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Artist Bio- Emily MatthewsMy name is Emily. Since earning both a Fine Arts Degree and an Arts Degree from
Southwestern Illinois College in 2014, I’ve pursued my artistic career in a variety of directions,
exploring multiple mediums and collaborations.
While at SWIC, I was honored to receive the William E. & Florence Schmidt Memorial
Scholarship for Art, which included an internship at the William and Florence Schmidt Art
Center. I was also a member of the SWIC Mural Project and received the President’s Purchase
Award at the 2013 SWIC Student Art Exhibition. My winning piece now resides in the college’s
permanent collection.
Over the past 12 years, I’ve worked on numerous collaborative and commissioned projects. In
2021, I became a published illustrator for Maggie the Monkey Photographer, a children’s book
featuring my hand-drawn illustrations. My portfolio also includes a wide range of commissioned
works, from hand-lettered ornamental art pieces for homes and businesses, to custom portraits
of people, pets, and architectural subjects, as well as personalized tattoo designs. I also work as
the artist behind several promotional marketing campaigns for local businesses.
For me, however, art is more than a career, it has always been a vital outlet. Since I was a little
girl, creating has helped me process the world around me. Whenever I’ve felt lost, I’ve found
myself again through the physical act of drawing. Art has remained a constant in my life, and
I’ve never lost sight of its power to heal, express, and connect, both personally and within
society.
The featured collection at Venue on Main showcases selected works from a decade-long
creative challenge I participate in each October. The challenge involves responding to a daily
word prompt with an original drawing. The 20 art pieces on display are among some of my most
inspired, chosen from a much larger body of work, not including the ones I have already sold
over the years. The goal of this annual practice is to expand my own creative thinking and
process, realizing the vastness of perception and meaning behind seemingly simple everyday
words, characters, and ideas. This ritual allows me to step outside of what I find to be
comforting and encourages me to value and reconnect with that which I hold to be most
Important is my creative voice
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
202 West Main Street, Belleville, IL, United States
