Bio
Charles Elwell is a visual artist from rural Lebanon, Tennessee, currently completing a BFA in Studio Art at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), with an expected graduation date set in December 2025. Working primarily in painting and printmaking, his multimedia practice often incorporates digital technologies and found objects.

Charles is actively involved in the MTSU art department, serving on the Student Gallery Committee and participating in The Garage, an alumni-led art collective. His work has recently been exhibited in ArtFields at Acline Studios in Lake City, South Carolina, the Mcfarland Student Gallery and Todd 210 Gallery at MTSU, and the Murfree Gallery in downtown Murfreesboro.

He has assisted Professor Sisavanh Houghton with Saturdays at Todd painting workshops and contributed to a summer color theory course. Charles also served as a paid volunteer for the Creative Arts Summer program – an initiative supported by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui, the Lahaina Arts Guild, and the University of Hawaii Maui College. Most recently, he studied abroad in Mendoza, Argentina, further expanding his artistic and cultural perspective.

Statement
My most recent work discusses how memory can affect our feelings toward the present moment.
Each year feels more significant than the last, yet with time, routines become ingrained, places more familiar, and experiences increasingly monotonous — everything seemingly stagnant. But within this illusion of stability, there’s an uneasiness, a sense that something could emerge.
While the present may feel static, my thoughts and emotions about the past remain fluid. Memory bends around the mundane, transforming it into something extraordinary. My work captures stills from daily life — architecture and everyday objects — and fuses them with the memories they evoke. A cigarette, for instance, might recall conversations with family or friends. In these quiet moments, flashes of the remarkable reveal themselves.