KATHLEEN GALLO
Artist Bio
Kathleen Gallo (she/her, born in 1998) began her art education as an apprentice at eight years old. After a decade of studying under Chicago-born professional artist Donna Sands, Gallo moved from Chicago to Philadelphia for college. During her studies, she audited physical anthropology classes at the University of Pennsylvania and attended the PAFA Hahnemann Program for cadaver dissections. These experiences furthered her knowledge of human anatomy and her appreciation for anthropology. In May 2020, she graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with a BFA in Fine Arts.
Gallo completed her first post-mortem facial reconstruction at The New York Academy of Art in January 2018. With the instruction of her mentor, forensic artist Joe Mullins, this reconstruction led to an identification of the remains. Gallo has created sculptures for Pima County Police, Penn Museum, Mutter Museum, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Images of her post-mortem facial reconstructions have been published in Expedition Magazine and The New York Times.
Gallo worked with Dr. Janet Monge at the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. In her internship/freelance work, she created flesh reconstructions from skulls in their archives and made visual art based on their private collection. One of her reconstructions of a Neandertal from approximately 45,000-65,000 years ago. This reconstruction is now on permanent display in the main entrance gallery of the Penn Museum.
After returning to Chicagoland Kathleen had her first solo exhibition, Brushes With Death: Examining the Human Condition, at the International Museum of Surgical Science in 2021. At North America's only museum devoted to surgery, Gallo drew 2D reconstructions on skulls in their collection.
She continues her professional career by showing in galleries, receiving commissions, giving lectures, teaching workshops, and most recently became a tattoo artist in 2023.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
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2016-2020, B.F.A. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila., PA
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2019-2020, University of Pennsylvania - Audited Physical Anthropology Courses, Phila., PA
Professional Experience
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2022-Present, Tattoo Artist - Good Family Tattoo, Lake Villa, IL
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2022-2023, Fine Art Instructor - The Art Center Highland Park, IL
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2021- 2022 - Art Facilitator to adults with learning and intellectual disabilities - TotalLink2Community, Northbrook, IL
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2018-2020, Post-Mortem Facial-Reconstruction intern - Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Phila., PA
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2019, Sculptural Reconstructionist (Paleoartist) - Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Phila., PA
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2017-2019, Visitor Experience Associate - The Barnes Foundation, Phila., PA
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2016, High School Program Teaching Assistant - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila., PA
Guest Speaker/Lectures
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2023, Visiting Speaker - Artists on the Bluff, Lake Bluff, IL
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2022, Forensic/Archaeological Art Lecture - ComSciCon, The University of Chicago, IL
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2021, Inside the Exhibition: Brushes With Death - International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL
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2021, The Therapeutic Uses of Art - DePaul University, Chicago, IL
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2021, Anatomical/forensic art lecture and Q & A - Schuler Scholar Program, Round Lake High School, IL
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2021, Anatomical art lecture - Warren Township High School, Gurnee, IL
Workshops /Classes Taught
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2024, Drawing Workshop: Odyssey Arts Program - Stevenson High School, IL
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2023, Drawing Workshop: Focus on the Arts - Highland Park High School
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2022, Écorché Workshop: Sculpting Facial Musculature - ComSciCon, The University of Chicago, IL
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2022, Anatomy of a Portrait, anatomical and observational portrait drawing - The Art Center Highland Park, IL
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2021, Observational Skull Drawing Workshop - International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL
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2021, Anatomical observational drawing workshop - Schuler Scholar Program, Round Lake High School, IL
Grants/Awards/Scholarships
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2022, First Place, Annual Winter Juried Exhibition - Bluemoon Gallery, Gurnee, IL
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2018/ 2019/ 2020, New York Academy of Art Forensic Workshop - full tuition scholarship
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2018/2019/ 2020, Post-Mortem Facial Reconstruction Grant - Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology
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2018/2019, New York Academy of Art Summer Residency - full tuition scholarship
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2019, Estelle Rubens - travel and full-year tuition scholarship
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2018, Violette de Mazia Scholarship - full tuition to attend a class at The Barnes Foundation
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2018, John R. Connor Memorial Prize
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2018, Mindel Caplan Kleinbard Award
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2016, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Merit Award, Academy Scholarship, and Next Step Scholarship
Residencies/Workshops Attended
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2021, Anatomical and Reconstruction Artist in Residence - International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL
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2018/2019/2020, New York Academy of Art Forensic Workshop, New York City, NY
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2018/2019, New York Academy of Art Summer Residency, New York City, NY
Solo Exhibitions
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2021, Brushes With Death: Examining the Human Condition - International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL
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2021, Anatomical and Reconstruction Introduction Exhibit - International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL
Group Exhibitions
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2022, Voices & Visions: Standing on the Bridge Between Health and Disease- The Art Center Highland Park, IL
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2022, Guest Artist, Intimate Artworks - Bluemoon Gallery, Gurnee, IL
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2022, Annual Winter Juried Exhibition - Bluemoon Gallery, Gurnee, IL
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2021, The Thin Line - The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
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2021, Winter Juried Show - Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha, WI
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2021, Phantasma - EclipseC3 Gallery, Phila., PA
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2020, Seeing Red - Blue Moon Gallery, Gurnee, IL
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2020, 119th Annual Student Exhibition - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila., PA
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2019, Sphinx Gallery - Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, Phila., PA
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2019, Reflections - Anne Bryan Gallery, Phila., PA
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2018, 117th Annual Student Exhibition - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila., PA
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2017, The Magical, The Dark, The Spellbound - The Common Room, Phila., PA
Publications
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2020, Expedition Magazine - 10 page article about the reconstruction of Neandertal Shanidar #1
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The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/arts/design/new-york-academy-of-art-arizona-border.html
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The Washington Post:
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The Fifth Estate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=env_3T3sFSg
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San Diego News abc10:
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USA Today:
https://www.newcity.com/2021/01/13/this-week-in-the-culture-january-13-2021/