Renee McGinnis facts for kids

Renee McGinnis (born in 1962) is an American artist who lives in Chicago. She is well-known for her paintings of huge, old buildings and ships that are rusting. But she shows them in a beautiful way! Her main subjects include the Battersea Power Station in London, old steel factories in the eastern United States, and big luxury ships from the early 1900s. Renee often uses these structures to tell deeper stories or ideas. An art writer named B. David Zarley once said her subjects are "impossible" and show a mix of "horror and beauty."

Renee's Early Life and Education

Renee McGinnis grew up on a farm in central Illinois. Her family has owned farms there since the late 1800s. Her mother's family came from Norway and Denmark around the same time. In Norway, her family used to build fancy yachts for people in Britain. This changed when ships made of steel became more popular.

Renee went to Illinois Wesleyan University. She earned a special art degree called a BFA in 1984. After that, she studied sociology and anthropology at the University of Chicago.

Her Art Shows and Work

Renee has shown her artwork in many places in Chicago. Her art has also been displayed in Germany, Australia, New York City, Washington D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland.

She also helped organize art shows! Her first time doing this was in 2003. It was called "The Chicago Solution Show." A famous artist named Ed Paschke helped choose the art for this show. She did it again in 2005 with James Rondeau, who works at the Art Institute of Chicago. These shows featured art that offered "solutions" to global problems, instead of just showing the problems themselves.

In 2002, Renee appeared as herself in a movie called "American Burqa." It was shown at The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago.

Renee McGinnis is married to Andres Buenaventura. They have two children. You can find her art at Zg Gallery in Chicago.