Personne Extraordinaire - Amanda Matthews

Amanda Matthews, an incredible individual and very talented artist, whose remarkable work over several decades is an inspiration in countless ways!She is an American sculptor/designer of large-scale public art and the space it inhabits. She is also a writer, public speaker, and CEO of Prometheus Art, a Design/Build Firm located in Lexington, KY. Fairness, civil rights, community, and accessibility are central to Matthews’ work. She serves as President of the Artemis Initiative Board of Directors, Chair of the Kentucky Oral History Commission, and is a founding member of Monumental Women of Kentucky, a State Commission. A graduate of the University of Louisville, she holds a BA in Studio Art & Philosophy and studied Fine Art & Architecture in Paris, France. She has received 23 professional grants and several significant business awards, including the SBA Pacesetter Award, NAWBO Business Owner of the Year STRIVE Award, and the National Association of Women in Construction Bluegrass Diamond Award – and was a honored speaker at the 2022 United Nations Foundation Global Leadership Summit, Girl Up Division, on Storytelling and Advocacy in Public Art. Her work has garnered national and international media coverage, including features for CBS Saturday Morning and NBC News NOW, alongside pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, NPR, All Things Considered, and Smithsonian Magazine, which listed The Girl Puzzle Monument 3rd of 9 “Must-See Sculptural Installations” in the world. Matthews’ work resides in notable collections such as New York City Public Art Collection, Kentucky Capital Monuments Collection, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport Collection.