“I must leave now for one of those small church night meetings which are usually more exhausting than the immediate returns seem to warrant, but it’s a part of the spade work, so let it be.”
-Ella Josephine Baker, Mother of the Civil Rights Movement
Spadework Studio is the printmaking and folk art practice of Amanda, a South Carolina-born and Texas-raised artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Rooted in folklore, ancestral wisdom, spiritual connection, and community transformation, her work explores themes of activism, joy, belonging, and collective survival. Through relief prints and intuitive image-making, Amanda creates visual narratives that emerge from the subconscious, inviting viewers to discover their own meanings and connections. Inspired by the organizing principle of “spadework”—the daily, intentional labor that makes lasting change possible—her art honors both the creative process and the slow, foundational work of building a more just and connected world.
As a community organizer, Amanda learned that transformation comes through the daily work of building relationships, studying, unlearning, and laying strong foundations—not just through big moments.
Her printmaking practice follows that same philosophy. Every carving, proof, and revision is part of the spadework, including the literal act of cutting into wood and other materials. Spadework Studio reflects her commitment to aligning her creative practice with her belief that meaningful art, like meaningful social change, is built through intentional, steady work.
