Julie
Grantz

Julie Grantz (b. 1982, Northern California) is a contemporary realist working in charcoal and pastel. Without formal fine art training, she holds a BFA in Graphic Design and began drawing seriously in 2015, later studying under Annie Murphy-Robinson. Known for her large-scale, narrative figurative works, Julie invests hundreds of hours sculpting charcoal on heavy cotton paper—drawing not just images but emotional landscapes. 

Her art channels past trauma and systemic silencing of women into visual stories of resilience, embodiment, and emerging voice. Over phenotypes of stillness and self‑portraiture, she reclaims space from invisibility and explores the duality of vulnerability and defiance. 

Julie lives and works in Alameda, California with her son and pets, building an evolving body of work that continues to draw from personal experience and broader feminist narratives. In addition to solo and group exhibitions—such as shows at the Triton Museum and the de Young Open—she has received awards including First‑Place Drawing (Salon at the Triton) and recognition at the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Awards.