Emily Rippentrop discovered her passion for painting as an extracurricular activity in middle school. Now a Class of 2024 student at Mahtomedi High School (MHS), Emily’s paintings have been showcased by the White Bear Center for the Arts, but she’s most known for her work as an artist who paints positive murals.
She painted her first mural in 2022 and has now painted six murals. Painting the murals is a paid commission for her, and she will be returning to paint more this summer. The murals are a fixture at Sticks, The Ice Pop Shop in Stillwater, Minnesota. The murals inspire people to take selfies and group photos, but what is most special is how her murals pose a question and encourage people to respond to the question right on the mural, making it an interactive public art.
At MHS, Emily started painting classes in her sophomore year. Since then, she has taken Advanced Placement (AP) Drawing Portfolio I, Photography, and Digital Graphics. She is currently enrolled in AP Drawing Portfolio II, taught by Craig Mickelson, who encourages her to incorporate different techniques and that her ideas are connected. He shared this about Emily, "Emily is a very mature, dedicated, creative and inspiring student that positively affects everyone around her with her art, and overall positive personality."
The theme this year for her portfolio is self-discovery. The 15 pieces that she is working on serve as a mosaic of who she is as a person. For her pieces, she draws with pencil and uses acrylic paint. This year, she is exploring mixed media and making three-dimensional pieces. Emily recently showcased her AP Drawing Portfolio II work at the Zephyr Learning Showcase, discussing her paintings and the portfolio process with members of the community.
Alicia Wilma, Emily’s first painting teacher and mentor, encouraged her to submit and showcase her art. Emily credits Ms. Wilma’s push to showcase her art as how she discovered her identity as an artist. Emily shares this advice with other students: “Try as many classes as you can. I am still trying new things, and I discovered photography this year. It's important to try and explore showcasing art. It’s a leap of faith, but has impacted who I am.”
In addition to painting more murals, Emily is also a photographer and enjoys designing magazine covers. She plans to attend college and major in art and study graphic design. You can see her art in action on her Instagram page at www.instagram.com/emilyjean.art