Our Story
Hello!
Like many things in the art world, the Northeast Emerging Artist Association began with a chance encounter between two young artists.
In May of 2026, Melissa Mauri and Morgan Pietrorazio met while exhibiting their paintings at Kent Art Association’s Spring National Juried Show. They were introduced by others at the gallery, who were excited to see two young faces eager to make connections and begin their careers.
The two quickly realized how much they had in common: passionate about art, the experience of entering the professional scene, and the same question:
“How are emerging artists supposed to find real, genuine community in this new modern art world?”
While Morgan had just received her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Melissa had just finished her third year at Pratt Institute, both were experiencing a sense of isolation that many beginning-of-career artists face, especially at a time when social media interactions can replace real, genuine conversations, connections, and community.
“Is there something we can do to change that?”
Together with Kent Art Association, they began development of a new organization for emerging artists in the Northeast, one geared towards a new generation of professional creatives.
We hope to provide a space where no emerging artist has to feel like they’re navigating this journey alone, and build the kind of community we wish existed when we were just beginning.
We hope that you will consider coming along with us for the ride.