Grace Mehan DeVito has spent her life immersed in the art of painting. Her representational realist skills are equally adept at portraiture, figurative, and still life genres. The love of light and form imbue her work with beauty and timelessness, elevating even the humblest of subjects, bearing witness to the beauty of the world.A native of Connecticut, Grace studied at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, majoring in Illustration. After a decade of working for such clients as The United Nations, Sony, and Pepsico, she left the commercial art field to pursue fine art painting. She studied with Laurel Stern Boeck and honed her skills in workshops with celebrated artists Joshua LaRock, Jeremy Lipking, Michael Klein, Daniel J. Keys, Casey Baugh and Michael Shane Neil. Grace has completed portraits for such clients as Villanova University, The City of Cambridge MA, Univ of North Carolina, and The University Hospitals of Case Western Reserve and many private homes. Her Still Life’s and Figures are sought after by discerning collectors. Grace was included in The Grand Central Atelier’s Still Life Competition 2014 and in the Inspiring Figures Show at The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown OH. She is the recipient of many awards including the Portrait Society of America’s First place Commissioned Portraits, Members Only Competition 2010, and numerous Still Life awards, The 2018 Joseph Hartley Award, The David Leffel Award for Excellence in Painting, Best in Show as well as 3rd Place, and the 6th Annual Plein Air Competition Best Floral in Studio Oct/Nov 2016.Education1987- BFA School of Visual Arts, New York City2000-2004 - Laurel Stern Boeck2005 to Present -Workshops with Sarah Lamb, Jeremy Lipking, Michael Klein, Casey Baugh, Michael Shane Neal, Joshua LaRock, Colleen Barry and Daniel J. Keys Selected Exhibitions2019- Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition2018- Portrait Society of America- Honorable Mention for Still Life, Annual Members Only Competition2018- Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Annual Invitational Art Exhibition, Nat’l Arts Club, NYC2016- Portraits Incorporated Gallery New York City, Art of Face, Side Views, & Tonal Grey’s2016- Portraits Incorporated Gallery New York City, Love Me, Love My Dog2015- Portraits Incorporated Gallery New York City, Our Great Hope: Contemporary Children’s Portraits2015- Eleventh Street Arts, NYC, The Still Life Show2015- Beverly McNeal Gallery, Birmingham Alabama2015- Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT, Still Life Invitational2015- Portraits North Annual Portrait Show, Lexington MA2014- Grand Central Atelier Still Life Competition2014- Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT, Still Life Invitational2013- Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT, Still Life Invitational2013- Portraits North Annual Portrait Show2012- Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Annual Invitational Art Exhibition, Nat’l Arts Club, NYC2012- Allied Artists of America, 99th annual Exhibition, Nat’l Arts Club, NYC2012- Portraits North Annual Portrait Show, Lexington MA2011- Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT, Two Person Show2010- Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown Ohio, Inspiring Figures2010- Portraits North Annual Portrait Show. Lexington MA2010- Art Renewal Center, ARC Annual Salon, Still Life Finalist2009- Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT, Group Show, Spring Gardens, Still Life’s, And Landscapes2009- Art Renewal Center, ARC Annual Salon, Still Life Finalist2007- Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists Annual Exhibition Selected AwardsAwarded Signature Status by the Portrait Society of America 2022Portrait Society of America Member Only 1st Place Commissioned Portraits 2021Portrait Society of America Member Only 4th Place Animals as Subject 2020Portrait Society of America Member Only Non Commissioned Portrait Finalist 2020Portrait Society of America First Place for Still Life 2019Portrait Society of America Finalist for Commissioned Portraits 2019Oil Painters of America Award of Excellence in Realism 2019Portrait Society of America Annual Members Only Show 2018-Still Life FinalistJoseph Hartley Award, First Place for Best Still Life, Salmagundi Club December 2018 Non-MeShowPortrait Society of America Annual Members Only Show 2017- Still Life Finalist6th Annual Plein Air Competition Best Floral: Studio Oct/NovPortrait Society of America Annual Members Only Show 2015- 4th Place Still Life and 5th Place Out of The BoxThe David Leffel Award for Excellence in Painting, Best in Show 2011 as well as 3rd place.American Artist Magazine Cover Contest Finalist 2011Portrait Society of America’s Annual Members Only Competition 2010, 1st place Commissioned PortraitPortrait Society of America’s Annual Members Only Competition 2010, 3rd Place Still Life Gold Addy award 2001Silver Medal Society of Illustrators Annual Show 1998MediaInternational Artist Magazine Oct Nov 2019 Still Life FinalistAmerican Art Collector April 2016International Artist Magazine 99 Oct/Nov 2014 - Elevating the CommonplaceAmerican Painting Video Magazine, Winter Issue 2011, InterviewAmerican Artist Magazine, June 2011Communication Arts Magazine, 2001, 1998, 1996Society of Illustrators Annual 36, 38, 40, and 44Selected CollectionsNew York Yacht Club- Commodore Robert Towse, oil on canvas 24 x 20Hon. David Maher, Mayor of Cambridge MA, oil on canvas 48 x 30Hon. Henrietta Davis, Mayor of Cambridge MA, oil on canvas 38 x 30Dean John Yukio Gotanda- Dean, Villanova University, School of Law, Villanova PA, oil on canvas 40 x 36Dean Blanton Godfrey- Dean, College of Textiles, N. C. State University. Raleigh NC, oil on canvas 30 x 24Dr. William McKinney, Pres., Valdosta State University, oil on canvas 44 x 36Mr. Steven Berk- Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia PA, oil on canvas 48 x 38Mr. Carl Tiedemann- TIG Advisors New York NY, posthumous portrait oil on canvas 28 x 24Dr. Cathy Barlow-University of North Carolina Wilmington, Business School, oil on canvas 28 x 24Dr. Joan Holden - Head of School, St. Stephen and St. Agnes School, Alexandria VA, oil on canvas 40 x 30Mr. Michael J. Chiaramonte, Chief Executive Officer, MedStar Southern Maryland, oil on canvas 50 x 38Judge Howard Owens, Fairfield District Superior Court, Bridgeport CT, oil on canvas 38 x 30Judge Kevin Tierney, Stamford Norwalk District Superior Court, Stamford CT, oil on canvas 40 x 30Dr. Joan Lonergan- Head of School, The Hewitt School, New York NY, oil on canvas 38 x 32Mr. Edmund Grant Sr. - Pres. Glen Raven Inc., Glen Raven NC, oil on canvas 44 x 36Dr. Tim Bazemore, Head of School, New Canaan Country School, New Canaan CT, oil on canvas 32 x 26Mr. Keith and Wendy Wellin- The medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC, oil on canvas 52 x 46Dr. Oscar Ratnoff- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland OH, oil on canvas 38 x 32Dr. Steven Landau- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland OH, oil on canvas 38 x 32Foundation for The Carolinas, Charlotte NCThe United NationsSonyPepsiCoThe Reynolds CorporationThe New England Coffee Company