Collection: Peggy Macnamara

Peggy Macnamara has served as the Artist-in-Residence at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History since 1990 and as an Adjunct Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago since 2001.

Macnamara has traveled with Field Museum scientists all over the world to paint nature and illustrate conservation efforts. She has published 5 books in collaboration with museum scientists through the University of Chicago Press. In addition, Macnamara has created 2 children's books (one with Northwestern University Press) and a coloring book. Her most recent new book, From the SEASHORE to the SEAFLOOR, was published in June 2022. 

Having been associated with the Field Museum for more than thirty years and a regular visiting painter at museums across North America and Europe for fifteen years, Macnamara has also produced a series of classical drawings as well as paintings that bring together museum
architecture, natural scenes, and cultural artifacts.

Macnamara's amazing career has been written up in Watercolor Artist Magazine, Passions Illustrated, Costco Magazine, Chicago Tribune and
so many more. She has conducted artist workshops all over the country throughout her career. Wonderful Solo Art Shows have shown her new exciting work such as The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Audubon & Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, Glass Curtain Gallery and most recently at the Miller Art Museum in Wisconsin.

Macnamara's, you tube and Vimeo channels lend insight to her unique artistic process and technique.

A large collection of Macnamara's Original Watercolor
Paintings are on permanent display at the Field
Museum.