By Jonathan Burger, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc.
Where are you from and how did you end up in New Bern?
I grew up in Charlotte, N.C., but home is really my grandmother’s farm in Ridge Spring, S.C.
My husband and I found New Bern by accident. We stumbled into New Bern one evening on a road trip. New Bern allowed us to be close to water, closer to family, and provided a place where two artists could afford to buy an old historic home and live. That was a little over 10 years ago.
What teacher or mentor inspired your work or helped you most?
I am really lucky because I had a lot of fantastic teachers who I still keep up with. I would say that Brent Skidmore was probably the most fundamental to me. I met Brent when I went to Central Piedmont Community College for a year. He taught a functional design class and he introduced me to a whole new creative world where I felt at home. Today, Brent is a professor at the University of Ashville, I have sent students to him and he continues to be one of the best humans I know.
Does your work have one theme or several themes?
Looking at my work there are a few common denominators. I feel grounded in figurative work. I am included to a point, and then I get to play and experiment with shape and form. I also love surface treatments: carving, burning, drawing, and texture are so addictive to me because I share an ancient need to infuse meaning into objects with my hands.
Your process involves a lot of different mediums, materials, and techniques. Do you have a favorite?
Most of the time my techniques and material parallel my energy. For example, I like to build and use big tools during the day. It is more physical, it is loud and dusty…I have my tape-measure out and I am trying to problem-solve how to build something. When the sun starts to fade and I start worrying that my neighbors might hate me, I can sit and carve or draw. It’s more delicate. There is a different frequency, but I need those different moments when I make.
I know you teach at Craven Community College, do you see a relationship between instructing students and your work as an artist?
I find a lot of connection in teaching Art History. I enjoy researching other artists, periods, and the context in which the art was created. Then I get to tell my students the story of why artists were making what they made, why they chose certain materials, and the belief systems that motivated them. I gain inspiration from that.
I also teach foundation-level art courses with reverence. I understand how vital a good art foundation is because I use the same design principles in my work, and I take it really seriously. Sometimes, in the classroom, I get a little jealous because I want to do what they are doing. I want to draw the still life, I want to make a bandsaw box. So I keep my distance a little bit to avoid micromanaging their projects.
Is there an artist in your field or any other whose work you admire or who inspires you?
Of course! Willy Verginer, Bruno Walpoth, Brent Skidmore, Paul Sasso, Sergei Isupov, Cristina Córdova, John James Audubon, Bosch, Alice Neel, Kehinde Wiley, Jenny Saville, Marisol Escobar, Kerry James Marshall and so many more!
What specific award, exhibition, or piece are you particularly proud of, and why?
I really enjoy being part of permanent collections, that always feels a little extra special. I was so happy when The Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, LA, purchased a piece of mine. It was the first time I was included in a collection of that size and I felt so flattered.
In one sentence, what is Art to you?
Playtime for adults
Do you have advice for artists just starting out, or someone who wants to get into the arts?
I would research artists who you like and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. You will find your niche and in two years you will make it better and faster than you did today, so have fun.
I know you regularly participate in exhibitions at the Bank of the Arts, but where else can people find your work?
I have work at the Imperial center in Rocky Mount, NC, and at the Fuller Museum in Brockton MA.
Craven Arts Council & Gallery • 317 Middle Street • New Bern, NC • www.cravenarts.org • 252.638.2577