Artist Bio

Before she could even hold a pencil, Carly McCoy’s exploration into art came first from a love of storytelling and make-believe worlds. McCoy is an emerging artist and writer utilizing photography, drawing, and other intermedia to convey compelling, emotional narratives. Currently, she lives in Ankeny, Iowa. She graduated with honors with a B.A. in Studio Arts and a minor in Professional Communication from Grand View University, in Des Moines, Iowa. She is the first-place recipient of the 2023 Iowa College Media Association award for “Best Headline Writing.”

McCoy earned 3rd place for Art & Design in Grand View’s annual Bifrost literary magazine (2023). She received 2nd place from the Iowa College Media Association for Best Print/Online Profile (2022). She has had several works selected for the 2022 Spring Grand View Juried Student Art Exhibition. McCoy has displayed a digital drawing for the 2019 Burbs Art Show at Drake University.

She is currently working in multiple capacities across the Des Moines Art Center, Olson-Larsen Galleries, and in freelance copywriting and social media content creation for an independent gallery owner. She has worked at the Art Center as a temporary Installations Technician, including work with the Registrar department, and is involved with the museum’s docent program. McCoy would like to work in creative areas of museum curation, education, or communications. She would like to someday receive her M.F.A. or M.A. in Art History or related museum studies. She has dreams of showcasing her work in galleries and becoming a professor.