Crystal McCallie has been making art since she was old enough to hold a pencil. McCallie grew up on a dryland farm in the Texas Panhandle where she was inspired by the scenes and stories of rural life. She attended Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University majoring in art. Building on a love of drawing and stories, she became a freelance illustrator. Her commissions included a large-scale holiday painting for the Toys for Tots drive and a full-color children’s book called Seeds of Hope - a gift for the Ugandan children at the Wells of Hope orphanage. After several years of being a stay-at-home mom and volunteering for numerous activities involving her children, McCallie returned to higher education and completed a BFA from the University of Montana in drawing and printmaking. Her work has been exhibited locally and nationally in group and solo exhibitions. McCallie has taught printmaking, collage, and textile workshops to high school students, adult art educators, and area artists. As a UM graduate candidate, she taught drawing, printmaking, and assisted with teaching art history. She has been an assistant printmaker to Matrix Press, a UM affiliated printmaking organization which hosts artists residencies to nationally and internationally recognized printmakers. McCallie received an MFA in 2025 with an emphasis in printmaking from the University of Montana’s School of Visual and Media Arts.
McCallie resides in Missoula, Montana with her husband Tony, four (nearly grown) children, a spoiled labrador, and a cheeky budgie. She balances her artwork and teaching practice with her time with family and is very much inspired by the joys and trials of motherhood, nature, and children’s stories.