Martie Holmer

Martie Holmer’s artistic career spans numerous fields, from fine art to invention. Influenced by the philosophies of Suzanne Langer, Martie has explored symbolic abstraction in all her art. She is known for her use of color, which can be seen in earlier sculptural work and in current 2D pieces. She has studied variation within multiple patterned works and how they affect perceptions of the underlying structures. A collection of studies of Indigenous basketry techniques inspired by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard is now included in RISD’s Special Collections Archives.  
 
She has won awards from the Massachusetts State Council for the Arts and completed residencies in the US and Europe. She has made drawings for major book and magazine publishers, including two best-selling works. Martie has also created more than 200 handmade or digital maps for various publications, including The New York Times, Architectural Digest and Harvard Magazine. She has written several illustrated stories yet to be published. 
 
Martie has lectured at schools and other venues and is the recipient of seven MacDowell residencies, among other residency programs. Her work has been exhibited in many solo and group shows in New England, New York and Italy. Her affinity for Rome helped her to develop an early Wintersession travel course called Rome: Mapping One’s Experience. Her invention, CarryEase—an arm extender for carrying portfolios and large pads—is available at the RISD Store. 
 
When she is not on campus, Martie lives and works in New York and has a studio in Long Island City, Queens.