BIO –  Tami J. Phelps

Juror

Tami Phelps is an Alaskan cold wax artist who believes artists have the opportunity, and quite possibly the responsibility, to take action through art with stories, knowledge, and passion about the crisis of global warming on our planet.

Growing up, she lived in diverse environments, including the plains of Nebraska, Black Hills of South Dakota, mountains of Colorado, deserts of Arizona, tropics of Hawaii, and the Alaska subarctic. It has become surreal to revisit these locations and experience their dramatic changes in her lifetime.

Most of Tami’s cold wax paintings are based on concepts and storytelling. They are often inspired by the surrealism of Salvador Dali’s art. Tami is also influenced by Dr. Maria Montessori’s cultural curriculum of the hands-on studies of air, land, and water, and her teachings of respect for self, others, and the environment. Sixteen years ago, Tami retired from a 20-year teaching career in a public Montessori school in Anchorage, Alaska, and is now a full-time artist.

Tami has exhibited her award-winning artwork on national and international stages. Some of these include EAI Global Warming exhibitions, the London Art Biennale 2023, and the preeminent report on climate change in the United States—the 2023 National Climate Assessment Report—with her artwork heading the chapter on climate change in Alaska. Additional information about her Conceptual Nature art collection and much more can be found on her website, tamiphelps.com. Be sure to watch Tami’s video, which can be found here.

Tami learns from and appreciates other artists who challenge her to reach beyond what makes her feel comfortable. Bring it!

“I dreamt of painting with light bulbs in a ‘kiddy pool’ as if they were sidewalk chalk sticks. My water-top painting dream haunted me, inspiring reflection on my waking concerns about our planet’s confrontation with the surreal nightmare of climate change that will not wake up on its own.”

— Tami Phelps