From Apple Grove, West Virginia, Emalea Neal Rupe earned her Associates in 2013 and BFA in Visual Art from the University of Rio Grande in 2016. Rupe has exhibited works in various shows, including the Point Pleasant River Museum, Huntington Museum of Art, Southern Ohio Museum and the Parkersburg Arts Center. She has also painted murals in Rio Grande, Ohio and displayed a drawing in South Wales. Rupe takes on many different art projects as well as drawing/painting commission portraits.

"Living in Appalachia, everything in daily life becomes an influence in my work. Art is a reflection of feelings and the way in which we live. It just comes natural to recreate what is familiar; our emotion, our struggles, joy, and pain. Life is a race we are constantly running, the chasing of a dream! Often we feel invisible, struggling to find a place in this world. In my photography, I have tried to capture just that. Compromise, compassion, and the forward pace of our existence leads us to the realization that we need to enjoy every moment, to embrace those we love. For life is just a vapour."