Julie Upmeyer received her B.F.A. from Grand Valley State University in Ceramics, Sculpture and Graphic Design in 2003. Her work as an artist has been highly influenced by the recycling of everyday materials, turning abandoned items into art. Her time spent in Istanbul, Turkey, working with ideas surrounding food, space, and the Internet, has also been influential in her art.

Julie Upmeyer creates site and context specific works, generally interactive, often times edible. After graduating from GVSU, she moved abroad to embark on a three-year nomadic life working for artists and arts organizations in India, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Greece. Moving to Istanbul in 2006, she set up shop, found jobs, and continued with her art practice, initiating projects such as the Virtual Chef- a trans-locational interactive cooking experience. Continuing with international projects, she has recently exhibited in Armenia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, The United States of America and Turkey. She is co-owner of Caravansarai, a production space, meeting point and artist residency in Istanbul and works as website editor for Res Artis, the international network of artist residency programs.