Amanda Matthews

Amanda Matthews (born 1968) is an American sculptor and painter from Louisville, Kentucky, United States, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

Amanda Matthews
Amanda Matthews in studio
BornSeptember 1, 1968
Louisville, Kentucky
EducationUniversity of Louisville
OccupationSculptor, painter, CEO of Prometheus Foundry
Spouse(s)Robert (Brad) Connell
Children2

Early life and education

Amanda Matthews was born in 1968 in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended Bullitt East High School in Mt. Washington, Kentucky and graduated in 1986. Matthews earned her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a minor in Philosophy from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. She studied abroad in Paris, France in 1989 with the University of Louisville, studying Fine Art and Architecture while abroad.

Career

Matthews is known for her award-winning work that honors women and celebrates diversity and inclusion. In 2019, she was selected to create a monumental sculptural installation titled, "The Girl Puzzle", in New York City on Roosevelt Island honoring investigative reporter Nellie Bly, which will be completed in 2020. [1] In 2018, her work honoring Alice Allison Dunnigan, the first African American female to receive White House and Congressional credentials, was unveiled at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., [2]

Matthews began her career as a painter and faculty member for the Louisville Visual Arts Association. She founded Wild Honeysuckle Studio in 1998,[3] which merged with Prometheus Bronze Foundry, LLC in 2009.

Matthews received her first grant as part of the Sister Cities International program and travelled to Mainz, Germany in 2006 to represent the City of Louisville, Kentucky and the United States during the tenure of Mayor Jerry Abramson. She participated in the Kunst in der Stadt, Kuenstlerarbeiten Public Exhibition at Gutenbergplatz, Mainz, Germany. Fourteen artists, two artists each from seven countries, were selected to participate. Her work while in Mainz was a permanent gift to the City of Mainz, Germany from the City of Louisville, KY. Later that year, she participated in the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth Appalachian Mountain Witness Tour for Artists and Writers in the fall of 2006,[4] which marked the beginning of her decade-long body of large scale bronze Dryads, titled Messengers.[5] In 2007, on Earth Day, she completed a 210' long Ephemeral Environmental Sculpture Installation, called Water is Life for the Louisville Zoo, an AZA and AAM Museum, with the help of 20 volunteers. Diane Heilenman, Visual Arts Critic for the Courier Journal stated, "The work, 'Water is Life,' fits the context of all her sculptures and paintings, which are often about environmental issues."[6]

In 2015, she founded the Artemis Initiative, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) Public Charity.

Selected public works and collections

Public mentions and media
  • 2020 - Smithsonian Magazine: The Must-See Outdoor Art Installations of 2020[12]Amanda Matthews' The Girl Puzzle, New York City, listed 3rd on worldwide list of 9
  • 2019 - C-SPAN: African American Journalist Alice Allison Dunnigan[13] Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Dr. Nancy Dawson, Amanda Matthews, Soraya Dunnigan presented
  • 2018 - Politics: First black female White House reporter gets Newseum statue, The Washington Post[14]
  • 2018 - NATIONAL: Alice Dunnigan, First Black Woman To Cover White House, Gets Statue At Newseum, NPR, All Things Considered[15][15]
  • 2018 - Alice Dunnigan, First Black Woman to Cover White House, Will Get Statue at Newseum, The New York Times[2]
  • 2017 - Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission approves life-size sculpture of Nettie Depp for Kentucky Capitol[16]
  • 2016 – Dunnigan to be honored with bronze statue[7]
  • 2016 – Aviation Museum to unveil bronze sculpture of aviation pioneer Van Meter[8]
  • 2015 – Lexington sculptor seeks – and starts creating – more statues of notable Kentucky women, minorities, Lexington Herald Leader, Lexington, KY[17]
  • 2015 – Appeared in Documentary Film, Dreamers and Doers: VOICES of Kentucky Women[18][19]
  • 2015 – Restored Gratz Park 'kids' return to James Lane Allen fountain[20]
  • 2013 – Dr. George Zach bronze portrait unveiled at Singletary Center for the Arts, in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky Art Museum Permanent Collection[9]
  • 2010 – Stephen Elrod Memorial bronze sculpture unveiled at Georgetown College[10]
  • April 22, 2007 – Water is Life Ephemeral Environmental Art Installation at the Louisville Zoo, Courier Journal, Critics Pick by Diane Heilenman, visual art critic[6]
  • July 2006 – Amanda Matthews (Fields) work featured in Germany's Der Mainzer Magazine
  • May 2006 – Art World News magazine lists Amanda Matthews (Fields) on their Artists Worth Watching list.[21]

See also

References
  1. https://rioc.ny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2902/Amanda-Matthews-of-Prometheus-Art-Selected-to-Create-Nellie-Bly-Monument---10-16-19
  2. Zraick, Karen (August 23, 2018). "Alice Dunnigan, First Black Woman to Cover White House, Will Get Statue at Newseum". The New York Times.
  3. "Fasttrack Organization Search – THE WILD HONEYSUCKLE, LLC". Kentucky Secretary of State Online Services. Commonwealth of Kentucky. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  4. "Mountain Witness Tours | Kentuckians for the Commonwealth". Kftc.org. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  5. "Dryad Series Messengers by Amanda Matthews". Prometheusart.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  6. "Louisville News, Sports, Business". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  7. Stapleton, OJ (September 29, 2016). "Dunnigan to be honored with bronze statue". News-Democrat & Leader. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  8. "Aviation Museum to unveil bronze sculpture of aviation pioneer Van Meter". KyForward.com. June 22, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  9. "Zack honored with Singletary Center plaque | Copious Notes". Copiousnotes.bloginky.com. November 12, 2011. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  10. "Other Sculptures – Fine Art Galleries". Georgetowncollege.edu. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  11. "Saint Paul Catholic Church | Martina Brothers Company, Inc". Martinabros.com. June 20, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  12. "Must-See Outdoor Art Installations of 2020".
  13. "African American Journalist Alice Allison Dunnigan".
  14. "First black female White House reporter gets Newseum statue". AP NEWS. September 22, 2018.
  15. "Alice Dunnigan, First Black Woman To Cover White House, Gets Statue At Newseum". NPR.org.
  16. Brammer, Jack (December 22, 2017). "Kentucky's Capitol will finally get a life-size statue of a woman". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  17. Tom Eblen (July 25, 2015). "Tom Eblen: Lexington sculptor seeks – and starts creating – more statues of notable Kentucky women, minorities". Lexington Herald-Leader. Kentucky.com. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  18. "Dreamers & Doers: Voices of Kentucky Women « KET". Ket.org. June 15, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  19. "Lifesize Bronze Statue of Nettie Depp, Kentucky Education Reformer". The Artemis Initiative. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  20. "Restored Gratz Park 'kids' return to James Lane Allen fountain". The Bluegrass and Beyond. Tomeblen.bloginky.com. June 24, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  21. Art World News Magazine, May 2006, Page 47, Artists Worth Watching List featured image of Reforestation by Amanda Matthews Fields with size, price, details, and website
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