Justin Poole is Associate Professor of Theater and the Theater Program
Director for EMU, where he also teaches classes on art history. He
and his wife Amanda lead semester-long performance and visual art-
themed study abroad programs to Europe and Morocco.

​

Traveling is the greatest source of inspiration for Justin's own performance and visual art. He continues to hone his skills by engaging with performances and performers wherever he travels. He frequently observes and sketches the works of the masters at some of his favorite European art museums, especially Vienna, Austria's Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Albertina.

​

Justin is also the Artist-In-Residence at Asbury United Methodist Church, where he manages the gallery space and seeks to integrate art and faith.

​

​

ARTIST STATEMENT

​

Much of my visual art functions as a travelogue, highlighting interesting sites I visit. For each painting, I usually use a photo or a variety of photos and sketches as references, as I complete the paintings in my studio. I often omit certain objects and add or highlight others,while embellishing the colors and allowing my own romanticised notions of the locations to shine through. Some of the works are city scapes of places in Europe and Morocco, which avid travelers might readily recognize. Yet others are of more intimate, or out of the way places. Oftentimes, the different tastes and smells of a location come to define it in my mind; therefore, my work also features still lifes. Each of these pictures has a story. For those who have traveled to the places represented here, I hope that these images evoke happy memories. For those who have not traveled extensively, I hope that my paintings spark your interest and cause you to seek out adventures of your own. I am always looking for new challenges and happily accept commissions. If you would like me to paint a picture of one of your favorite locations, feel free to contact me.