Noelle McCleaf is an artist who explores themes of memory, relationship, and identity in the landscape of South Florida.
Born and raised in Virginia, Noelle received her BFA from the Ringling College of Art and Design and her MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, both with a concentration in Photography. Her work has been shown in national and international exhibitions, including at the Camden Image Gallery in London, The Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado, and at the Slow Exposures photography festival in Zebulon, Georgia. Publications that have featured her work include Blink Magazine, Fraction Magazine, Southern Glossary, Accent Magazine, Feature Shoot, Lenscratch and Plates-to-Pixels.
She currently lives and works in Venice, Florida as an exhibiting artist and Full Time Faculty in Photography and Imaging at the Ringling College of Art and Design.
Education
2006-2008 Master of Fine Arts, Photography, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2002-2006 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Photography, Ringling College of Art and Design
Selected Exhibitions
2023 Cuerpo Territorio: Reverberations of Belonging, The Hand Art Center, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida
SPE South Central Exhibition, The Corn Center for Visual Arts at CSU, Columbus, Georgia
Duplicator, The Department of Contemporary Art, Tampa, Florida
Slow Exposures, Celebrating Photography of the Rural South, Zebulon, Georgia
2022 Reverberations, Slow Exposures Pop-up Exhibition, Noelle McCleaf and Felicia E. Gail, A Novel Experience, Zebulon, Georgia
Ringling College of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Stulburg Gallery, Sarasota, Florida
SPE Women's, WE the Women's Caucus Exhibition, Searching for Life: Regrowth and Display, Xavier University Art Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio
2021 The Creative Portrait, Los Angeles Center for Photography, Juried by Aline Smithson, Los Angeles, California
FLA: The Art of All Things Florida, Mize Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida
Context, Juried by Juli Lowe, Filter Photo, Chicago, Illinois
Ringling College of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Stulberg Gallery, Sarasota, Florida
2020 A Yellow Rose Project, Indiana University
2019 Viewpoint, Gaze Modern, Sarasota, Florida
Illumination, Ritual, Reflection, Redux Contemporary Art Center, Charleston, South Carolina
Diffusion, Southeast Center for Photography, Greenville, South Carolina
Life of Water, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Ft. Colins, Colorado
2018 Kindred: Recent Photographs by Noelle McCleaf, Richard and Barbara Basch Gallery, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota Florida
Docuflorida II: Projections and Prints, Featured Artist, T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida Museum
Slow Exposures, Photography of the Rural South, Zebulon, Georgia
2017 Now You See Me, Now You Don't: Noelle McCleaf, Selina Roman, and Karen Arango M. Chapel Projects, Sarasota, Florida
Intangible Corporeal, The Art Center, Sarasota, Florida
In Process, 3080 N Washington Blvd, Sarasota, Florida
2016 The Blue Library Vol. 2: Conversations, Noelle McCleaf and Michael McCraw, Antenna, New Orleans, Louisiana
Annual Ringling College of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition, Sarasota, Florida
The Rural South, Slow Exposures Photography Exhibition, Zebulon, Georgia
2015 The Ones We Love, Camden Image Gallery, London
The Ringling Underground, The Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida
Key Influence, Exhibition and Residency at Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Sarasota, Florida
Here and Now, SARTQ’s Inaugural Exhibition, State of the Arts Gallery, Sarasota, Florida
2014 The Blue Library Photo Book Exhibition New Orleans, Louisiana
Open, Juried by Shane Lavalette, Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, Colorado
The Rural South, Slow Exposures Photography Exhibition, Zebulon, Georgia
2013 Photo Nola Finale Slideshow, Cathedral Creative Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana
2012 Accumulation: MCAD MFA Retrospective, Whittier Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
2011 A Bee in Her Bonnet, Solo Exhibition, Altered Esthetics, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Art-i-facts, MCAD Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Home, Altered Esthetics, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Woman as Photographer, Minneapolis Photo Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Women: Relationship and Identity, Homewood Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Publications and Features
2023 20 Mamiya 7 Photographers You Need to Know in 2023, Analog Forever Magazine
2021 Booooooom.com,“Orange Crush” by Photographer Noelle McCleaf
2020 Then & Now: 25 Years of MCAD MFA
Noelle McCleaf Tells the Stories of Women and Florida Through Photography, Sarasota Magazine
A Yellow Rose Project, Featured Artist
Strange Fire Collective, Interview with Hamidah Glasgow
Don't Take Pictures, Photo of the Day, March 15
2019 Feminist Photography Network, Featured Artist
2018 Diffusion Annual IX
On Death, Humble Arts Foundation Group Show #58
A Brief Interview with Noelle McCleaf, Strant Magazine
Don't Smile, Year Two, Featured Artist
2017 Ain't-Bad Curator's Choice with Richard McCabe, Issue No. 12
Humble Arts Foundation Group Show 53: On Beauty
The Female Gaze: Portraits, Don’t Smile Magazine
Mother and Daughter, Edge of Humanity Magazine
Southern Glossary, Issue #3, Winter 2017
2016 Papersafe + Nomadic Bookshelf, Issue #7: The Wild
Incandescent: A Color Film Zine, Issue #10
Southern Glossary Interview
2015 Plates-to-Pixels Gallery
Lenscratch
Faces of Fraction
2014 The Ones We Love
Accent Magazine Issue 6
Feature Shoot
BETA, Oranbeg Press, Edition of 200 Cards in a VHS Cassette Box
Rural Life, Zine with The American Guide
Color Space Editions
2013 Don/Dean Interview
Fraction Magazine Issue #52
A New Romance, Oranbeg Press
Feature Shoot
Lectures and Panels
2023 Visiting Artist Lecture, The Hand Art Center, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida
2022 Slow Exposures Pop-up Artist Talk, Noelle McCleaf and Felicia E. Gail
2018 Kindred: Recent Photographs by Noelle McCleaf, Lecture and Panel
Docuflorida II: Projections and Prints, Featured Artist, Lecture and Q&A
2017 Panel Discussion, The Artist’s Mind/The Curator’s Vision, Art Center Sarasota
2016 Monday Lecture Series: Noelle McCleaf, Ringling College of Art and Design
2012 The Staged Photograph with Sally Pettibon, Ringling College of Art and Design
2011 College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota
2009 The Photographic Idea with David Goldes, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2008 Panel Discussion, Recent Photographs from 9 Women, University Center Rochester, Minnesota
Awards and Grants
2019 Director's Award, Life of Water, Center for Fine Art Photography
2014 Open, Juried by Shane Lavalette, Center for Fine Art Photography, Honorable Mention
The Rural South, Slow Exposures Photography Exhibition, Honorable Mention
2013 Review Santa Fe Participant
2011 Altered Esthetics Solo Exhibition Program
2010 35th Anniversary International Women Exhibition, Honorable Mention, Professional Women Photographers
Faces Exhibition, Honorable Mention, Women In Photography International
2008 Master of Fine Arts Trustee Scholarship and Opportunity Grant, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
2007 Master of Fine Arts Trustee Scholarship and Opportunity Grant, Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Curator and Juror Experience
2021 Juror, Sarasota Architectural Photography Juried Exhibition, Art Center Sarasota
2020 Curator, Earth Mother/Mother Earth, Don’t Smile
2018 Juror, Photo Club Show, Southern Utah University