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

Aleah, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

At the beginning of 2024 I had a major surgery to repair some damage from my time in the military.

It threw me into a major spiral of pain and depression and for awhile really impacted what I thought I would be able to do moving forward in all areas of my life including artistic pursuits.

I was offered the opportunity to have a small guest artist show at The Universal Education Foundation and that inspired me to start working again.

The first piece I completed for the show was called “Modern Motherhood” and really helped me to process my feelings of the events of the surgery, my divorce, my career aspirations, and the myriad of plates mothers today have to keep spinning.

Being a mother is my greatest joy but also the hardest job I’ve ever had. I felt this piece really helped to express those feelings and cracked open the desire to start making art again.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a mixed media artist whose work centers on exploring cultural identity, heritage, and personal history. Through layered storytelling and symbolic imagery, I hope to reflect on the complexities of navigating between different cultural and social norms, and family values with broader themes of belonging and resilience.

I definitely use art to process personal experiences with identity, family, and the pressures of assimilation, inviting viewers into a journey of self-discovery and reflection.

Shows:
2024 – Universal Education Foundation – Colorado Springs, CO
2024 – US Veterans Association Veteran’s Health Equity Gallery – National Show
2024 – The ENT Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs, CO
2023 – Disrupter Gallery at Shutter and Strum, Colorado Springs, CO
2023 – True North Art Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO
2022 – DistrictElleven cocktail bar, Colorado Springs, CO
2021-2022 – Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs, CO
2010 – Ward Gallery – Fort Worth, Texas
2009 – The Firehouse Gallery – Fort Worth, TX
2009 – JHFF Gallery – Austin, TX
2007 – Geronimo Coffee – Fort Worth, TX
2006-2007 – Panther City Coffee – Fort Worth, TX
2005 – Southlake City Hall – Southlake TX
& Private Collections

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Buy local art!

Artist in your community want to share their work and there are so many options available.

Buying wall art from a box store perpetuates big retailers stealing work from independent artist.

Artists create creative ecosystems but they need the support of communities, business, and locals to do that.

Be the envy of your friends with a great story to tell by showing an displaying local artwork in your home. Much cooler than a beige abstract that matches your couch.

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

I am a disabled US Navy veteran who suffers from fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and a boat load of other medical issues from my time in service.

I am also a divorced single mom living in America today.

Every day is a challenge for me and so many other people right now, I think continuing to live our lives and make creative pursuits important and possible is an amazing form of rebelling against the hardship the world throws at us.

The challenges and turns my life has taken me through were things I know many have not been able to survive. I am so thankful that I have a great support system in place to help me when I feel like it’s all too much. Community is so very important and a community who supports what lights your soul up is magical.

Art has been a constant in my life since childhood and has always provided a lifeline to process and release the hard things in life. It’s the single strand that no matter what has been thrown at me, I have been able to pick up and pull my way out of the muck.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @afarrellartworks
• Facebook: Aleah Farrell

Image Credits

Personal