My art grows from the soil of the Appalachian Mountains, where stories, textures, and quiet resilience shape everything I create.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favorite art to create is tactile, nature-rooted, metaphor-driven work that helps people feel something they haven’t had words for. I can Hear the color green.
Where do you find inspiration?I’m inspired by the belief that art can make emotional truth feel safer, more accessible, and more human. I create because I want people to feel connected — to themselves, to each other, and to the land that holds us. Everything I make is an invitation: to pause, to breathe, to remember, to feel, and to belong.
What would you do with $25,000?“With a budget of $25,000, I can sculpt the Miner’s Prayer Wheels into a powerful, permanent tribute to Harlan’s mining families. This installation will honor our history, uplift our community, and create a place of reflection and resilience. Help me bring this vision to life for the people who carried these mountains on their backs.”
Vote for Susan Olivia Petty to become The People's Artist while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Art of Elysium in their mission to use art as a catalyst to help people triumph over difficult life challenges.
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like The People's Artist, Colossal offers participants the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact.
