Mary Kilpatrick

Mary Kilpatrick has spent her life telling stories that matter — on Broadway stages, in a book used in shelters and counseling settings worldwide, and on canvas. Her paintings are vivid, emotionally charged works centered on women's lives: their strength, their tenderness, their resilience, and their joy.

Mary's artistic journey began under the lights of New York City's most storied theaters. She performed on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre in the long-running revival of Oh! Calcutta! (1976–1989). Her national tour credits include The Pirates of Penzance (1986–1988), Bye Bye Birdie, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She later appeared in the independent film A Stone in the Water (2019), shot in Central Oregon. That theatrical training carried directly into her painting — her figures carry gesture, weight, and emotional presence that only comes from years of performing and directing.

While working as a Children's Specialist at Sanctuary for Families in New York City, Mary saw firsthand what children endure in violent homes. With her husband, writer Howard Schor, she created A Place for Starr: A Story of Hope for Children Experiencing Family Violence — illustrating it from the child's perspective, showing adults only from the neck down, the way a small child actually sees the world. The book sold over 10,000 copies across two editions and continues to be used as a therapeutic tool in shelters and counseling settings worldwide.

After relocating to Bend, OR in 2002, Mary continued advocacy work with Saving Grace and co-founded BEAT Children's Theatre (Bend Experimental Art Theatre) in 2006. The program now serves over 500 students directly each season, reaches 1,500–2,000 more through community partnerships, and draws approximately 5,000 audience members annually. In 2015, the Oregon State Legislature passed House Resolution 9 formally honoring Mary and Howard for their work building BEAT.

Her paintings span the full range of women's lives — strength, tenderness, joy, solitude, resilience, and defiance. Her subjects are diverse in background, age, and expression. The paintings that carry political weight don't come from research or abstraction. They come from someone who has spent years sitting in rooms with women navigating the hardest moments of their lives. That proximity makes the work ring true in a way that is felt before it is understood.