Chelsey A. Anderson (she/her/hers) is an artist and scholar based in the DC Metro Area whose paintings and drawings explore the not-so-fragile tether between the human body, nature, and the spiritual realm. By warping natural elements into bodily, creature-esque forms within surreal psychological environments, Anderson’s work channels the profound rhythms of breath and mortality—ultimately questioning how much of our human experience is lived in the physical 3D world and how much is governed by unseen energetic forces.
Education
MFA Studio Art, American University, Washington DC | 2022
MA Arts Management, American University, Washington DC | 2016
Graduate Certificate, Technology and Arts Management, American University, Washington DC | 2016
Certificate, Arts in Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville FL | 2014
BFA Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Towson University, Towson MD | 2012
“every human emotion wants space to be heard…we need stories, we need art, we need spaces where emotions can be heard and not dismissed in order for our data to have more weight”
Articles & Reviews
Meet Chelsey Anderson, Canvas Rebel Magazine | June 5, 2023
‘Rose-colored Alchemy’ exhibit by Chelsey A. Anderson at DISTRICT Art, Frederick News Post, Frederick MD | May 26, 2021
Artist Studio Video Series: Chelsey A. Anderson, American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC | 2021
Artist Statement
1. What I make
I create surreal, theatrical paintings and drawings that explore the intersection of the human body, nature, and the spiritual realm. My works—ranging from intimate pieces on paper to large-scale canvases—feature disjointed environments, vivid landscapes, and forms that feel inherently bodily and alive.
2. How I do it
I build these environments through a heavy layering of diverse media, combining acrylic inks and watercolor with dry pigments, spray paint, and oil sticks. Through a fantastical, vibrant color palette, I warp familiar natural elements—trees, plants, and landscapes—into something intensely bodily and "creature-esque." By placing these figures in surreal, disjointed architectural spaces and surrounding them with personal symbols, I construct visual vessels that feel unusual and alive enough to house something as magnificent as a the unknown.
3. Why it matters
Surviving thyroid cancer and navigating major surgeries deeply challenged my own sense of mortality at a young age, bringing a hyper-awareness to the fragile tether between our physical bodies and our spirits. This awareness crystallized in a profound way when I experienced the death of a beloved family dog and, just four days later, gave birth to my first child. Witnessing the sheer magnitude of a final breath followed so closely by a newborn’s first breath felt like watching a portal open between worlds. It was this intense juxtaposition of life entering and leaving that firmly anchored the concepts of breath, rhythm, and pattern into my work. My art explores this metaphysical energy, questioning how much of our human experience exists in the 3D world we know and how much is governed by unseen forces. Ultimately, once the art leaves my studio, it becomes a portal itself—a space for viewers to project their own stories and connect with the magnificent, unnamed and untamed energy they carry within.
CV
Invited & Featured Exhibition
Rose-colored Alchemy, DISTRICT Arts, Frederick MD | 2021
Solo Exhibition
Cells & Souls, Towson University Storage Space Gallery, Towson MD | 2012
Movement & Change, Towson University Storage Space Gallery, Towson MD | 2012
Presentation of New Works, Schezuan Café, Glen Burnie MD | 2012
Get There (site-specific installation), Towson University Center for the Arts Grand Hall, Towson MD | 2010
Presentation of New Works, Side Gallery, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Silver Spring MD | 2010
Second Chance (site-specific installation), Towson University Campus Bridge, Towson MD | 2010
Group Exhibition
National Juried Exhibition, The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick MD | 2023
Juried by Foon Sham, Sculptor and Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park
Imagine Hope, Center for Hope, Baltimore MD | 2022 (Artwork donation for their Permanent Collection)
Out of Order, 2nd Virtual Auction Event by Maryland Art Place (MAP), Baltimore MD | 2021
Free Punch & Pie, Featured in-person and virtually in AU Museum@Home, American University Museum, Washington DC | 2021
Actual Dilemma, MFA Thesis Exhibition featured virtually through the AU Department of Art, Washington DC | 2020
Phenomena of Identity, Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC | 2020
Peripheral Visions, AU Museum, Washington DC | 2019
Luxberg Jewelers & Art Gallery, Linthicum MD | 2017
Annual Regional Juried Show, Maryland Art Place (MAP), Baltimore MD | 2013
Juried by Kristen Hileman, Curator of Contemporary Art and Department Head at the Baltimore Museum of Art
Flux Capacity, Nudashank Gallery, Baltimore MD | 2012
Reckless Drawing, Towson Commons Gallery, Towson MD | 2012
Towson University Graduating Seniors, Borrowed Space Gallery, Towson MD | 2012
Juried Student Art Exhibition, Towson University Main Gallery, Towson MD | 2011
Community Projects
Forest (outdoor mural), Soundplay Music Studio, Silver Spring MD | 2017
All-Seasons Oak (office mural), Little Blue House Events, Wheaton MD | 2017
Artist Vendor, 7th Annual Sykesville Art & Wine Festival, Sykesville, MD | 2017
Light Forest (euthanasia/patient meeting room mural), Huffard Animal Hospital, Pasadena MD | 2017
Artist Vendor, Columbia Festival of Arts, Columbia MD | 2013
Artist Vendor, Annual Laurel Arts Festival, Laurel MD | 2013
Teaching
Visiting Guest Lecturer, “Foundation of Fundraising” Arts Management Graduate Course, American University | 2021
Private Instruction, Art & Design College Prep | 2018-2021
Published Works
Culture Lab Washington DC, “The Current Philanthropic Landscape” | 2017
Organizations
Maryland Citizens for the Arts | Advocate, 2013 - 2016 (Maryland Arts Day, Annapolis MD)
Americans for the Arts | Advocate & Member, 2015 (Arts Advocacy Day, Capitol Hill, Washington DC)
American Alliance of Museums | Advocate & Member, 2014 (Museums Advocacy Day, Capitol Hill, Washington DC)