Spencer Legendre-Gillespie is an artist and educator based in the Twin Cities. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including shows at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY, and a solo show at the ArtLab in Fort Myers, FL. Spencer’s practice spans painting, mixed media, and experimental video, often exploring themes of identity, fluidity, and the physical process of art making.

Spencer has received multiple grants and awards, including a 2023 MRAC Flexible Support Grant for Ladylike, an experimental art project she co-founded in 2022. She has also participated in residencies such as the Signal Culture Artist Residency for experimental video in Loveland, Colorado. Her work has been featured in publications like MPLS Art and MPR Art and Culture.

She earned her BA from Florida Gulf Coast University and her MFA from Colorado State University, where she also served as an adjunct professor. Currently, Spencer is an Upper School art instructor at St. Paul Academy & Summit School and the Selections Committee Chair for The Northern Warehouse.

Curriculum Vitae PDF

My practice bridges the physical process of art making with an interdisciplinary approach that includes experimental video. In both mediums, I draw from a wide array of materials and collected footage, selecting and layering elements intuitively. My studio work involves a dynamic process of adding, subtracting, repurposing, and obscuring materials to create layered compositions that explore gendered symbols, colors, and identity. Similarly, my digital practice involves blending and disrupting narratives within the collected footage, addressing societal constructs and the ways we consume gendered themes.

Through text, repeated symbols, and layered visuals, my work reflects on identity and the interpretations we bring to familiar imagery. Whether working with physical materials or digital media, I use a process-driven approach to navigate my place in the world, revisiting and refining each piece to reveal fresh perspectives. The resulting works invite viewers to experience these layers both formally and conceptually, creating a visual dialogue that is deeply personal and universally resonant.