This episode covers how McKenzie ended up in Boulder, her interest in rendering interiors and architectural spaces, her teaching of incarcerated individuals, and where she sees her painting practice in the near future.
For nearly 30 years, McKenzie has explored architecture as a reflection of cultural, political, and social values. Early work focused on suburban sprawl and abandoned sites, later shifting to institutional spaces like museums and prisons. A 2021 Marion Fellowship supported a deep dive into prison architecture, revealing its hidden role in American identity. Teaching art in correctional facilities through DU PAI and Impact Arts has further shaped this inquiry. Blending realism and abstraction, the artist’s paintings emphasize surface, structure, and material, challenging viewers to reconsider the meaning and authority embedded in the spaces we build—and what they reveal about us.
Sarah has an exhibition at David B. Smith up until May 17th and a curated show opening June 26th at East Window Gallery that will highlight three incarcerated artists' work.
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