We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natalie Knox. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natalie below.

Natalie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Ooo what an evocative question from the jump! My parents have always been supportive of me, always. I was one of those kids that tried everything, but didn’t always stick with everything, but my parents were always encouraging. They let me take the lead, but were always there to guide me with a gentle and loving hand. They exposed me and my siblings to a lot and were always available to answer questions and help us research.
They sat and listened to my power point presentation on why I needed to have a beagle puppy, which was successful I must add, they bought a FoodSaver 3000 after my pitch when I became obsessed with infomercials, they encouraged my love of art history and making art throughout the years, and they were there to help me pack and drive a U-Haul many times. Having my formative years surrounded by love, support, and laughter was definitely so crucial in allowing me to have the confidence to try new things but also having the skills to deal with the mistakes I made along the way.
We moved around, and internationally at that, a lot growing up which did force me to be adaptable in being able to put myself out there and talk to anyone, a skillset that got me into a bit of trouble when I was in school but has only helped me throughout my life and career. A common thread in all the jobs I have had is the importance of building relationships through kindness, support, the ability to relate to someone and a dash of humor.
The importance of being a supportive parent is a role that I don’t take lightly having two young children of my own now. You think before having kids that these beings are going to be just like you but you quickly realize that’s not really the case, they are their own people and your job is to figure out who these little people are and how they take-in the world and help them grow into loved, supported and hopefully happy big people.

Natalie, 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?

Sure! I am the Gallery Director at FRANK art gallery now located in Carrboro, NC. We are an artist’s collective contemporary, fine art gallery as well as a non-profit organization. I am the only full-time employee, but I do get lots of help from our group of member artists and board of directors who all serve on committees. It’s a really well-oiled machine and I am so proud of the outreach we do and the wonderful art we get to display for the community. Unlike a true collective model, our gallery shows the work of an ever-changing roster of local and regional artists, changing our shows every 6 weeks, so we are continually diversifying the work we exhibit.
My education background is a bit diverse, I majored in fashion merchandising management, European Studies, and art history which led me to having an also diverse career path as well. I worked in different aspects of retail, customer facing, operations, and in management, all along building my resume and list of experiences which although frustrating at times did help me in getting me into my position today. I have been the gallery director of FRANK for a little over 6 years and I honestly really love getting to be surrounded by art, artists, and creativity and I really love being able to talk to visitors about art every day. I really like to consider our gallery as an approachable place to learn about art, I want to help breakdown the intimidating facade an art gallery can have and really encourage questions.
We have lots of wonderful programming, but I am especially proud of our monthly (free!) Coffee with FRANK series, run with artist Theresa P-Tan, this series allows guests to come in and learn about art and techniques in a casual and fun environment. We have so many events coming up in the next few months that we are incredibly excited about including a new major, community fundraising event for the Spring, stay tuned on our website and instagram!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think that transitional stages in life are hard, and I think that being in your 20’s is exceptionally hard. I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of “now what?” I didn’t choose a major that would have a clear-cut career path especially if I didn’t go to graduate school, so I felt lost. I was under the impression that you graduate, and you apply for a job in a field that you love and you work your way up. The realization it all wasn’t that easy was hard, but I did eventually realize that whatever job I had I was going to be really good at it. I was going to create relationships and network and try to grow my skillset as much as I could. I refused to stay stagnate and took each opportunity that came across to advance and learned how to manage a team. However, all the while I was applying to positions within museums/galleries. I continued to move around as an adult pretty regularly with eventually settling down here in North Carolina. When the position came up for me to apply to the FRANK Gallery Manager position, they were looking for someone with a background in retail and management, so it finally all worked out! I am currently trying to figure out the balance between motherhood and managing everything else successfully (to be determined), so far humility, levity, and flexibility have been key. I am also very fortunate in that the organization I work for has been really accommodating as I learn how to navigate it all.

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

I know it is said a lot, but it’s so important for society as a whole to understand how important art is. A characteristic throughout history that connects modern people with the people of antiquity, is this link to make our surroundings beautiful and filled with art. The desire to have our homes and spaces be a reflection of our identities and filled with art is deeply rooted and can be with, no exaggeration, life altering for the viewer as well as for the person creating the art. Supporting artists by buying their art, providing granting opportunities and simply appreciating what they do shouldn’t be understated. Of course, the availability of mass produced art is ubiquitous and inexpensive, but by making a purchase from a living artist and perhaps one local to your area allows artists to thrive. Art doesn’t have to be inaccessible either, prints, originals on papers, small pieces can be in a variety of price points, so I encourage everyone to visit their local art gallery, ask questions or reach out to local artists and see what they offer. Next time you see an artist, thank them for making our world a more beautiful place!

Contact Info:

• Website: frankisart.com
• Instagram: frankgallery
• Facebook: frankgallery
• Linkedin: FRANK Gallery

Image Credits
Pictures by Barbara Tyroler and Bill McAllister