She studied painting at the Parsons School of Design (BFA 2002) and Yale School of Art (MFA 2008), and has attended residencies at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the American Academy in Rome, MacDowell, the Stephen Pace House, and Hewnoaks. She is the recipient of a Leon Levy Grant and an Al Held Prize. Hilary is also a co-director of Able Baker Contemporary, an artist-run gallery, in Portland's Arts District.