Emily Swinsick, a Sacramento State alumna, is exhibiting her work at the Tim Collom Gallery in Downtown Sacramento through Jan. 31.

Swinsick describes her work as abstract with textures, layers and solid mixed media. Most of her inspiration comes from and revolves around vintage textiles, fabrics and hand-woven materials.

“Most of it is things that are made by hand. Those tactile type things where they can see imperfections and see that somebody made it,” Swinsick said.

Swinsick, a 32-year-old San Diego County native, moved to Sacramento as a teenager and has been living there ever since. This made her decision to go to Sac State simple.

“I wanted to stay local to the area and I just loved Sac State’s art program,” Swinsick said. “I loved it so much and I was happy to have found my mentors there.”

Swinsick said some of her mentors include Sac State art professors Sarah Flohr, Robert Ortbal, Andrew Connelly, and Rachel Clarke. These are the people that she said pushed her to continue on with her education and art career.

“They’re just amazing, the entire program is just wonderful,” Swinsick said. “It doesn’t get enough credit. It should.”

Swinsick graduated from Sac State with a Bachelors of Arts in art studio in 2010 and later returned to receive her Masters in art studio in 2013.

Now, Swinsick has an open gallery called the “Winter Garden” at the Tim Collom Gallery on 20th Street.

The Tim Collom Gallery showcases many different types of art throughout the year. Anyone can apply to have their work showcased at the gallery.

Gallery assistant Caitlin Toomey said that the crowds vary throughout the week.

“Saturdays are our busiest days but we always get people coming in throughout the week,” Toomey said. “The receptions bring in a lot of people, as well.”

Toomey watches and assists over the gallery during open hours. She said that those interested in showcasing their work can send an email with photos of their work to the director of the gallery, Nisa Hayden.

When Swinsick was a child, she said she realized she had to be involved with arts in some way. She looked up to her mother who she said would often find time to draw when she was younger.

“My mother is a nurse but she always drew, so it was kind of one of those things I’d look up to. I admired her for it,” Swinsick said. “As an only child, I was able to draw too and I didn’t have to worry about anyone or anything.”

Swinsick didn’t start her college career as an art studio major, she dabbled in fashion and design. She said it was later into her college career when she found art studio.

When Swinsick is not creating, she works at Hamilton Jewelers and is a happy step-mom-to-be to two children. Before that, she said she worked as a bartender for ten years, and that her time in college was some of the best in her life.

“It was absolutely the best time, I made the bestest friends,” Swinsick said. “Just go sit in the middle of the quad or go have a bowl of Pho at Saigon and just people watch, it’s the best thing.”

When she wasn’t hanging around the quad, Swinsick said she spent her time in the Art Sculpture Lab on campus. Although she loved the building, she said it’s a building that doesn’t get much attention.

“Art doesn’t get as much funding as it should because it obviously doesn’t bring as much money as football, but the artists are there all the time and work their absolute butts off,” Swinsick said.

Swinsick considered that building to be her home.

“I was there for six years, it was our home,” Swinsick said. “You made coffee in the back and told stories, talking about life and it always fed into art.”

As a student, Swinsick had her work showcased at the R. W. Witt Gallery, the Robert Else Gallery and the University Writing and Reading Center on campus.

Swinsick said she knows she is a student at heart and wants to continue to gain knowledge in many different subjects, specifically history.

“I wish I could be a professional student, I want to learn a little bit of everything,” Swinsick said.

Swinsick said she has thought about becoming a professor in the future and possibly pursuing that as the next move in her career.