Emily Mayo is an artist, wife, and a mother of 2 young boys. She received an MFA in Drawing from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2018.  She has been teaching drawing fundamentals at the college level since 2017. She currently teaches and serves as the Gallery Preparator in the Art  & Art History Dept. at Hope College in Holland, MI and lives in Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

Born in Flint, Michigan, Emily Mayo’s work explores themes of compassion, holiness, redemption, and personal experience. Drawing from her spiritual upbringing and recent postpartum, her projects reframe historical imagery, such as Madonna and Child, within contemporary contexts. Her practice often blends personal narrative with broader cultural and social inquiries. Working in a variety of mediums including drawing and installation her pieces have been showcased in exhibitions around the U.S. She has won several awards in these exhibitions. Her work has been featured in several publications including the 13th Manifest INDA, ArtMaze Magazine in London, and three drawing instructional books. She has participated in several artist residencies including a full fellowship to Vermont Studio Center. Emily Mayo received an MFA in Drawing from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2018. She currently teaches in the Art & Art History Dept. at Hope College in Holland, MI. She lives in Grand Rapids, MI, where she raises her two young boys with her husband, Nick Mayo.