Studio is more than just a place to go, it’s more like a state of being for artist Emily Gherard. Inspired deeply by the work of Käthe Kollwitz, Emily’s work consists of large monochromatic drawings and wall sculptures built from the accumulation of lines of paint and graphite, small pieces of wood stapled together, or plaster blocks. We bond over the shared experience of parenthood feeling like a machine that you just keep feeding… but never really know what results you are going to get. Kind of like your studio practice!
Juggling adjunct teaching, a heavy exhibition load and more, Emily shares how she chooses what to focus on in certain seasons of her life. We talk in depth about goal setting, how Emily identifying her needs as an artist, and specifically when and how she makes plans for the artwork she wants to make. Another big part of our conversation is rejection! Having been invited to apply as a Joan Mitchell Fellow, being rejected, and then re-applying (and eventually receiving the award!), Emily makes it clear that rejection is part of the process. We dive deep in this conversation and I leave it feeling more inspired than ever to make the work only I can make and to find hope in the process and the practice of being an artist.
Final Five:
Art crush – Käthe Kollwitz, Wiliam Kentridge, and Leonardo Drew
Travel – favorite is near home at the Olympic Peninsula, and dream trip is her current residency in Berlin
Book – Contact: Art and the Pull of Print by Jennifer Roberts
Meal – Vietnamese crepes
Shoutout – all of the artist mother friends she has (and needs) in her life
Connect with Emily via her instagram and view more of her work on her website!
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn.
Connect with Kaylan via her website or instagram or follow her substack here!
Apply to Artist Parent Exhibition + Residency opportunity (deadline 10/12/25)
https://www.kinhouseart.com/double-duty
