Upmeyer in the John Smith room as part of the exhibition Sui Generis, 2019 @ Plas Bodfa. Image: Kerry Roberts
Julie Upmeyer is an artist, curator and community initiator whose work brings together art, heritage, landscape and social exchange. Originally from the United States and now based on Ynys Môn / Anglesey in North Wales, her practice spans sculpture, installation, performance, publishing, residencies and community projects. Across her work runs a fascination with materials, labour, layered histories, everyday objects and the ways people connect through shared spaces and experiences.
Over the past two decades, Julie’s projects have taken her across the world, from international residencies and exhibitions to collaborative initiatives rooted in specific communities and places. In Istanbul she co-founded Caravansarai Art Space, an independent artist-run residency and cultural exchange space that welcomed creatives from around the globe for experimentation, collaboration and research. Her projects there combined food, storytelling, participation and contemporary art, often blurring the boundaries between hospitality, performance and social gathering.
Since moving to Wales in 2019, Julie has focused much of her energy on Plas Bodfa, a historic manor house and grounds in the village of Llangoed. Together with collaborators, artists and local communities, she has helped transform the once-empty building into a vibrant creative hub hosting exhibitions, residencies, performances, environmental projects, heritage research and experimental cultural events. Plas Bodfa Project CIC includes a wide range of projects and initiatives, activities connect contemporary creativity with the stories, ecology and social fabric of Anglesey, encouraging participation across generations and disciplines.
Julie’s approach extends beyond galleries and formal art spaces. Through projects such as Sinema Llangoed community cinema, the Aberlleiniog Sculpture Trail, heritage initiatives, village events such as the Llangoed Flower Show and Llangoed Harvest Festival and being part of the programming team of Llangoed Village Hall, she champions creativity as something deeply woven into everyday life. Her work often invites people to look again at overlooked histories, materials and landscapes, creating moments of curiosity, connection and shared imagination.
Her artistic practice remains central throughout — whether creating intricate sculptural works from found materials, exploring geology and deep through installation and performance, or documenting the layered histories of places through text, objects and collaboration. Across all her initiatives, Julie Upmeyer combines artistic experimentation with community-building, transforming spaces into places of encounter, participation and possibility.