Artwork, Exhibitions, Process Photos
Emily Christenson grew up in northwestern Illinois, with a mother who was an abstract artist and the stunning natural landscape of Black Hawk State Park Historic Site as her backyard. With a natural ability to sense spirits and the unseen energies around us, she spent countless hours during her childhood exploring the forests outdoors and experimenting with a variety of art materials in her mother’s creative studio. In 2002, she graduated with a double major BFA in both drawing and painting from the esteemed Minneapolis College of Art and Design located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since then, she has showcased her paintings, intricate drawings, and photographs on both national and international stages, exhibiting in numerous galleries, art centers, and museums across Washington, DC, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Ireland. Emily has been honored with two merit award grants for her work, which is now included in many prestigious public and private collections, such as Delucchi + in Washington, DC, Bellcomb Technologies in Minneapolis, MN, and the Dubuque Museum of Art. She also took on the roles of co-owner and gallery director at the renee grae gallery and has served as an ongoing instructor guiding both adults and children at the Figge Art Museum, sharing her passion for art with others. She still exhibits her drawings and paintings locally and her work is available for purchase in her online shop.
“I love being intimately involved in nature’s processes, acting on intuition and allowing uncertainties to exist. The challenge is trying to control my work in an environment that is uncontrollable. I am interested in the many species of lichen, algae and moss, other plant cell structures, waterways, glaciated landscapes and other natural fractal patterns.
My work is a practice of changing focus. It is about encounters where nature and my materials present themselves to each other and the interaction becomes documented. Since 2002, my ongoing “Untitled dialogue” works are collaborations with nature made using non-toxic, water-miscible pigments and painting in the rain, snow or at the water’s edge. The work becomes the product of the reality of the moment. The more I listen to nature the more I learn about myself.”
– Emily Christenson
Emily Christenson, Water feather drawing series. Lake Superior and sumi ink on watercolor paper. Grand Marais, MN
CV
EDUCATION
2002 BFA Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN, Double major in both drawing and painting
2001 Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughn, Co. Clare, Ireland
1998 Black Hawk College, Moline, IL
GRADUATE STUDIES
2013 Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Art As Journey An intensive studio retreat workshop on location of the Grand Marais Art Colony, the oldest art colony in Minnesota (Est. 1947), on Lake Superior, Grand Marais, MN
2006 Minneapolis College of Art and Design On Intuition: The Studio and Aesthetic Unity An intensive studio retreat workshop on intuition, met on location at the Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais, MN
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2022/21/18/16/15/14 Instructor, Living Proof Exhibit
2018 Juror for Living Proof Exhibit, Cancer Survivor Art, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2012/13/14/15 Co-Owner, Gallery Director, renee grae gallery, Moline, IL, Le Claire, IA
2014 Juror for Living Proof Exhibit, Cancer Survivor Art, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2012/13/14 Instructor, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2012 Juror for Annual BHC Student Exhibition, Blackhawk College, Moline IL
2009 Co-Owner, Gallery Director, e|c gallery, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
2005 Juror for Venus Envy Exhibition, St. Louis, MO
2005/06/07/08 Co-Owner, doeGALLERY, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016 Emily Christenson, Temperance River, Moline Public Library Main Gallery, Moline, IL
2014 Colorants, renee grae gallery, Le Claire, IA
2014 Converse Variations, Gallery C, Dubuque, IA
2012 Liminal Waters, Morrissey Gallery, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA
2011 Black and Blue Isolates, Art Salon, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2009 Rivers and Rain, pieces of Denali, e|c Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
2007 Blue Currents, Fine Art & Artists Gallery, Washington, DC
2007 con•tin•gen•cies, doeGALLERY, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
2006 Edge of Color, doeGALLERY, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022/21 Lake Superior 20/20 Studio Art Tour, Two Harbors, MN
2022/21/20/19/18 Artemisia Gallery, Geneva, IL
2022/21/20 Silver Creek Co, Two Harbors, MN
2021 20/20 Art Tour Two Harbors, MN
2018 Reher Gallery, Moline Public Library, Moline, IL
2017/18 Victoria James Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2016/17/18 Artemisia Gallery, Geneva, IL
2015 Living Proof Exhibit, Cancer Survivor Art group show (instructor), Peoria Public Library, Peoria, IL
