Mary Cosgrove was born in Belfast and was first trained in painting and drawing by T.P. Flanagan RHA, RUA.  She taught in government schools in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and Zambia for seven years, illustrating school material and government history courses while continuing to paint. She returned briefly to Belfast and taught in further education and illustrated pamphlets and magazines. She did life painting with Errol Lloyd at Camden Arts Centre in London. From there she went on to study art and design education at London University with Stanislaw Frenkiel and Alfred Harris. This led to the study of art history and theory at Middlesex University and the University of Essex with Prof. Lisa Tickner and Prof. Dawn Adès and others.

With the help of a British Academy scholarship, she completed her doctorate at the University of Ulster specialising in 20th century Irish art. She has contributed to academic journals and catalogues in Ireland and USA. She taught Art History at Queen’s University and life drawing at The Crescent Arts Centre for many years, organising the annual students’ exhibition and curating major loan exhibitions at Cultúrlann MacAdam Ó Fiaich, Belfast.

Her work is to be found in private collections in Africa, England and Ireland.

Mary Cosgrove T.C., B. A. (Hons 1st class), Dipl. Art & Design Ed., M.A., Ph.D.