About

Hello! I’m Julia McGuigan, previously known as Julia Mason. I am an illustrator, educator, and a proud mom and wife. As a child, I cherished moments spent crafting with my mother, who is also an artist. Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed hobbies like scrapbooking, collage composition, pottery, and illustration. Not much has changed since those early days—perhaps just my hairstyle!

I grew up in Papillion & attended Papillion-LaVista High School.

In high school, I knew I wanted to be an art teacher. I went on to pursue my B.A. of Science in Education from University of Nebraska at Omaha. During that time I also studied art and Spanish at Veritas Universidad in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2014. My inspirations come from those travels & details in architecture. During my time abroad I loved seeing illustrators who were depicting their communities in their art.

This motivated me to come back to Omaha & start illustrating our city.

A decade ago, I began illustrating neighborhoods in Omaha and producing reproductions of my artwork for sale at local markets. In 2020, while teaching art at Omaha Public Schools, I embarked on my Master of Arts in Illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I proudly graduated from SCAD in the summer of 2023.

When I am not selling my work at markets during the Summer, I teach Painting and Drawing at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. I also spend time running around with my family. My husband and our three boys live in Omaha, Nebraska. Both our late fathers came to Omaha because of the Air Force. I’m proud to be a Nebraskan & to raise our boys here too. 

Photo Credit: Brett Brooner