Today we’d like to introduce you to Spencer-Grace Hiday.
Hi Spencer-Grace, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been an artist, but my path into this work didn’t start in a traditional way. I studied art formally and spent several years as an elementary art teacher and later directing an art program, where I learned not only how to create, but how to communicate and connect through art. At the same time, I was sketching constantly, one point even drawing portraits on napkins at VCU med parties with my now-husband, which is where I realized how fast and intuitive my process had become.
In 2018, everything shifted when friends asked me to live paint their wedding as a form of entertainment. That experience completely changed my understanding of what art could be—something not just observed, but experienced in real time. What started as a favor quickly grew into a business as more people began asking for the same energy at their events.
In 2022, I took the leap and left my teaching career to pursue Spencer Grace Art full-time. Since then, my husband and I have built a live event art business that blends fine art, performance, and storytelling, ranging from large-scale live paintings to guest portraits and textile work. We’ve had the honor of working across weddings, corporate events, and cultural celebrations, both locally and internationally.
My work is deeply rooted in connection,capturing not just how something looked, but how it felt. Whether it’s a wedding moment, a cultural fusion, or a room full of people, I’m always chasing that intersection of memory, emotion, and artistry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Honestly, I never thought owning a business would be for me. My mindset has always been rooted in art, not in traditional business, so learning how to step into that role—and rewire the way I think—was a challenge.
There was a real learning curve in understanding pricing, communication, and how to advocate for my work. For a long time, I was creating from instinct while figuring out the structure as I went.
A major turning point for me came during a really difficult season in my life. After experiencing a miscarriage, it forced me to take a step back and reevaluate everything—especially the job I was in at the time, which I knew wasn’t serving me. That moment gave me the clarity and push I needed to leave and fully commit to building something of my own.
As I began establishing my business, I also became more intentional about the life I wanted to build alongside it. Becoming a mother shifted everything again—in the best way. Having my daughter gave me a deeper sense of purpose and motivation, not just to sustain my business, but to grow it into something expansive and lasting.
Over time, I found my footing. I began to understand not just the logistics of running a business, but the importance of relationships within the industry. I think what ultimately shifted everything for me was realizing that business, at its core, is connection—and that’s something I’ve always known how to do. Once I leaned into that, everything started to click.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a live event artist and creative, and the core of my work is bringing art into spaces where people can experience it in real time. Through my business, Spencer Grace Art, I create live paintings, guest portraits, and textile-based work at weddings, corporate events, and cultural celebrations. My work lives at the intersection of fine art and performance, capturing moments as they’re happening and turning them into something lasting.
I specialize in speed and connection. Whether I’m painting a large-scale canvas or illustrating dozens of guests in a single evening, my focus is always on making people feel seen. That’s really what I’ve become known for, that ability to translate energy, emotion, and atmosphere into something tangible, quickly and intuitively.
I’m incredibly proud of the range my work has taken me. I’ve had the opportunity to work with large corporations like the NFL and Porsche, creating art in high-energy, high-visibility environments, which has been an amazing validation of this path. At the same time, some of the work I’m most proud of is deeply personal, especially my motherhood series. In that body of work, I’ve explored using found and natural materials, focusing on a return to the earth in small, intentional ways. It’s a quieter, more reflective side of my practice that grounds everything else I do.
What sets me apart is that balance. I’m equally invested in the spectacle and energy of live event work as I am in the intimacy and meaning behind the art itself. Everything i craft, whether it’s for a crowd of hundreds or a single piece in the studio , is rooted in storytelling, connection, and a desire to make people feel something real.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One book I always come back to is Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay. It’s such a beautiful deep dive into the origins of color—how the pigments we use as artists connect to history, trade, culture, even food and clothing. It really shifts the way you see color, not just as something visual, but as something lived and carried through time.
In general, I just love consuming anything about art and artists. One of my favorite podcasts is ArtHoles by Michael Anthony. It’s a little raunchy, very funny, but also incredibly well-researched and thoughtful. It’s helped me better understand the artists I’ve admired—both the brilliance of their work and the more complicated or problematic parts of their lives. It’s made me more intentional about who and what I choose to celebrate, and has deepened my respect for artists who truly gave back to the world in meaningful ways.
If you’re someone who loves art but also wants a more honest, unfiltered look at the people behind it, it’s a great listen.
Pricing:
- $2100-3000 for live paintings
- $80-600 for watercolors done in studio
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spencergraceartspace.com/
- Instagram: @Spencergraceartspace
- TikTok: @Spencergraceartspace
