//Artist/Sculptor
//December 2023
Erin Monet Wheary was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She received a BA in Sculpture and Printmaking from the University of Puget Sound (2013) and an MFA in Sculpture from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (2018). Wheary is an interdisciplinary artist whose studio practice is rooted in three-dimensional art-making. She explores concepts of growth and decay and order and chaos in her work out of a desire to understand philosophical questions and natural phenomena that she encounters. "Visual art is my lens to see and understand the physical world and humanity. The circular nature of my research provides data for endless requisitioning," she says. Wheary's interests range from installation and printmaking to architecture, design, and land art - her portfolio reflects this. Her recent exhibitions include an invitational at the Female Artists Club in Brussels, Belgium, a commissioned site-specific installation at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and a solo exhibition at the Hartwig Gallery in Escanaba, MI. Artist residencies include Chateau d'Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France (2020), where she received the Denis Diderot [A-i-R] Grant, and Vermont Studio Center (2018), where she received the Vermont Studio Center Artist Grant. El Boga Residence I sought the residency in Mompox for the unique architecture and the foundation's commitment to connecting artists and community members. These two tenements support my vision for the project and the development of my professional practice. My project, Modular Sculpture: Mompox, seeks to connect the maker and community by creating site-specific ephemeral sculpture. At its root, this piece highlights the process and problem-solving of building a sculpture. By taking the art out of the studio and into public places, the art served to create connections between strangers. These interactions are essential as they enrich the work and the communities where these pieces are built. I will document these happenings through video, photo, and written accounts I compiled.
Contact
@erinwheary