BIOGRAPHY

Originally from Long Island, New York, Margaret Roleke lives and works in Brooklyn and Connecticut. Roleke earned her M.F.A. from Long Island University, C.W. Post Brookville, NY and a b.a. from Marymount Manhattan College. She also studied at the Art Students League, NY and School of Visual Arts, NY. Her work appears nationally in galleries and museums. Roleke has had recent solo exhibits at Pen+Brush Gallery New York, NY, and Five Points Art Gallery, Torrington, CT. Her work has been included in shows at The Aldrich, Katonah Museum of Art, and WhiteBox New York, NY. Roleke received an Artist Respond Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts in 2024. An outdoor sculpture of Roleke’s was installed in Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem in April 2025. Past residencies include Vermont Studio Center , Teton ArtLab, ArtPort KIngston and 4 Heads Portal at Governors Island, NYC. Roleke will being a nine month residency at the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn in October 2025.

ARTIST STATEMENT

America is at a crossroads, facing intertwined crises—systemic racism, gun violence, climate change, wars abroad, and the dismantling of truth. My work is an urgent response to these overwhelming issues, aiming to provoke thought, dialogue, and action. Working across mediums; cyanotypes, prints, sculptures, and installations, I explore how these forces shape our collective experience. Living near Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a devastating mass shooting occurred in 2012, has deeply informed my artistic approach. My sculptures, crafted from spent shotgun shells, stand as visceral reminders of lives lost to gun violence, while also symbolizing resilience and the potential for change.

I believe art has a role in advocacy, which is why a percentage of all my sales supports gun control organizations, aligning my work with tangible social impact. I move fluidly between mediums—blending silkscreen, monoprint, collage, and even sewn elements—each choice reflecting the layered complexity of our time. By combining these varied techniques, I create works that are not only visually compelling but also rich with meaning, engaging viewers to confront and reflect on the realities we face. My hope is that my art becomes part of a larger conversation about healing, resistance, and the urgent need for change in America and throughout the world.

VIEW CV HERE