EDUCATION
1989–91 Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
1985, 1988 The Art School at Laguna Gloria, Austin, TX
1986 The School of Perceptionism, Sedona, AZ
1970 Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Select SOLO and TWO PERSON EXHIBITS
2026
Gold, Heidi Vaughn Fine Art, Houston, TX
McKay Otto, BeDESIGN, Houston, TX
2025
In the Ethereal/Present, Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art, Victoria, TX
2023
Ever Legacies Ever, HEB Gallery, Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, TX
2022
Contemporary Innovations: McKay Otto — Ever Beyond, Beyond Ever, Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, MD
Vanishing Vibrations, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art, Houston, TX
Perpetual Light: McKay Otto & Richard Nocera, Atelier Newport, Newport, RI
2021
Ever Ok Ever, Atelier Newport, Newport, RI
2019
Ever There Ever, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art, Houston, TX
2018
Solo pop-up exhibition, Washington, D.C.
2017
Ever a Kiss Ever, Texas Art House, Johnson City, TX
2016
Ever or Ever, CAMIBAart Gallery, Austin, TX
2015
Silo of McKays, Hill Country Science Mill, Johnson City, TX (ongoing installation)
SELECT FAIRS & GROUP Exhibitions
2026
Traveling exhibition forthcoming
Group Show, Houston, TX, forthcoming
2025
In the Ethereal/Present, Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art, Victoria, TX
Re-Figurations, Sculpture Month Houston, Silos on Sawyer, Houston, TX
Texas Artist Exhibition 2025, Beeville Art Museum, Beeville, TX
Light Works, Sawtelle Studio Show, Laguna Beach, CA
2024
Pop-Up Show, Cinnabar Gallery, Telluride, CO
3DTX: Texas Sculpture Artists Show, Heidi Vaughn Fine Art, Houston, TX
Breaking Boundaries, Texas–Leipzig Cultural Exchange, Leipzig, Germany
Timeline: 200 Years, Victoria’s Bicentennial, Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art, Victoria, TX
Blue Chip Houston, Heidi Vaughan Fine Art, Houston, TX
2023
10th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition, Artspace111, Fort Worth, TX
Here and Now, Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX
Cabinet Oak Project, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, TX
Ever Legacies Ever, HEB Gallery, Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, TX
Take a Closer Look, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX
2022
Transcending, group exhibition, Heidi Vaughan Fine Art, Houston, TX
Intersect Aspen, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art (Houston)
EXPO Chicago, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art (Houston)
2021
Ever Ok Ever, Atelier Newport, Newport, RI
Truthful Peeks, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art, Houston, TX
Intersect Aspen, Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art (Houston)
Art Miami, Rukaj Gallery, (Toronto, Canada)
Art Toronto, Rukaj Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2019
Museum of Geometric and MADI Art, Dallas, TX
EXPO Chicago, with Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art, Chicago, IL
Dallas Art Fair, with Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art, Dallas, TX
2018
The Square Then Circle, Market Art + Design, The Hamptons, NY
2017
Feminine Feminist, Cinnabar Gallery, San Antonio, TX
Spring Eternal, Gallery 701 at Long Center, Austin, TX
Ever a Kiss Ever, Texas Art House, Johnson City, TX
2016
Miami Project 5, The Red Arrow Gallery, Miami, FL
Pure, Texas Art House, Johnson City, TX
Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Laura Rathe Fine Art, Houston, TX
Material Matters, Texas Society of Sculptors, Austin, TX
Power of Ten, McNay Art Museum / Cinnabar Gallery, San Antonio, TX
2015
Almost Nothing, Northern–Southern, Austin, TX
Texas Abstract, Art Scan Gallery, Houston, TX
International Contemporary Art Fair, Cinnabar Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Texas Abstract, The Gallery at Vaudeville, Fredericksburg, TX
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2022, Innovative Artist of the Year, Delaplaine Art Center
2008, Finalist, Hunting Art Prize
1997, Artist Grant Award, Cultural Arts Council of Houston / Harris County, TX
1994, Second Annual Sculpture on the Green
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sarradet, William. "Painting the Ethereal: A Conversation with McKay Otto." Glasstire, September 2024
Arnold, H.C. “McKay Otto: Ever or Ever at CAMIBAart.” The Austin Chronicle, May 2016.
Rubin, David S. “Site Specific Sanctuaries.” Visual Art Source, January 2016.
“Dream Weaver, McKay Otto.” Luxe Interiors + Design, vol. 12, no. 4, November 2015, pp. 190–191.
Goddard, Dan R. “Nudes, Oracles and Glow-in-the-Dark Paint in Cinnabar’s ‘Return’ Exhibit.” San Antonio Current, April 2014.
Holzer, Stacy. VisualSeen. Book Machine, Houston, 2014, pp. 4–9.
Paglia, Michael, and Jim Edwards. Texas Abstract. FrescoBooks / SF Design, 2014, pp. 156–161.
Anspon, Catherine D. Texas Artists Today. Marquand Books, 2010, pp. 46–47.
Fish, Sarah. “Forever-ever?” San Antonio Current, February 2009.
Goddard, Dan. “Review.” San Antonio Express-News, Art Beat, September 28, 2007.
Anspon, Catherine D. “Space, Light and Art: Painter McKay Otto’s Galveston Aerie.” PaperCity, March 2004, pp. 28–31.
Laget, Mokha. “All Shapes and Sizes: Compelling Examinations of Humanity.” Santa Fe Reporter, June 13–19, 2001.
Carver, John. “McKay Otto: Paintings and Sculptures.” THE Magazine (Santa Fe), July 2001.
Anspon, Catherine D. “McKay Otto at Jung Center.” Art in America, exhibition review, February 1998, p. 110.
Waddington, Chris. “Looking Back at 1997: State of the Arts in N.O.” New Orleans Times-Picayune, January 2, 1998.
“All That Jazz: The Traveling Collector.” Art & Antiques, October 1997.
Waddington, Chris. “Sculpture Carves Out Niche for Itself.” New Orleans Times-Picayune, September 19, 1997, illustrated.
Anspon, Catherine D. McKay Otto: For All Kind. New Art Series catalogue (Richard Wood and McKay Otto, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi), July 25–September 14, 1997, illustrated.
Anspon, Catherine D. “McKay Otto’s Voyage to the Infinite.” Public News, no. 761, January 15, 1997, pp. 8–9, illustrated.
Johnson, Patricia. “Exhibition from 7 Private Collections Says a Lot.” Houston Chronicle, August 6, 1994.
Johnson, Patricia. “Art on the Edge.” Houston Chronicle, July 4, 1994.
“Sculpture on the Green.” Museum & Arts Houston, November 1993.
Johnson, Patricia. “Exhibition Exceptional in Its Variety.” Houston Chronicle, October 14, 1993.
Chadwick, Susan. “Sculpture on the Green Offers Delightful, Insightful Works.” The Houston Post, September 9, 1993.
Chadwick, Susan. “Controversy Entangles Barbed-Wire Artists.” The Houston Post, August 31, 1993.
“Transforming Junk into Art.” Museum & Arts Houston, October 1992.