Devon McCready

Devon McCready, Co-owner and Director of Samuel Owen Gallery Palm Beach, joins us at our Nantucket Pop-up.

Who are the women who inspire you?

My mother, Rosemary McCready is my greatest inspiration and hero. She is an incredibly hard working and dedicated real estate broker and mother. She has worked for everything she has in life. I am so inspired by her resilience and work ethic.

If you were a color, what color would you be and why?

Gold, like the rays of the sun.

How did you begin your career in the arts?

As a student at Boston College, I started as a math major but had a passion for art history. While reading a magazine at the dentist's office, I discovered an article profiling Brooke Lampley, head of the Impressionist/Modern Specialist Department at Christie's, which opened my eyes to art industry job opportunities beyond being an artist. I wrote to her, and she referred me to Christie's summer internship program. I interned in the Asian Contemporary art department and had an amazing experience. This led me to switch to an Art History major and pursue a Master's degree in contemporary art at Christie's Education. The power of a handwritten note is unmatched! 

Who are some of the artists that you’re excited about right now?

There are two artists who’s work I can’t stop eyeing: Linling Lu and Vickie Vainionpää. I love Lu’s circular meditations of color. Her use of space is so flattened that the viewer is forced to consider not only the painting but its relation to the space it hangs in. 

Vickie creates gorgeous tubular expressions of color. She is inspired by the impact of technology on art. She creates her tubular twists using 3D modelling software then selects a composition to recreate with oil paint. I love the technological origins underlaid in the end result, which appears so fluid and organic.

Both painters have an incredible grasp on the impact of color on space in an artwork. Not only is there rich meaning behind the artists’ processes, but there is so much aesthetic enjoyment for the viewer in these happy, peaceful colorful artworks. 

You call so many beautiful places home - Nantucket, Palm Beach - where do you feel most inspired?

I am incredibly lucky to live in fantasy land year-round. My seasonal schedule allows me to bookend the chapters of my life by location. So when my season is winding down on Nantucket, I reflect on my summer and begin planning for my next chapter Palm Beach. I feel so grateful and inspired in these moments of introspection and a forward thinking between my busy seasons.

What motivates you when you need an extra push?

Faking it! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, even on the days when you feel like you don’t have what it takes. I have so many moments when I feel like an imposter but the show must go on. Take a shower, get to work, and put a smile on your face. The rest will all work out!

How would you describe your personal style?

Happy! Much like the art that I sell, my personal style celebrates joy, color, and whimsy. I love clothes activated by movement: flowy dresses, fringed hems, shimmering sequins. I don’t follow any rules and select pieces that make me smile.