Location: 
Clayton Staples Gallery
McKnight Art Center West
School of Art, Design and Creative Industries

Ecologies of the Self | Emily E. Ritter
on view through May 15, 2026

Gallery hours:
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Exhibition-related events
Artist Talk | Thursday, April 2 | 2:30 p.m.
McKnight Art Center West, Room 210

Meet-the-Artist Reception | Thursday, April 2 | 3:30–4:30 p.m.
McKnight Art Center West, Clayton Staples Gallery (2nd floor)

Workshop | Friday, April 10 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

From the artist
Ecologies of the Self brings together several threads from my artistic practice, including wildlife illustration, ecological exploration, and emotion-based drawings. My work examines how humans connect to the natural world, from observing urban wildlife to imagining future ecosystems shaped by human impact. More recent pieces merge symbolic animal imagery with emotional mark-making, exploring resilience, transformation, and the interconnectedness of life. 

About the artist
Emily E. Ritter is an interdisciplinary artist currently living in Kansas. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in Printmaking from Wichita State University in 2012. After graduating, Ritter was an Intern-in-Residence at Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY in 2014. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Arizona State University in 2018. Ritter's work explores various ecological themes, most recently creating symbolic artworks that feature native Kansas flora and fauna. She has exhibited her work locally, nationally, and internationally.