Mary Louise Pierson

1959 - 2024

Through many years of painting, Mary Louise Pierson became more and more fascinated with nature and man’s interactions with it, whether it be in a still life or a landscape depicting manmade structures. Some of her influences included Henri Rousseau, Edward Gorey, Saul Steinberg, and Grant Wood.

Pierson was well known for creating paintings using book covers from as early as the 18th century that have handmade marbleized paper on them. Having a wonderful patina and history of their own, Pierson incorporated them into paintings with colors, shapes, and creatures. 

Mary Louise Pierson was an artist, photographer and lecturer with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.  Her work is shown and collected around the country and Pierson’s photographic books include The Rockefeller Family Home, Kykuit and Mr. Rockefellerʼs Roads: The Untold Story of Acadia's Carriage Roads and Their Creator. 

Pierson lectured frequently about Kykuit; her grandfather Nelson Rockefeller’s art collection; and the founding of the Museum of Modern Art.  She was a passionate supporter of the arts and a longtime trustee of the Vermont Studio Center. Pierson also served on the board of the Friends of the Morrill Homestead, a historical home in Vermont.  Pierson lived on a farm in Vermont and spent summers on Mt Desert Island, Maine since she was a child.

Mary Louise Pierson's collection is shown at The Gallery at Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, Maine.