We were lucky to catch up with Grace Hoag recently and have shared our conversation below.

Grace, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

The best boss I ever had is Pam Meadows during the time I worked as a Gallery Assistant at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley from 2017 through my graduation in 2019. Pam was the first person who ever interviewed me for a job, and I did not get the job at the galleries my first try- my first interview was not great at all. I re-interviewed again the next year, and Pam was so impressed by how much I had improved that she hired me! The next few years Pam taught me everything she knew about gallery installation, art handling, talking to the public about art, and she created opportunities for students to learn directly from visiting artists and professionals. Her ‘curriculum’ of artist talks, gallery receptions, and hands-on workshops enhanced my art school experience enormously, and I am forever grateful. After graduation, Pam has continued to be an incredible mentor and has always been willing to be a glowing reference for artist residencies, jobs, and other professional opportunities.
Thank you, Pam! You’re amazing.

Grace, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Grace Hoag, and I am an emerging artist living in Fort Collins, Colorado. I received my BA from the University of Northern Colorado in Art and Design with an emphasis in Painting, minor in Business Administration, and certificate of Arts Entrepreneurship. I’m really interested in the intersection of art and business and working as a contemporary artist. My abstract acrylic-on-canvas paintings explore the emotional lives of colors. I’m fascinated by color theory and the ways that colors interact with each other in paintings to create emotional reactions in the viewer.
In 2020-2021 I received the Create Award at Art Gym Denver and had the amazing opportunity to explore the ideas of emotions and colors in painting at Art Gym’s incredible studio space. This residency culminated in a group exhibition and artist talks with my extremely talented co-artists-in-residence, printmaker Thinh Dinh and dancer Justice Miles.
As a young professional, it’s often not recommended to share things about businesses that haven’t worked out so well. I’d like to anyway- in the very likely case that other artists and entrepreneurs are out there reading this. In February 2020, I launched my own website with an online store, and planned to make and sell my artwork from home. I learned that year that it is incredibly difficult to move out, work part-time in retail, and maintain a fledgling online arts business during a pandemic. Later, I experienced some personal hardships that made this even harder, while also working full-time for a production ceramics company, and eventually my website and artwork became less of a priority, with making rent and caring for my health more important.
Currently, I’m still figuring out how I’d like to make and share my artwork with others. I run a Patreon site (patreon.com/gracehoag), where friends and family support my artwork with $1, $5, and $10 monthly subscriptions. I also work full-time as a jeweler. I’m applying to lots of different opportunities, getting rejected from many (you’re not alone!!), and trying to find ways to participate in my artistic practice in ways that are meaningful to me. Overall, I’m still trying to find a good balance of work, health, and being an artist.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Less of a lesson and more of a myth- that to be an artist you must make all of your income from your art. This idea made me feel really bad about myself as an artist- as if I had to reach some monetary threshold to have ‘made it’ as an artist. This myth was busted with one sentence from the book Art/ Work by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber- “Want to know a dirty little secret? Every artist has a day job” (23). It’s about making the day, or night, job work for you in your situation. There is no right way to be a working artist- and that’s pretty cool that you get to choose how to build your life.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think the best way to support an artist is to buy their artwork and services. The second best ways are to show up to art events, participate in classes, share their work and events (with credit) online, and to recommend them for jobs and shows. Art is work, after all, and a life filled with art and artists is so much fun!

Contact Info:

• Website: patreon.com/gracehoag
• Instagram: @_hoagieroll
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraceHoagFineArt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracehoag/
• Other: Portfolio: https://gracehoag4.wixsite.com/gracehoag

Image Credits
First headshot with black and orange painting: Alaya Ayala Headshot with plant in background: Alaya Ayala Headshot with paintings in background: Tristan Mark