She grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts, and attended The Putney School.
[2] She earned Bachelor of Arts degree jointly from Reed College and The Museum School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art), and an M.A.
[3] Art in America's Sue Taylor wrote of Parker's "impressive career that includes ambitious public projects in Oregon, Washington and California".
[1][4] Portland Art Museum held a mid-career retrospective of Parker's work in 1995, and in 2002, Boise Art Museum held a one-person exhibition of her work.
[3] Parker has public commissions at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland City Hall, and the federal courthouse in Bakersfield, California.