We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Staci Ogle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Staci, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Born and raised in Topeka Kansas, my art journey didn’t really take off until I was raising kids of my own. I started dabbling in art in 2010 at the kitchen table during nap times (I did in-home preschool for 14 years) and realized that it was a great way to build bridges in the community and to help me achieve my personal goals of building up my city for my children to grow and thrive in. I remember being a naïve artist, who was clueless about how the art world works. I jumped right in and didn’t have a care in the world if I belonged or not. I was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop me! I consider myself a nontraditional artist, self-taught and highly motivated to grow the arts in my city.

Staci, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I live by the Ralph Marston quote, “What’s holding you back is the thought that something is holding you back.”

Being an artist to me is not about promoting my work and trying to be the best or most successful artist in the area. Instead, my approach to art comes from those who I’ve surrounded myself around in my community (and beyond). My goal is to raise others up, to be a leader and help those around me grow and evolve, (all of which meets my bigger personal goals).

Since immersing myself into the arts in Topeka I’ve been blessed to have been given some amazing experiences. I have shown in over one hundred art shows, nationally and internationally, with twelve solo exhibits. I participated in the Parallax Art Fair in London and was an Arty Award Visual Artist Finalist 2017. I’ve had the opportunity to grow my community through multiple fundraising efforts, and am highly involved in community outreach efforts, working to build partnerships with local organizations and businesses to further support the arts in Topeka. In 2017 and 2018 I partnered with our local zoo, painting with both an elephant and an alligator, and auctioning off those paintings for charity. I was chair of the Aaron Douglas Art Fair for 5 years, an annual, one-day art fair that celebrates the legacy of Topeka-born artist Aaron Douglas and showcases over 40 emerging and professional artists.

In 2011 I became involved in our newly established Arts and Entertainment District, NOTO. With that involvement I’ve owned and operated 4 different galleries, growing, and changing as each new phase of the district was developed. In 2019 I was blessed to be able to quit my full time job as an in-home preschool teacher to take a full-time job with NOTO as Program and Communications Coordinator. In my current position I’m responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the district, as well as the NOTO Arts Center, coordinating events and programming, managing communications, and working to promote NOTO to the wider community.

The last year has been a whirlwind of wins in NOTO, and I’ve been front and center in economic development efforts, and expansion of arts programming. I created the NOTO Art Health walk, which promotes physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through art while identifying over 50 public art locations in NOTO. Through a partnership with the city of Topeka and NOTO, I implemented the first crosswalk mural as a pilot project for the city, I worked hand in hand with businesses in NOTO to create public murals and additional public locations for art.

Part of my job requires me to implement programming in the district and the NOTO Arts Center. It’s really the diamond in the rough of my responsibilities, giving me the opportunity to reach all of the arts in Topeka. During my time working for NOTO I’ve curated over 50 art exhibits, facilitated exhibits with multiple school districts, booked musicians in the park for events, worked with theater groups, dance groups, and celebrated the rich culture and heritage of our city through public events and programming.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My personal journey had an over-abundance of difficult struggles that molded who I was as an adult, bringing out my strength and determination. As a child, I lacked the self-esteem and support that was needed for me to really thrive as an individual. Ironically, growing up through the 90’s in Topeka, I often noticed the same thing in our city. Topeka struggled to make an identity for itself, surrounded by crime, decades of the dark cloud brought on by Westboro Baptist Church, and a history of racial indifference’s that we couldn’t seem to get past. In order to grow we needed an environment conducive to growth. I really felt the need to be a part of that change when I decided that Topeka was always going to be my home, where I was going to raise my family, grow my roots, and be a part of something better. I wanted my children to grow up in a city that was growing around them, while also seeing the importance of being a positive support system for others within their community. I knew that to make that happen I had to be a part of that change that I wanted to see.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

COVID was incredibly difficult for me, and tested my faith in myself as an artist and individually. (I call this my blue period lol) During this time I found myself going through a divorce, moving my home and children to a new location, losing one of my best friends to cancer, and losing my grandmother and my uncle to COVID. There were SO many moments when I wanted to throw in the towel completely and just give up. I lost my ability to create, and nothing motivated me. I would sit there in front of the canvas and not be able to pick up the brush. I’m so thankful for the strong support that I had from my friends and my community, reminding me that this was a hurdle that just needed time and patience to overcome. Even though I didn’t want to push through, I reminded myself of the reasons I decided to become an artist in the first place.

Everyone goes through tough times, and this wasn’t my first rodeo. I needed to give myself a gentle reminder that I was human, and even though my creativity was at a standstill, this too would pass. I pushed myself to create and immersed myself in my work, which for me was therapy. Through it all, I never stopped being true to myself, and used my experience as a catalyst for growth once again. I shared my heartache, and my struggles, and used my experience in a way to once again build up our community and remind us of just how resilient we are.

In 2021, through tireless efforts of working to keep the NOTO Arts & Entertainment district moral afloat through COVID, we were able to pivot programming and organizational goals. That year we cultivated over 50 events, adding outdoor festivals, concerts, and additional programming to our calendar, as well as continuing the already established First Friday events that we held previously. It was the beginning of a resurgence for the district and today we are proud to still say that we have over 50 small businesses thriving in NOTO, and serve over 60,000 people annually.

Contact Info:

• Website: explorenoto.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacidawnogleart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofstacidawnogle