The Mason Spirit

One of McCarty's creations.

While Lisa McCarty, BFA ’05, would certainly love to pull out a victory, just being in the running is already paying off.

“I’m getting more hits on my website and more inquiries about my work,” says this photo-based artist.

McCarty, a graphic designer working in D.C., is among a small group of artists talented enough to vie for the title of the region’s most exciting undiscovered artist. Put on by The Washington Post, the contest is down to 10 finalists. Readers are now picking their favorite artist through the Post’s website.

To get into the contest, McCarty submitted a series of photos of her grandparents’ Arlington home taken with expired Polaroid film. But simple family photos they’re not. She ran the photos through a process known as emulsion lifting, which “dismantled” and “collapsed” the images. She then transferred what remained onto watercolor paper. The result is a collection of weathered and fragile leaf-like pieces of art called “Florid Interiors.”

As of October 19, McCarty, who has a studio at the Arlington Arts Center, was fourth in voting. But win or not, this emerging artist already has plans to go back to school and earn her MFA. From there, she would like to teach at a college and, of course, continue creating.

“I want a full art life,” she says.

Voting runs through 5 p.m. on October 22.