We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Terri Saulin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Terri below.
Terri, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
My Mom was a “Den Mother” for the Cub Scouts and we had an endless supply of art materials in our South Philly basement, including a six foot on-going macaroni eagle project. I spent countless hours in our basement, just making things. I went to a Catholic grade school and had a 4th grade teacher who lovingly curated the walls of our room with images. She happened to choose the most over the top, ornate, complex and layered works that were a mashup of time and culture. The ones that stand out the most are Gaudi, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Breugel, Bosch, Dali, Van Gogh, Morandi and a huge poster of the Prambanan Temple, the Shrine of St. Lachtin’s Arm… tons of other Celtic stuff. That experience will forever stay with me. I still imagine the room and how those images were in such opposition to the linoleum floor, the desks, Sr. Dorothy’s habit… yet, they seemed to be perfect together.
(I also used to secretly melt crayons on the hot radiator and squish up the warm wax into shapes under my desk.)
Just as I was about to transition to High School, The city of Philadelphia opened a magnet school called The Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. I immediately begged my parents to let me apply. I made a portfolio of painstaking detailed pencil drawings of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie from Circus magazine and got in! I was a member of the first four year graduating class of 1982.
Terri, 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 earned my MFA from the University of the Arts and my BFA from Moore College of Art and Design. Between those two educational experiences, I was a general manager and bartender in a few nightclubs in Philly and LA, and was a Sous Chef. Dotted in between I kept a hand in teaching Ceramics, Drawing, Printmaking and Sculpture. I taught as an adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design in the BFA, MFA, Continuing Studies and Youth programs for about twenty five years. I currently teach a variety of Studio Art courses at The Agnes Irwin School, in Rosemont, PA. My most recent adventure is opening up No. 5 Butchie Alley. Basically, I turned my garage into a little project space.
Just after Graduate school I became a member and press coordinator for Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Philadelphia, a small Artist run space founded by Alex Paik. Our artist-run model expands the artist’s role beyond that of studio practitioner to include the roles of curator, critic, and community developer and provides an alternate model to the conventions of the current commercial art market. More about TSA here. (https://www.tigerstrikesasteroid.com/about) I have been a part of the organization for fourteen years and we are happily celebrating our 15th Anniversary this March. Beginning with a tiny space in Philly, we are now a non-profit with five spaces in NY, LA, CHI and GVL. The experience with this amazing and ever evolving group of artists has been marvelous. It gave me wings and a profound desire to deepen my experience in the cultural fabric of the Philadelphia Arts Community.
I moved back from LA and started renting a wonderful home in my hometown – South Philly. It had everything I ever dreamed of, a garden and a detached garage. After twenty years of dreaming, saving and the elbow grease that comes along with fixing up an old row home, I opened No. 5 Butchie Alley. The first opening was New Year’s Eve of 2021 towards the end of the pandemic. It was an online exhibition of works on paper from my personal collection, hung as the title of the show says – “5 Inches Apart… because we all want to be closer.” I am celebrating the third year offering programming, which evolves organically based on my schedule as a full time educator. I hope to continue growing and creating a welcoming space that invites generous conversations, a place to exchange ideas and to build community in the city of Philadelphia. Exhibitions at No. 5 Butchie Alley rotate approximately every two months. During the run of each exhibition, the exhibiting artists or I offer workshops relating to their studio practice or to something currently happening in the community.
This all sounds like a lot when I write it down … but I honestly think that my previous training in the restaurant business helped me with my “mise en place” – little bowls of onions carrots and celery, …garlic – occasionally some red or green peppers – create the needed ingredients to keep each endeavor going and a solid base for continued recipes in the gallery and classroom.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
There were a bunch of questions I could have chosen to answer from the list – but NFTs raise my hackles so much. I think they are the biggest Ponzi scheme. Step one is to create a scenario that is confusing and act like your customer just isn’t educated enough to understand it – then sell them something that technically doesn’t exist and could be lost if someone doesn’t maintain a virtual link to it. I participated in a project with an area university that was explaining all the glory & marvels about the virtual gallery and how to mint an NFT. In the end the virtual gallery navigation was cute, but pretty cheesy. No better than what most pandemic Art teachers made to showcase student works. The kicker was the workshop facilitator telling all of the artists that if they actually wanted to “sell” their work as an NFT they would have to pay a fee to “mint” it. The fee changed by the hour and the low point was $100.00. Sometimes it flashed as high as a few thousand. It was explained as “See those popular gains – that is how much money you will end up making on your work.” There’s the hook! Collecting money from a bunch of artists who may or may not sell said virtual work ever… but someone collected a hefty fee… for what? In my pop’s words… straight bologna!
I am an object maker and believe that objects contain meaning and power that increases as they are experienced and passed through time. Objects/paintings/drawings, etc., are meant to be lived with. They become alive, they are storytellers, vessels filled with the rich history of the time period they were made, the maker and each owner.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
No. 5 Butchie Alley is like my multi-vitamin, a B12 shot from sharing in a joyful community. I have the opportunity to dip back into my cooking career and make appetizers for receptions and special lunches for workshops. I adored working in the club/restaurant business. The spaces where I worked were memorable and magical and brought incredibly diverse groups of people together. People would become regulars and bring friends, expanding the community to a point where it felt like family. I hope to create a similar atmosphere, sharing art, music, poetry, food and learning experiences. I have an endlessly evolving list of artists I am eager to work with. Each artist or group of artists adds more flavor to the pot. Each workshop brings a new dimension to my own studio practice and brings even more friends together – artists, art lovers, parents and children, couples, best friends, looking for an interesting way to spend a day or two learning something new and getting to know a wonderful new circle of friends. It would be marvelous to be like Louise Bourgeois… I will continue to make my own work in my home studio, opening up the gallery and garden for Saturday and Sunday Salons for friends to gather and talk about their artwork and maybe a little group therapy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.terrisaulin.com/
- Instagram: @no_5_butchie_alley @tess1175
- Facebook: Terri Saulin Studio: No. 5 Butchie Alley and Terri Saulin
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-saulin-6063029/
- Twitter: @tsaulin
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Artwork – Solo Exhibition at Tiger Strikes Asteroid Philly:
Image Credits
Image Credits: Terri Saulin and Jaime Alvarez