Amanda Matthews

Amanda Matthews
Born	September 1, 1968 Louisville, Kentucky
Education	University of Louisville
Occupation(s)	Sculptor, painter, CEO of Prometheus Foundry
Spouse	Robert (Brad) Connell
Children	2

Amanda Matthews (born 1968) is an American sculptor and painter from Louisville, Kentucky, United States, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky. She is the CEO of a Certified WBE Bronze Art Foundry, Prometheus Foundry, LLC, a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code 6DW69, located in the United States. In 2015, she founded the Artemis Initiative Public Charity. She went by Amanda Matthews Fields during 1991–2009.

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.

Matthews began her career as a painter and faculty member for the Louisville Visual Arts Association. She founded Wild Honeysuckle Studio in 1998, 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, which marked the beginning of her decade-long body of large scale bronze Dryads, titled Messengers. 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." She often combines the female figure with natural elements, such as trees and plants.

Since 2009, she has designed and created several public works, including bronze monuments and portraits, which are in the permanent collections of a number of museums and municipalities.

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

Selected public works and collections

• 2016–2017: Life Size Bronze Portrait of Alice Allison Dunnigan Alice Allison Dunnigan
• 2015–2016: Life Size Bronze Portrait of Capt. Solomon Lee Van Meter, Jr., Pioneer Aviator, whose backpack parachute invention is featured in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C., for the Aviation Museum of Kentucky Permanent Collection
• 2014–2015: Restoration/Conservation of Historic Gratz Park Sculpture, the James Lane Allen Fountain, Lexington, KY, Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Parks and Recreation Permanent Collection
• 2014: Life Size Ancient Greek Boxer Olympian Bronze Reproduction, Jasmine Hill Gardens, a Public Botanical & Sculpture Garden & Museum, Montgomery, Alabama, Permanent Collection
• 2013: Bronze portrait of Dr. George Zach, retired conductor of Lexington Philharmonic installed in Singletary Center for the Arts, University of Kentucky Art Museum Permanent Collection
• 2012: Good Shepherd Catholic Church Baptismal Font, Frankfort, KY, Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington Permanent Public Collection
• 2010: Life Size Bronze Stephen Elrod Memorial Sculpture installed at Georgetown College in Permanent Public Sculpture Collection
• 2009: St. Paul Catholic Church Baptismal Font, Lexington, KY, Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington Permanent Public Collection
• 2007: Louisville Zoo, an AZA and AAM Museum, 210' Ephemeral Environmental Sculpture Installation, Water is Life
• 2006: City of Mainz, Germany Permanent Collection

Public mentions and media

• 2016 – Dunnigan to be honored with bronze statue
• 2016 – Aviation Museum to unveil bronze sculpture of aviation pioneer Van Meter
• 2015 – Lexington sculptor seeks – and starts creating – more statues of notable Kentucky women, minorities, Lexington Herald Leader, Lexington, KY
• 2015 – Appeared in Documentary Film, Dreamers and Doers: VOICES of Kentucky Women
• 2015 – Restored Gratz Park 'kids' return to James Lane Allen fountain
• 2014 – Iconic Gratz Park statue to be removed for a winter of repairs, Lexington, KY
• 2013 – Dr. George Zach bronze portrait unveiled at Singletary Center for the Arts, in Lexington, KY, University of Kentucky Art Museum Permanent Collection
• 2010 – Stephen Elrod Memorial bronze sculpture unveiled at Georgetown College
• April 22, 2007 – Water is Life Ephemeral Environmental Art Installation at the Louisville Zoo, Courier Journal, Critics Pick by Diane Heilenman, visual art critic
• 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.

Grants and awards

Grants

• 2016 – Lexarts Community Arts Grant, to help fund Life Size Bronze Dryad for Lexington Women's Recognition Garden Lexarts has provided funding support for Bronze Katsina Sculpture through its Fund for the Arts
• 2016 – Carpenter Foundation Grant, $60,000.00 toward life size bronze sculpture of Alice Allison Dunnigan, cowritten with Historic Russellville, Kentucky
• 2015 – Art Meets Activism Grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women
• 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 Grant, C.A.I.P. Fayette Co., KY – Prometheus Grant for Sculpture Gardens
• 2014 – Grant, Artist Enrichment Grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women
• 2013 – Grant, Artist Enrichment Grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women
• 2012 – Grants, (2) USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program benefitting Prometheus Gardens
• 2012 – Grant, Lexington Garden Club, Prometheus Grant for Sculpture and Botanical Gardens
• 2012 – Grant, LexArts provided support for Prometheus Gardens through its Fund for the Arts
• 2008 – Grant, Artist Enrichment Grant, Kentucky Foundation for Women
• 2006 – Grant, Sister Cities of Louisville(Sister Cities International), 2006 Kunst in der Stadt, Mainz, Germany

Registries and awards

• 2012 – Art in Architecture Program National Artist Registry – U.S. General Services Administration
• 2012 – Architectural Artist Directory – Juried Member – KY Arts Council
• 2007 – NAWBO Woman Business Owner of the Year Finalist in Louisville, KY

External links

• Artist Website
• Artist Gallery