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

Amy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I feel lucky to be able to say I’ve worked on a number of really meaningful projects. Today, I’m choosing to tell the story of one of the community arts projects I co-created with my wife, Maya Stein. The Tiny Book Show was a project we completed in the summer of 2016. We transformed our vintage travel trailer to house a collection we curated of more than 300 miniature books handmade by amateur and professional artists from around the world, all less than 3″ in dimension. This mobile museum visited over 60 locations around the United States between July and August. At each location we also facilitated an all-ages tiny book-making workshop, using books from the exhibit as inspiration. Visitors to the exhibit had a chance to experiment with a variety of book structures, techniques, and materials, and in some cases met and connected with the participating artists themselves. Our project was featured at the Miniature Book Society’s Annual Conclave, a gathering of book artists and collectors from around the world, in McKinney, Texas that August.

Amy, 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 actually lead two lives that converge somewhere in the middle. I am a practicing fine artist AND I am the Program Director at Waterfall Arts—a community arts center in Belfast, Maine, which hosts a gallery, 15 private artist studios, 4 public-access studios (glass, print, clay and photography) + classes, workshops, events and outreach programming for all ages. It is a creative arts hub in Midcoast Maine. I wear a million hats in my job, but because I am an artist myself, everything I do is centered around building creative community and making sure the artists we work with are credited, compensated and supported. I am incredibly proud of all that the Waterfall staff and I have accomplished in the 2 1/2 years since I joined the small but mighty team. Some highlights have been: starting a podcast where we interview local artists; developing, securing funding and co-coordinating a public mural project for the exterior of our building that includes 34 artists; creating two programs with a local land trust in which we bring art and artists to various trails and preserves through a mobile art gallery and a micro-residency; gathering local artists in a monthly meetup where they can interact and form connections with each other; and bringing a world-wide mail art show to our gallery with over 250 pieces of art hanging in every hallway of our building from 21 U.S. states and 27 different countries.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn is that there is no one clear path to doing what you love or being an artist. I built a portfolio in high school and then never applied to art school. I got the message that “artist” wasn’t a job and I needed a real skill to be successful. I went to a liberal arts college and graduated with a degree in history and women’s studies. These two subjects inform my artwork to this day, but at the time I felt lost. I spent a few years teaching in public schools, working for a major publishing company in their children’s division where I shepherded other artist’s work through the process of becoming a book, and raising my sons.

When my children were in elementary school, I realized I wanted to make creative expression more accessible to young girls. I didn’t want the daughters of my friends to be plagued by the same doubts about creativity that I had been. Instead I wanted to encourage them to put art making front and center in their lives. I founded BraveGirlsArt, (a series of workshops and summer camps for kids and adult women), a venture that was eventually folded into a mobile community arts business I co-created with my wife called The Creativity Caravan. That led to thousands of miles traveled in a vintage caravan teaching art and writing workshops and to a brick-and-mortar space in NJ where folks could gather. Our programs were centered on the joy of discovery and power of collaborative learning. Today I am the program director at a fabulous non-profit community-arts organization in Midcoast Maine where I curate exhibitions and map out the programs in 4 public-access studios, all under one roof. And I spend time practicing my own craft as a fiber artist and collagist.

There is no right way. There is no one way. You can begin again. You can start fresh. You can learn new skills when you are 40, 50, or 80-years old. Making art is central to who I am, and connecting other artists and makers is something I am passionate about. The journey may have been circuitous but I stand firmly in a place of empowerment, both a lifelong teacher and learner. It’s a delightful place to have landed.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is twofold, it’s self-awareness and empathy for others. The things I make are often both political and personal. As a woman artist, creative expression has served as a powerful tool for self-empowerment, helping me to find my voice, challenge expectations, and inspire change. I have used my art to convey my stories, my aspirations, and my struggles. I have seen how sharing my creative expression fosters new connections BECAUSE I am sharing common experiences and struggles. Making deeply personal art unites me with other women across borders, cultures, and backgrounds, creating a sense of solidarity. When I show up with vulnerability and consciousness, the needle moves. What a gift!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amytingle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tingle/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/amy_tingle_artist/

Image Credits
(Photo of me, by Chris Battaglia)