We were lucky to catch up with Avery Frank recently and have shared our conversation below.
Avery, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I learned to draw and paint mainly by trial, error, and observation. Creating was something I have found joy and lightness in since I was small. I began seriously drawing as a way to process and connect with the world around me, especially through times of struggle, isolation, or instability. Paying attention to the delicate relationships between spaces and their inhabitants, whether objects or people, and translating them by hand on paper taught me to be grounded and aware. My desire to capture temporary moments, settings, or feelings allowed my work to grow gradually more detailed and life-like. I view my representational art practice as a way to acknowledge and honor the world around me while intentionally deepening my relationship with it. I highly value the skills of recognition and attention to detail; taking time to analyze the lines and negative spaces of otherwise overlooked corners of rooms or relationships inspires a lot of my artistic motivation.
My main obstacles stemmed from my timeline, especially compared to peers that I looked up to. Despite working as a mural artist since the age of 16, it wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I enrolled in my first art class. Exposure to mentorship, critiques, and consistent time in a studio guided me to establish confidence and new practices that I maintain today such as approaching abstraction through color temperature, priming canvases with painted text, and studying and recreating works I admire at museums.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Avery Frank, I am an artist, actress, and muralist currently based in Chicago, IL. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where I have worked as a mural artist, project lead, and community engagement specialist with the Cincinnati nonprofit Art-Empowerment alongside founder Brent Billingsley. While continuously building my personal body of work, I am currently pursuing a degree in film at DePaul University in Chicago, concentrating in acting while working as a professional actor. I also provide painting and poster commissions.
In my personal work, I focus on emotional expression through commenting visually on the world I observe. My elements of abstraction are influenced by my relationship with colors, more specifically how they communicate sentiments or feelings that are otherwise limited by language alone. My goal as I construct a body of work through bases of oil paint and mixed media is to create a relationship with the mediums that fully embodies and stretches their purpose. Becoming articulate in their language allows me to understand my place in the world and to recognize the spaces and company I am currently in, as well as the themes and thoughts that stick with me through change.
What sets me apart is my personal investment in the projects I participate in, and my gravitation towards genuine collaboration. Acting and painting are both deeply personal to me, and one of the largest barriers I have to dissolve is oxidizing my work to general audiences, collaborators, and role models. Facing, accepting, and overcoming intimidation of vulnerability is necessary to my path of becoming the fullest, most nourished artist, collaborator, and person I can be. Whether it is the time and heart I dedicate to community projects or the real pieces of myself and my lived experience I invest in commissions or acting roles, I contribute and share the parts of myself I hold closest.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Some of my most substantial pivots surround my college experience. Halfway through my senior year of high school, I had offers at BFA programs where I had auditioned for acting or submitted fine art portfolios, yet I decided to study mathematics and theatre at George Washington University in DC. I saw this as a safe option, providing me academic flexibility and a new environment 500 miles from home. It took no more than a few weeks to feel entirely out of place for my interests in community, creativity, and action. I struggled as I misaligned with the academic mold of a four year university. In my discomfort, I found myself steadily recommitting to drawing and painting, spending hours at and walking to the National Gallery and Hirshhorn Museum, transferring into the fine art program, and calculating the distance between where I was and where I felt I should be. I eventually improved my situation by studying at the Corcoran School of Art and Design, joining and originating bands, and making lifelong friends and memories that I will be forever grateful for. Still, I decided it was not in my best interest to return.
I moved to Chicago, transferring to DePaul University to study film acting and continue fine arts on my own. I really made this decision to be in a vibrant city with artistic opportunities outside of school, even though I knew no one in Chicago and almost nothing about the programs I would be starting. My untraditional relationship with college inspired me to take my last teenage years with a tighter grasp. I had practiced acting and art both professionally at this point, and I was ready to take myself seriously as an artist and actively advocate for my goals. While not easy or by any means perfect, the risk was worth the reward. In my second year in Chicago and last before graduating, I am proud to say that I have recently booked my first two professional feature films set to shoot in January and May of 2026, and am currently leading a mural project at a local women’s center. I had little trust for how this move and shift of mindset would unfold, but I am beyond grateful that I have been able to learn a new city through acting roles across town and commission work for jazz bands and student films. Seeking out and taking risks, especially those down less traditional or secure paths, have taught me adaptability, resilience and the responsibility of agency, leading me to a version of myself I value and trust.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is definitely being lucky enough to approach life through the lenses of what I’m passionate about. Some of my closest connections were made through mural work, and my favorite installation I assisted with was introduced to me by a casting director who is now a close friend and founder of the scene study organization where I serve as vice president. It is so rewarding to be able to build an interdisciplinary network of my own interests that lead me to close friends and incredible role models. My love of music and lyricism contextualizes the way I work through scripts, and the way characters I play express themselves guides my line work when I paint. Being an artist allows me to appreciate every shade of life, and I am so excited to continue.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @avery.frank.art
- Other:
Email: averyfrank2005@gmail.comBackstage: https://www.backstage.com/u/Avery-Frank/
Image Credits
Karson Kane