Emily Gray Koehler

How and why did you become an artist?

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t making art or creating something. As a child, I went everywhere with a sketchbook and pencils. I’m not sure there was ever any question that I would pursue the arts, but I had several art mentors in my youth who both inspired and encouraged me to do so, including my mother, an artist herself, my elementary art teacher, and a printmaker friend of family who let me play in her studio. Perhaps most significantly, my uncle, Ed Gray (Jikiwe), a regionally known ceramicist, showed me it was possible with sacrifice, dedication and practice to have a successful career as a studio artist. Armed with their examples and support, I received a BFA with an emphasis in printmaking in 2006 and set out to make my way as an artist.

In other words, I cannot imagine doing anything other than being an artist. Making art is akin to breathing. Those who supported me over the years made my pursuit of this crazy career both an attainable dream and a tangible reality.

What medium(s) do you work in?

Printmaking.

How long have you been working as an artist?

I have been working as a professional artist since 2006.

What are some of your biggest inspirations as an artist?

I am most inspired by nature. Both that which I encounter in my gardens and on travels as well as the mechanisms and cycles of nature I’ve studied in scientific books and journals. I find the magic of life and death, decay and regeneration of particular interest as vital themes central to the condition of being alive. From the intimate vibrancy of blooming ephemerals in spring and the fleshy vitality of a colony of mushrooms on a downed tree to the singular luminosity of the night sky and the humbling vastness of Lake Superior on a calm morning, I let nature lead me to inspiration; my eyes and heart open to what she reveals every day.

What is your connection to Northeast Minneapolis?

I have had a studio in the Historic Thorp Building in NE Minneapolis since 2019.

How does Art-A-Whirl benefit you as an artist?

Art-A-Whirl is a truly unique animal among all the studio crawls, art fairs and creator’s markets that proliferate the region. Art-A-Whirl is our opportunity, as artists, to invite everyone from seasoned art collectors to the art-curious into our workspaces; to peek behind the curtain and see where the magic happens. The vastness and diversity of AAW provides opportunities for artist and viewer alike to find each other and develop relationships and inspiration.

Any good stories or memories of an experience at Art-A-Whirl that you can share? What stands out?

As a printmaker, the various mediums I employ are process heavy. For most folks these processes remain elusive. So, each Art-A-Whirl, I host a demonstration, be it printing simple woodcuts on cards, carving a more complicated reduction woodcut, building a collagraph plate or printing a delicate drypoint. One of my favorite moments during any demonstration is when a visitor who has never watched the process before suddenly gets it. Their eyes light up and the questions begin to flow. I think most printmakers spend a lot of time and energy explaining their process, but I take particular pride in the exercise as I believe learning and education benefit us all.

What has being a NEMAA member meant to you? What do you value most about membership?

From my NEMAA membership, I certainly value the ability to participate in Art-A-Whirl and all the visitors who find me and my work at the event. However, I think the thing I appreciate most about my membership is the connection and fellowship it fosters among artists. Most of us spend a lot of time working alone in our quiet little studios. My involvement with NEMAA has encouraged me to get out of my studio from time to time, to see what others are making, and even to develop some lifelong friendships!

What do you wish more people knew about the arts scene in Northeast Minneapolis?

I wish more folks appreciated how truly unique this arts community is. There are very few cities in this country that can claim such an art scene. I also wish folks knew that the art scene in Northeast Minneapolis is year-round. Artists are always working on new pieces and opening their spaces for special events, appointments and demonstrations.

Art-A-Whirl and NEMAA turn 30 years old in 2025. Can you believe it? What changes have you witnessed?

I am continually impressed by the scale of Art-A-Whirl as well as the ever-evolving support NEMAA provides to the community. As the event has grown there are always new challenges to address, new constituents to serve and new artists to welcome. NEMAA always finds a way to navigate these changing complexities through innovation and dedication.

Why is art important in our community?

​​I think the more germane question is: Why is art important? My answer is the same whether we are talking about our community in Northeast Minneapolis, our region, our country or the world at large. Art not only tells us who we are, it dreams about who we could be. In this society so filled with tribalism, otherness and toxicity, art is and will be our way back to ourselves.

Can you imagine a world WITHOUT the arts community in Northeast Minneapolis? How would the community be different?

Honestly, I don’t want to imagine a world without the arts community in Northeast Minneapolis. Without it, Northeast would be just another bland urban neighborhood bleeding into the next. The arts community breathes life into the neighborhood giving it a specialness of which few other places in the country can boast. 

What are your hopes and dreams for Art-A-Whirl, NEMAA, and/or the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District in the next 30 years?

Over my years of being an artist, I have watched so many fantastic arts organizations cease to exist. While NEMAA and Art-A-Whirl are robust and well-run now, I will always hope for that to continue. In 30 years I would want to see NEMAA just as strong and active as today, celebrating and supporting the arts and artists of the region with honor and dedication.

If you could make one change in Northeast Minneapolis, no matter the cost, what would it be?

If I could make one change without concern for cost, I would stop the march of gentrification. It is a known phenomenon that artists begin the process of gentrification as they often open their studios in low-rent, old industrial areas. After the artists come the developers who eventually price the artists out of the area. While I would not want to go back to a time before the artists came to Northeast, I would want to find a way to protect the studio buildings and cap rent for artists. This would not only keep artists in Northeast, it would also keep the opportunity of the arts and all it inspires for everyone, not just for wealthy collectors and the gallerists they employ.

Tell us again why you love being an artist and what your work brings to the community.

I love being an artist because art is life! I cannot imagine doing anything else with my time here on this earth. I hope that passion along with the years of practice translate into works of art which bring joy and occasionally encourage the viewer to think about their place in nature.