Elyse A. Spencer (b. 2001) is an interdisciplinary artist who explores themes of grief, memory and collective healing across multiple mediums. Through still and moving image making, printmaking, research, archiving and performance art, Spencer documents the fragile intersections of memory, space, community and identity. Drawing from her upbringing in Rochester, NY, her practice meditates on personal and collective histories. Using photography as the foundation, Spencer navigates themes of belonging, allowing the work to serve as a vessel for preserving the stories that linger in silence.
A 2026 MFA graduate from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Spencer’s current work Take a Walk With Me provides a platform for gun violence survivors to share their stories, build connections with other survivors and receive support from partnering organizations committed to violence prevention. As a gun violence survivor herself, Spencer calls on communities to recognize their own mortality and resist choosing violence as a first response. Through collaborative storytelling and documentary practice, she uses art as a tool for advocacy, remembrance, and community care.
