Megan Grinder is a contemporary painter working in oil, watercolor and acrylics. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1995, graduating Cum Laude from the school of visual arts and art history. Megan also attended the Marchutz School in Aix-en-Provence, France, studying painting and drawing in the school of Paul Cézanne, and she has studied with nationally recognized artists, Daniel Greene, Nancy Cheairs and Shane Neal. Megan is a native Memphian and graduated from Hutchison School in 1991.She resides in Memphis with her husband, Brett Grinder, and their two children.Strong Women Series:The strong women series was initiated by a desire to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg upon her death in September 2020. I wanted to honor this great woman whom I admired for her strength, ability to maintain cordiality and friendships with those with whom she disagreed and for being a trailblazer for women. The painting was a way for me to deal with my feelings about the negativity and divisiveness of the 2020 election and with the loss of a great thinker and leader and supporter of women’s rights. As I worked on this painting, I realized that there are so many admirable women who have elevated our thinking, added positivity to the world and showed strength in the face of adversity. Through this series I want to honor the beauty and strength of women. So far, the series has included Justice Ginsburg, Dolly Parton, Amanda Gorman, Dolly Parton, Maya Angelou, the singer Pink, Julia Child, Pat Summitt, Betty White, Lady Liberty and Queen Elizabeth. A portion of the proceeds from prints of the paintings has been donated to various charitable organizations such as A Step Ahead Foundation, Girls on the Run, Literacy Midsouth, among others. The series continues to develop.