Bio & News

I was born in 1977 in Great Falls, Montana.  A mixed blood descendent of the Oglala, Lakota tribe, I was raised in western Montana and earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the University of Montana in 2004.  I learned beadwork at a very early age as well as hide tanning, sewing and traditional clothing design.  Much of my work stems from a combination of traditional Native arts and modern art.

I consider my work to be narrative on many levels.  There are times when I want to tell a very specific story and the pieces become narrative in tone.  In other cases I am simply evoking emotional responses to basic elements such as shape and color.  Nearly all of my work reflects the issues of politics, cultural identity and learning to live with the weight of the past.

I currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma with my husband Tom and our three children.

Current and Scheduled Shows:

Museum of Arts and Culture, 2010, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
Master Artist Series, Philbrook Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2009
Reservations Required, Selected Pieces, Traveling Show through MAGDA, 2009 – 2010

Permanent Collections:

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, KS
Exploration Works Museum, Helena, MT
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT
J. W. Wiggins Collection, Little Rock, AR
Art 4 Culture, Harborview Hospital, Seattle, WA

Featured Articles:

2009 Recipient, Artist’s Innovation Award, Montana Arts Council
Missoula Artist Claims Top Prize at Art Show, Jodi Rave, Missoulian
Beauty through Beads, Jodi Rave, Missoulian
Conversations with Missoula Artists: Meet Molly Murphy, Alexia Beckerling, New West Missoula
Beading Down Barriers, Skylar Browning, Missoula Independent
Molly Murphy: Reservations Required, Curator Stephen Glueckert, Missoula Art Museum