Maryanne was born in Melbourne in 1960. While she was very young her family moved to Ballarat, Victoria, where she was educated. She attended the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne from 1979 to 1981 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts) Painting. She undertook further studies at the University of NSW graduating in 1984 with a Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies (Painting). She commenced a Master of Arts candidature in 1996 at the University of Ballarat converting this to a PhD candidature in 1997, receiving her Doctor of Philosophy in 2000. Her first major award was the Blake Prize that she won jointly in 1983 with the painting " Easter in my Room", now part of the collection of the Australian Catholic University, Ballarat Campus. Maryanne has worked as a Sessional Lecturer at the Arts Academy, University of Ballarat (1999 - 2003), the Department of Fine Art and Design, Monash University, Melbourne (2000 - 2005) and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Latrobe University, Bendigo Campus (2008). She was a Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne and Ballarat campuses (2003 - 2004). She is currently (from 2006) a Lecturer in Drawing and Painting in the Department of Fine Art, Monash University, Melbourne. Collections of her work are in various galleries including the Art Gallery of Ballarat and Federation University, Ballarat.women of note, maryanne coutts, educated in ballarat, university of ballarat, master of arts, doctor of philosophy, blake prize, university of nsw, victorian college of the arts, department of fine art, monash university, australian catholic university, latrobe university bendigo university, federation university, art gallery ballarat