Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alayna N. Pernell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alayna N., appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve known that I wanted to pursue art professionally since my junior year of high school. I was able to fit doing a semester at the Cleburne County Career Technical School in my schedule which at that point was dominantly filled with AP and honors courses. However, I wanted to take a class in the Business Education program because nothing else seemed fully intriguing to me. I was shocked at how much I thoroughly enjoyed that program and it opened my eyes to seeing that my creativity could also fund my life. Until then, I only saw art as a hobby that I did after school or sports practice. I started painting very young and loved it so much. I was wrong though. I absolutely could be an artist and that could also be my career. I didn’t have to let it go to pursue something else that I wasn’t entirely passionate about. After that realization, I began looking into colleges that had art programs and of course, affordable ones. My Mom took me to a University Day at the University of Alabama and that was around the time that I also received my ACT score. I fell in love with that school and remember asking her, “Mom can I go here?”. She was elated and has supported me through it all to this day. I went in as a declared Studio Art major knowing that by the end, this was going to be my life and my career by any means necessary, and it all unfolded beautifully.

Alayna N., 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?

For those who don’t know who I am, my name is Alayna N. Pernell and I’m an artist, educator, and writer. I am from Heflin, Alabama though I now reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I moved for work after completing my MFA in Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2021. I have been creative since I was a child, but more professionally in the last 7+ years, specifically in photography. I’m dominantly a visual, conceptual artist and I make work that encapsulates various experiences that Black people go through, mentally, physically, or emotionally. This is a vital topic that I’ve explored since I was still a Studio Art and African American Studies student at the University of Alabama. However, in the last 5 years, my work has specifically focused on Black women and the range of experiences we have experienced historically and contemporarily in the American landscape.

I’ve exhibited my photography in over 25 spaces around the US and have been the recipient of numerous awards including the James Weinstein Memorial Award by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Department of Photography, the 2021 Snider Prize by the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and the Mary L. Nohl Emerging Artist award. Currently, I’m running a public project called “Surely You Know?” where I am working to return displaced images to their loved ones which is very exciting and equally ambitious.

I’m currently an Associate Lecturer of Photography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where I have taught since 2021. I have also been a contributing writer for an online publication named Lenscratch where I highlight the work and practices of contemporary photographic artists. Occasionally, I am asked for commission work with both photography and writing as well. All of these avenues sustain my life whether financially, mentally, or a combination of the two and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

It’s amazing to think back on how far I’ve come from a small town in Alabama to now living my dream as an artist on a wider scale which I’ve desired for a long time. Seeing all of my dreams transpire over 10 years and not letting anyone sway me from pursuing being an artist (because there have been some doubters) is what I’m proud of the most. It wasn’t easy by any means, but it was all (and still is) worth it. The right people took a chance on me and the best people supported me through it all which continues to sustain me alongside my strong belief in myself.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I had to unlearn was one that I interestingly placed on myself. When I was very early in my photography journey, specifically in undergrad, I used to avoid looking at other artists’ work for the fear that I would accidentally copy them and to keep my ideas as “original” and “unique” as possible. Writing this out even makes me feel so silly because it’s a highly flawed view. The switch flipped for me when I started applying to graduate schools and realized I didn’t know much about historical and contemporary photographers who (in my mind), I should have known about. It made me feel embarrassed and disappointed in myself that I let my pride and false preconceptions get in the way of me learning more about people who came before me. I feel that after I let go of the idea that my ideas are original and have never been done before, that was the most freeing thing ever. Looking at other artists and hearing their voices is inspiring and a way was paved for me to use photography to share my voice as well. My ideas and thoughts may not be original, but they are important, and they are building upon an ever-evolving history. There’s room for everybody and we’re not working against each other, we’re working with each other. I wish I knew and accepted that then.

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

There are a couple of stories that come to mind. One took place when I was in high school. I had a meeting with my guidance counselor my senior year where she was inquiring about my next steps. When I told her I was going to the University of Alabama to pursue art, she immediately gave a look of disgust and proceeded to tell me that she didn’t think I was a good fit for that school and that I should probably seek a smaller community college and pursue a different path. There is nothing wrong with going to community college. Though what was heartbreaking to me was that she was telling me I wasn’t good enough and neither was my career choice. Mind you, I was top 10 in my class on the honors track, scored very well on my ACT and had the necessary support to go to UA. So, I didn’t understand her reasoning and she never gave logical reasoning. After my Mom had a lovely chat with her, I continued on with my journey and the rest is history.

The second story that comes to mind is when I was in college getting ready to start preparing for graduate school. Crazy how this also happened during an educational transition, though this time it was with my advisor at UA. I felt mentally prepared to go to grad school, knowing full well that my portfolio needed some tweaking. Though, I just needed that support that would also include a recommendation letter. When I told my advisor, who was also one of my professors at the time about my plans, he expressed his lack of support and didn’t believe that I was fit for graduate school. I was very disappointed, again. However, I had a conversation with another Photography professor who had helped me grow, Allison Grant, who I credit to this day for believing in me and helping further prepare me for grad school. With her support and the work I was very committed to putting in, I got accepted into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s prestigious MFA in Photography program with a scholarship. I suppose with both stories, it shows that I didn’t allow the disappointment I felt from people telling me I wasn’t fit, or wasn’t good enough and continued to press through with the support of people who did believe in me. I may not need it as much now, but at that time, I really needed that validation from my family and from Allison. Otherwise, I don’t know where I would be right now, but I’m so glad that I didn’t allow lone opinions of me stop me from pursuing my dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alaynanpernell.com
• Instagram: alaynapernell

Image Credits

All images are credit to me (Alayna N. Pernell).