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

Andrew, 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.

In addition to being a music educator for thirty-two years and a practicing visual artist, I also work part-time with a grant program that awards up to $2,000 each to “creative entrepreneurs.” In many cases, these artists and creatives are approaching the next step in their professional art careers but are delayed by financial constraints and a need for clarity in where to head next.

My role is one of three “navigators” who meet one-on-one with applicants and help them create a grant request that genuinely benefits their short—and mid-term goals. Through intentional questions and careful listening, we can aid their confidence in moving forward regarding the grant and their artistic direction.

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?

Music was always a part of my family’s life, and following an older brother’s career path, it was a natural fit to move into music education as well. My thirty-two years in the career took me through various combinations of grade levels, but a bulk of my time was spent teaching band, lessons, and general music to middle school students. (Obligations included a steady menu of bus and lunch duties, as well!)

This age group (5th through 8th grade in my district) certainly comes with its share of challenges, many of which stem from the changes they are going through and experiencing. On a positive note, working with students is rewarding as they evolve from shy “kids” to talkative younger versions of their adult personalities. As someone who worked with the same students for several years, you often had more insights into those personalities than other teachers.

In addition to an interest in music, I was also intrigued by the visual world as well, with a camera often available — including the early Mickey Mouse camera that opened the shutter when the ear was pulled down. Mom and Dad never seemed to complain when it came time to develop those prints.

Adulthood brought camera advancements, including a digital world where one no longer had to pay to develop film. Becoming a “weekend photographer” who sold art prints and participated in numerous regional juried exhibits was easy.

A few years before I retired from teaching, I stumbled across an art form that was both new to me and fascinated me creatively. As it turned out, the medium of creating clay monoprints was developed by Mitch Lyons — an artist in my home state who lived only ten minutes from my oldest daughter. As luck would have it, he taught weekend-long workshops that sent me down the rabbit hole of discovery and experimentation.

Lyons combined classic art printing and clay arts elements, using colored clay slips rather than paint or ink. Adding a unique twist, the prints leave behind a ghost image on the clay slab upon which the artwork is designed. These elements from previous works randomly appear, allowing the artist to greatly impact a work but never have complete control. The clay slab upon which an artist works (known as a “matrix”) becomes a diary of their work, and the art tends to “speak” in fascinating ways. The clay monoprint artist needs to put aside perfection and allow the art to have a bit of its own voice. In that way, the art reflects the chance happenings of our lives outside of our creative interests.

With a relatively young art form, there are a smaller than usual number of artists practicing this unique craft. Every print is an experiment; little feels done before.

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

My first (32-year) career focused on the musical arts, but after that retirement, I’ve moved into a much broader world of the “creative” as a successful working person and in terms of the medium.

Coming into the visual arts relatively late and with little formal art training beyond middle school art class, I knew I wasn’t going to “out-skill” other artists. In addition to working with an art medium (clay monoprint) that leans heavily toward the abstract, I’m fortunate to interact with the arts via multiple avenues. My work as an arts grant navigator puts me in touch with a wide gamut of creative, intelligent, and motivated individuals, and serving on a few nonprofit board seats allows me to interact with necessary, often underfunded areas of our community.

Being on the ground floor as the board chair of a new entity working toward official nonprofit status (paperwork has been submitted at the time of this writing) is a way to ensure one puts one’s interests into action. The group has already begun seeing that artists and new businesspeople receive mentorship and has opened a new building with nine artist students at below-market cost. These individuals reflect the interesting demographics of their small city.

In much of this, the concept of “work” is different than in my previous career, but I hope that work allows others to move forward more freely.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The general public can and should (next word italicized) directly interact with the creatives and their work. Rather than listening to a recording of the musician, hear them perform live and buy their music. Don’t just look at your artist friend’s music on social media and give that emoji reaction, but go see their art in person. When it comes time to redo your living room, skip the big box store, massive online retailer, or the anonymity of the large producer. Go see some art, find your favorite, and buy it.

Drilling down, artists and creatives must also play a larger role in their industry’s success. I firmly believed in the importance of unions in education, and I participated in local leadership. Many of our most active organizational drivers were also our strongest educators — they valued their craft and knew they were the best spokespeople for their work. The education world often knows that visibly supporting each other and each other’s work ultimately strengthens their own environment.

While most creatives don’t typically have such a formal organization of mutual support, they can, should, and must be seen as the strongest supporters of other creatives and artists around them. If artists want their neighbors to see or hear their works in person, they should demonstrate that act. Want people to buy your painting, book, or music download? When have you done the same for your fellow artists, and have you shown others, perhaps through a shoutout on social media?

Being intentional is a positive, forward-moving life skill. Being intentional about supporting one’s own creative industry is the same and much more necessary than many creatives believe.

A thriving creative ecosystem takes the mutual support of others in the industry and the active role of our neighbors—intentionality from all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.visualrealia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualrealia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewTylerSmith
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/visualrealia/
• Other: https://www.cultureontheline.com
  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092013279593
  https://www.facebook.com/OnTheLineAdamsHanover

Image Credits

All images ©Andrew T. Smith