FOUNDER & WINE CURATOR

Anna Sweet’s story is a testament to the beauty of blending artistry and ambition. A Manhattan School of Visual Arts dropout turned global success story, Anna’s work as a visual artist has earned a place in prestigious collections worldwide, garnering the admiration of collectors and art enthusiasts alike. Her creative spirit and bold vision have always pushed boundaries, leading her to her next great canvas: the wine world.

Anna started her journey to becoming a Sommelier with the WSET program in 2018. She visited Oregon for the first time and worked her first harvest with Ken Wright in 2019. Shortly after, Anna and her husband planted roots in Oregon’s celebrated Dundee Hills wine region, purchasing a vineyard with a dream to reimagine the wine experience. From there, Anna moved on to hand-farming a vineyard with her husband in 2021 on Chehalem Mountain to understand the complexities and importance of every decision from the ground up. She fell in love with a French style of winemaking, working alongside winemaker Guillaume Large of Resonance in 2021, the same year of Artist Block’s first vintage. Over the next four years, Anna worked alongside winemaker and MW Bree Stock to create the beginning of Artist Block wine. 

As of 2025, Anna is collaborating with a new, soon-to-be-announced female winemaker to execute her vision for Artist Block. Anna wants to encourage the belief that you can do anything you set your mind to and that fine wine should always be accessible and unpretentious. 

VINEYARD MANAGER

Chris has been farming world-class vineyards since 2013. As a sommelier and beverage consultant in the Baltimore restaurant industry, he developed a passion for wine. Then he dove headfirst into production, working outside the country with stints as a cellar rat in the Western Cape of South Africa and Waipara, New Zealand. His travels introduced him to both winemaking and viticulture. After returning home, Chris moved to Napa Valley, where he began the Viticulturist role at Opus One and became a key member of their winemaking team. Ambitious and seeking adventure in a new sphere of the wine world, Chris decided to move north to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in the summer of 2018, whereupon he joined the Atlas Team as Vineyard Manager.

GENERAL MANAGER

Jessy and Anna have known each other since High School. They completed their WSET level 2 together before working their first harvest in Oregon in 2019. They quickly fell in love with Oregon wine, and Jessy recently moved from Crested Butte, Colorado, to join Anna at the helm of Artist Block. Together, they are working to change how wine is enjoyed in the Willamette Valley.

Jessy’s favorite Artist Block wine is Woo Juice.

TASTING ROOM LEAD

Britt's love for travel, delicious food, and great wine started during a road trip with her dad in Italy. Upon returning home, she entered the Wine Studies program at Central Washington University and graduated top of her class. After working harvest at Résonance and a year at Ponzi Vineyards, she joined Artist Block. Brittany’s joyful spirit, bright smile, and exceptional hospitality set the bar for our employees. When not at Artist Block, Britt loves being outside with friends and planning her next international travels.

Brittany’s favorite Artist Block wIne is “Rainbow Juice.”

GALLERY CURATOR

Curator Emma Schmitt earned her degree in Studio Art from George Fox University. She started working with Owner, Anna Sweet as her Studio Manager in 2022 and joined Artist Block as curator as they launched in May 2023. Emma adores color and pop art so working on Artist Block’s curation has been a dream.

Emma enjoys spending time with her partner and researching art and pop culture history. Her favorite AB wine is “Cha-Ching Cha-Ching.”