intern
Exhibition History
Selected Group Shows
2025
Upcoming Show Beloit Art Center Beloit, WI
2024 Phone, Wallet, Keys (Upcoming) Coco Hunday Miami, FL
Miniature (Upcoming) Happy Gallery Chicago, IL
Group Show (Upcoming) Color Club Chicago, IL
2023 Fuzz Purple Window Gallery Chicago, IL
What is for Supper? What is a Meal? NIU Art Museum Dekalb, IL
Insiders Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
By Degrees II CSI Project Space Chicago, IL
Elgin Fringe Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Summer Show Coffin Farms Redmond, WA
Color/Form Robert T. Wright Community Gallery College of Lake County Grayslake, IL
Unimposing Yet Dignified Gurler House Dekalb, IL
Hot Pink Platter Air Gallery Glencoe, IL
Here But Not Here But Here Backspace Gallery Dekalb, IL
2022 Bits and Pieces Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
No Restrictions Jack Olson Gallery Dekalb, IL
Multiplicity Annette and Jerry Johns Gallery Dekalb, IL
Snack Show Vagabond Gallery Dekalb, IL
Off the Wall 2k22 Side Street Studio Arts, Elgin IL
Long Red Line Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Love You to Death Vagabond Gallery Dekalb, IL
2021 Terrain Biennial Oak Park, IL
Too Cute Public Spaces One Iowa City, IA
Interstice: Continued Residency Project Pasadena, CA
Interstice: Continued Motor Los Angeles, CA
Interstice Franconia Sculpture Park Minneapolis, MN
RX: Rainbow 317 Art Collective Rockford, IL
Something Wicked Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Going Dutch Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Elgin Fringe Festival Artists Showcase Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
You’re Not the Boss of My Art Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Mini Murals Angelica Kauffman Micro Gallery River Forest, IL
Self Exploration Through Fantasy and Reality Annette and Jerry Johns Gallery Dekalb, IL
2020 Install: Thank You For Existing Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Current Works Gallery 215N Dekalb, IL
Elgin Fringe Festival Artists Showcase Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Going Dutch Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Monochrome Green Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
2019 CIA Artist in Residence Reinberger Gallery Cleveland, OH
Oh, You Pretty Thing 317 Gallery Rockford, IL
Contemporaries Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Something Wicked Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
The Long Red Line Elgin Community College Elgin, IL
62nd Beloit & Vicinity Exhibition Wright Museum Beloit, WI
Phantasmagoria Tawdry Toast Studio Rockford, IL
Double Dipped Gallery 215N Dekalb, IL
Abstracted Test Site Rockford, IL
Scratch and Sniff 317 Gallery Rockford, IL
Death By Stereo Tawdry Toast Studio Rockford, IL
Going Dutch Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Elgin Fringe Festival Artist Showcase Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
2018 V Show Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Spring Exhibition ArtSpace Loft Elgin, IL
Elgin Showcase Hemmens Cultural Center Lower Gallery Elgin, IL
Going Dutch Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Something Wicked Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Monochrome Violet Side Street Studio Arts, Elgin, IL
15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition Freeport Art Museum Freeport, IL
2017 Going Dutch Festival Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
2016 Fourth Friday Starline Gallery Harvard, IL
2014 Fourth Friday Starline Gallery Harvard, IL
2013 The Members Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Suffering Juicebox Annette and Jerry Johns Gallery Dekalb, IL
Can’t Get a Hold of Yourself (Upcoming June 2024) The Records Department Woodstock, IL
2023 Terrain Biennial Chicago, IL
School Dazing Backspace Gallery Dekalb, IL
2022 Salle’s Afterlife Gallery 4224 Dekalb, IL
2018 Pour Me Another ArtScene Rockford, IL
2012 Remnants: A Process Starline Gallery Harvard, IL
Curatorial Projects
2024 69 for 69 (Upcoming Nov 2024) Side Street Studio Arts Elgin, IL
2023 Sit/Stay Gallery Union, IL
Terrain Biennial Dekalb, IL
Vending Atrocious Poets Woodstock, IL
2021 Art in Orbit One City, One Poet Woodstock, IL
2019 Uncanny Magick by Jamie Winn Rockford Art Museum Annex Rockford, IL
2019 Pride Show Rockford Art Museum Annex Rockford,IL
2019 Works by Beth Wemmer Rockford Art Museum Annex Rockford,IL
2019 Oh Yes, She Did Old Courthouse Art Center Woodstock, IL
Mural and Public Art Projects
2022 Paint-the-Plugs Dekalb, IL
2021 Going Dutch Installation Sherman Hospital Elgin, IL
2020 Holly Days Mural Installation Elgin, IL
2006 MCHS Student Murals Marengo, IL
Honors & Awards
2021 Artistic Talent Scholarship Northern Illinois University
2018 Featured Artists Art and Soul on the Fox Elgin, IL
Publications & Talks
O'Malley, Janelle, "Monuments are for the Living: The Confederate Mound Monument and the Falsehood of Reconciliation Statues" (2022). Student Projects. 64. https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/art-studentprojects/64
Umles, Sarah. (2021) Interstice. Residency Projects. Vol 1.
O'Malley, Janelle, "Art Education as Mutual Aid: Community and Social Justice Based Initiatives" (2021). Student Projects. 63.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/art-studentprojects/63
Atrocious Poets. (2020) I Don’t Want to Go Back to Normal. Atrocious Poets Zine.
Side Street Studio Arts. (2020) Too Much SELF. The String. Vol 2.
Side Street Studio Arts. (2020) Homely. The String. Vol 1.
O'Malley, Janelle, "You Belong Here: A Critical Look at Community Engagement in Museum Education Through K-16 Place Based Pedagogy" (2020). Student Projects. 62. https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/art-studentprojects/62
Artist Talk, Cleveland Institute of Art (2020)
O'Malley, Janelle, "Reaching Across Community Lines: How Informal Visual Art Educational Programming Bridges the Gap" (2019). Student Projects. 61. https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/art-studentprojects/61
Wiseman Draves, Lindsey. (2019) She IS Fierce. https://www.lindsinmadison.com/.
O’Malley, Janelle. (2018). Why Giving Season Should Be for the Arts. Rock River Times. December 12, 2018.
O’Malley, Janelle. (2018). Exploring the Importance of Internships and Volunteering. Rock River Times. November 2, 2018.
O’Malley, Janelle. (2018). Dwellings. Rock River Times. October 10, 2018.