We were lucky to catch up with Amelia Briggs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amelia , thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Throughout my career, I have found that it is necessary to take risks to move forward. The first risk I took was choosing to get a BFA in college. This felt so scary at the time, as I knew there was no clear job path upon graduation. The second risk I took was quitting my job at 25 and moving to a rural town in Michigan to pursue my work as an artist full-time for six months straight. I had no idea the outcome, but I knew I needed to take that chance. That decision led me to graduate school, where I completed my MFA in 2015. The subsequent risk came when I quit my job again in 2021 to become a full-time artist. Now, I find myself making another big move. Having recently gone through a divorce, I am moving to New York City as I have always wanted to live there, and it feels like the next step in my career.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I committed to being a visual artist in graduate school in 2012. I needed more traction after receiving my MFA in 2015, so I created a studio Instagram account. Relatively new to the platform, I used it to hold myself accountable, posting works in progress, props, and sketches. As it grew, I could see an overarching theme or aesthetic building. I started to think about my account as a project, playing a pivotal role in gaining traction online and getting the attention of gallerists, curators, and writers. I was also lucky to have lived in Nashville, TN, at the time, as sometimes it can be easier to build traction in a smaller city than in a larger one like NY or LA. Something that has allowed me to stand out is that I have always maintained a fearlessness with my work. I am not afraid to push boundaries and move things forward. People online responded to that energy.

My work can be loud. I am drawn to bright colors rooted in ’90s cartoons and vintage comics. Texture also plays a significant role in my work as I use various fabrics, latex, and oil to construct these bulbous wall paintings that act almost as characters confronting you in the space. I also create puffy mirrors with latex and glass, which can lead more toward design rather than contemporary Art.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I grew my following on social media very slowly. It took a long time. Being cohesive and thoughtful about the quality of the images I share has helped me gain more followers. In addition to sharing my work, I also share artists and designers whose work has an aesthetic related to mine. Which has helped bring more people to my page.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Buy work from living artists.    

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ameliaabriggs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amelia.projects/

Image Credits
The first image of my needs the image credit, Anna Zeitlin.