We recently connected with Em Nguyen and have shared our conversation below.

Em , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I moved to Sioux Falls when I was two and always struggled in school. I had no direction but always enjoyed doodling. After graduating high school, I went to university and studied English. After three years, I realized I needed to make a change. I started with large-scale realistic animal portraits in charcoal. I still remember my first show at Touch of Europe, a cute basement restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls. It was great to get feedback and positive encouragement from strangers and friends. In this moment, I felt like I had attained something worth investing in. The support I received pushed me to continue my creative journey.

I then practiced with oil paint, acrylic, and watercolor. I have been painting now for 14 years and full-time freelance for two. My main mediums are watercolor, acrylic, and pen. I usually enjoy painting animals with imaginary cities built and hidden inside. I am always honored to know my artwork adorns many people’s homes, and they truly treasure the pieces enough to purchase my work and keep them forever. I continue to grow and experiment as a self-taught artist. Like Bob Ross, I don’t think there are mistakes in artwork, just happy accidents. Painting has and continues to bring so much joy to my life, and I am so happy to have taken the leap of faith to do that solo art show and see where it’s brought me today.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I do a mixture of commission painting and passion projects. When a client wants a commission piece, I offer any subject matter they prefer in my painting style. I let the client choose a general color palette and ask if there are some Easter eggs they would like in the piece, such as a favorite song, symbols, or anything they are keen on. I’ve been blessed to be able to create clients’ paintings with very few restraints. After asking a few questions, I can usually visualize the piece and then just have the task of getting it on the canvas.

I also enjoy live painting for different nonprofit galas. One thing I’m proud of is being the Pride Gala live painter for five years and creating inclusive pieces for the Pride community.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One resource that I think new artists struggle with, as I did, is how to archive and create prints of their work. By having prints of your work, you can continue to make money off a piece in perpetuity. It also provides your clients with the ability to afford your work if the original is out of their budget. By making prints, I am able to continue financially supporting my freelancing career. I invested in an SLR camera and take high-resolution photos of my work. From there, I print through a local printer.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Back in 2010, there were not many opportunities for local artists to showcase their work beyond coffee shops. While working as a server at a bar, I pitched the idea to the owner to let me take over the bar on a Monday night and set up an art show. The idea was simple: if we collectively showed our work together, we could expand our audience and make more connections.

I continued to host the art collective at Luckys bar for five years on Monday nights. What started with 10 artists grew to 25, and we eventually outgrew the space. Though it was fun space we were restricted to being 21+ and night time shows prevented us from catering to all artist. I decided to move the show to the Icon Event Hall, where we could accommodate 50 artists. It was a beautiful, rustic space that we called home for five years.

Now, at our final location, the Everist Gallery, we can host 71 artists.

Some of my best memories as the host of the show are seeing first-time artists gain the confidence they need to continue on their creative path. It always touches my heart to know that so many local artists had their first art show with the art collective. I’ve seen many talented artists go on to make this their full-time job or continue creating over the years. Watching them invest in their craft has been a beautiful journey.

It’s always a fun event to attend with a friend or family. There aren’t many opportunities to see 71 local artists under one roof for two days. Guests also get the chance to converse with artists and learn about their processes or ask any questions they may have.

The show is now more beautiful than ever at the Everist Gallery. Artists can display their works on gallery walls with gallery lighting. The shows usually bring in 2,500 people over the two days.

I continue this journey to help facilitate a good experience for all new and existing artists, allowing them to meet one another and gain exposure to new clientele they may not have met on their own. It’s truly been a blessing and I always in awe of the amount of local talent Sioux Falls has.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2YIt5TJ%3Ffbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabQ2GOdhb6ykjWdg94xKCBrEwzzy7yx1ET-Y9jUW8fBhSvSvrLJ2VcD2yM_aem_b8KKER2ZYB-DekvVzL2aeA&e=AT01FI054vWcNl6jTt_gg81H7oz-4-u9hJohBbkVRJEsrfkaup0O-sYXHKQWV1e0J46r5taltc0ag9eeVpSdpmZpfLUB2eOudxAObw
• Instagram: Art By Em Nguyen
• Facebook: Art By Em Nguyen