Amy Packer spent her formative years on the dusty plains of Kansas and West Texas, places where the sky is almost as endless as the wind. The folks were good, the sunsets and night skies sparkled, but it was a land of practicality, not whimsy.
After college, Packer found her way to Tennessee, and eventually into the outdoors. She began hiking trails dotted with waterfalls, vistas and valleys. The shift from wide open spaces to immersive forests was transformative. Those adventures felt like stumbling upon a little bit of magic that she yearned to take with her.
Much like nature’s continual evolution, Packer’s professional path had many turns. From her early days as a Peace Corps drop-out, to toying with a run at a creative writing MFA, fundraising for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, marketing for industrial companies and later studying the mind-body connection as a massage therapist. These experiences inform her understanding of narrative, presence, and human connection—elements that quietly underpin her studio practice.
Her artistic evolution accelerated with the abrupt halt of the 2020 pandemic. One can only bake so much bread, so eventually Packer began taking online painting courses and began sharing her work on social media. These online connections led to the invitation to participate in her first formal art show, Taking Up Space: Southeastern Scope in 2024. This is the spark that led her to a greater momentum in her personal artistic style and active engagement with her local arts community.
Packer has participated in group shows and exhibits in Chattanooga, TN, including the Association for Visual Art’s (AVA) Salon Show in 2024 and 2025, CHA Art Space “Flora & Fauna” in 2025, AVA and CHI Memorial “Winter” Exhibit 2025. Packer is also a founding member of MatriArt Collective (2024), an organization that aims to support Mother/Artists by providing community and improving access to artistic opportunities for Mother/Artists.