2015 Hidden Falls, 3 person, Moline, Intl Airport, Moline, IL
2015 Cello-bration, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2014/15 renee grae gallery, Le Claire, IA2014 renee grae gallery, Le Claire, IA
2014 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL, Juror, Dr. Mary Em Kirn, professor emerita of art history at Augustana College
2013 Nicolai Fechin and DuMa New Acquisitions, Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque, IA
2013 Emily Christenson, Reher Gallery, Moline Public Library, Moline, IL
2013 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL Juror, Pamela Blotner, San Francisco, Adjunct professor John F. Kennedy University
2012 Open Door 8, Rosalux Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, Juror, Christina Chang, Curator of Engagement at the Minnesota Museum of American Art
2012 Art Greenwich, SeaFair, Brenda Taylor Gallery NY, NY, Greenwich, CT
2012 Primitive Modern Precis, Blackhawk College, Moline, IL
2012 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL Juror, Joesph Mella, Director of Vanderbilt University Fine Art Gallery
2012 Primitive Modern, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL
2011 ELEMENTAL, Gallery West, Rock Island, IL
2011 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL Juror, Dan Mills, Director of Bates College Museum of Art
2010 Biennial Exhibition, Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque, IA Juror, Frank Paluch, Director Perimeter Gallery, Chicago
2010 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL Juror, Lisa Tremper Hanover, Director of Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College
2009/08/07/06/05 doeGALLERY, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
2009/06/05 Venus Envy, Bucktown Center for the Arts, Davenport, IA
2009 RIFAE, Augustana Art Museum, Rock Island, IL Juror, Brigham Dimick, Southern Illinois University
2008/07/06 Fine Art & Artists Gallery, Washington, DC
2007 Follow the Horse, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
2007 Heart Gallery Project, Bettendorf Children’s Museum, Bettendorf, IA
2006 Newtown Design Group, Newtown, PA
2005/04/03/01 MCAD Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2004 Curated Digital and Curated Glass, Moline Intl. Airport, Moline, IL
2003 Opening Night Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2003 Art Co. Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2002 Commencement Exhibition, MCAD Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2001 Drawn, MCAD Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2001 Painted, MCAD Gallery, Minnneapolis, MN
2001 Meritocracy, Burren College of Art, Ballyvaughn, Co. Clare Ireland
2000 Merit Scholarship Exhibition, Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
1998 Award Exhibition, Quad City Arts, Rock Island, IL
1998 Award Exhibition, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
AWARDS
2010 Purchase Award, Dubuque Museum of Art
2006 Llyod Schoneman Award Quad City Arts
2001 Merit Award Scholarship MCAD
1998 Full-tuition Fine Art Scholarship, BHC
VISITING ARTIST LECTURES
2012 Blackhawk College, Moline, IL, Visiting artist talk Primitive Modern Precis, slide lecture
2012 Art Talks, Augustana College Public Radio, IL, Visiting artist talk, panel discussion
2011 Art Talks, Augustana College Public Radio, IL, Visiting artist talk, panel discussion
2009 Haulberg Civic Center, IL, Rock Island Art Guild, Slide lecture
2008 Art Talks, Augustana College Public Radio, IL, Visiting artist talk
2007 Fine Art & Artists Gallery, Washington DC, Gallery talk for for Blue Currents exhibition
2006 Fine Art & Artists Gallery, Washington DC, Gallery talk for Duke Ellington event
2005 Art Talks, Augustana College Public Radio, IL, Visiting artist talk, panel discussion
PUBLICATIONS / REVIEWS
2015 Studio Visit Magazine Vol. 30 Published by Open Studios Press
2014 Studio Visit Magazine Vol. 23 Published by Open Studios Press
2011 Studio Visit Magazine Vol. 15 Published by Open Studios Press
2011 Studio Visit Magazine Vol. 13 Published by Open Studios Press
2010 Studio Visit Magazine Vol. 11 Published by Open Studios Press
2010 Life in the QC, Spring 2010 Edition
2010 ‘Reverential Reflections’, River Cities Reader, Vol. 17 No. 742
2007 ‘Her work is all wet’, The Washington Post, Oct. 18, 2007
2007 ‘Environmental Aesthetics on M Street’, The Georgetown Voice, Oct. 25, 2007
2007 ‘Not Lost in Translation’, River Cities Reader, Vol. 14. No. 628
2006 ‘A Firecracker of Essence and Distillation’, River Cities Reader, Vol. 13 No. 572
SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque, IA
Moline Public Library, Moline, IL
Bellcomb Technologies, Minneapolis, MN
Delucchi +, Washington, DC
Steventon’s, Le Claire, IA
Palmer College, Center for Business Development, Davenport, IA
Five Star Salon Spa, Davenport, IA
Brian Benavides, WA
Cosette Alves, Washington, DC
Thomas and Victoria Riordan, PA
A. Kotsovolos, New York, NY
Curt and Jennifer Conklin, IL
Kip Suss, Hunt & Suss, L.L.C., MD
Linda and Bob Wilson, IL
Dr. John R. Lewis Collection, IA
Jodi and Rodney Blackwell, IA