About

Artist Bio

Emily Clanton is a mixed media artist and arts in public health researcher based in Weaverville, NC. Her work uses participatory art as a tool to gently challenge structures that hinder connection between neighbors, create barriers to pursuing wellbeing, and overlook the existence of creative offerings that can complement medical approaches to health issues.

Her current project, The Ties That Bind AVL, is a time-based, site-specific installation that invites people to tie fabric strips to a temporary fence—each a small act of release, intention, or remembrance. What began as a contribution to the Community Gathering of Grief and Joy has evolved into a modular public ritual. The strips weather over time, shifting in color and form, quietly marking change.

This project was initiated independently, offering a real-world test of how socially engaged art can thrive beyond formal institutions. Emily is now seeking thoughtful partnerships to extend its reach and impact. She brings a background in socially engaged art and arts in medicine, including graduate work at the University of Florida, into each decision: from materials to ethics to documentation. Her practice centers repetition, accessibility, and real-time adaptation as tools for connection and care.

She is actively seeking artistic and professional mentorship, partnerships, and future opportunities that value rigorous, inclusive, community-informed work.

You can find her at emilyclantonart.com or on Instagram @ecclanton.