ARTIST STATEMENT

My name is Erica Nkechi and I am a business owner, local artist, art show curator, and art teacher who primarily uses art to reach children in our community. I began creating art as a child and when I picked up a paint brush in high school, I never put it down. I often say art saved me as a child because it gave me something to be proud of and confident in. My art is a big part of my life but my goal is to help more children experience that connection with art and build that confidence within themselves. My favorite medium is primarily acrylic paint - however I’m a huge advocate for people exploring multiple mediums as we as people have multiple ways of expressing ourselves. I have taken a wide range of art classes throughout my life and enjoy teaching a variety of mediums to the children I work with.

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In 2017, I founded an organization, Heart Studios, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Here, a group of teachers and myself provide private and group art classes to kids to inspire them to discover their artistic talent. It has been a blessing to reach the community in a profound way through art. I am so thankful for the support our state has shown me as a small business owner. An aspect of Heart Studios I am also thankful for is the ability to partner with local organizations for the betterment of the community. We teach a variety of art classes to local schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations, and have enjoyed building those connections. www.heartstudiosllc.com

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I also love curating art gallery events to showcase local artists in our community. My goal for these events is to give local artists a platform, and to expand their reach. I was so thankful that some of these events have been featured on Fox 25, and the Oklahoma Gazette, and we continue to receive overwhelming support from the community.

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I have realized that helping my students create beautiful works of art, is just as amazing as creating my own works of art. My personal art is inspired by the many layers of my life, being biracial and multicultural, and having dual citizenship of the United States and Nigeria. My art has been where I can express my experiences when my words were not able to. Art has helped me heal so many wounds and I want to help kids discover that same level of self-expression. My goal is to plant that seed of art in my students at Heart Studios, so they always have a place to go to express themselves, heal, and grow.